Perryville High School - Mustang Yearbook (Perryville, AR)

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. . Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!” Patrick Henry 3 Following the victory at Yorktown. Washington refused the offer of his troops to become king and returned to Philadelphia to aid with the establishment of a permanent government for the new republic—a loose alliance of sovereign states held together by the Articles of Confederation. An envoy composed of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay was sent to negotiate with the British. It was not until 1783 that the peace agreement, known as the Treaty of Paris, was signed, guaranteeing the sovereignty of the United States of America. The Articles of Confederation, despite many weaknesses, served to un- ify the states until 1787 when a special convention was held at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to revise them. The meeting was attended by fifty-five of the most-prominent men of the day. Twenty- nine of the delegates representing a majority of the states met on May 25 and decided to draft an entirely new constitution rather than am- mend the Articles of Confederation. The meeting then became known as the Constitutional Convention. 4 The men who assembled for the Constitutional Convention were an illustrious group with nearly every delegate a person of prominence in his home state. A large majority favored a strong central government. After four months of debate, on September 17, 1787, the new constitu- tion was completed. In a little more than four months, six states had ratified the new constitution. Despite the good beginning, the fight for ratification was bitter and it was not until September 13, 1788, that the necessary two-thirds majority of the states had approved the docu- ment and Congress could call for states to choose their electors and congressmen. Several of the states had ratified the constitution with the provision that it would be amended. Thus, as one of its first official acts under the new constitution, the Congress added the first ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights. Washington was un- animously elected President and a new nation was launched on a course of democracy.

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“Stand Your Ground . . . If They Mean to Have a War, Let It Begin Here. ” Capt. John Barker 1 Capt. John Parker uttered those words as the colonial militia under his command prepared to meet the British troops at Lexington. Those works and the painting—Spirit of '76—exemplify the dedication and determination of the American patriots in their fight for independence. I he colonies had organized to express their grievances in an effort to resolve the differences within the framework of the Empire. Several of the colonial legislatures had instructed their delegates to the Con- tinental Congress in Philadelphia to oppose any move toward in- dependence. The movement for independence was gaining strength and following the publication of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. which argued for colonial sovereignty, a resolution was adopted and a committee of five appointed to draft a declaration of independence. 2 General ashington, who had been appointed commander-in-chief ot American forces by the Second Continental Congress, was a brilliant military strategist. It was his decision to take his Continentals across the Delaware River on Christmas night which resulted in the first ma- jor colonial victory. That victory at Trenton over Hessian mercenaries gave the ragged army renewed vigor. Supported chiefly through the printing of Continental currency, the colonial army also went through the personal fortunes of many American patriots—among them Washington. Jefferson. Richard Henry Lee and John Adams. These fortunes were donated to the cause of liberty—a cause supported by about one-third of the American population which was near 2,000,000. Another one-third remained loyal to the English crown and the remainder were apathetic. Despite many defeats, the colonies managed to keep an army in the field as a symbol of American resistance, to guarantee a negotiated rather than dictated peace.

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The 25th Edition of the Yearbook HONORS ALL ALUMNI of Perryville High School 1928 Leonard Brazil Retired Vice President First National Bank Hot Springs, Arkansas 1934 Heburn Moore Executive Vice President Perry County Bank Perryville, Arkansas 1929 Hazel Ezell Cranford Homemaker and Mother Minister’s Wife Camden, Arkansas 1930 Evalyn Ward Franks Minister's Wife Church Secretary Morrilton, Arkansas 1931 Beatrice Ezell Miller Employment Security Div. Hot Springs, Arkansas Rudolph Cranford Sales, Thermogas Co. Perryville, Arkansas Theda Thedford Krantz Restaurant:Owner,Operator Harris Brake, Arkansas Agatha Robertson Griffet i Homemaker and Mother Perryville, Arkansas Charles Cranford Minister:Church of Chris : Camden, Arkansas Edwin'Pete Loudermilk Ret. Farm Bureau Agent Little Rock, Arkansas L S Finch Los Angeles Power Light Glendale, California Anna Sue Ward Homemaker San Francisco, Calif. 1932 Elaine Loudermilk Watson Elementary Teacher Magnet Cove. Arkansas Paul Watson Ret. Reynolds Metal Co. Magnet Cove, Arkansas Fern Finch Miller Bookkee per:CityTreas urer Redlands, California 1933 Merle Finch Rapp Retired Teacher Silaom Springs, Arkansas Opal Blythe Tarvin 8 Elementary Teacher Perryville, Arkansas 1935 Dell Hathorn Rural Mail Carrier Perryville, Arkansas 1940 Helen Lee Rankin Magie Lunch Room Supervisor Hot Springs, Arkansas Mary Alice Rankin Warner Teacher’s Aide Saline, Texas Charles Alfltunior’ Ezell Thermogas Distributor Perryville, Arkansas James Opal Cobb Ret. Air Force Colonel Research Engineer: International Aircraft Co Palos Verdes, Calif. 1936 Donna Lee Cobb Marcum Homemaker and Mother Nimrod, Arkansas 1938 Perrin Cranford Gibson Homemaker and Mother Fort Smith, Arkansas Lenore Carter Bosse Homemaker and Mother Cols Strip, Montana Stella Allison Bunyard Secondary Teacher Perryville, Arkansas Loyd House Retired Mail Carrier MFA Agent Perryville, Arkansas Eloise Bennett Wallace School Counselor Nimrod, Arkansas 1939 Louise Cook Charton ARVAC: Home Base Trainer Cherry Hill, Arkansas Era Holland Allison Ret. Revenue Agent Perryville, Arkansas Mildred Corder Hathorn Postal Clerk Perryville, Arkansas Thomas Jones Perry County Clerk Hardware Business Perryville, Arkansas 1942 Johnny Wallace Bailey Bookkeeper:Thermogas Co. Union Valley, Arkansas Paul Bennett Ret. Aircraft Corporatior Perryville, Arkansas Jack Ezell, Director Investigator’s Academy Temple Hill, Maryland Vaunda Bennett McCoy Restaurant Operator Little Rock, Arkansas H.A. Thedford Plant Supervisor Chicago, Illinois --------15 3--------- Jeanetta Allison Watts Senior Cashier Clerk Perryville, Arkansas Helen Loyd Hawkins Homemaker and Mother Harmony, Arkansas --------19 -------- Mary Alice Cranford Swaiij Passenger Correspondent Continental Airlines Redondo Beach, Calif. Artie Mae Rankin Clay Lunch Room Worker Adona, Arkansas Edith Loyd Doughty Homemaker and Mother Benton, Arkansas Eva Mae Brown Scroggins Secondary Teacher Carlsbad, New Mexico 1945 Alice Weaver Holbrook Cashier: Perry County Bank Union Valley, Arkansas William Mansel Atkinson Worthen Bank Little Rock, Arkansas J.R. Paul Perryville Abstract Co. Perryville, Arkansas James Reece Bowen Senior Design Engineer Westinghouse Corporation Elliott City, Maryland Joyce Rickraah Westlake Ret. Sonora County(Calif) Community Hospital Perryville, Arkansas Rea Tindell Belk Clerk t Typist State Forest Commission Union Valley, Arkansas 1946 Norma Allison Kimbrough Norma’s Dress Shop Perryville, Arkansas Gwendola Griffeth Brand Homemaker and Mother Cherry Arkansas Thomas Corder Retired Air Force Postal Clerk Thornburg, Arkansas Donald 'Doc Bennett Retired Arigy Sales:Farmers Fertlizer Washington Courthouse, Ohio 1947 Ray .Jones Braniff Airlines Dallas Texas