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

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GIVE ’EM A YELL!!! enior etmmsces Just t’ ink — we, the Senior class of 1946 are the first class to spend our entire four years at Alexander Park High School. Do you remember our Freshman year when we went to school in those funny, little, brown houses? Those certainly were “the good old days!” Remember that first day when we waded through mud several inches deep only to be late for school? However, after registering things began to get organ- ized at 620 Cavalier Boulevard with our likable principal, Mr. Early, in charge. Our next day was spent in getting acquainted with the other students and teachers. Imagine a high school without an electric bell! Well, this was just one of the few things that our school lacked that first year. No, it wasn’t the bell of a stray cow that we heard, it was Wat Seawell wading up and down the muddy road ringing a cow bell to call us to class. “Gee, but it’s cold,” is a phrase that we heard many times that year, because

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CORKEY COATES AND JOYCE KAPS BARBARA JEAN SMITH HOWARD CRAWSON AND ANNE LEE ESTEP

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o« 1C)4 Oblational Oh, yes! We also had all the conveniences of home including modern refrigerators, and don’t think our teachers didn’t loathe the crunching of ice on hot summer days. If the students were quiet, the teacher was apt to catch some- one easing out a window or disappearing through the trap door in the closet. No, it wasn’t an illusion. There was actually a new high school built at 409 McLean Street during the summer of 1943. It was here that we entered our Sophomore year with much enthusiasm, although this wonderful new building was not complete. That year we had our first assistant principal, Mr. Campbell. During the year the school boasted of basketball and softball teams. Time passed and September 1944 rolled around. So — here we were back to school again to enter our Junior year. That year we had a new assistant prin- cipal, Mr. L. W. Anderson, and other new members were added to our faculty as new subjects were introduced. These included Distributive Education, Typing, Bookkeeping, and Shorthand. Ahhh, believe it or not ! we really had a cafeteria. When the noon bell rang it certainly was one grand scramble to see who could get there first. Later in the year our grounds were beautified with the planting of grass and shrubbery. Another September; and a very rainy day, but this time, it was something different. We were Seniors. Wl.o will forget the envious looks of our under- classmen as we paraded down the hall to register? As usual we had a new assistant principal, Mr. W. H. Seawell, who later in the year became acting OH ! ! ! MY ACH I N’ RACK ! ! !