Ben Davis High School - Keyhole Yearbook (Indianapolis, IN)

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SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY As I enter Ben Davis, I am astounded at the tremendous strides our city has taken in the last fifteen years. It has grown so fast that it is to become the scene of the 1960 World's Fair. Indianapolis is now merely a suburb of Ben Davis, and its quaint old buildings contrast sharply with the ultra-modern skyscrapers that line the busy streets of Ben Davis. As I stroll down the broad, tree-lined avenues, I catch an occasional glimpse of old familiar faces, and signs of my class of '45. Right across the street I see the Beuke building. It seems that Bob Beuke has become a sec- ond lohn Robert Powers. Coming out of his office are Iulia Adkins and Marjorie Ross. As I stop to talk, I learn that they are modeling a new dress designed by Hilda Dudziak and made of a new transparent fabric invented by Paul Mongan. Just then our conversation is interrupted by the wailing of sirens as two cars dash madly down the street. The girls scream Ernest Grosdidier is loose again, and dash for cover. Finally he is overtaken, and two men in white uniforms drag him struggling into an ambulance, and drive away. As I wander on down the street, I pass a luxurious night club with a sign in front, which reads: 'Club Rowdy: Bob Barker and Earl Fultz, Proprietors. Current Attractions: lack 'Hot Lips' Gilbert and His Band, Featuring Virginia Saters at the Piano, and Songs by Betty lane Scott. As the billing looks good, I go inside. At the door I am greeted by Harold Blunk, who makes a charming doorman in his long coat and brass buttons. But just as I turn to go in, a large black limousine stops in front of the door, and Dewey Lowry, the multi-millionaire, and several of hisfriends, get out. I also recognize Ernest Cook, William Davis, Darwin Wagner, Robert Kreider and Iames Switzer. When I check my coat, I notice the hat check girl as Ianet McKeand. As the headwaiter CEwell Smithl shows me to my table, I see that the show is in progress. Leroy Ott, the great magician, is doing card tricks and performing sleight of hand. At a table near me, I see Alvin Dawson and Eileen Weddle. Suddenly my attention is attracted by a commotion over at one of the tables. Then Iames McCormack fthe bouncerl throws Bob Kellems out because he can't pay his check. Having finished an excellent dinner, I get my coat and leave. As I walk on down the street, I learn more about my classmates. Richard Day owns a bar- ber shop, and Bill Baber is his assistant. Bill Bauke is owner of Bauke's Beanery, a restaurant, and Marilyn Wise is his chief dishwasher. Wayne Williams owns an automobile garage, with Fords as his specialtyg while Richard Deifenderfer tests automobiles to see if they are crash- proof. Roger McCar1n is a boogie-Woogie pianist. Iohnnie Kafoure owns a grocery store, and his assistants are Dorothy Eason, Mary Ann lmhausen, and Vivian Iones. From them I learn that Donna Lunt is a famous figure skater, and Norma Ashley, luanita Becker, and Ronald Bula, Hugh Craig, and Robert Ringlespaugh are school teachers. As I come to a railroad crossing, I find I must wait for a train to pass. Isee that the engineer is Robert Ienkins, and as the cars go rattling by, I see a group of hoboes peer out of an empty boxcar and wave at me. Why, there are Buford Reeves, Alex Yeftich, Don Woodson, Theo- dore Bohne, Delbert Wolfe, Iames Evans, and Elmer Smith! Finally the train passesg and as I cross the track, I am amazed to see the great Broadway producer, Robert Kimmel. He seems quite enthusiastic over the cast of his newest show, and as he names the cast, I can see why. Bernadine Cook is his dancing star, and I recognize Phyllis Bailey at the Hammond organ. I am delighted to hear that he is also booking that famous concert pianist, Iohn Soucie. I find that the show is now playing at the Proffitt theater, named for that famous philanthropist, Don Proffitt. After talking Robert out of a complimentary ticket, I wander on down the street, past shop after shop, where former students of Ben Davis are now successfully plying their trades. Ipass a cleaning establishment run by Claude Knoy, Ruth Lawrence, and Dorothy Lovell: then I see a music store owned by Velma Mattingly and Anna Mae Springer. Suddenly I find myself at a corner newsstand. I buy a paper from George fGeorge Ebert, of coursel and proceed to look for news of my old pals. E 22

