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

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CLASS OFFICERS Philip T. Chadie President

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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.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE “To every man there openeth A Way, and Ways, and a Way, And the High Soul climbs the High Way, And the Low Soul gropes the Low. And in between, on the misty flats The rest drift to and fro. But to every man there openeth A High Way and a Low, And every man decideth The Way his soul shall go.’’ Today we seniors must decide which way the course of the rest of our lives will go. As we stand on the threshold of these ways, we see three gates, all locked. It is up to each one of us to find his own key. All the knowledge gained at the Boston Latin School is the first step along our in- dividual paths. With the encouragement of our faculty, we have struggled for four or six years. Now we are going on to college, taking with us the learning and wisdom we have acquired. In college we shall extend our studies and shall probe deeper into subjects we touched only lightly in high school. After college graduation, we shall be ready to take our places in the world of adults. Our founda- tion, however, was laid in our high school days, for these were the formative and most impressionable years of our lives. We formed sets of values, moral, social, and educational. We were urged never to be satisfied with mediocrity, but with perfection. Now that we are leaving, we must carry these principles and ideals along with us, each to his own destination. We must set the example; we must be the leaders. If we could only look into the future and see what lies ahead for us, we would prob- ably be very proud of our classmates. Some may become famous in the field of technol- ogy or in the art of speaking. Others may enter educational fields or may become pio- neers in research. One thing, however, we must always keep in mind : Whatever our vocations may be, whether they make us in- ternationally famous or known only in our own neighborhoods, what we do reflects not only on our families, but on the Boston Latin School as well. Let us all strive to make both of them just- ly proud of us and let us always remember : “But to every man there openeth a High Way and a Low, And every man decideth The Way his Soul shall go.” Philip T. Chadie I TO THE CLASS OF 1 962