Willamette High School

On April 9, 1948, the people of Bethel, Clear Lake, Danebo and Irving voted to consolidate and build a junior-senior high school. Malabon became part of our school district on August 27, 1948.

Bond elections were held and approved on May 11, 1948, and October 20, 1948. The money from these bond sales was used to purchase land and build and equip a junior-senior high school for 400 pupils.

On May 17, 1948, the school board, composed of George M. Petersen, chairman; Harold B; Jensen, and Marvin Hendrickson, purchased a 50-acre tract as the site for the unnamed high school which they hoped to have operating in the fall of 1949. The contract for constructing the new school was awarded to Waale-Camplan Company on March 2, 1949.

The colors maroon and white were chosen by pupils of School District 52 on April 16, 1949. The students also selected the following as possible names for the new school: General George Patton, McLoughlin, Bidmac and Willamette. By student request, the winning name had to receive at least 66 percent of the total vote. On April 22, 1949, three hundred eleven ballots were cast by School District 52 students who were attending eight different schools. The name selected is the present name – “Willamette.”

The new Willamette High School was partially completed on September 19, 1949. The dreams and wishes of many came to reality when the pupils started to school on September 26, 1949. Through the combined efforts and co-operation of pupils and patrons, the impossible became possible and a school was constructed for the present and future young people of School District 52.

Thanks to the 2012 Bethel bond measure that passed with a 73% Yes vote, numerous updates and improvements have taken place at Willamette. Most notably is our Science and front office complex, the new face of our school. Other enhancements have brought new carpet, windows, roofs, lighting, clock system, boiler, phone system, fire alarm panel, door locks, security cameras and fencing, computers and document cameras, textbooks, and a press box.

There have been notable improvements to the Industry and Engineering facility, girls locker room, school weight room, cafeteria, parking lot, College & Career Center, softball field, auditorium seating, lighting and audio, kitchen, and school restrooms.

We are very grateful for the community’s support of the education of Bethel children.

The video on the left is a time lapse of the construction of our Science and front office complex, which opened with a ribbon-cutting on September 1, 2015.