Americus High School - Panther Yearbook (Americus, GA)

Page 28 text:

PHIIIPHEEY Well, well, here it is, I967, just twenty years since the famous class of '47 left dear old classmates, I am faring forth on a nation-wide tour. I felt a definite need to see the Alma Mater to recall the pranls of the bygone days. As I entered the physics lab where the bullshooters held their daily session, I beheld none other than Gus Johnson, now head of the Physics Department since the retirement of Professor Kinney. Our discussion was interrupted by shots issuing from the guns of the notorious outlaws, Hodges Hoodlums, led by Bob and John Fox Hodges, who had been cornered by Dan Hiclrs, the Sumter County sheriff. On the tenthltrial the car, which I had purchased from Professor Kinney chugged off down the road to Leesburg. At the edge of the city limits I halted to lend assistance to the local cat-catcher, Lottie Holley, who with the aid of Sidney Peach, dog-catcher, was trying to lasso Emory Pilcher's dog, Richard. I considered stopping at the Leesburg Hotel for the night. My bags were carried in by the only efficient bell-hop, Doris Bryant. In Albany next morning I tool: the plane for Atlanta. Ann Evans, Missionary to that vice-ridden city, saw me off and Lad'ye Fleeman, airline hostess, served me coffee during the flight. I saw advertisements that Dingling Brothers Circus was at Grant Parlr. I went out to view the exhibitions. The first person to cross my path was the famous elephant trainer. Jim Dumbo Watson. He carried me by to see the Fat Lady, Jean Courtney, and the Daring Young Lady on the Flying Trapeze, Ramona Robinson. On my way to the Journal Office where I intended to call on Gene Harvey, who uses all his talents drawing the crossword puzzles, I met Janette Dupree, famous authoress of Forever Emerald. I loitered by the Peachtree Billiard Academy and was frightened out of a 'year's growth when the police siren blared in my ears. I Ioolred up to see Jim McArthur's smiling countenance at the wheel of the Blaclr Maria inquiring from Drew Steven- son, janitor of the above mentioned establishment, the reason for the call. My next stop was Washington to visit ory Pilcher, Sec- retary of Treasury. I stopped on Pennsylva ,Avenue to get a shoe shine from Dorothy Bryan who at th 'V e was put- ting the finishing touches on the shoes of La S Dixon the exalted janitor for President Moosehead Maul: E resident of Local Brewers Union 7l-CIOI. A billboard ati nced a matinee featuring the great 20th century Flop act 'A Martha Slappey. Passing the Octagon Bldg., I saw Silas Bushiilead of the Army Air Force Model Airplane Department anagiudora Averett, first woman ambassador to Lower Slobbovi James Short, international President of the Beta Club, was in bwn to plan a joint convention with F.H.A. which is led by if V ie Ruth Childree and her efficient power behind the thr I I Virginia Norris. En route to New Yorlr, I stopped by Vassar to see the dean, Ballard Daniel, B.S., M.A., Ph.D., I.O.U., D.D.T., P.U. My first stop in New York was the Stork Club where I was greeted by the charming hat check girl, Faye Turner. I was delightfully entertained by Glenn Alexander, his harmonic. and orchestra featuring the noted star of stage, screen and radio, Lynne The Body Durham. Barbara Burton, club hostess, gave me a table at Club 27 where I heard Ben Shorter's latest dis- covery, Mary Ann Schmidt, boogie woogie pianist. ln walked Charlie Crisp, spendthrift play boy, who invited me to his home. We were met at the door by the butler, James Young, who had been reduced to dire financial straits because of the settlements the courts had given his divorced wives. Barbara Methvin and Betty Jean Popwell. Langdon Cheves Sheffield, Charlie's bartender and pool instructor, served us coclrtails. That evening we attended a Broadway play by the eminent playwright, Janie Frazier, starring Lawrence Pen- nington as the great lover, the review of which I had read in Sheppard's Sentinel, edited by Davis Sheppard. We had to loolr in at the Sin Din, Pat Crumpton's Brooklyn Night Club. Madison Square Garden was featuring the Heavyweight World Champion, Joe Barnes, and his challenger, Muscles Poupard. Bobby Collins, miler and successor to Grunder Hoegg, was betting heavily on Muscles.

Page 27 text:

HISTUHY On a cool September Georgia morning back in l936, sixty or more children lbratsj stood agog at their first classroom with a real blackboard, desks, teacher, and riother children. This was the first of class of '4-7's many weary mornings. l must add for truthfulness's sake, there were many happy ones too. Many of the children were at Furlow Gram- mar School, but many of the tones who were to be- come la part of the outstanding class started .their schooling at Thalean, New Era, Shiloh, Chambliss, and Andersonville. Numbers of incidents will linger in our memory and even be told to our grandchil- dren, among them: May Day, jumping out of win- dows when we were supposed to be staying in lwhat boy hasn't tried itl, and stealing lunches from the cloak-room. At the end of five years the Furlow children left Miss Sara and the faithful staff to enter Junior High. For the first time we changed classes and were exempted from examinations lif we had studied hard enoughl, Our principal, Mr. Comer, told us many jokes and stories lnamely the Siamese twinsl. By far the biggest day of the year was the Spartan and Trojan literary and athletic competitions. Due to conditions far beyond our control, the Trojans took the cup all three years. The Junior High football team in I94-I defeated Montezuma twice. A youth center was provided by the Junior Welfare League, first at the building contiguous to the school, later at the gymnasium, and finally at the service men's center over the Bank of Commerce. After serving three years of hard labor we journeyed to Senior High. Our first year at Senior High the football team took the state championship and in later seasons we had better than average teams. We had oppor- tunity to participate in various extra-curricula ac- tivities, such as the Band, Beta Club, A.H.S. Journal, Panther, Glee Clubs. At the beginning of our Juniof year we were joined by students from the various junior high schools of the county. The honor grad- uates from these schools were Ruby Davis, Frances Freeman, Mary Ann Burt, Vivian Oates, Jean Griffin, John Hodges, and Betty Jean Popwell. Our senior year was the year, our last and best year. This year we felt our importance. We edited the annual, led in many of the campus activities and graduated. The Alpha Mu Literary Club was organ- ized under the sponsorship of Miss Walton, Miss Reeves, and Miss Glover. Lamar Dixon was the Senior Class President. Jim Dudley and Lois Mathis were elected Mr. and Miss A.H.S. Our Junior and Senior Prom will long linger in our memories. Grad- uation-well who could forget high school gradua- tion?

