Elementary took Smalley name thanks to family’s persistence
When Henderson resident Esther Cothrun advocated naming an elementary school for her parents, she learned it pays to have the support of the community.
Thanks to her hard work and persistence, Smalley Elementary School, 304 E. Paradise Hills Drive, was named for her parents, longtime Henderson residents James E. and Alice “Rae” Smalley.
“It’s fitting because it was named after people so many locals knew,” Cothrun said. “There’s a lot of stories people have of my parents.”
Born in Caliente, Rae got her nursing degree at the University of Colorado, becoming the first person in her family to attend college. An Ohio transplant, James was an Army sergeant and World War II veteran.
Around 1948, the couple moved to Las Vegas and migrated to Henderson about a year later. They were known mostly for their involvement in education and politics.
“My dad worked as a teacher with the Clark County School District for about 33 years,” Cothrun said. “He taught math at the (Historic) Fifth Street School and then taught social studies at Henderson Junior High, which became Burkholder (Middle School). He was also president of the Henderson Teachers’ Association before the school district was formed.”
Cothrun said her mother was instrumental in establishing a preschool as part of the American Association of University Women. She also worked as a nurse at a few hospitals before settling down as a school nurse in Henderson.
“At one point, she was the school nurse for all six schools in Henderson,” Cothrun said. “A friend of mine told me how my mom spotted her son’s hearing problem. She felt without my mom’s intervention, he might have been deaf.”
In addition to education, the couple were involved in Nevada politics. They served as campaign managers for former Gov. Grant Sawyer and congressional candidate Ralph Denton.
“My dad served two sessions with the Nevada State Assembly,” Cothrun said. “There, he served on the education and government affairs committees.”
Alongside her husband, Rae was politically active with the Nevada State Welfare Board during Sawyer’s term. She also worked to increase voter registration.
Cothrun said her parents always emphasized the importance of education, which played a big role in the selection of her and her siblings’ careers.
“We all went into some part of education. My brother and I are retired teachers, and my sister was an assistant professor at (the University of Nevada, Reno),” Cothrun said. “So many kids get into the same field as their parents because it’s what they’re familiar with.”
Although Cothrun had community support, she said it was difficult when she first began advocating for her parents to be school namesakes more than 15 years ago.
“When I first had the idea, I noticed the schools weren’t being named for local residents,” Cothrun said. “I was told they didn’t have any Henderson candidates, so I suggested my parents since they had been there since the town’s beginnings.
“I did everything I thought I should. I made up a big scrapbook. I went to meetings. I packed the halls with people. I collected signatures at the parades.”
One of Cothrun’s presentations at a Board of Regents meeting earned her parents the Distinguished Nevadans Award in 2002.
“Tom Kirkpatrick, who was on the board at the time, said that the award would make them pay more attention to the naming nomination,” Cothrun said. “What finally did it was my daughter Kayla, who was 11 at the time. She took my speech I had prepared and gave it herself. That was the gimmick that made them accept my nomination.”
Although James died in April 2003, many residents continued to show their support, and the board accepted the nomination in October 2003.
“All these people who knew my mom and dad came out of the woodwork to support it,” Cothrun said. “When they asked who endorsed the naming of the school, the whole room stood up. It was really neat.”
Smalley Elementary School opened in 2007 and has almost 900 students enrolled this year, according to principal Heather Skramstad.
“(James and Alice) have had such an impact on the community,” Skramstad said. “They were great role models for our education system, so it’s neat to carry on the legacy they set for us.”
For more information, visit schools.ccsd.net/smalley.
Contact Henderson View reporter Caitlyn Belcher at cbelcher@viewnews.com or 702-383-0403.
