‘Rayen Retrospective’ takes a look at school

The book tells the 141-year story of the school through stories, photos and more.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — “The Rayen Retrospective,” a historical look at The Rayen School now being demolished as part of a city school rebuilding program, is now available.

The book was written and compiled by Harry Mays of Boardman, a 1958 Rayen graduate, and Betsy Johnquest, an English teacher at Rayen for 18 years. It covers 141 years of the school’s existence, including stories, history, teachers, sports, clubs, music, trivia, the Rayen culture and alumni stories, and features hundreds of photos of students and more.

It was Mays’ interest in preserving the Rayen Mural, itself a historical record of the school and community adorning a hallway wall in the building, that began their journey into the school’s history. It was Johnquest’s initial interest in doing a book on Rayen out of fear that its history would be lost that got them started.

Their research took them through Judge William Rayen’s story and his will which created The Rayen School on Wick Avenue, through the construction of the school on Benita Avenue and on to the last graduating class of 2007.

Their collaboration took one year to complete.

Among other things, they researched volumes of notes left by John Benninger, the Rayen art teacher responsible for painting the mural in 1958. It was Mays’ Class of 1958 that funded the cost of that project.

“During that time working to remove the mural [which will be put in a new Rayen building], my research on the artist revealed not only his method for creating the mural and his personal history that we wanted to tell, but the history of Rayen School he depicted within the mural painting.”

A copy of the mural is included with the book.

The book costs $20 and may be ordered by sending your name and address to: Harry Mays, 145 Creston Drive, Boardman 44512. For more information, contact Mays by e-mail at hmays74@yahoo.com or by telephone at (330) 758-6804.