Mansfield High School - Hornet / Green Years Yearbook (Mansfield, MA)

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3031 aes Sie nigerneeee Mr. James J. Kelly were proposed by Town Manager Harold H. Everett. Against the wishes of principal Robinson, the Mansfield nine, by a vote of the other teams involved, stayed in the Norfolk Interscholastic Baseball League. Mansfield was graced by the presence of Speaker of the House, Leverett Saltonstall, at the 1932 gradu- ation of 82 seniors. Miss Wilma M. Sowle gave the valedictory speech. Mansfield beat Oliver Ames 55-0 in the annual Thanksgiving classic. The M.H.S. eleven was under the direction of first year coach John Carnie. Superintendent Woods resigned his post on Janu- ary 27, 1933 for reasons he said, “Distrust and suspi- cion toward him.” A 418 name petition by townspeo- ple wishing Woods would return caused Dr. Carl J. DePrizio to quit from the school board. George S. Goodell was named to replace Woods. The operating school budget for 1933-34 was $87,000. The state told principal Robinson that the high school could hold 350 students. Robinson previ- ously announced the attendance at 274. Unexpectedly, Everett W. Robinson resigned and W. Everett Green was elected to fill the vacancy. 79 students received their diplomas as the Class of 34 was the highest ranking scholastic group in 20 years. Selectmen proposed the use of the park off of Church and Hope Streets to facilitate a grandstand and bandstand. Selectmen named the land “Memo- rial Park.” In 1936 a 19 year old Mansfield alumnus and ath- le te, Walter Ripley, was in Florida for the Boston Red Sox. Alex Ferzoco kept M.H.S. undefeated in the 1936 football with a 90 yard run as the Green and White topped Taunton on Thanksgiving, 6-0. They played the first game on Memorial Park pitch in a contest against Barnstable on October 3. The ’36 Mansfield team was called “‘the best gridiron team in the school’s history.” The office of the superintendent Soa oes hands in 1937 with Bert L. Merrill taking the job. The °37 MHS hoopsters advanced to the school boy tourney before bowing to Bridgewater 22-17. The Mansfield High School Latin Club celebrated its tenth anniversary. The High School principal was Donald P. Matton. The school committee approved curricula in Physi- cal Education and music as courses. In the winter of 1938, Lincoln Paine was elected as the chairman of the school board. Mansfield High School adopted professional bas- ketball rules for the ’38 season. The high school also certified students for college for the first time. Vir- ginia Andrews won National Shorthand honors. The Great Hurricane of °38 closed classes for two weeks. The selectmen forbade MHS basketball in the Town Hall but reversed their decision after they learned that the high school gym was unplayable. The 1939 yearbook was dedicated to principal R. Vernon Hays. The school board looked toward Hope Street as a site of a new high school building. 1939 saw the formation of the MHS Athletic Asso- ciation. The association raised $600 by selling season tickets to all Mansfield athletics. By eminent domain, the town of Mansfield received property off Hope Street for a new high school building. One of the biggest upset in sports at MHS occurred when the Foxboro gridders held Mansfield to a 0-0 tie. Up until that time Foxboro had never beaten Mansfield. Coach Bob Andrews’ Mansfield team had been favored by three touchdowns. Mansfield almost quit from the Hockomock League circuit after North Attleboro threatened to break off the annual football game with MHS. Eddie Besson was Mansfield’s 1940 All-Star in football. Former Mansfield High star lineman’ Don Currivan led Boston College to the 1941 Sugar Bowl. The School board approved a 1941 budget of $105,000. Among the 1941 seniors graduationg in the spring was a quadlingual named Walter Jellineck, receiving his diploma only at the age of 15, Walter previously lived and studied in Austria and Italy. Plans for a new $250,000 high school on Hope Street were abandoned due to World War II. Many of Mansfield’s boys were called to defend their coun- try. During the war years the Mansfield schools pre- pared for war emergencies by being instructed what to do in the case of bombings, blackouts, and fires. The high school newspaper, “The Tatler,” ran its

