Bessemer High School - Spotlight Yearbook (Greensboro, NC)

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LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT BY DONALD MURCHISON Bessemer High School City of Greensboro County of Guilford We, the Senior Class of 1952, being of sound mind, do hereby declare this to be our last Will and Testament; hereby rendering all wills and bequests of and previous date null and void. Item I To our principal and faculty -- We leave our sincere appreciation and gratitude for their understanding and guidance through the past four years. Item II To the rising seniors -- To you Juniors, we leave the knowledge that we didn't acquire in hopes that you do better than we did. Item III Well, you Sophomores have advanced to another step in your high school career. You have earned your title of Juniors by hard work and endless hours of studying. Keep it up. Item IV To the advanced Freshman we leave our hopes that you will earn a better reputation than the Sophomores of the past. There's still a long road ahead but you can reach the end. Item V To the future Freshmen we leave the thoughts of the long road that you must travel in order to reach the goal that we have reached. Lots of luck to you and may the days and years pass quickly. John Crawford leaves his hot-rod- driver's title to Harvey Shelly. Monk Oakes leaves-----for Korea. Thelma Buckner leaves her sweet dis- position and quietness to Jo Anne Rogers and Horace Lowdermilk. To Jo Anne Pilkenton goes Sue Brown's height. Shirley Cooke leaves her ability to talk to Wanda Hall. Howard Burney leaves after 14 years. Sally Murray leaves her come ona my house look to Clyde Adylette. Virginia Causey leaves her Marines to anyone that can handle them. Eddie Oakes leaves his ability to get along with Mrs. Arvin to Raymond Pennington and Doug Crenshaw. Billie Cooper leaves her love for Mr. Jett to Carolyn Beavers. Elray Boyd's school bus goes to Forest Cranford. Bobby Wooten leaves his 11 brothers and sisters to go to California. Marlene Long leaves her looks to Nancy W ooten. To Wyman goes Mary Smith. Gerald Pike leaves for work at Modern Market. Roland Stacy leaves his wavy hair to Mickey Dawkins. Howard O'Ferrel leaves his ability to argue to Riley Montgomery. To Vanda West goes Jean Caudle's stubbornish. Earl Simpson leaves his tricks to Charles Pool. Doris Mannuel and Romana Evans leave their friendship to Peggy Gibson and Shirley Blake. Julia King leaves her personality to Kay Leonard. Ruth Blake leaves her knowledge to her brother, Henry. Jane Coble leaves her quietness to Clara Myers. Vera Sue Ellis leaves dramatic ability to Ann Collins and Pat Thomas. Byrant Cumming leaves his timid talk to Bobby Sheppard. Clyde Smith and Dottie Bryant leave their vast knowledge to Harold Smith. Peggy leaves her diet list to Elanor Heath. Doris Griffin leaves her big brown eyes to anyone who wants them. Don Murchison leaves his captainship of the football team to Don Smith. 17

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Jo Anne Hobby has made millions displaying her fabulous Hope Diamond with the Ringling Brothers Circus. Marlene Long is employed by Mojud Hosiery, and instead of manufacturing hose, she’s modeling them. Marlene's legs are known to be the shapliest that ever donned a pair of hose. Peggy McCurdy, the only woman ever known to own a baseball club, has really put some spark in the Dodger Champs for the last three years. Erika Nau married one of her wealthy patients, but could not bear to leave her position as superintendent of nurses at John Hopkin's. Many of the latest Hollywood fashions have been designed and created by our own Ruth Blake, who has made her first million off young-clothes-minded starlets. All the dog lovers will be relieved to hear that Vetenarian, Jenny Rogers is flying home to continue practice in Greensboro. In her spare time she plans to write a book on her pet dogs. Shirley Cooke, Bessemer's biggest liar and fastest talker, has already sold the Brooklyn Bridge three times and has almost succeeded in selling New York back to the Indians. You've probably noticed the crowded conditions on local busses and trains. The reason is the Billie Cooper got her flying license and it just ain't safe in the air anymore. Mary Smith and her husband are teaching little feet to march to-the beat of drums. You've turned on your radio and heard a familiar voice ring out, Eat your Wheaties and look like me. Of course you have, and it's not other than Harry Wheatie-pie Patterson. Eddie Oakes got caught for illegal gambling so many times that he finally had to become Chief of Police in order to stop the raids on his bookie joint. Donald James, the skilled surgeon from New York, has just found a new way of entering the brain, by way of the feet. It's not difficult in Don's case. The world's bravest game hunter has just returned from another of his expeditions in South Africa. The weird animals at the Battleground Zoo are all Capt. Howard O'Ferrell's contributions. It is rumored that the speed demon James Fry will sign with Joey Chitwood some time next month, providing he can get his license back. Gerald Pike has opened his own fruit stand on Times Square. He takes frequent trips to Hiawii, supposedly to purchase fresh fruit , but we hear he makes quite an impression on the hula gals. Dottie Bryant has time off from her busy office routine to complete the series of articles on the woman you should be. Teddy Starr has taken over the role of Baby Snooks and has become a prosperous young radio Starr. Ralph Swing, who is with the Boston Red Socks, is down South looking over the likely prospects. By the way Ralph, women pitchers are not allowed in the majors. Howard miracle man Burney has just returned from his latest successful scientific expedition. Howard wanted to see if the moon were really made of green cheese. Delmar Wood, the inventor of the pushbutton controlled car is sueing John Cranford for using his patent to develop a hot-rod. Julia King has led a calm life at home with her two darling boys, and has even taken leisure time to write four best sellers. A direct descendent of Florence Nightingale is our own Sue Ellis. Sue makes a very gracious picture as a woman in white. Doris Manuel who was shy, and quiet in her high school days, is now the loudest girl in Hollywood. She is now featured with the three stooges at the Carolina. 16

