Norwood Woman Presents Bouquet To British Queen Elizabeth-July 28, 1949

Miss Helen Robertson Plays Key Role At Exchange Teachers’ Tea

The high honor of presenting a bouquet to Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain fell last Friday to a Norwood woman, Miss Helen Robertson, a high school teacher at Chappaqua, N.Y., and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Robertson of 66 Hoyle Street. Miss Helen Robertson served as spokesperson for the more than 100 American school teachers who curtsied, shook hands, and sipped tea with Queen Elizabeth at a grand garden party held at Lambeth Palace. The prestigious event served as the sparkling highlight of a year’s term of teaching in British schools under the British-American teachers’ exchange system.

The American teachers stood in a long assembly line alongside about 100 other educators hailing from most of the nations comprising the British Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth entered the lush gardens directly from the ancient palace, according to Associated Press reports. She was met at the foot of the outdoor steps by Miss Helen Robertson, who formally presented the monarch with a radiant bouquet of orchids and carnations.

The flowers were purchased on behalf of all the participating teachers as a token of appreciation for the wonderful time we have had here, Miss Helen Robertson told the sovereign. I am deeply touched, Queen Elizabeth graciously replied, adding that she thinks the interchange of teachers between our countries is a wonderful idea and I hope it continues.

Miss Helen Robertson sailed across the Atlantic for Britain as an exchange teacher last August and is scheduled to return home next month. During her extended stay abroad, she has toured England extensively and has visited most of Europe. She has recently been teaching high school classes in Glasgow, Scotland, which is the native land of both her mother and father, and while on visits to the Scottish Highlands, she happily met many members of the Clan Robertson.

Born in Norwood in 1917, Miss Helen Robertson attended local schools during her youth. Tutored meticulously in her pre-school years by her mother, she was so intellectually advanced by the age of six that she skipped the first two grades of school entirely and commenced her formal academic training directly in the third grade. Continuing her education through Norwood High School, where she graduated proudly with the Class of 1933, Miss Helen Robertson subsequently attended Bridgewater State Teachers College and earned her master’s degree from Columbia University.

Following her graduate studies at Columbia University, Miss Helen Robertson taught school for a brief time right here in Norwood before accepting a high school teaching position at Chappaqua in Westchester County, New York, where she is set to return this fall. Her primary academic subjects are geography and history, though she also instructs students in English and dramatics. Her creative activity in the latter theatrical field even carried her to New York City, where she successfully produced a published play, bringing great pride to her hometown of Norwood.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Norwood Messenger