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Mansfield High School in 1911 effects of the war influenced the class of 1919 not to have the annual class play. A new room was furnished for Domestic Science. The influence of the new department was felt when, two years later, a lunch counter was established 1n the drill hall. Because of a deficiency in funds, the class of °18 was unable to take a long-planned trip to Washing- ton, and thus started the customary yearly trip to Boston. Enthusiasm ran high when the prize speaking team brought back two shields that same year. One was the result of the Sharon-Stoughton-Mansfield contest, which Mansfield won in °16, °17, and °18; the other was the Singleton contest won in°13,’°15,°17, and 718. Music received a new interest during this period. In 1918 a fife and drum corps was started, and in the ensuing year the orchestra was recognized, and the boys’ and girls’ glee clubs were formed. In 1920, under Mr. Nye, the supervisor of music, the first High School concert was held in the Town Hall featuring the boys’ and girls’ choruses, the boys’ and girls’ glee clubs, the orchestra, and the mixed choruses. It was this year that greater recognition as given to athletics. Gymnasium work was required. The first teacher coach was employed, and he restored foot- ball. Several weeks before graduation an anonymous benefactor offered a prize of twenty-five dollars to the girl who should make the prettiest low priced dress suitable to the occasion. Miss Anne Olliff won the reward with an organdy dress, which cost six dol- lars and seven cents. As a stimulus to scholarship, a branch of the Pro Merit Society was introduced into the High School in Tae In the spring of this year a gymnastics exhibition was substituted for the girls’ drill. To encourage simplicity in dress, a member of the school board influenced the girls to wear their cadet suits at graduation, expecting that succeeding classes would follow suit with middy blouses and plain skirts. But they never did. Mansfield High School had the honor of winning the Bristol County Football Championship that year. The first Junior Class play was presented in 1924 by the class of °25. The regular curriculum was changed in 1925 to include four courses: college, commercial, technical, and general. A change was made in 1926 in the commencement exercises. Instead of having the entire program fur- nished by the graduates, the honor parts had an address by a speaker of prominence were given on Commencement Night. Class Night was instituted for the less serious part of the program. This custom was continued in 1927 and 1928. Mansfield High School started its sixth decade with 218 students in the halls. Superintendent Leroy Woods sought extra space for classrooms. “There is some concern for the accomodation of all the pupils.” The teachers’ rest room was facilitated into a class- room while Supt. Woods shared his desk with princi- pal Everett W. Robinson. The MHS alumni rang in the year 1929 with a New Year's Eve party planned by Charlotte Allen (03) and Jennie Copeland (96). Sportswise Mansfield lost it opening football game to North Attleboro, 12-6, but rebounded at the con- clusion of the season. A 70-yard run by Joe Chippola early in the first quarter led M.H.S. to a 7-0 win over Foxboro. The 1929 M.H.S. basketball team won the Hockomock crown on February 21 with 29-5 trashing of Foxboro. The hoopsters went 15-2 on the year. The gridiron crew topped a fine fall in 1929 with a well-earned 6-0 victory over North Attleboro. Mans- field ended its tenth season with a 30-6 Thanksgiving win over Oliver Ames. In the winter of 1930, the Mansfield Board of Selectmen approved $8000 for needed school repairs. Coach James J. Kelly’s basketball team wiped out the Hockomock League (15-0) but the hometown dropped an opening round game in the Tech Tourney against Medford. Kelly’s baseball team went 13-4 and earned a tie for top honors in the Norfolk Inter- scholastic League. It was noted by the school board that the high school building had not been checked by state inspec- tors since 1924. The state supervisors proposed that a new 700 pupil school should be constructed on Church Street. 15 musicians showed up for the high school orches- tra in the fall of 1930. The band was under the direc- tion of Theodore C. Sargent. Supt. Woods announced that the enrollment in the high school was 241 but the school was only certified for 200 kids. In one of the all-time M.H.S. football routs, Mans- field crushed Oliver Ames 86-0 on Thanksgiving morning. Francis Murphy scored 41 points to lead the team. M.H.S. clinched the 1931 Hockomock basketball championship with a 32-26 win over Foxboro. The Mansfield baseball nine lost the pennant by one game to Franklin. On May 21, David V. Green resigned from the Mansfield school board. The high school gained 13 students (254) as the doors opened for the 1931-32 year. James J. Kelly, and many All-American footbal- lers, landed still another M.H.S. championship foot- ball team. Plans for the construction of the Memorial Park

