Haverhill High School - Thinker Yearbook (Haverhill, MA)

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MJ' jmea 1936-1937 While we as Freshmen were beginning what was for us a new life, the world was re- sounding with the sound of guns. Mussolini was finishing his conquest of Ethiopia. Strife had torn Spain so that brother fought against brother. As we speculated as to how long Ethiopia could hold out against Italy, war, gridiron war, struck closer home. lnfused with a new nationalism, so to speak, we watched the Ha- verhill -Iuggernaut crush all opposition as it fought its way to State supremacy. Mitchell, Thomas, Goodreault-those were the names on our lips. Then with a vicarious worldly sophistication we saw a fad go out. Handies, footsies, and knock-knocks, all went the way of the passing show. We watched Benny Goodman achieve that lofty but dubious title of the King of Swingf, This was an election year. Landon had bloomed forth as presidential timber, and with him had bloomed a sunflower, albeit a sunflower that was not to bloom in the White House, for, by an overwhelming majority, the voters chose to return Roosevelt to office. Royalty came under the cynosure of the world. Three kings passed in rapid succession across our stage. We had seen a king die, we saw one- abdicate, and now we saw a third crowned. World events then ceased to occupy us. Weakened by an explosion several years back, the annex ceilings now collapsed. We were promptly put on a two-platoon system and for a few weeks, at least, we could sleep until twelve, but were required to go to school until five. A precedent had been shattered, as Freshmen we had invaded the sacrosanct of the up- perclasses. And, as Freshmen, we thought we were on an equal basis with them merely through our occupation of the Main Building. During our forced occupancy of the Main Building, one of our classmates almost achieved undying fame-and would have but for the misspelling of daguerrcotype. This was during our first spelling bee. June then was rapidly approaching. With it carne the first Freshman attempt at organ- ization, for we were electing our first set of ofiicers. A hectic campaign ensued, and for the first time we came to realize what a deciding factor tags were in an election. We cast our votes at the final election, naming Jesse Venturo as our helmsman the following year. Another concussion was shaking the world as we left school for the summer. japanese imperialism had invided China. Once again we wondered, Where is this era leading us? Are we to see the world plunged into fruitless warfare again? 1937-1938 Perhaps the fact that we had already become acclimated to the Main Building caused the novelty of having home-rooms there to wear off rather quickly. However, we could now assume a lofty pinnacle from which to look down upon the Freshmen. Such is life. We had elected officers it is true, but we had yet to meet them. We had this opportun- ity when they were introduced to us aft our first class meeting. We resolved, as had other classes before us, to make our class the best up to that time-if not the best for all time. And we were destined to translate part of this feeling into actuality. The national topics of the day occupied us. President Roosevelt's attempts at court re- organization had apparently suffered a lull, but the court question came up again with a ven- geans. Hugo Black and the masked riders, the Klu Klux Klan, came into prominence. And while a nation debated as to whether or not he should be allowed to take his seat, Black denied that he was then affiliated with the Klan. Finally he took ofiice, and the storm that had covered a nation soon blew over. 141

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me oem AS JUNIORS. F RoN'r Arthur Poitras - Mary Gavin - - B.-xcic Norman Bouchard - Constance Dc-Grange john Booth - john Nichols - Row - - Preyident - Vice-President Row Executive Committee - - Svrretary Exerutive Committee Exerutive Committee AS SOPHOMORFS FRONT Row Mary Gavin - - jesse Venturo Dorothy Clea ry Rohert Goodwin - BACK john Booth - - john Nichols - - Secretary - Pfexirlent Vice-President - - Treaxurer Row Executive Committee Executive Committee AS SFNIORS FRONT Row Dorothy Cleary - john Nichols Curina Harizin - BACK Guy Nichols - - Ben Green - Norman Bouchard - Bremner Brown - Vice-Prcnriflent Prrxiilent - Secretary Row Executive Committee Executive C0 m mittee - - Treasurer Executive Committee

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I4-2 THE THINKER 1940 The football season had begun rather inauspiciously. A green team, few veterans, even with all the spirit in the world, cannot win football games. However, we did manage to put over several wins. Benny Goodman had if anything a firmer grip on his throne-Beer jackets and big apl ples made their appearance. And we Sophomores had a real and potent menace to face in the person of Wandering Walt. How happy indeed were those who managed to escape the prying eyes of the eternally wondering one. December came. Now, with the football season over, we Sophomores were to sponsor our first dance, the Sophomore Football Hop. We could claim, when it was over, a dance that no class had ever equaled and that none ever would equal. A record-breaking crowd had attended-indeed a good indication of how our future social events were to turn out. Then the arrival of a new year, a new year for us and for the world. It seemed to hold little in store, since war and fighting were almost everywhere, but, nevertheless it passed uickl for us as events seemed almost to telesco e. Our St. Patrick's dance . . . re istration q Y . . . P . . g . . . . Papita . . . elections . . . June . . . Senior marching PraCIlCC . . . that fateful Friday . . . and farewell. Reall not farewell but onl au rcvoir for we were to return a ain in the n y e y I g fall, and in a stranger fashion than any of us could possibly dream. 1938-1939 It may be truly said that we entered upon our Junior year in hurricane fashion, for, almost coinciding with our entrance, a violent hurricane raged through New England leav- ing death and destruction in its wake. We felt its wrath here, and today tree stumps bear mute testimony to the storm's destructiveness. The hurricane remained a topic of discussion for a considerable time, but along with it we discussed other things. Fashions, for instance, were in our thoughts. Not only was the female half of our class inclined towards sartorial splendor, but also the male half. While girls wore dog-collars and jangle bracelets, loud socks and equally loud suspenders, lumber- man's shirts, and abbreviated trousers were displayed by the males. Time and circumstance had made us perhaps graver, more serious. This became even more evident when we sponsored our Junior Prom. We then could easily visualize our- selves as Seniors, attending the Prom as guests. The world's spotlight shifted to South America with the Pan-American Conference. In a ringing declaration of policy, Secretary Hull announced America's intention of defending the Western hemisphere-with armed force if necessary. Then a sadder note crept in and the spotlight shifted to Madrid. Madrid was bombed on the eve of the birth of a new year, perhaps a portent of what was to come. Here in this country, President Roosevelt asked nine billion dollars to carry on the government's work-a far cry indeed from the first billion- dollars congress. And here at Haverhill High, Cameron Beck spoke in a manner not soon to be forgotten. Barcelona fell, and with it all hope for a Loyalist victory. Now it would be only a question of time as to when the Loyalists would surrender. And weakened beyond any re- sistance, they did surrender a short time later. Soon after the Trade School dance, the world was saddened by the death of a great man. Pope Pius Xl succumbed to a serious illness and was succeeded by Cardinal Paccelli in March. In March also was our School Choosing Day. While we were commemorating the 150th anniversary of the adoption of our constitu- tion, bedlam was reigning in Europe. Hitler seized a strip of Czecho-Slovakia, Mussolini, overpowered Albania, and both rejected President Roosevelt's plea for an amity pledge of ten years among European nations. In New York the long awaited World's Fair opened. Truly a hopeless mockery, or so it seemed to us. Then disaster at home. The Squalus sank off Portsmouth. ln Kentucky, coal strikes raged. This year was the centennial of the great national pastime-baseball. Royalty vis- 142