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SENICR CLASS WILLS I, William Nelson, hereby will the top of my well- kept locker, number 80, to Raymond Markley, cmd the bottom to some fortunate sophomore. I, Robert Nowlin, hereby will my ability not to go with jean Iaggers to some lonesome junior. f I, LeRoy Ott, hereby will some junior my spring ever. I, lack Pearcy, hereby will my ability to get out of classes to some restless junior. I, Betty Penrose, hereby will my typing ability to any junior who needs it. ' I, Ioe Price, hereby will Mrs. Ball my beloved white sailor hat. I, Lucille Price, hereby will my ability to work in the library the seventh period to someone who likes the work. I, Don Proffitt, hereby will my Oldsmobile to some mechanically minded freshman. I, Buford Reeves, hereby will my ability to get out of roll room to Iohn Yeftich. I, Mary Reeves, hereby will to all you poor Reds who don't get much sleep . . . my ability to sleep during classes and especially in study hall. I, Robert Ringlespaugh, hereby will chemistry to that poor unfortunate person who doesn't know what he or she is getting into. I, Bob Risley, hereby will my curly hair to Bob Froderman. I, Marjorie Ross, hereby will my place on the high school fashion board to Iackie Mechem. I, Barbara Ruhl, hereby will my locker to anyone who wants it. I, Ioan Sanders, hereby will my place on the top bleachers at the basketball games to my cousin, Mary Branham. I, Virginia Saters, hereby will my ability to play basketball to Eleanor Robertson. I, Margie Saxe, hereby will my position in yell leading to Betty Bostic. I, Margaret Schuh, hereby will my front seat in Mr. Mahan's roll room to one of my lucky brothers, Ed or Fred. I, Betty Iane Scott, hereby will my ability to paint to Ianet Childs. I, Donna Shaffer, hereby will my ability to 'lgo steady to my cousin, David Shaffer. I, Dorothy Skaggs, hereby will my ability to miss the school bus to my brother. I, Alta Smith, hereby will my ability to be late to class to any deserving sophomore. I, Elmer Smith, Ir., hereby will my luck to some freshie entering the brain factory. I, Ewell Smith, hereby will to my brother my habit of sleeping through my classes. I, Martha jean Smith, hereby will all my good times in my senior year to Helen Wright. I, Bob Smith, hereby will to some promising fresh- man, namely, Ioe Poole, my loudest pair of yellow shoestrings. I, Walter Smith, hereby will my yo-yo to any fresh- man who can demonstrate his knowledge of such an intricate machine. I, Wendell Smith, hereby will my ability to play baseball to Iohn Yeftich. I, Iohn Soucie, hereby will something very essential to graduates from Ben Davis-laziness and sleepi- ness-to some freshman. I, Anna Mae Springer, hereby will my knowledge of civics to Miss Carruthers. I, Ray Spurlock, hereby will my ability to get along with teachers to Ted Pacala. I, Eddie Stegemoller, hereby will my ability to get to school on time to Gordon Ellsworth Harker. I, Edna Mae Sterrett, hereby will my place in short- hand class to some smart student. I, Phyllis Stiles, hereby will my height to Don Cooper. I, Evelyn Stockhoff, hereby will my ability to get shorthand to some oncoming junior. I, Don Stone, hereby will my sad position in school to someone who will carry on the tradition. I, Fern Stout, hereby will my ability to get so many nicknames to some unfortunate freshman. I, Norma Stucki, hereby will my place in study hall to some cold junior. I, Gurna Mae Swails, hereby will my place on the top bleachers at the basketball games to freshman Ferne Davis. I, Iim Switzer, hereby will my seat in Mrs. Ball's literature class to some unfortunate oncoming senior. I, Catherine Timberman, hereby will my extra cred- its to Shirlee Gantenbein. I, Marion Thomas, hereby will my Chevrolet to some race driver. I, Lelah Trester, hereby will my overcrowded locker to my cousin Virginia. I, Mary Joe Voelker, hereby will my temperamental locker, number 19, to some patient sophomore. I, Darwin Wagner, hereby will my stripes in R. O. T. C. to Raymond Riley. I, lim Walters, hereby will my seat in trig class to some future moron. I, Ioan Watson, hereby will my gym shoes to my sister, lean. I, Dorothy Watts, hereby will our table in the south corridor in the basement to any oncoming couple that goes steady. I, Eileen Weddle, hereby will my job collecting ab- sentee slips after roll room to any oncoming girl in 201. I, Grace White, hereby will my ability to have fun to any morbid underclassman. I, Wayne Williams, hereby will my ability to get by without sleep to anyone who wants a STAR route. I, Marilyn Wise, hereby will my horse, six shooter, and buffalo rug to Mr. Harker. I, Ruby Woehlecke, hereby will my ability to run for the school bus every morning to Frank Spivey. I, Delbert Wolfe, hereby will my study hall habits to anyone who likes to sleep. I, Donald Woodson, hereby will my place in library third period to my niece, in 1945. I, Alex Yeftich, hereby will my locker to anyone who thinks the combination works.

