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

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CLASS II; 1960-1961 Our junior year, long billed as “the big one at Latin School i rovid ' ed many memorable thrills in the form of numerous academic, athletic, and social events. Throughout the year the hallowed walls of the assembly hall echoed with the speeches and applause of students at school functions. The appearance of the Harvard Uni- versity Band, the National Honor Society Revue, the Home and School Association’s Fashion Show, and the school play. Time Limit, played to capacity crowds and received hit reviews. The graduation of the Class of ’61 signalled not only the completion of their Latin School careers, but also the end of another eventful season for the ancient hall. Several school organizations received honors during the year. The Register and the Liber Actorum captured the Boston University Journalism Award for the “highest achievement in scholastic editing and publishing.” The Register received also the Columbia Scholastic Press As- sociation’s Medalist Award. The band brought a great deal of excitement, publicity, and glory to the school when it led President Kennedy’s Inaugural Parade up icy Penn- svlvania Av ' enue. Class II marks the occurrence of many welcome “firsts” in a Latin School boy’s career. On April 25, we attended the Class Day exercise where we heard our immediate predecessors “leave” us the college panic. On May 27, we gathered in the Venetian Room of the Sheraton Plaza for the Junior Prom. Early in June came the fitting for class rings. In comparison to the world events, our personal experi- ence? seemed rather insignificant. The year marked great crises in global relations and far-reaching advances in the exploration of space. Despite conferences among world leaders, no genuine advance was made toward the common objective: Peace. The confusing Congo crisis, which had exploded during the summer, dragged on and challenged the authority and the effectiveness of the United Nations. In November Senator John F. Kennedy narrowly de- feated Vice President Richard Nixon to become the thirty- fifth President of the L’nited States. December headlines featured the Polaris Missile, civil war in Laos, and the airline collision in the skies of New York, the worst dis- aster in the history of commercial aviation. January brought the pomp and oratory of the Presi- dential Inauguration, a series of successful missile tests, the official severance of diplomatic relations with Cuba, and piracy on the high seas perpetrated by a band of DO YOU REMEMBER? I daring Portuguese rebels. The winter gave way to spring as Congress debated the President’s domestic programs. April was a woeful month for America’s prestige. On the third, Cuban exiles, with the unofficial support of Uncle Sam invaded the island only to meet defeat within three days. Then the long awaited, seemingly impossible event had happened! The Russians announced to a stupe- fied and somewhat incredulous world the successful orbit and return to earth, on April 12, of Major Yuri Gargarin. On the morning of May 5, the nation and the world stopped to trace the fifteen minute sub-orbital flight of Navy Commander Alan Shepard into space and back. Early in June President Kennedy and Premier Krush- chev met in Vienna for “useful” but unproductive con- ferences. In big league sports, the Pittsburgh Pirates nipped the Yankees, 4 games to .3, in a thrilling see-saw world series. Boston’s pride and joy, the Celtics, roared through the season and swept through the play-offs to retain their championship and earn the title of “the greatest profes- sional team in sports.” Meanwhile the Patriots were gaining a foothold in Boston, and the Bruins were sup- porting the rest of the National Hockey League. In April the rookie-studded Red Sox began their quest for that elusive pennant. In school athletics, Latin had winning teams in every sport. In his first year as head coach, Mr. Lambert molded an almost totally inexperienced football squad into a championship contender. Several key plays in both B.C. High games cost Latin its third straight league title; the team, sparked by a handful of seniors and a number of outstanding juniors, was still improving as it defeated English, 20-16, on Thanksgiving Day. On the ice Coach Thomas’ fast skating six took second place with a 9-4-1 record and city scoring honors with sixty- five goals. Juniors Pete Treska and Mike IMcLaughlin received all-city honors. On the court. Coach Lambert’s hoopsters defeated seven foes, including otherwise un- conquered Trade. Captain and junior Butch Chardavoyne was named to the all-city team. An overpowering pitch- ing staff and a multi-gunned hitting attack carried Coach Patten’s nine to a tie for the city championship and the semi-finals of the Eastern Mass. Tourney. Latin fared well also in the minor sports. The indoor track team finished third in the city meet. The soccer team compiled a 4-2 record. Coach Fielding’s oarsmen rowed to a ' ' b ' V championship. Coach Powers’ swimming team splashed to a 6-1 record in high school competition. The junior year, with its endless hours of study and increasing importance for admission to college, was chal- lenging, but certainly not dull with its big games, snow- storms, and ceremonies. VI, V, IV, III, II; the countdown nears an end. CLAS: Inaugural Parade, 1961 Mark E. Russo

