James Harvey Bowen High School - Bowenite Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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Page eighl The Unveiling On January 28, 1931 in the auditorium of the james H. Bowen High School, Bowen alumni, teachers, and guests paused to honor Mr. Stahl at the unveiling of his portrait. The school was transformed into a bower of plants and flowers. Youth was present in gay attire to pay its tribute to this man, their friend. The portrait which is the work of Richard A. Chase was unveiled by Miss Marguerite Le Master, vice president of the class February, 1931, and Miss Alice Lacke, vice-president of the class of june, 1931. The program presented was: SelecIio11.r ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,r,,,,,.,,.,,.,,,,.,.,,,,,,,,,,,e,,.. Girls' Glee Club Director, Miss Lillian Stromberg Hou' It All Came Ahom' ,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,r,,,r,,,,,,,,s,,,,,, Ross Whitney, June, '29 The llvieldef' af fhe Brush eii,,,, ,,,,,,,, G eorge Benjamin, Feb., '30 The llltlll llne Honor ,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,i,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, J Ol'1n Barnes, June, '50 The Pl'6J'61lfLZl'1:017 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, r,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, C harles Smith, Feb., ,31 Uzzreilizzg of Porfmif ,,.,,,,, .,,,,, A lice Lacke, Marguerite L6 MHStCf The Accepmlzft 7,,,,,,,A,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, S tanley Bell, JLIDC, ,Sl Selemonf ,,,,,,,,,Y,,,,,,,,VV,,,,,,,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Alumni Melody Boys Director, Mrs. E. B. Beardsley The library, beautifully decorated, served as the reception room where the committee received the guests. A few excerpts from Ross Whitney's speech will explain the progress of this great undertaking. We were leaving school and leaving behind us Bowen and Mr. Stahl. We felt that both had been an influence for good in our lives, and we wanted some- how to express this, We always knew what a wonderful man he was, but we had not realized until we were graduating what he had done for us, what he had been in our lives, and what he had done for the school. Only naturally, then, we wanted to show our appreciation to Mr. Stahl, and to the classes following after us. We wanted something fitting and permanent, and a portrait of Mr. Stahl seemed ideal, for, how better could his presence always be with Bowen than a picture that would always be here. However, this was too large a proposition for just one class to swing. After thinking it over, we started the ball rolling by leaving a sum of money as a portrait fund. Classes after ours had the privi- lege of contributing to the fund if they felt the same way. This all necessitated leaving the furtherance of the project in the hands of several faculty sponsors. You know classes may come, and classes may go, but the faculty goes on forever. lt was gratifying when the next class, that of George Benjamin's, contributed. bringing the fund closer to its culmination. The next class, under the leadership of John Barnes, kept the ball rolling by voting more money to the growing fund for the portrait. However, at this time our progress was held up by a serious stumbling block. The overcoming of this obstacle was one about which nobody dared to think. Happily for us, everything turned out all right and Mr. Stahl recovered. After this, Charles Smith kept pushing the ball. When his class had con- tributed a sum of money, he found he needed guidance to choose an artist, among other things. There was chosen a faculty and a student committee. These people were directly responsible for the successful completion of this occasion. If they had not been filled with a love and loyalty for Mr. Stahl, if they had not been eager to serve, this great project would not have been accom- plished. One thing they had to do was to choose an artist. Richard A. Chase, a renowned painter and graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, was chosen by the Committee after careful consideration. This picture represents the fruition of a dream which has been realized so soon because of the splendid spirit and co-operation of everyone. The alumni and the present Senior classes started and carried out this project, but the faculty have given their steady guidance and support. What was started as a desire to show loyalty and love for Mr. Stahl by the june class of 1929 has ended in a mighty tribute to a mighty man.