Stevens High School - Red and Black Yearbook (Claremont, NH)

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l ' C1Uj1z280YdbJ5 l i f My Clafsza Wet: 5 I 445.1 7? ' .Arms wggi uumz W 'Ya' 7440 ,..- '.E. ,-5 .-L .,. V By Donald Richmond September 8, l943, is a never-to-be-forgotten date for the class of '47, On that day the surrender of ltaly was announced, and also another sur- render took place. We, the members of the class of '47, gave up the out-of- doors for the classrooms of Stevens High. lt was a great event entering basic training under the leadership of the gold braid up front. We were ably led by General Richard Kennell, Personnel Officer Barbara King, Finance Officer Theodore Ellis, and Executive Officer Hannahbelle Heller. On we went through our first tough workout, the Freshman Reception. The generally accepted theory of brutality and bad use was anything but true, we found. Soon after, our freshman vic dance strengthened our ranks but weakened our treasury. As we became better trained and more familiar with the rules and regulations, the going became easier. By the time we had become familiar with regimentation, we had completed our basic training and were sent home for the summer to take up the fight from behind the counter or the plow. The high command changed leaders in Europe, and we followed suit by appointing new officers for our campaigns in the fall of '44, Up front were General John Skewes, Personnel Officer Alan Marek, Executive Officer Ruth Purinton, and Finance Officer Howard Brooks. We advanced into battle in fine spirits and subdued the freshmen at a freshman reception that really set the communication lines ahumming. HOD

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EDITORIAL We are graduating from Stevens after two years of war and two years of comparatively peaceful existence, and we must now prepare ourselves for world living. The world has been made much smaller by the inventions of machines which improve transportation and communication facilities. These inventions and their improvements have opened thousands of new fields to attract ambitious youth. Rehabilitation programs have brought vast new problems to the world. Our great men are trying to rebuild a globe shattered by lust, greed, bestiality, and sheer neglect into a compact unified people, among whose ranks there must be no dissension and petty quarreling. lf this new world is to be formed at all, it must be under the principle of democracy, the theory which has been championed by men like Jefferson, Lincoln, Wilson, and Churchill, to name a few of the greatest ones. The teachings of democracy are synonymous with the teachings of the history classes of the schools of the nation. ln literature, right triumphs over wrong, and the common people benefit, ln world history it is the same. Despotict tyranny is always overthrown by indignant citizens or their champions. The common people must always benefit, or the world is lost. During all our years in school we have been educated for democracy, educated to fill the places of our fathers in the best possible way. As more years pass, we will continue to be educated and guided to the right road to independence and self-government, which alone will save the world. ln other words, the children of a nation are its greatest asset. The education of those children, the molding of their minds, will make or break the chances of that nation for peace and harmony both inside its own borders and with the rest of the world, lt is up to us, as students of the American way, to use what we have learned and what we will learn in the future in a way most beneficial, not only to Claremont, New Hampshire, not only to the United States of America, not only to the western hemisphere, but to the world. H99

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By now members of our regiment were represented on the gridiron and the baseball diamond. The talent of our group was spreading out, including the red-coated band, the orchestra, and the chorus. Our advance was a complete success, and the ice on the upper classmen's shoulders began to melt. We were now in the gang. However, our ranks were constantly growing smaller, for Uncle Sam was playing soldier too. All too soon furloughs were passed out, and we headed to summer jobs and vacations, all the while keeping a close watch of the papers, for the war in Europe had already ended. The atomic bomb burst, the Japs surrendered, and the war was over. Our was over too, for we were now upper classmen, and we stood straighter and our noses rode a little higher until we found out there still were seniors in the school, and, after all, we were only juniors. Not even MacArthur out- did us, for we immediately set up an occupational government headquarters with Irving Pullen in command, aided by Alan Marek. With Robert Bonneau collecting the taxes and Joyce Wheeler keeping the books, we distinguished ourselves in two ways. One was the Junior Prom, which showed everybody the glory of the junior class, when we brought forth a Spanish setting to beautify the Stevens gym. All hailed the dance as a great success, and we gave a clap of approval to the committee. The second achievement was in June when the Senior Reception rid us of our upper class competition but also a swell class. Our first occupational year was a never-to-be-forgotten one with mem- bers of our force represented in all the school's activities and even adding to them by creating the Junior Dramatics Club with some of the school's best actors and actresses putting on two great plays: Pop Reads the Christmas Carol and Paul's First Tux . The great shower of approval encouraged them to continue into l947 and their senior year. Summer came and summer went, and here we were back in school. But this time we were in full command for we were the seniors. Careful considera- tion brought us to elect Richard Bailey commander-in-chief of all Stevens' forces, with Bernice Cahalan next in command. The historian's job fell to Phillip Balch and the collections to James Emanuel. Fresh troops were added to our forces when over twenty veterans of foreign service with Uncle Sam joined our occupation detail. They all took hold and really were an asset to our class in extra-curricular activities and the steady hum of recitation. Having a small force as compared to preceding years, every member took hold and did just a little more than usual. To the delight of everyone, the Football Dance went over with a bang. The year was brightened by a benefit vic dance and a great Home Ec dance. After wearing the soles off our shoes dancing, we came to realize that seniors have a few other things to take care of. How we ever kept up with fill