Page 29 text:

I met the medical genius, Dorman Austin, specialist in brain diseases, who was treating Sara Sellars, victim of Irleptomania. lShe had stolen the radio from Radio City.l At the Metropolitan Opera I met Roy Johnson and the movie actors, Bill Hodges, successor to Sunset Carson, and Jimmy Mabry, the second Wallace Beery. At Macy's I K, ght a tie styled by Margaret Kinney. I went to La G dia field to see an air show featuring the dare devil n paratrooper, Peggy Ann Hines. Anxiously watching thgshow was Lois Digger O'Mathis, undertalreress and Sara Wtilson, America's best dressed woman of '67. She aclrnowlc 'es her success is due to the use of Cobalt cos- metics mainufactured by Jean Griffin and to her dress design- er, Lillian Revell. A cab driver, Mary Ann Burt, carried me up Wall Street where I saw the soap tycoon, William O'Hara, formulator of B. O.'s odorless limburger soap for babies and cattle. Lawrence Wolfe, railroad magnate, owner of the East Bay Limited which is pushed from Parrott to Preston, showed me to the elaborate ofhces of Thomas Moore, Na- tional Manager of the Small Sun Food Stores. Joyce Hiclrs, vaudeville queen whom I saw at a show that night, told me she owed her fame to Lanier Success Course originated by Martha Grip Lanier. Leaving the plane in Chicago, I was startled by m-y old friend recruiting patient for the Veterinary Hospital, Eliza Chappel, a nurse. Vivian Oates, inventor of Oates Ointment, and Julia Goodin, manufacturer of Goodin's Girdle, were standing nearby. At the University of Chicago I met Dr. Frances McEarchern, director of Uranium 204. Visiting her was Frances Freeman, head of the art department of Cactus College. Charles Brown, malrer of the Buzz Brown Motor Scooters, was on a business trip from Detroit to consult with Clyde Bridges, noted automobile designer. In Omaha, Nebraslra, I saw our Panther artist, Marilyn Witt, worlcing for Rice Krispies as head of advertising art department. During the trip to Los Angeles the hostess pointed out the world's largest rabbit farm owned by Della Mae McGlamry. I stopped at a barber shop in L. A. and was terrified to find my barber was my friend-I hoped- Charles Henderson. The shop's manicurist was Doris Morris, who told me Ruby Davis was running a beauty shop next door. She said they often had visits from the golden-haired salesgirl for Blonde Rinse, Jennie Coptsias. On my sight seeing tour I saw the huge frog farm owned by Mildred Daniel, the famous girl cow-puncher, May O'Hara, and Sidney Tatum, Joclre'y on California race traclr. When I commented on the beauty of his suit, he gave the credit to Mora Mae Rigsby's Laundry. The glamour city, Hollywood, contained many classmates who had made good and bad in movietown. Evelyn Harbuclr, successor to Bette Davis, told me to be sure to see Lonnie Downs, HolIywood's only non-paid camerman, and Bill Ander- son, aeronautical adviser to Universal Pictures and Hodges Whitaker, who was malring a short of his last trip to the South Pole. Leon Kidd, grower of roses for the Rose Bowl, was out of town. 'Twas time to get a glimpse of the Atlantic and I chose Daytona Beach, but I left hurriedly when I learned Betty Tye was the only life guard. I did meet Jim Dudley and Dick Kinnebrew, governors of Georgia. Jim told me he had won with the white supremacy platform and Diclr won by stuffing ballot boxes. Crocodile Joe Littlefield acted as guide on my tour of the Everglades. I passed through Cairo to see Margie Smith, co-owner of Cairo Syrup, Inc. Charlie Glover, mayor of the fair city, stopped me as I passed through Cordele. In Leslie I chatted with Harris Dalton, athletic director of Union High. As I approached Americus my car was nearly wreclred by a youngster driving a Bert Lewis Driving Course car. On College Street l was startled by a loud scream which came from Jeane Dulce practicing her hog calling. I called on Milre Saliba, war hero co-pilot on Woodpeclrer's Haven. Lutrelle Harrell, poet laureate of Sumter County, crossed the street in front of me. I tried to divide my automobile business. Eugenia Lane, mechanic at James Body and Fender Shop, straightened a dent in the front fender. Bought some gas from Alice West at Turpin's and some oil from John Chambers, owner of a super station on the east banlcs of Mucltalee. All this at- tention so stunned Kin that it gave a few convulsive shalres and followed the example of the wonderful one horse shay. Here's wishing the best of everything to the best class of all, class of '47. A Kilroy P. S. No characters are ficticious and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is definitely intended. i