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What's in a Name?
Elementary School Names (O-Z)

Pfeiffer Elementary School
Constructed 1917
Addition 1960
Named in honor of Jacob (1861-1945) and William Pfeiffer
In the early 1890s, brothers Jacob and William Pfeiffer, along with three others, opened a company called the Miller Rubber Co. By 1896 Jacob had bought out three of the partners. In 1900 he was president, and William was secretary-treasurer of the company. During the late 1920s, the company ran into financial difficulty; and in 1930 it was purchased by the B. F. Goodrich Co.

The two Pfeiffer brothers donated land for the building of a school which was originally called Overlook after the allotment surrounding the school site. The name was later changed to Pfeiffer to honor these two prominent Akron citizens.

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Portage Path Elementary School
Constructed 1908
Additions 1916, 1973
The Cuyahoga River was a major link in travel among the Indians who journeyed from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Another important link was the Tuscarawas River.

In Summit County, these two rivers were separated by a distance of only eight miles, with a trail connecting them. This trail was known as "Portage Path." It ran from Old Portage (five miles north of Akron) one-half mile west, rising more than 300 feet in one mile. It followed the present Portage Path south to Copley Road, through Perkins Woods, dropped near Manchester Road and then ended at a landing near Long Lake.

By 1850 a small stone building known as the Chestnut Grove School served as the first school in this district. By the early 1900s, the growth of the city and continued westward expansion led to the building of a new school which took its name from the famous Indian trail of so long ago.

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Rankin Elementary School
Constructed 1925
Additions 1926, 1953, 1968
Named in honor of George T. Rankin (1843-1927)
George T. Rankin worked in Akron Public Schools for over 40 years. He served as superintendent of construction and was later a member of the Akron Board of Education.

The first unit of Rankin School consisted of eight rooms. The following year 15 classrooms, an auditorium and a gymnasium were added. The school accommodated pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade.

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Judith A. Resnik Community Learning Center (formerly Fairlawn Elementary School)
Constructed 1929; new building opened December 18, 2006
Originally part of Portage Township
Annexed by the city of Akron 1931
Additions 1949, 1952, 1954, 1958 (primary unit), 1972 (LRC)
In 1931 the city of Akron extended its western boundary to include Fairlawn School, once a part of Portage Township and named for the village of Fairlawn.

This area can trace its "school" to the 1920s. The "new, modern building" constructed in 1929 contains, in its cornerstone, the names of the children and teachers of the school and a history of Portage Township.

Under the Imagine Akron Community Learning Centers construction program, the new Judith A. Resnik Community Learning Center (renamed for astronaut and former Firestone High School graduate Judith A. Resnik) was constructed at 65 Meadowcroft Drive. Groundbreaking took place on November 12, 2005; the ribbon-cutting ceremony was December 16, 2006; and the school opened to students on December 18, 2006.

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Rimer Elementary School
Constructed 1928
Annexed by the city of 
Akron
1929
Named in honor of William F. Rimer (1870-1947)
William Frank Rimer moved to Kenmore in 1919. At that time, a one-room school – Allenside – was located at the corner of Foust (now Wilbeth) and Manchester roads.

In 1924 seven acres of land were purchased from Herman Camp, and a portable building was placed on the site.

When bonds were sold in 1927 for a new building, Rimer was principal of Kenmore High School. A. R. Ritzman, a member of the Kenmore Board of Education, said, "Why wait until a man is dead before honoring him? Mr. Rimer, although he has lived here a short while, can never be sufficiently reimbursed for the work he has done in the schools."

In 1929 all of Kenmore was incorporated by the city of Akron.

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Ritzman Elementary School
Constructed 1891 (as the original Ellet High School, subsequently demolished)
Annexed by the city of 
Akron
1895 (subsequently demolished), 1916, 1921, 1952, 1964
Renamed in honor of John Curtis Ritzman (1875-1963)
John C. Ritzman went to work for the Ellet Township Board of Education in 1913. From 1929 to his retirement in 1944, he served as custodian for Ellet High School.

Shortly after the new high school was constructed, additions were made to the old building. The Ellet community decided to show their admiration for the many years of loyal service which Ritzman had provided the district by renaming the building in his honor.

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The Academy at Robinson
Opened 1912
Additions 1916, 1924, 1985
Decommissioned 1979, reopened in 1980
Renamed in honor of Henry Robinson
Henry Robinson was a pioneer manufacturer of clay products, banker, civic leader and one of the original benefactors of Akron City Hospital.

Robinson opened in 1912 and was decommissioned in 1979. The building reopened in 1980 as the result of a federal court suit filed by parents. Students from Fraunfelter were reassigned to Robinson with the subsequent closing of Fraunfelter School. The building was almost completely remodeled, and additional land was purchased to enlarge the playground.

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Schumacher Academy
Constructed 1929
Opened September 1929
Additions 1950, 1953
Named in honor of Ferdinand Schumacher (1822-1908)
In 1856 Ferdinand Schumacher – known as the Cereal King of America – started an oatmeal processing plant on Howard Street. His business grew rapidly. By 1880 he was the foremost miller of the world.

Following a disastrous fire in 1886 which destroyed an eight-story Jumbo Mill, Schumacher merged his business with that of the Akron Milling Co. In 1891 this concern was consolidated with the American Cereal Co. which, in 1901, became the Quaker Oats Co.