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Donald James wills his dynamic brain to Bill Miller. Teddy Starr leaves his corny jokes to David Bryant. Betty Williamson leaves her figure to Mickey Wrenn. Jo Anne Hobby leaves her musical ability to Mickey Williams. Calvin Strickland leaves his ability to dodge cars to the Safety Patrol. Jenny Rogers leaves her pleasing smile to Mr. Jett. Peggy McCurdy leaves her high heel to Mr. Festa. Erika Nau leaves her modeling carrer to become a housewife. Harry Patterson leaves his ability to date to Doug Crenshaw. Garland Boaze leaves his hair to Basil Anderson. Josh Harris leaves his ability to snow girls to John Lancaster. Ralph Swing leaves his muscular build to Raymond Pennington. Delmer Wood leaves his mechanial hands to Raymond Caudle. James Frye leaves his job in the mill to Bobby Rich. Marjorie Hayes leaves her babyish ways to Sue Friddle. CLASS HISTORY By Sue Brown It was just twelve years ago that Bessemer High first opened its portals to the class of 1952. As first-grade students, we were shy and bewildered but during the next three of four years, we began to feel our own strength as we groped along the path of knowledge. Furthermore, we participated in such vigorous games as jumping rope, hop scotch, marbles, relay races, and post office. It was in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades that many romances developed which have lasted until this good day. Boys and girls began to regognize each other as friends, and not as someone to pick on and taunt. The highlights of these years came with the end-of-school picnics, when we were allowed to go to such far-away-places as the Battleground and O'Ferrell's lake. It was during the year when we were in the eighth grade that we char- tered a bus and went to Raleigh. We visited such places as the Capitol Building, Andrew Johnson’s home, and the museum. Everybody had a wonderful time and it was a tired group of boys and girls who returned home late that evening. In our Freshman year, we felt that we really belonged to Bessemer High. We were allowed to change classes for the first time which we considered a great privilege. We even had a Junior Varisty Basketball team, made up of such up and coming players as Erika Nau, Sue Brown, Jenny Rogers, Shirley Cooke, and Billie Cooper. When we became Juniors, a number of the students in our class be- came members of the Beta Club, the Dramatics Club, the Newspaper Staff, and the Annual Staff. Vera Sue Ellis, Peggy Joyce, Marjorie Hayes, Sally Murray, and Betty Williamson showed great promise in acting when they stepped before the footlights in the school play, Pigtails. The big event of our Junior Year was the Junior-Senior Banquet, which we gave at the Starmount Country Club in the honor of the Seniors. Juniors themselves designed the tiny pastel umbrellas and umbrella ladies which provided a very colorful setting for our April Showers theme. To make the theme more realistic the weather came through with a genuine shower. Even rain failed to dampen our jubilant spirits, however. That April night will neven be forgotten by the class of 51 and 52. Our school years have been happy and interesting ones and we feel that this dynamic class of 52 will make the world a better place in which to live. 18