Los Alamos: The Ranch School Years, 1917-1943 - Hardcover

Wirth, John D.; Aldrich, Linda Harvey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0826328830 ISBN 13: 9780826328830

Publisher: University of New Mexico Press, 2004

Synopsis

Twenty-five years before the Manhattan Project created the town of Los Alamos, the Pajarito Plateau was home to an elite prep school for boys, ages twelve to eighteen. The Los Alamos Ranch School combined a robust outdoor life and a carefully cultivated wilderness experience with a rigorous academic program and the structured discipline of a Boy Scout troop, perfectly mirroring the Progressive Era's quest for perfection. John Wirth's father, Cecil, taught at the school and directed its summer camp. John spent his early childhood at the school along with his brother Tim, later a US Senator from Colorado. Drawing on oral accounts, memoirs, and archival documents, as well as John's firsthand knowledge and family lore, the authors situate the school within the educational trends of the day and New Mexico's cultural milieu.

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Review

"The school comes alive for us. . . LARS should not be forgotten." "This is the definitive book on the Los Alamos Ranch School." "Wirth and Aldrich have succeeded in writing a thoughful institutional biography of a western boarding school of uncommon character." "The most thorough account of life at the school. It is based on personal recollections as well as archival research. It is well written and filled with anecdotes that bring the era to life." "Linda Aldrich and Wirth have given us a book that honors the progressive era in each aspect of the school's down-home ranch spirit. The story they tell is evocative and memorable, and will likely make you wish such a school still existed." "The authors have created a detailed account of this unique episode in the history of Los Alamos that intertwines personal stories into an interesting narrative. The content will appeal to a general audience, historians of education, and anyone interested in early twentieth-century New Mexico." ""Los Alamos: The Ranch School Years" will be of value to readers interested in educational history, educational philosophy, the history of childhood in the West, . . . and varied history of the Pajarito Plateau. Those with a bookshelf reserved for exceptional books on Los Alamos will be able to add yet another fine volume to their growing collection." "Wirth and Aldrich have provided a sound, analytical history of the school and the personalities involved in its development. . . . The impressive bibliography illustrates extensive research by the authors through manuscripts, publications, and especially interviews. This is a nicely done story of a small but significant part of the history of education and of New Mexico."

About this edition

• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0826328830
• ISBN 13: 9780826328830
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 306