Boston Latin School - Liber Actorum Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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(Elaas imj On Monday, April 29, the Class of 1946 held its Class Day Exercises. The Seniors filed gaily into the Assembly Hall, already filled with Juniors, Sophomores, and guests. When the orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Trongone, had finished its opening selection, Mr. Powers turned over the as- sembly to President John J. Doyle, who de- livered a short, appropriate address. A play entitled The Den of the Cy- clops” was then given by the B. L. S. Dramatics Club. Written and directed by Alvin A. Aronson, the presentation, which depicted Latin School Life, was a huge success. The Class Oration was delivered by Brendan MacGovern, who once again dis- played his usual power of oratory. After a musical interlude by the orchestra and a brilliant trumpet solo by Dean Yarbrough, Arthur Sherman and Lawrence Mintz de- livered a very humorous Class Prophecy. Irwin Braverman and Norman Williams then gave the Class Will with many un- usual bequests to unsuspecting recipients. An interesting and inspiring address to the future graduates was then delivered by Rt. Rev. Edward G. Murray, ’21, Rector of the St. John’s Ecclesiastical Seminary. After this talk, the Class Song, the words and music of which were written by Gerald H. Popkin, was then sung by the Seniors. The program ended as the Graduates filed slowly out of the Hall to the strains of Auld Lang Syne . Special credit must go to the Committee under Chairman Robert A. Freeley, respon- sible for the success of the event. Also to be remembered are the ushers led by Capt. William Reid and his aide Lieut. Albert Devejian. Front Row (left to right): Miller, Collins, Cronin, Freeley, Chm. ; Doyle, Dobbyn, Sherman. Rear Row: Roche, O’Neill, Haley, Dempsey. Vokey, Van Der Meulen, Vernick. Page Twenty-seven

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(Elass Smujuet The Graduating Class of 1946 held its First Annual Banquet on Thursday Evening, May 9, 1946, at the Crystal Room of the Hotel Kenmore. The guest of honor was Mr. Frederick G. Getchell. Among the other invited guests were Messrs. Joseph L. Powers, Elmer R. Bowker, Francis Cleary, Winburn S. Cannell, Lee J. Dunn, Charles S. Fitzgerald, Charles French, Henry R. Gardner, Max Levine, Wil- liam H. Pierce, Clinton B. Wilbur, Col. George S. Penney and Mr. Stephen Patten. Our witty librarian, Mr. Lee J. Dunn, well known by all members of the graduating class as a master of the spoken word, acted as toastmaster. According to custom the President of the Class, John J. Doyle, presented our guest of honor and honorary classmate, Mr. Getchell, with a token of appreciation. Mr. Getchell then spoke to us of his great sorrow in leaving B. L. S. He pointed out the value of a Latin School education as a train- ing for future work and thanked the boys for the honors bestowed upon him. The Class heard addresses by Mr. Levine, Mr. F. Cleary and Mr. Powers. The first- named master spoke entertainingly on the necessity of keeping the class together after graduation. Mr. Cleary and the Headmaster spoke on the problems faced by the Class as it graduates into a postwar world. After a delicious meal and a pleasant eve- ning the revelers left happy. Much credit is due the Banquet Committee under the leadership of P. J. Miller for the success of the first dinner of the Class of ’46. Front Row (left to right): Freeley, Collins, Cronin, Miller, Chm.; Doyle, Dobbyn, Sherman. Rear Row: Vernick, O’Daly, Reid, Myers, Keane, Vokey, MacGovern, Connick. Page Twenty-six

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(Class (Drattnu Mr. President, Distinguished Guests, Mem- bers of the P acuity, Classmates-. On the occasion of our graduation, my thoughts turn in retrospect to my beginning in Boston Public Latin School, of the seem- ingly long — but, in reality, such a short — period of passing through. And now, when the time has come for us to leave, we do so with a feeling of heartfelt sorrow. My fel- low-students, I know, share these sentiments. It seems but a short while back that I trudged along Louis Pasteur Avenue, with trepidation, but with eyes fixed upon the beautiful structure where my high school days were to be spent. Hope was high that some day I should proudly possess a diploma from this oldest and most illustrious — grand- ly famous — Boston Public Latin School. I met the boys who shared my ambitions. We traveled on together. Some of us excel- led in public speaking; others in dramatics, music, sports, and so on — but all of us en- deavored to conquer the studies of Latin, Greek, mathematics, history, and English, our classical preparation. We grew to know and cherish the friend- ships gained by our close association in pur- suance of a common goal. We shared the sorrows and fears caused by reports of war casualties among these boys whom we had grown to admire Andrew Biggio, Clifford Goodnoh, William Angus, William Budka, and Joseph Silverstein- just a part of the Honor Roll. Days were gravely dark for a long time. We felt the sadness concerning all the school casualties; but, of course, more so the loss of the boys whom we knew as upper classmen when we first arrived. Some of us may have been grievously affected by the abnormal war conditions and inwardly concerned our- selves to the extent of failing to do so as well as we might have done in more normal and peaceful times. This is easy to understand, and I know that our masters silently felt that we were going through very trying times and inwardly sympathized with our lot and treated us with understanding and justice. It was not easy to have a favorite brother who had been playmate and helpmate at all times leave home suddenly for a hazardous future in the unknown. Then we were bound to have been affected by the reaction of our parents and friends to these separations. Many of our courses were changed; and the uncertainty of the future for us, with the world tumbling about us, seemed very a- larming. Stories were all about us of shat- tered ideals — abnormal world conditions everywhere ! All of us have shared these trepidations together, and I believe have benefited from the adversities, as we have a deeper under- standing of real trials. After all, we are here preparing ourselves for the battle of life and have just experienced some of its blows a little prematurely. I honestly feel that our class is closer sentimentally and will be through the years than any other class of Boston Latin School. We are, as it were, the little brothers who stayed home and grieved, hoped, and prayed. Now things appear to be a little brighter. Dawn is coming over the horizon, and we welcome the future of a return to normal. We are glad that times have more promise for every one. We have not lost sight of the fact that the future will be challenging and hard for us, but we feel grateful that the way will not be filled with death and dis- aster. This class of 1946 is the peace class. The world and its times now beckon us to con- structive achievement in place of destruc- tion. How very thankful to God we should be for the dawn of this peace ! How very grateful indeed we should be that our com- mencement exercises are held in peacetime! We shall with hope enter our lifework with the intent and prayer that we do our part to work for peace always and begin by doing the things indiv idually that make for peace. May God be good to the dead and to those who mourn for them, and may He give us strength to do our part as Americans from this day forward. Page T wenty-eight