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Mansfield Schools in 1928 first edition in the fall of °42. David Jackson headed the staff. “The Tatler” was one of many in a long line of literary pbulications at MHS. A strong passing game gave Mansfield a 21-15 Tur- key Day win over Foxboro in November, 1942. The new Man sfield High School band marched sharply in the 1944 Memorial Day exercises. A four year high school system was proposed to be put into effect after the war. The fall of 1944 saw the annual Mansfield-Taun- ton football classic play its last game, with the Green and White defeating the Tigers 7-6. The first night pigskin contest in MHS’s history was played in Paw- tucket with Mansfield falling to St. Raphael’s, 20-6. A “looked over” squad demanded recognition in the winter of °45. The girls basketball team, playing since 1915, was led in 1945 by Patsy Dean, “Putt’ Blandori, and Ginny Delong. Talk of a new high school building was in the news again as new plans were drawn up. Approval for the new high school by the town was made but construc- tion of the facility was delayed until the cost could be lowered. The town asked the Federal Government for financial help in building the new school. The paying of women and men faculty equally was adopted in 1945. James J. Kelly returned to Mansfield High School as Athletic Director after an absence from coaching. In 1945-1946 all athletic teams played under the nickname “Hornets.” In 1946 the teachers received a $420 raise. In the following year Principal Paul Sykes was replaced by Authur E. Whitcomb. Whitcomb was a New Jersey man who had four years of experience at that occupation. He was paid $3320 for his services. Sixty-nine boys and girls received diplomas in the June Commencement ceremonies, the largest class since 1939-1940 when 81 seniors graduated. The year 1947-1948 marked the first time that the Mansfield Hornets faced the Blue and Gold of Fox- boro in the Thanksgiving Day football competition. John Certuse’s squad came out of the clash victori- ous, as Ray Kelley’s touchdown gave the Green and White a 13-7 decision. A $600,000 school was proposed, but plans were delayed because of the cost. The school budget stood ata record high of $167,000. The 180 day requirement caused Saturday classes to be held in June. The class of 62 seniors which grad- uated was the last to graduate from a three year high school as the school board followed through on ear- lier plans by merging the ninth grade with the other three grades. The High School experimented with some new cur- ricula in the next year. A boys’ cooking class was formed, as was a boys’ glee club. Mr. Whitcomb, at a school board meeting, said: “Our present high school is obselete as well as over- crowded.” This statement was justified when, later in the year, the high school cafeteria was deemed inade- quate, and consequently closed down. That caused an $880,000 school to be suggested, but that theory was shot down. Instead, $72,000 was granted for remodeling and renovations, which were done over the summer. This caused the school to open a week and half late in 1949-50. Football lowlights were numerous in the fall of °49. Among them was a touchdown run against Dart- mouth which was nullified, leaving the score 0-0 at the final gun. Bill Rossi zoomed 98 yards around end, but because a fan ran on the field during the play the umpire ruled no score. Foxboro dealt Mansfield another blow a week later by whipping them 37-0 on Thanksgiving Day. School committeeman Fred Wills remarked, “We have no high school at all.” The airport building on Fruit Street was used to house students from the overflowing high school. Many changes occurred early in the 1950-51 school year. Gerald W. Anderson was named principal, suc- ceeding Mr. Whitcomb, and after a six week stint was appointed superintendent, replacing Mr. Merrill. On account of lack of facilities the superintendent’s office was situated on the second floor of the Co- operative Bank. Earl G. Pithie took over Anderson’s vacated principal’s job. Pithie was a former North Attleboro High mentor. JOHN H. BERRY SCHOOL CENTRAL SCHOOL Mansfield Schools in 1928