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

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bs Ja hal i ee ee ee ET, Q ST AA oy ot ‘ Among sport’s highlights was a 7-0 win by the Hor- net’s football team over Foxboro. Dick Pescosolido’s 60 yard toss to Curtis Griffin accounted for the only score. Griffin also showed his dominance on the hardwood, leading the Mansfield five to a 48-29 win over North. He netted 15 points. The school board approved a $233,846 budget for 1951-52. Sixty-three students received diplomas under sunny June skies. The 1951-52 school year opened with a new princi- pal at the helm, Knute Larson. He had a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University and he took office with many novel ideas in mind. Among them was the formation of a Student Council, which he said pro- moted self leadership and participation in good gov- ernment. 22 students were elected from each of the four grades. The teachers received a $100 raise as the budget ballooned to $265,402. The Mansfield Co-operative bank started an on- the-job training program with business students at MHS. The idea of a new high school began to gel and move closer to reality as the spring approached. The new facility was to contain grades 7-12, and it gained the approval of the school committee. With that sur- veys and studies of the land were made at the East Street site and groups of executives went to visit area schools for prospectives ideas. When a rough idea of the school was made, an architect, at a fee of $30,000, was flown in from Boston to design the structure. The first Mansfield High School uniformed band, under the direction of Mr. James Gallo, played its first concert at the Grange in early in early May. Following graduation ceremonies the class held its traditional banquet in the old high school gym. The 1952-1953 school year saw the state render its approval of the new high school building. Pamphlets and fliers were distributed all over town to tell the public about the facility. The building which was to go up on East Street, was to have 30 rooms went for an estmated cost of $1,585,000 dollars. The Mansfield News ran a feature, ““The Hornets Nest,” which contained stories, editorials and inform- Mansfield High School 75th Anniversary ation written by the MHS students. The school budget for the 1953-1954 school year reached an all time high of $303,034.19 when it gained approval of the School Committee. Everett W. Robinson, associated for 40 years with Mansfield High School as a principal, guidance exec- utive, and teacher, announced his retirement. Band maestro, James Gallo. and the newly formed Mansfield Band Parent Association, raised $2000 for new uniforms for the 75 member group. 49 seniors graduated and the following week was the 75th reun- ion of the first MHS graduating class. Three hundred twenty-seven children were in the hallowed halls of Mansfield High School as the 1953- 1954 year began. The new school, which the town was finally to receive after a 20 year wait, was in the news again. East Street was to be widened to 60 ft. to accomodate the body of traffic. Soon came the realization that the school was to cost almost $200,000 more than the operating budget of the town itself. That ultimately served to drive the already escalating tax rate even higher. Everett W. Robinson

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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

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Two new members gained posts on the school com- mittee in the fall elections. Mrs. Elmer Watts and Mr. John J. Langdon. The band gave its annual concert on May 19, at the same time that Superintendent Anderson received a $400 raise. Sixty-four students traversed the school for the last time as June arrived. Hurricane ‘Carol’ rudely interrupted the grand opening of the newly completed high school in Sep- tember, 1954. Following the dedication in the new 600 seat auditorium, 522 students flooded the build- ing. The breakdown in the senior wing of the six year school was: 94 Freshmen, 95 Sophomores. 66 Juniors, and 62 Seniors. Many of the parents banded together to form the Mansfield High School P.T.A. By December only $1200 remained of the cost of the high school. Mr. Robinson returned to Mansfield High in December to dedicate the new gymnasium. In the game that followed the MHS Varsity netted 34 free throws en route to a 60-47 win over the alumni. 175 faithful Hornet fans turned out at the Boosters’ banquet for the boys and girls basketball teams. Mr. Anthony P. Melchiorri was named to chair- man of the School Committee, which was then meet- ing in the new auditorium. Now that the new high school had a complete library, many students, according to a Mansfield News’ interview, were planning to study there instead of the Public Library. 1600 students crowded the high school as the doors opened for the 1955-56 school year. Adult Education, a new program funded by the town, was holding its sessions in the new high school. High school students had three days sawed off April vacation because of an earlier polio epidemic. Two days later twin blizzards tied up the town with 28 inches of snow. Warm days soon followed, and the fifties’ teenage rediscovery of youth had an effect on clothing styles. Superintendent Anderson noticed this and issued a ban on all tight jeans, “Duck” haircuts, Garrison belts, flashy shirts, and other conspicuous clothing. The class of “11, known as the attic class, held its reunion at MHS. The baseball team ended its season on a sour note, bowing out to Milford in the State Tourney, 2-0. On opening day of the football season in 1956-57, Tino DiGiovanni and John Pomfret scored to give MHS a 13-0 win over Canton. DiGiovanni scored thrice against Case in a 26-24 win, and led the team to a 33-23 win over Dartmouth. Harold L. Qualters, a former Park Row principal, was appointed to assist H. Lea Mushroe, MHS prin- cipal, on New Year's, 1957. Administrative raises upped the budget to a high of $502,000. MHS started a new honor roll, and the school com- mittee announced that it cost $300 to educate one pupil in Mansfield. John Pomfret scored a record 377 points in basketball, and the band earned a spot in New York City’s Saint Patrick’s Day parade. Two administrative changes took place as the 1957- 58 school year opened. Theron Thompson was Super- intendent, and Mr. Qualters was named principal. The Hornets ranked 7th in Class ‘D’ football after a win over North Attleboro. On Thanksgiving Day MHS won 52-7, a record. The band went to the South Eastern music festival, and a choir of 130 performed a concert in late May. 75 seniors graduated. Late in 1957 the MHS gym was named in honor of Don Currivan, a former professional football player and alumni of MHS. who died on the Cape in the spring of °56. 1958-59 saw the school establish a National Honor Society. following in the footsteps of Foxboro High. Another relatively new MHS feature, the Alumni Scholarship Fund, raised $395 by mid-December. As a part of the $574,784 budget, the teachers received a $200 raise. Mr. Qualters announced that the valedictory and Salutatory addresses would once again be given by the top two seniors in the class. Previous to this the four essayists had rendered the speeches. Senior Basketball player Geoff Stearns scored a whopping 552 points in tha 1959 season (19.7 points per game), a new record. Stearns also became the first player to score 1,000 points in a Varsity career. Also led by freshman Ron Gentili, the team was Bay State Champions. 1959 marked the first time that Boys’ Golf became a sport, and tennis was on the schedules for the first time in 14 years. MHS also announced that North Attleboro would not be on the grid schedule for the fall of °69. That particular fall turned up roses for the Hor- nets. The squad, led by Gentili, and Tony Day, went undefeated for the campaign and was State Class ‘D’ champions. The results appear below: Mansfield 16, Somerset0 Mansfield 8, Dartmouth 6 Mansfield 32, Franklin 6 Mansfield 26, Case 0 Mansfield 26, O.A. 6 Mansfield 24, North 0 Mansfield 28, Canton 6 Mansfield 14, Foxboro 6 Gentili scored thrice in the Franklin game, and 3000 fans were on hand for the North contest. The 1960 school budget stood at $621,717. The English Department announced that the school paper, the “Tatler,” was to be revised. Boston College football coach Ernest E. Hefferle spoke at the Foot- ball Banquet. Before the class of °69 graduates Supt. Barker resigned. Albert J. Murphy succeeded Barker as the 1960-61 4 EPID ok cee yer citll | eee er ee Graduation Class of 1955