Plainfield High School - Milestone Yearbook (Plainfield, NJ)

Page 11 text:

THE ORACLE. 7 ESTHER B. CRAMPTON. ROY C. WHITALE, Esther Barton Crampton, Valedictorian Miss Esther Crampton is the valedictorian of 1908. She entered the school in her sophomore year. Her course of studies has been one of the most difficult in the curriculum, but she has always maintained a high standing in scholarship, particularly in the languages. She has taken several prizes at every commencement since she has been in the school. She has been active in the various interests of the school life, and for two years has played guard on the champion girls’ basketball team. Last year Miss Crampton acted as manager for the team, and this year she has ably filled the position of president of the Girls’ Athletic Association. She also served on the OrAcLE, and took part in the Junior play of last year, and took the part of Miss Hardcastle in “She Stoops to Conquer,” the play given by the Seniors in the Plainfield Theatre. She is popular among the student body and among her classmates and has been a good class worker. She will enter Wellesley next fall,

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6 THE ORACLE: Never the Dog in the Manger One should measure his success not in comparison with his predecessors but by what those who follow him will do. This has been a cardinal prin- ciple of 1908. We have ever tried to make the way of those who follow us easier. Where we took advertising for our program we gave return; where we inaugurated new business ideas and introduced a larger audience to a P. H. S. senior play, we have borne in mind that other classes will follow us, and our policy has ever been, “Never be the dog in the manger.” On our rock foundation of good business we want succeeding classes to build greater successes, that shall be a standing credit to the most enterprising, and most original class ever in P. H. S.—19g08. A Helpful Influence In a more subtle way 1908 has also spread its influence. Faced by the condition that many good times in school are enhanced by the ability to dance, 1908 organized a dancing class with an able instructor, in order that its members might better enjoy their school life as well as learning a useful social accomplishment. Other classes followed the path blazed by 1908, and thus did the whole school profit by our farsightedness. Another policy of 1908 that has put a premium on noble effort, is the fact that every time any of its members brought special distinction on himself, not in school necessarily, the class has recognized it and voted congratulatory resolutions. Thus by looking for the best in our classmates we have helped to bring out the best that was in them.

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8 THE ORAGELE: Roy Cliffton Whitall, Salutatorian Roy Cliffton Whitall, the salutatorian, has been with the class all four years, and he, too, has-maintained a high standing in scholarship. He has taken prizes at every commencement for the past four years, and his work in mathematics has been particularly creditable. He is one of the brightest boys in the school and does comparatively little study outside of school. For the past two years he has worked afternoons in a local stationery store. He is a quiet boy, but well liked by all his classmates and is popular in general among the student body. Mr. Whitall will enter Stevens Institute next fall. The honors this year carry more honor than in previous years because the class of 1908 is one of the largest classes to be graduated from the Plain- field High School, and the average standing in scholarship of the seniors is proportionately above that of any other class in the school. Percy La Barre Mygrant and Donald Cameron Mortimer were next highest for scholastic honors. “Never has there been such a class as 1908 in the school and it will be a long time before there will be another class that can beat them.’—Mr. Samuel B. Howe, Jr. “T shall be very sorry to see 1908 go; yours is such a nice class.’’—Miss Mary i. Perry. “My one regret is that I have not been able to see more of the class of 1908—it is such a fine class——Miss Laura Smith. “Everything comes the way of 1908—even the gods favor them.”— Mr. James D. Macnab. “There has never been a class in P. H. S. that has conducted itself so well in the trying days after their work was over as 1908. —Mr, Ira W. Travell.