Plainfield High School - Milestone Yearbook (Plainfield, NJ)

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SENIORS SENIOR CLASS OFFICERS: Left to right: June Turner, secretary; Gregory Carty, president; Marvin Davidson, vice-president; Joseph Corcoran, treasurer. Four years ago was the beginning of US, the class of nineteen hundred forty-four. Four years ago, as freshmen, we arrived in the cafeteria for the first mass assembly of Us. And with a large part of Us missing, we will enter the auditorium for the last meet- ing of Us: graduation, June 15, 1944. Early in the month of September Us met many new things: con- fusion of getting lost, Entree subscriptions, $1 football tickets, $.25 S.A.T.’s. Soon things started to move in an understandable cycle and Us had our first football game and first Entree. It was soon time to organize Us. Our newly appointed faculty adviser, Mrs. Buckelew, called an assembly for officer candidates to make campaign speeches. With an overwhelming number of contestants, the elections took as many rounds as a wrestling match. Final results were Frank Fosbre, Dick Mooney, Jean Ander- son, and Tom Morris. April Fool’s day was our day. Our only frosh activity was a Swing Band dance with fun, surprises, dancing and a $10 profit. It was soon after this that the year quickly grew to cramming, exams and prospects of a vacation. But just before the doors were closed, Us elected the officers to head our sophomore class. Tom Morris, Bill Causebrook, Jean Anderson, and George Turk received the honors. September 1941: Sophomores now, and Us arrived 646 strong, startling the rest of the school with the immediate announcement of a skating party to be held in October. Bob White, Gladys Greenblatt, Annette Rubel, and Sallie Churchill headed the com- mittee which finally helped to secure the unexpected profit of $90. On the sports field Us were for the first time being noticed. In soccer Jack Moran was named one of the best players; in cross country both Jack Shuster and Lou Rothberg were being consid- ered as the nucleus. Bob Lippman and Nunzio Loggia appeared in occasional football games that year, including East Orange and Bound Brook. When December 7 came it did not change our way of life much. A few of the upperclass boys left and Bill Causbrook joined the Merchant Marine. On the baseball diamond Lefty Rinehart began showing the pitching power of his southpaw. On the track, Marvin Davidson, a runner, sprinter, and hurdling jumper, was named as a ‘‘future Cunningham.” Sallie Churchill was awarded the state prize for excellence in [12]

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news writing and an honorary certificate for the Quill and Scroll International Contest for newswriting. Almost the last event of the year was the awarding of the $5 prize for the winners of the Declamation contest. Carol Bronston took the honors in the girls’ division. Elections popped up everywhere. For our junior class Us chose Bob White, Norman Kantor, June Turner and Joe Corcoran as our leaders. Bob Albers was named Entree chief, Sallie Churchill, managing editor and Joe Corcoran, news editor. September 1942: Us were upperclassmen. Early we began to fight the precedent of producing a variety show. The result, a three act comedy, ‘‘June Mad,’’ was presented November 13 and 14. Phoebe Hardingham and Art deVitatis held the main roles as a love-sick girl and air-crazy boy. Ruth Townsend, Howard Carl, Norman Kantor, Bill Ellis, Bob Albers, Bill Bray, John Gee, Nancy Weglau, and Betty Wilks completed the cast. Just before the play our treasurer left; Carol Bronston was elected his successor. Following her success in the play, Phoebe Hardingham won the school poetry reading contest. Carol Bronston won the school contest in the American Legion Oratorical contest. Both competed in further contests. In early spring a school-wide election put Bob White in as Student Council president, supported by Dick Mooney as Vice- president and Betty Wilks as treasurer. The Victory Corps formation was a school-wide program, but the Council which laid most of the plans had a large junior repre- sentation. Bob White, Madge Evans, and Dick Mooney represented the class; Sallie Churchill and Bob Okell represented the press. About this time the saddest event of the whole class history ar- rived. The Navy department announced the death of two former classmates, Carmen Perry, Navy, and William (Bill) Causbrook, Merchant Marine. The finale to our junior year was the election of officers and the appointments to senior usher squads and Senior Honorary Society. Our officers were Jack Shuster, Greg Carty, June Turner, and Joe Corcoran; Bob Okell was named Entree chief; Bob Lundstrom was chosen to head the Senior Honorary. September 1943: The last fall us would enter PHS as a class. The year began differently somehow. Many of Us had left for the services. Our president, Jack Shuster, had left for the Navy. Greg Carty took over the job, and Marvin Davidson was elected vice- president. The Milestone editorial board appointments were announced. Carol Bronston was chief; Shirley Blume, Ruth Strom, George Deats, Jane Lum, Jean Wendell, and Dale Carlisle held the other high positions. Senior supper was another of our class’s firsts. In January Us held a supper in the cafeteria (decorated so no one would ever recognize it). The food was prepared by the cafeteria staff, the service was by choice of the master of ceremonies, Bob White. En- tertainment included songs by the trio, deVitalis, Hadley, and Carty. Fulton Hines was elected to replace Joe Corcoran as treasurer when Joe left PHS for Seton Hall Divinity School. The senior play, ‘‘Here Comes Mr. Jordan,’ a comical and fan- tastic comedy, was presented on the nights of March 17 and 18. Walt Thielhart starred as Joe Pendleton supported by Bob Lund- strom as Mr. Jordan. Laying the foundation for the Junior Night Club was one of the largest undertakings in PHS this year. Fighting for it from begin- ning to end were Betty Arthur, Louise Loizeaux, and Bob White. Senior class representatives included Ann Caulfield and Bill Bray. And this year comes the end of Us, the class of 1944. This year, as seniors, we leave the auditorium for the last time. This year, as wiser students, we are graduated. From now on, it’s You, not Us. [13] Sr