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iHISTORY CLASS III: 1959-1960 When the sophomore year beRan, the bip television quiz scandal had just erupted in advance of the equally sensational “payola” exposure. The United States State Department bepan to suspect the bush-faced dictator of Cuba and to doubt Castro’s previous denials of Communist affiliations. The astronauts bepan traininp for their future Colum- bian voyapes that would make Jules Verne a prophet and “Tom Corbett and His Space Cadets” a documentary. Soon we had made new friendships and renewed old ones. Unfortunately, as the year sped by, we saw some of our comrades withdraw to other alma maters. The survivinp sophomores pnawed away on a balanced diet of Cicero or Caesar, Shakespeare, second year French, Plane peom- etry, and a choice of German, Greek, or physical science. Three periods a week of Health provided a chanpe of pace, while the other two periods, one pym and one drill, produced many a black eye and skinned knee. Durinp the autumn months we witnessed another memorable pridiron chapter. “Pep” McCarthy, in what would prove to ' be his final year at Latin, coached an overpowerinp team to an undefeated, untied season. At the final pun at Harvard Stadium, Latin had extended its winninp streak to sixteen games, second longest in the state. Latin, with the best offensive and defensive line in the city featuring such players as Captain Ed Costello, twin brother Jack, John Andronica, Ron Rupgerio, Bob Williams, and Paul Barringer, completely outplayed all opponents. The closest contest was the Latin-English game in which the Purple triumphed 22-6. The scoring department was handled by quarterback Tom Bilodeau, a triple threat, and halfbacks John Frame and Bill Mulcahy. The hockey team provided fans with hard-socking hustling performances throughout the season. Sparked by the best line in the city league — Jim Ambrose, junior “Boots” Connelly, and co-captain Gus Elmuts — Latin swept through the first five games without a loss. Then untimely injuries ended all chances of a league cham- pionship. Co-captains Bob Bradley and Bill Riley pro- vided a solid defense for junior netminder, Tom Smigliani. The team finished the season with a creditable 6-5-3 slate. The basketball team won the city championship for the first time in five years and gained the second title of the year for Latin. The sharpshooting of Bob Tobin, the rebounding of Preston Haynes and Paul Barringer, the playmaking of Tom Bilodeau and Captain Jack Costello, and the hustle of Latin’s “sixth man”, “Butch” Charde- voyne, jelled perfectly for a triumphant campaign. The Purple won twelve games and lost two, the defeats com- ing in the first and last games of the season. In February the first annual Sports Night was held. Each year members of the Celtics, Bruins, and Red Sox have appeared to speak and narrate films in this effort to raise scholarship funds. As always, the National Hon- or Society Revue was a sellout, netting almost a thousand dollars in scholarships. In May the Dramatics Club, under the guidance of Mr. Russo, presented “Archie Andrews”, a comedy starring classmate George Connelly in the title roll. Another classmate who pave fine stage perform- ances throughout the year was declaimer Arthur Finstein. On April twenty-fifth Boston Latin celebrated its 325th anniversary. School ceremonies focused on annual Prize Drill in the morning and Class Day exercises in the after- noon. In the evening more than a thousand alumni gath- ered at the Hotel Somerset for an anniversary linner, where Bishop Wright clothed the spirit of the school with his eloquence. Prize Drill also was celebrating an anniversary that day — its one hundredth consecutive year of existence. The school drill program was first introduced in 1860 in re- sponse to President Lincoln’s call for volunteers in the War between the States. The President requested that all male students of secondary schools in the North keep themselves fit for military service in the event that the Union should call them to duty. Of the two hundred seventy-six graduates enrolled in the Union forces, fifty- one Latin School boys were killed. The celebrations, however, were tempered by the news of Max Levine’s retirement at the age of seventy. After forty-five years of dedicated service to the school, Mr. Levine would be forced to retire at the end of our sopho- more year. He had first entered Boston Latin as a sev- enth grade student in 1901. He had played first base on the school nine until another local boy, Joseph F. Ken- nedy, Sr., had wrested the job from him. Upon gradu- ating with a Franklin Medal, Mr. Levine had entered Harvard whence he had emerged “summa cum laude.” He had returned to his school as a teacher in 1915 and had remained until now. Just one example of his dedication is his establishment of the Charles S. Fitzgerald Scholar- ship in his final year. The scholarship honors “Mr. Fitz,” who had retired the previous year, after coaching football and other sports for thirty-eight years. Mr. Levine, who donated $5000 from his own pocket, did not want “Mr. Fitz’s” name to be forgotten by future Latin School graduates. “Mr. Latin School” has even defeated retire- ment, for on any day of the year we can find him in the building, still serving his school in an unofficial capacity. On May 25, the last of the annual schoolboy parades was held. The sophomores became the last class to parti- cipate, as once again, for the twenty-first consecutive year, Latin notched first place by sweeping top honors in all three categories, marching. Drum and Bugle Corps, and Band. After a fast start, the baseball team finished in a second place tie. Sophomore pitcher. Bob Butkus, was outstanding throughout the season, while sophomores Ernie Caporale, Mitch Sikora, and Richie Abraham cracked the starting line-up. The customary sequence of spring festivities. Prize Declamation, Registration Day, and the much loved final exams, brought us to the day of liberation, June 23. So passed our sophomore year.

