On the cover: Holbrook Seventh-day Adventist Indian School (HIS) is celebrating its 75th year of serving Native American children. From the one-building mission school that opened its doors in 1946, HIS has grown into a modern facility that has kept pace with today’s technology and education standards.
The school’s history began in 1916, when Elder Orno Follett and his wife Agnes began mission work among the Navajos. Lake Grove Indian Mission was established in New Mexico in 1918, but it was closed in 1937 due to the Great Depression and a shortage of funds.
According to Mission to the Navajos, written by Betty Stirling, “In 1941 the church again remembered the Navajos as among those of every ‘kindred, tribe, and nation.’” The Arizona Conference resolved to do something for the growing tribes within the conference borders.
Evangelist Marvin Walter was hired for the job; his wife, Gwendolyn, was a registered nurse. By 1945, enough money was raised to build a school on 320 acres in Holbrook.