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SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY On the front page of the paper is an article describing Mayor Denton Carlton's aims to fur- ther city development. On the same page there is an editorial by lack Pearcy commending the work of District Attorney Warren Brown and his deputies, George Freund, Iimmie Iones, and William Martin, in combating crime in our city. There is also a review of Ambassador Wil- liam Nelson's good will tour around the world. As I turn the page, I see a picture of Colonel Bob Nowlin, the new commander of Stout Field. Other officers on his staff are Captain George Mil- ler, Major Bob Smith, and Lieutenant Colonel Walter Smith, The article also mentions several members of the W. A. C. who had recently transferred to Stout Field. Among them were Grace White, Betty Armstrong, Peggy Craig, and Norma Eastridge. As I turn to the sports page, I see that Mauler Merrick came out victorious over Bulldog Bristow in the championship wrestling bout last night, and Coach Ray Spurlock's pro-basket- ball team won the International trophy. There is a picture of the team, and I recognize Don Cooper, Bob Risley, Harley Adams, Ed Stegemoller and Evan Fine. On the next page I see that limmie Kelley has written another new song hit called the Fruit Salad Song or When lt's Apple Blossom Time in Orange, New Iersey, We'll Make a Peach of a Pair. Then I see an advertisement of the new movie, He's in the Navy Now, starring Pat Bauder. ' As I salvage the last bits of information from the newspaper, a glance at my watch proves I have just time to catch my plane back East. There were many more of my old friends with whom I should like to have visited, had I had time. Ioe Gillaspy is president of a bank, and Ioe Price, George Gaddie, and Earl Goddard ane lawyers, Iames Cox is an admiral, Keith Kurtz and Harvey Greene are shoe salesmen in William Kinser's department store. Don Stone is a boxer, Iarnes Walters owns a drug storey and Evelyn Doan, Barbara Conner, Marilyn Cox, leanne Mitchell, and Clara Mae Mohr are stenographers. Margaret Schuh is a teacher of hor- ticulture, Donna Madden, Thora Feltis, Evelyn Stockoff, lean Davis, Billie Kean, and Charlotte Hanson are women police. Albert Illg is a weight lifter in a circus, and Marjorie Morgan is pro- prietor of a riding stable. Since Bill Freije inherited a million dollars from his rich uncle, he is taking life easy. Mary Bright is a housemaid, and Helen Ervin is a cosmetics saleswoman. Ioyce Lewis, Alice Mellinger, Mary Reeves, Betty Means, loan Watson, Maxine Hodson, Lelah Trester, Shirley Brizendine, Gertrude Lentz, Phyllis Kieffer, Martha Smith, and Phyllis Stiles are housewives. Marjorie Saxe is clerk in a department store, and Lucille Morris and Rosemary Kafouras are librarians in the state library. Robert Dickerson and Charles Lewis are farmers. Donald Gentry is a piano tuner. Doris Galbreath is an author. Wendell Smith is a baseball pitcher, Irene Bu- trum, Elenora Craig, and Iune Casmire are air hostesses, Phyllis Frye, Lillian Gibson, Pat Glass, and Norma Hall are school teachers, lean Gastino, Laura France, Mildred Earles, and Wilma Iones are telephone operators, Dale Haley and Kenny Iohnson own a hotel, and Ruby Woehl- ecke, Donna Morgan, and Barbara Ruhl are waitresses in a restaurant nearby. Lila Ann Muzzy, Betty Penrose, and Fern Stout are dieticians. Dorothy Skaggs and lean Lawson own a grocery store, and Alta Smith, Margaret Morris, Lucille Price, and Wanda Kersey are clerks in the store. Dorothy Watts writes a column of advice for the lovelorn in the daily paper. Bonita Glidewell, Ioan Sanders, Catherine Timberman, and Donna Shaffer are nurses: and Bernard Short and Marion Thomas are doctors. I, Max Moore, hate to leave old Ben Davis, but, being dean of girls at Vassar University is not a small job, and anyway, I rather like the work, Still I wish this one day could have been a little longer, so I might have visited all my old classmates and further discussed the happy mem- ories we shared as members of the class of '45, ' 23