Phillips High School - Mirror Yearbook (Birmingham, AL)

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The Mirror THE LIGHT OF TRUTH We dream of a world of abiding peace, Where all are friends, not foes, Where laughter and song rarely cease, And where every face serenely glows, A land where the rich aid the humble, Where the learned give wise behest, Where drums of war never rumble— A land that Truth has blest. We have climbed by the lure of a vision, A fair light to behold. Springing upward from earth like a fountain And shining like silver and gold. From the foot of the mount wc discerned it. Its sparkle and gleam so bright That our hearts leaped up with longing To be nearer its luminous light. With eager stride we climbed toward it, Over many rocks, rough and jagged. Through chasms, wide yawning and ugh And underbrush thorny and ragged. On the crest of the mountain wc paused And looking whence wc had come, We beheld a scene transfigured In the slanting rays of the sun. 'Flic rocks that had hindered our ascent, Like Iris’s scarf’s bright hue, Mingled with the deep green underbrush And flowers of violet and blue. Brooks trickled down the wide chasms, Colorful, deep blue-green, Anemones filled all the nooks And fringed clearest waters ever seen. And now at the peak of appraisement We see that the path does not stop, But upward through our dream wc must fare For wc have not reached the top. It leads on to another mountain And into the heart of the sky, We must climb again and struggle To reach the light of truth on high. —Pearl Fisher, Class Poet [25]

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TH K M I R R OR THE HERITAGE OF A PHILUPIAN From the savage Indian, whose blood-curdling yells struck terror into the heart of the white man during the development of our country, to the polished European nobleman of the seventeenth century, every man has desired to leave something to posterity. IIis bequest may be either physical or intangible. If he has devoted his life to the accumulation of wealth, his children receive pecuniary heritage which is easily destroyed. Hut a heritage of mind and spirit is more precious and lasting. When in danger, the Englishman looks to the deeds of Wellington and Nelson, and a fiery stream of strength rushes to his heart. To the Frenchman, Pasteur and Napoleon are the personification of greatness. The German possesses an inheritance of brilliant scientists, whose feats have amazed the world. Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael are names known to every Italian. Hut the inheritance of an American, for which his courageous ancestors are largely responsible, is freedom—freedom of religion, speech, and press. The Phillipian is indeed fortunate, for he has the heritage not only of an American but also of a Phillipian. A famous general once said: “Give me trained leaders, good followers, and excellent equipment, and no one can resist my might.” At Phillips there is n qualified, conscientious, and sympathetic faculty, who, besides having the necessary degrees, arc especially capable in fulfilling the more important requirement, leading into the realm of thought an unusually intelligent and eager group of followers Phillips also has the “excellent equipment” which was the general’s third requisite for success, for she is the proud possessor of modern laboratories and shops, an adequate library, and especially a well-stocked lunchroom. Thus, Phillips seeks to prepare a graduate so that he may conquer, not with arms, but with knowledge. Our Phillips tradition looks upon knowledge not as a mere accumulation of information, but as individual th'nking hacked by experimentation and research. When a pupil differs from his teacher on a certain point, he is praised if he can support his statements with substantial proof. Hut if bis answer s based on the worthless guessing of a lazy brain without materia! and organization, he is always reproved and discouraged from repeating his error. Due to this training a Phillipian develops a clear-cut attitude towards life. To him his sportsmanship is more than a word; it is a creed by which he lives. He never tries to justify his means by his ends. When he meets with Triumph or Disaster, he treats those two impostors just the same. Having come to feel with Carlyle thnt “the only true happiness of a man is that of clear decided Activity in the sphere for which, by nature and circumstances, he has been fitted and appointed,” he puts his efforts into the task for which he is best qualified, and no artificial substitute distracts him in his seeking genuine happiness. As a result of this system of education Phillips sends mature, capable, and talented leaders into colleges and business. Alabama, Hirmingham-Southern, Auburn, and Howard are filled with outstanding Phillipians, as Phi Heta Kappas, presidents of student organizations, debaters and orators, and athletic heroes testify. As business men, Phillipians for the most part have made Birmingham what she is today. Their leadership, their foresight, and their ability arc a testimonial to the exceptional type of person produced by Phillips. The graduating Phillipian secs the high standards of his predecessors, and determines, not only to approach, but to excel them. His spirit and fitness will carry him to high endeavors, he it as farmer or professor. Not even fate itself can stop him, for he is “master of his fate and captain of his soul.” If he is hurled into depths, he will rise and scale the heights. Though the winds of destiny try to shipwreck him on the sea of life, one thing cannot be taken from him—his heritage as a Phillipian. —Wilson Howell, Class Orator [24]

