Boydton High School - Beacon Yearbook (Boydton, VA)

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SENIOR CLASS HISTORY On September 5, 1946, we, the graduating class of 1950, made our grand entrance into high school with a class of twenty- two. Thus it was a very brilliant step, but our teachers thought we were very, very green. The sun may have been rising for us but it was going down for the teachers. They have changed their minds now, however, and call us Boydton High’s gold mine. That’s where our class colors Green and Gold came from. We had so many parties that year that our teachers thought surely the “party bug” must have bitten us. We entered our sophomore year with a class of twenty-one. Some had stayed behind to repeat the Freshman year and some had dropped out but others had moved in to take their places. We didn’t have quite as many parties this year, as we knew from previous experiences that it would cost more than our treasury could afford. Having been informed by the Junior class that we had to take them on a trip the next year, we decided it was a very good idea to conserve what we did have and start collecting from other sources. One of these was an April Fool’s Party at which we took in a very tidy sum, in our opinion. We managed to struggle through the rest of the year with great hopes of being Juniors the next year. Yes, the most of us, twenty-three to be exact, made the grade and were at last in the Junior Class. This year was to be very eventful for us because we knew we had to raise enough money to take the Seniors on a trip. This we did, which came as a shock to everyone, especially the class. The trip was an extended tour through Staunton, Skyline Drive, Luray Caverns, Front Royal, Washington, and Richmond. Everyone had a wonder- ful time. In return the Seniors gave us a picnic, which very few of us could attend, but those who could attend had a very nice time. Our year was climaxed when the Seniors allowed us to walk in the Candle Light Service and to present them with a Daisy Chain. At last it was September 8, 1949 and we were those dignified Seniors with great ideas for what we would do this year. We have one outstanding fact to remember, that Mr. Waldrep has been our principal for all four years. We had only nineteen Seniors, but we planned to work all of them as this was our last chance for such as this. First we published an annual, which was the first one in nine years. Second, Miss Claiborne helped us with a senior play, the first one of those in about five years, and third Mr. Short had a minstrel. Then the Juniors took us on a trip to Washington for the weekend, and we gave them a Junior-Senior Prom, so you can see that this has been one busy and eventful year. Now here it is the last week of school, and we are about to get those little pieces of paper that way we have graduated from high school and are ready to go out in the world on our own. Now that the time has arrived, and we think about leaving Boydton High, we really aren’t as anxious as we had thought we would be. You see, we love the place. Before the final night, there is Class Night on June 2, then our last picnic together on June 3. After that will come the Baccalaureate Sermon on June 4, and then on June 5, the day of graduation, we bring to a close the history of the Class of 1950.

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SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY In touring the country in the year, 1960, we see the seniors of 1950 in the various phases of life. First, we visit that important city of New York, where we find Vivian Carlton as the head beautician in the John Powers Model Agency. You guessed right! Vivian does a little modeling in her spare time. Leaving New York City, we move on to Lake Success, N. Y., where we find Janie Jackson, busily scribbling in shorthand, the business transactions at a United Nations Assembly. Before we leave the state, we must not forget Charles Carter, who is head concert pianist at Carnegie Hall. Leaving the United States for a few minutes, we enter Canada where we find a beautiful white mansion on a huge tobacco farm. Yes, we all did expect Robert Jackson to be the owner, and so he is. From Canada, we take a quick trip to California. There we find several members of the class. At the University of Southern California we find Virginia Anne Wyne raising a wicked baton to those who are members of the orchestra. In the veterans hospital in San Francisco we see Mary Agnes Taylor, the head dietician, going from soldier to sailor to marine, telling them what to eat and what not to eat. Still another is to be found in this sunny state, it is none other than “ Shiek” Kindley, who is head basketball coach at U.C.L.A. Could it be that he received his training in Boydton High? Moving east again, we come to Philadelphia, where we stop by the Philadelphia Gazette to see one of its employees, Milton Anderson, who is receiving many con- gratulations on his recently published book of poems. Leaving Philadelphia by plane, we bump into Ruth Drumwright, who has at last achieved her highest ambition - that of being an air stewardess. We arrive in the state of Maryland and all of a sudden we remember that John D. Bevell has recently moved to Maryland as head of the Automotive Association in that state. In the borderning District of Columbia, we find Alice Smith at a typewriter in the Pentagon building as a private secretary to one of those many government bosses . Moving down still more, we find Evelyn Fly in her beloved Tennessee as head nurse at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville. Wonder how those student nurses feel about her? Getting back to our home state, we find that many are still located here. We had thought that Edith Callahan would be married, and so she is, but another occupation occupies part of her time, that is the instruction of those second grade pupils in the Brodnax Elementary School. Moving slowly along Route 58 we come to a large dairy farm near South Hill, and who should be supervising the milking but Walter Thompson. We finally arrive in dear old Boydton and find James Allgood as the head of the Forest Fires Division of Mecklenburg County. Another member of the class settled in Boydton for his occupation, that is Clarence Wells, who succeeded Mr. Bobbitt as Collector of Internal Revenue. While roaming the streets of Boydton trying to find some familiar places, we see a familiar face. Yes, this is Edward Carter, an army engineer who has come back to study the construction of Buggs Island Dam in connection with the building of another such one in Illinois. Leaving Boydton on 58, we look to our right and there looms a beautiful brick building in the distance. Upon inquiry, we find it is the new Junior High School, with Ben Bowers presiding as Principal. As we enter Clarksville, we see a very distinguished looking business man. Look- ing more closely, we see that it is Frank Elliot, who has been manager of Peebles Department Store for five years. So ends our ten-year preview into the private lives of our 1950 Seniors.

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CUSS POEM “Senior’s Good-bye” We, the Seniors of Boydton High, This year must bid you all good-bye, But before we go, we must say We’ve worked and strove in every way To do our utmost at Boydton School. Behold! We’ve carried out every rule. We thank our teachers, who were kind, They were strict but we didn’t mind; We knew that they were doing their best, T’was up to us to do the rest. If we have failed to do our parts Forgive us, teachers, in your hearts. Whenever things went kind of bad It seemed to make our principal sad; He’d share our joys and sorrows, too, Mr. Waldrep, we’ll all miss you. You were a considerate man And sure lent us a helping hand. We won’t forget our fun had here, Parties and trips made school days dear; We won’t forget dear Boydton High Who sets each goal facing the sky; We seniors vowed to never stop Until we’d reached the very top. Good-bye all of you, Junior Class, Work hard next year and try to pass; Remember these are yours next year Work and play, and a little fear. Our goal is ready to renew, Let’s hope next year, you’ll reach it too.