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HISTORY CLASS I: 1961-1962 At last the few remaining survivors have ascended to the misty plateau of Class I. Having followed the regular or prolonged route, the Class of ’G2 now came to grips with the physically impossible and financially excruci- ating aspects of being a senior. Was it humanly possible to be in three places at once for interviews, to afford three sets of college boards, a class ring, six college ap- plications, class dues, touched-up class photos, extrava- gant campaigns, and the sky high (but justifiably so!) yearbook fee, and four proms ? The answer, of course, was yes; and we even managed to do an occasional home- lesson and pass a test or two. Returning to the factory after a blissful summer of lotus eating, the affable and unsuspecting seniors were engulfed by an avalanche of accelerated courses designed to “get you boys ready for the boards.” Some of the more violently disposed pedagogues even threatened diminutive Class I lads with bodily harm, should they dip below the status score of 600. Unruffled, the men assaulted the much dreaded test in three shock waves, the initial cam- paign in December, a second thrust in January, and a “mop up” operation in March. The resultant victory, as evidenced by an endless list of astronomical scores in the 600’s, 700’s, and electrifying 800’s, brought an unchecked torrent of thanksgiving from those high-strung masters, and a deluge of alluring scholarships from hotly contest- ing colleges. Few teachers, however, lived up to their part of the bargain, when they reneged on their promise to do away with assignments after the crucial tests. In early November after a colorful, month-long cam- paign, seniors went to the polls to select the candidates who they believed would most evenly distribute the spoils of office. Phil Chadie won the Presidency; in especially close contests Ed Bailey, Rico Salini, and Ted Joyce cap- tured the Vice-Presidency, Treasureship, and Secretary- ship; Bob Greco, Joe Sullivan, Steve Kurkjian, Dave Roche, and Mike Rinaldi comprised the class committee. The Berlin Crisis dominated the world’s attention as the President ordered reserve units across the nation on the alert. As thousands of East-Berliners fled to the western sector, the Communists threw up a make-shift wall on the border, across which American and East Ger- man tanks leveled their sights. Suddenly we took a keener interest in the various R.O.T.C. programs. In the space race, Russian cosmonaut Titov spent an entire day in orbiting the earth. After a mid-flight snack and a lengthy nap, he returned safely to terra firma. The shocking tragedy of Dag Hammerskjold’s death in an airplane crash ’• le Congo almost sounded the death knell for the unitea Nations, as Communist members tried to undermine the structure of the world organiza- tion. The school suffered its own tragedy when the black Friday of October 6 brought injuries to more than half the starting football team and ruined a promising season. In big league sports, Roger Maris chased the Babe’s monumental home run record and finally hit sixty-one lound trippers over the extended schedule. The Yankees defeated the Reds in the world series, four games to one. The Boston Patriots finished the season in a whirlwind fashion and created a bright outlook for professional football in the Hub. Once again the Bruins occupied the cellar of the National Hockey League, while the invincible Celtics scaled the summit of the National Basketball As- sociation for the fourth consecutive year. On the school sports scene, the basketball team, shackled by the eligibility rule, endured a frustrating season, as underclassmen received their baptism under fire. Meanwhile the hockey team, the best of our six-year career here, finally annexed the city title. Though B.C. High tied for top honors, the Purple dropped the Eaglets, 3-2, in the season’s show-down game. The skaters had balance, depth, and featured unselfish team play through- out the season. Meanwhile the social season was in full swing. The Victory Dance, the Mid-Winter Prom, Sports Night, the football and hockey banquets, numbered the school-spon- sored gatherings. In the spring, the National Honor Society Revue and the Fashion Show filled the hall. Undoubtedly, the most dramatic world event of the school year was the February orbital flight of Colonel John Glenn. Glued to the television set, we saw him “lift off” from the launching pad and disappear into the firmament. We heard his voice describe the view as he circled the earth three times, then plunged back to earth after nearly a five hour absence. Through the news media we discovered the intelligent, direct, friendly manner of the brave astronaut and an image worth emulating, lest we ever come to regard devotion to God and country as “old fashioned.” The long awaited senior year was now slipping away as the baseball team began practice and we eagerly awaited the frivolity of Class Day, the cuisine of the Class Banquet, the gaiety of the Farewell Prom, and the dream of Graduation Night. Graduation marks the long awaited climax. Yet it seems sadly incredible that next year we won’t trudge sleepily to the bus stop, jounce into the Fenway, and file into the familiar building that has been the focal point of our lives for the past years. The end is indeed a time of mixed emotions. The attempt to convey the spirit of our Latin School years in words is, at best, a futile effort. Yet, perhaps someday these words will kindle the dormant memories of reminiscent old men.