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T he Mirror NAMES AND LINEAGE “Their name is Legion’'—at least there are 153 graduates in this graduating class excluding the one and only Jones. Even the five Smiths arc not buried in obscurity although “Fate tried to conceal them by naming them Smith. Among the unconcealed are artistic Gene, efficient Carolyn, dexterous Dexter, the two maids Martha, and Prince Arthur himself. Our distinguished names include Mayo, famous in the medical world. 'File literature of our time is enriched with the works of Ludwig, the famous biographer Emil, as Phillips is with the achievements of Otto. Time has made synonymous with Gloria-s romance the name Romeo. A lady, Frances, has made memorable in politics the name Perkins, as a boy. W. T.. has in baseball. Fame acclaims the name Scott in the realm of romance and in that of reality, we claim Leonard Edwin. In the automobile industry, Ford means “Henry ; in Phillips, Jessie Mac . We have representatives from the leading nations of the world in our midst such as McGowan, McFarland, McDowell, McCrary and others from bonny Scotland. Then there are good old English names, such as Milford, Meadows, and Hathcock, side by side with the Irish Murphrces. Shaws, Lowcrys, and Mosleys. “The glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome gives us the names of Mcgois, Carru-ba, Kampakis, Marchione, Nadel, Tomaras and Troncalli. In the White House we had Jackson, Grant, and Lincoln: and in Phillips Andrew Jackson Borders, Henry Grant Murphrcc and Horace Lincoln I hacker carry on these great names. The face of Richard Dix is no more familiar to movie-goers than the voice of Richard Dix Riley is to Phillipians. Tom, Louise, and Maurice send our thoughts speeding on a cross-country Hunt, to the music of a huntsman’s Horn, or soaring on an airplane’s Wing. There are eight Williams and eight Edwards in this class. Answering to one or both of these names are Avery, Barrington, Bcaird. Cobcrly, Duran. Hall, Langston, Perkins, McCall and Schuler. Along with the Williams and Edwards, we have many boys in this graduating clas named for their fathers. Among these “Juniors are H. G. Jackson. Jack Adamson, Richard Grass, Ed Langston, and Claude Lawson. One of the many girls named for her mother is Sara Womack. Among busy students in our commercial department whose names wc are sure will he well-known in the business world of Birmingham are Rubie Bailey, Dcwic Caldwell. Ruth Lawville, Hazel Robertson, Doris Stanley and Cecils Vaughn. The names of Binford. Holmes, and Martin, prominent on the faculty roster in Phillips, in the 1‘brary, in the history department, and in the math department, respectively, belong to Harry, Clyde, and Jane of the graduating class of 1940. James and Thomas arc favorites in our class, as evidenced hv James Toney White, James I.. Taylor, James Warren Kicker, and Lewis James Overton. Among the numerous Thomases are Thomas Allen Hutto and Floyd Thomas Bryant. With the girls the name Elizabeth is popular as a middle name; for instance, there are Evelyn Elizabeth Curtis, Nairn Elizabeth Nabors, Anne Elizabeth Pickard, Mary Elizabeth Robertson, Grace Elizabeth Vickers, and Mary Elizabeth Winter. Margaret and Ann arc favorites, too—Ann Blevins, Martha Ann Lawrence, Ann Stubbs, Margaret Lawler, and Margaret Shelby. Most of us would think of the name of Mary as very common but we have only three Marys—Mary Grace White, Mary Ellen Stapler, and Mary Natalie Russell. Leo Crawford Ramp is as strong as a lion but we all know that he is not as fierce as one. And wc think Thco A. Robertson has some of the “God-like qualities his first name implies. [26]