A eulogy for Martin Luther King, Jr.

George's remarks on the loss of King

Original Publication Date: April 15, 1968

When Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968, George and Annemarie were on vacation in Mexico since it was the school’s spring break. George had been out of the country as well when John F. Kennedy was assassinated and felt bereft to be away from his country at these times of collective national trauma. When school resumed, there was an assembly to discuss the tragic events and this is the speech George gave at the assembly.

1956 Trust Agreement

The first statement of principles

Original Publication Date: May 4, 1956

In 1956 George and Annemarie transferred ownership of the school to a non-profit educational trust.  This would make it possible to accept tax-deductible donations to the Gifted Child Project they were launching.  In the 1956 trust agreement, George and Annemarie specified that the school had to admit students “regardless of race, sex or creed,” and that the school was to set aside a significant portion of its income for scholarships.  Here are the first four pages of the agreement.

The Origins of The Roeper School

From Europe to Michigan, an educational philosophy finds a new home

Original Publication Date: Fall 2016

During the celebration of the 75th anniversary of The Roeper School in 2016-17, School Historian Marcia Ruff wrote histories of several aspects of the school. In this article, she traced George and Annemarie’s path from their upbringing in the progressive boarding school in Germany founded by Annemarie’s parents, Max and Gertrud Bondy, through their flight from the Nazis and the evolution of The Roeper School in Michigan.

Citation:  Ruff, M.  (2016). “The Origins of The Roeper School,”  The Roeper School Archives, Bloomfield  Hills, MI.

Lecture 1: The History As Told by Annemarie

To begin a lecture series, Annemarie recounted the history of the school

Original Publication Date: October 10, 1995

For many years, Annemarie would visit the school in October from her home in Oakland, California, taking advantage of the season that was her favorite Michigan season. She would meet with students, faculty, and administrators, catching up on the school and providing advice. During her 1995 visit, she delivered a series of four lectures on gifted child development.  The lectures were recorded and we have video and transcripts of the sessions.  This is the first lecture, a history of the school, and the second, third, and fourth lectures are also on this website.