Roosevelt was built about 100 years ago. The Institution spans 700,000 square feet to serve the citizens of this historic community. Our first Principal was Mr. H. Theo Tatum.  Tatum was an administrator of excellence in the Gary Public School System for 36 years.  As principal of Roosevelt High School, Tatum not only raised the standard for academics, but also consistently maintained those academic and athletic standards for years.  His granddaughter, Pauline Tatum is a member of our lead team. She is an advocate for the future of Roosevelt High. The following letter was drafted to change unfair policies sanctioned by the Gary Community School Corporation.

To Dr. McNulty and Mr. Parish:
My name is Pauline Tatum and I am a 1984 graduate of Gary Roosevelt High School. I am a native of Gary and the granddaughter of H. Theo Tatum, who served as principal of Gary Roosevelt High School from 1931-1961. I write to you out of concern as an alumnus about the dearth of transparency that has been experienced by Roosevelt alumni, community members, and other interested parties who have a continued interest in the revitalization of Roosevelt High School.
To date, five (5) proposals for the reuse of the existing Roosevelt High School building along with the rubric was posted on the Gary Community School’s Corporation website. You state that each applicant failed due to the area of Sustain for Gary Roosevelt and no applicant moved for consideration. Also, In your RFI, there was an emphasis placed on the three S factors but many of the persons that were involved in drafting proposals to attempt to satisfy the RFI did not have a clear understanding of what factors were needed to consider to align more fully with them. Also, the largest concern among the proposal writers and other Roosevelt alumni, community members, and interested parties is that they are uncertain whether they are considered stakeholders in this current process. Written and/or oral communication has not been plentiful during this phase of the project, and as a result, many of the interested parties feel that their input should be considered on an ongoing basis. We follow your protocol and you refuse to communicate with us and we feel disregarded. I ask that you hold a video meeting with the Roosevelt Alumni Association and allow us to ask questions and for you to explain why the process is on the backburner. My grandfather who took the principalship during the Jim Crow ere emphasized the importance of pride, and fight for principal which affects our community. I fight for the institution that has molded me into the person that shaped my character to be a leader in my community. The doors of Roosevelt closed last year and the slow death of our school continues to unfold every minute, day, the deterioration of our beloved school continues to unfold. We demand answers from you about our beloved institution. This is our legacy and our culture.

Pauline Tatum