Schumacher was an ardent prohibitionist. He owned various temperance hotels in Akron and was a generous contributor to church organizations.

His wife, Mary L. Schumacher, continued the tradition of philanthropy through generous gifts to Schumacher School. When the school opened in 1929, she gave the school a baby grand piano; and, in her will, she established a trust fund of $5,000.

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Sam Salem Elementary School
(formerly Highland Park Elementary School)
Constructed 1922
Additions 1956, 1963
Originally part of Coventry Township
Annexed by the city of Kenmore 1920
The original Highland Park School is located in an area which originally was a part of Coventry Township and was served by the old Tamarack School near Nesmith Lake. This area – also referred to as Oakwood – was annexed by the city of Kenmore in 1920.

Largely through the efforts of A. R. Ritzman of the Heminger-Ritzman Realty Co., a residential allotment was opened called Highland Park.

Shortly after the allotment opened, a school was constructed to serve the children of this new area, children who has been attending school in portable buildings and children from the old Tamarack School. The new 14-room brick building took its name from the residential allotment which had spawned it, Highland Park.

Highland Park was renamed Sam Salem Elementary School in January 2000 in honor of retiring school board member Sam Salem, the longest-serving member (28 years) in the board's history.

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Seiberling Elementary School
Constructed 1921
Opened September 1922
Named in honor of Franklin Augustus Seiberling (1859-1955) and Charles Willard Seiberling (1861-1946)
F. A. and C. W. Seiberling were looking for a new investment opportunity when they realized the potential of the infant rubber industry. Rubber tires for bicycles and buggies were just then becoming popular. They organized the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., named to honor Charles Goodyear, inventor of the rubber vulcanizing process.

The success of the new company was due in large measure to the inventive genius and skills of the Seiberlings. F. A. was known as the "brain" and C. W. as the "heart" of their various enterprises.

The Seiberling brothers lost control of Goodyear in 1921. Six months later, they launched the Seiberling Rubber Co., which grew to be one of the largest rubber companies in the United States.

C. W. Seiberling donated countless hours to community activities. He was responsible for the organization of Akron's Community Chest in 1919 and helped launch both the Girl Scout and Boy Scout movements.

F. A. Seiberling and his wife Gertrude built one of the finest homes in Akron, Stan Hywet Hall. Seiberling's imprint also is visible in Goodyear Heights, a model community which he helped plan for his factory workers.

In November 1919, F. A. Seiberling donated a 10-acre tract in Goodyear Heights to the Akron Board of Education on the condition that the site be used for public purposes and plans for any school building would be subject to his approval. In March 1921, the school board moved ahead with plans to construct a new school in Goodyear Heights and voted to name it "Seiberling School."

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Smith Elementary School
Constructed 1918
Addition 1955
Originally part of Coventry Township District
Annexed by the Akron School District 1929
Named in honor of Fred E. Smith (1857-1940)
Fred E. Smith was a leader in the early development of the town of Kenmore.

The town of Kenmore was developed by the Akron Realty Co. The founders of the company laid out the town along the street railway line of the Northern Ohio Traction and Light Co. between Akron and Barberton.

The original town plat included 1,500 lots, 1,000 of which were owned by the Akron Realty Co. The first lot was sold in 1901.

In 1908 Fred E. Smith purchased the entire holdings of the Akron Realty Co. In the same year, Kenmore was incorporated.

Smith donated the site on which the school bearing his name was built.

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Stewart Elementary School
Constructed 1968
Opened September 1968
Named in honor of Horace St. John Stewart (1897-1968)
The life-long avocation and vocation of Horace St. John Stewart – a well-known African-American leader in Akron – was photography. He came to Akron and established a photography studio here in 1932. He was a member of the Professional Photographers Association of America.

Stewart made significant contributions to the public and social welfare of Akron through service on various boards and committees, including the Community Service Center, the Urban League, and the Glendale Branch of the Welfare Board. He also was a life-long member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

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Voris Elementary School (renamed Voris Community Learning Center)
Constructed 1930; new building opened January 10, 2007
Named in honor of General Alvin Coe Voris (1827-1904)
General Alvin Coe Voris served as a lawyer and legislator. However, his political career was interrupted by the Civil War. In September 1861, he entered the army as a lieutenant colonel of the 67th Regiment and became its commanding officer the following March. In 1865 he was promoted to major general for distinguished service in the field.

After the war, General Voris resumed the practice of law. He was later elected to the Constitutional Assembly and served as judge of the Court of Common Please for Summit, Medina and Lorain counties.

Under the Imagine Akron Community Learning Centers construction program, the new Voris Community Learning Center was constructed at 1885 Glenmount Ave. Groundbreaking took place on October 21, 2005; the school opened to students on January 10, 2007; and the ribbon-cutting ceremony was January 20, 2007.

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Windemere Elementary School
Constructed 1924
Opened September 1924
Additions 1948, 1952, 1954, 1972 (LRC)
Originally part of Springfield Township Schools
Annexed by the Akron School District 1929
Windemere was originally part of the Springfield Township District. The school – which is located on the top of a hill – was named for its location. Over the years, students and teachers have claimed that it is the windiest spot in Summit County.
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