Alexander Park High School - The National Yearbook (Portsmouth, VA)

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N A T I 0 N A 1. lUisiness Mgr. 2. Cute? 3. Posed — definitely! 4. Patrolman. 5. Bathing heaiity. 6. “Coach.” 7. Ciood-looking Juniors. 8. Dignified Seniors? 9. A swell guy. 10. Jitterbug. 11. Mom and Offspring 12. The Three Stooges. 13. Another cutie. 14. Energetic Juniors. 15. Miss Harrell. 16. Always busy. 17. Is that right? 18. Pretty flowers!

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THE 1945 The teachers had it pretty rough for awhile also. They had to hike to the school from the George Washington Highway in all the rain, snow and mud. Believe me, it was no fun ! However, most of them were young and had not been teaching very long. It was no picnic to have to learn the ropes in a newly organized school. Mr. Early, our efficient and likeable principal, had his worries too. He had the job of placing the new students where they belonged. Some who did not have their credits with them had to be placed temporarily and then he changed them around when their credits came. He had to stand the griping of some of the students who had to be put back because they came from a 12 grade system. That, my dear readers, is a complete picture of Alexander Park in its first winter. But the days were not to be dark forever. Oh, no ! Spring came and with it the “ice chewing.” How many teachers and pupils remember that year? During the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the burning of Rome, the ice chewing went on and on. It went on with increasing vivaciousness. Mrs. Buchanan remembers, so does Mrs. Amos and Mrs. Moore. Where did this ice come from — the frigidaires in the kitchen of the house “of learning”? All the comforts of home ! That year teachers kept coming and going and the school kept growing and growing. Then came graduation ! Three of Alexander Park’s students graduated (that’s all there were in the graduation class). They officially received their diplomas from their former high schools because our school was not old enough to be considered an accredited school. The exercises were held at Semmes Place. By this time the school had increased to 1300 pupils and 46 teachers. That spring was much better for the residents of the Park. The government built recreation centers for us. Civic Leagues were formed for the different sec- tions of the Park, and things started moving around the Park. The younger people had recreational facilities, and the older people had their clubs and gatherings to attend. Everyone was kept busy and happy. Early that spring exciting news got around. Little Star Stores were going to open soon. Almost over night, it seemed, that rumor came true. The opening day was a big event. People crowded into the store like a group of starving Armenians. The day was a typical Eastern ’irginia day. Hot and sticky! Imagine a store crowded to capacity with still more crowding in. People bought and some fainted ; still more folks came. The only fault found with the weather that spring was in the wind. You see, there was no grass and trees planted, the place looked like a miniature Sahara. So, when the wind blew, it blew dust. Nice dry dust to chew in your mouth or grind in your teeth. Before one went into another’s home, they shook themselves good. The stove was a minor detail in the spring and summer. To make a fire or not to make it ; that was the question. If you made it, you would suffocate for the rest of the day. If you didn’t make it, you would have to dive into a nice cold bath, or, what would be worse, go without one because you lacked the courage to do the latter. Or perhaps you enjoyed doing the dishes with ice cold water. That summer the government built us a beautiful school on McClean Street. It was beautiful I ! ! I still remember the first time I viewed the building. A couple of friends called for me and we all went down to have a look. “That’s all very nice,” I said, “but where is the rest of it, the other two stories, I mean?” Well, September came, and for the second time I went to register. Only this lime it was a little different from the other. (Continued on page 72)

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THE 1945 The school opened that year with 2200 pupils and 46 teachers. The grade school was at one end of the building and the high school was at the other. Al- though the school was only one story high, it was very long. It housed the lower and upper grades quite comfortably. We had one senior class, two junior classes, three sophomore classes and four freshman classes. The days went by very nicely, but the only thing that some of us couldn’t get accustomed to was the electric bell. We really got going fast around here. Right at the beginning, we organized a football team, then came a girls’ and boys’ basket ball team, then baseball. We played many games, and for a newly organized team we did okay. Then came th.e newspaper. Boy, we were going places ! Then Miss Hundley organized a Latin Club. When our new orchestra played the school song, Onward Nationals,” many of us felt a never to be forgotten thrill. Next the Glee Club, with Airs. Aloon at its helm, started to supply us with many entertaining chapel programs. Air. Seawall, who teaches science and mathematics, organized a Science Club. Everyone who had a good average and who was in any of his classes had the privilege of joining. They sponsored many parties and dances to which the student body was invited to attend. Then Air. Early and Aliss Hundley organized a branch of the Beta Club here. Besides having a high average, one had to have the personal approval from every one of his teachers. Some students just walked around and complained, because they simply wouldn ' t take part in any of the school activities. “In my school they would do it like this,” or “Why do we have to do this?” Those were the only words of en- couragement that the school leaders got from certain people. But on we marched ! Why, towards the end of the year, they were even talking of the possibility of having a lunch room. Imagine ! The enrollment of the school by this time had increased to 2,988 pupils and 83 teachers. That summer everyone got a big surprise — the United States Government planted grass. It was refreshing to the eyes after all the brown coloring all winter. They also sent large tractors to plow up the land behind the houses in crder that we could plant our Wctory gardens. That summer was not so bad, all one had to do was to hop a bus, then a ferr}-, then a trolley and zing ! ! ! They were at Ocean A’iew or A ' irginia Beach. September dawned again (as it will dawn for a thousand years hence) and back to school we went. But back to a school with many improvements. Back to a lunch room ! xA.lso, we had a new x ssistant Principal, Air. L. W. Anderson. Air. Anderson came to us from Robersonville, X. C., and has contributed much to the efficient organization of our school this session. Several new courses were taught. Distributive Education with Airs. Ostenkamp, in charge, opened a lot of new fields for her students. Commercial work consisting of Typing, Shorthand and Book- keeping was offered for the first time with Airs. Chittum as instructor. School began quietlv enough, but soon someone started to yell for an annual. Teachers told us to plug for what we wanted and plug we did, or rather Howard Sparks did the plugging. Airs. Chittum was put in charge and things began to buzz and buzz till you have what you now see before you — the first annual of Alexander Park High School. The year is over. For many of us it is to be our last year in high school, for many it is just the beginning. But for those of us who are leaving, we will never forget the many happy hours we spent here and the joy and satisfaction of seeing our school grow into one that we all can be proud to call our Alma Alater. —Marsha Weiner.