By Anna Raboin
Features Editor
Last Wednesday, long time Westford Academy trustee Bette R. Hooke celebrated her 90th birthday in the History Office. Hooke has been a long-time member of Westford’s community and has greatly contributed to WA’s well-being. She is also a member of several heritage organizations and knows a great deal about Westford’s history.
For those who do not know what a trustee does, they are extremely important to our schools. Trustees ‘invest’ in the school, and use the profits of their investments to provide grants, scholarship money and requested supplies for the school. Ever used a Computer on Wheels? Thank Westford’s trustees for that.
Hooke taught at WA from 1955 until 1976 as head of the history department. After retiring, she was nominated to be a trustee and, shortly after, became Westford’s first woman trustee. She has continued as one for 35 years.
Teaching in the 50’s, Hooke was a part of a different Westford Academy. She taught when Abbott School was used as the high school, and later moved into the “new” Academy. At the current Westford Academy, Hooke experienced the addition of an entire wing to the school. After retiring, Hooke became a trustee and also became the town clerk.
Hooke has not only seen changes in Westford Academy’s location. Obviously the years have brought new technology and have changed the way students learn.
Hooke said, “The students today have many more advantages. They have a wider variety of courses, and I’m very pleased.”
In order to aid in the expansion of courses and variety, the trustees’ goal is to give donations to the department that they believe will blossom the most with their help. The music department has received recent grants.
Hooke is extremely proud of her history, and is a member of eleven heritage organizations. Hooke is a Daughter of the Revolution. Hooke’s distant relative fought in the American Revolution and even rode with George Washington as an oarsman across the Delaware River.
Along with the heritage organizations, Hooke is involved with several other committees and organizations. She became Westford’s town clerk, is on the school committee, and was chairman of the finance committee. She was also on the bicentennial committee, helping refurbish the first WA building from a firehouse to the Westford Museum on it’s 200th anniversary.
“I’ve tried to be a part of the community,” explains Hooke.
