Bradley Central High School - Ocoeean Yearbook (Cleveland, TN)

Page 16 text:

t-11 ; 0 i—i02hH c 5 c d • Without character all doors are closed, no matter how talented an individual may be or how much knowledge he may have. Character is not gained by taking certain courses, by reading good books, or by walking and talking with good friends. Character is the sum total of a person’s reaction in meeting life’s problems and emergencies. Remember, your best chance for success in life rests in the quality of character you are developing. Make the decision now that character shall be your most important goal, and it shall be your greatest possession.

Page 15 text:

ROBERT E. LEE Great crises often breed great men. The War Between the States produced Robert E. Lee as well as Abraham Lincoln. Bom of a family that had rendered outstanding service to Virginia and the nation, Lee represented the full flowering of southern civilization. He possessed those physical graces which Lincoln so notably lacked—perfection of figure, erect- ness of carriage, and a pleasing countenance. Another great Southerner, Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia, described him as “the most manly and entire gentleman I ever saw.” Lee decided to follow a military career. He attended West Point and served with distinction in the Mexican War. With the opening of the War Between the States, however, the most important chapter of Lee’s life began. Though a splen- did career undoubtedly awaited him in the Union Army, Lee chose to defend the Southern cause. During the four years of combat, he became the outstanding military figure in the Confederate forces. Some of his success was due to his mili- tary skill, but it arose as well from his power over his men. His grip over his soldiers is best appreciated when one re- members their affection for him in defeat as well as in vic- tory. Northern and foreign critics have been generous in their praise of Lee’s military achievements. One military expert has described him as “one of the most famous of the world’s great generals.” With the return of peace, Lee sought quiet and relief from the cares of public service. He expressed loyalty toward the United States government. Though saddened by the misrule of the reconstruction governments, Lee did not give way to pessimism nor bitter criticism. He became president of the college now known as Washington and Lee, where he displayed the same qualities of leadership that he had shown on the field of battle. Thoughtful, kindly, great-hearted, Lee had a lofty understanding of obligation to duty.

Page 17 text:

You are living in a new era of speed, invention and discovery, television has brought the world into your home, invention has revolutionized your daily life. Vastly different is your way of life from that of the American of the Civil War era who lived by hard labor, slow travel, scanty communication, hard work and little leisure. The American standard of living has changed — America lives in ease, comfort, and beauty, with long leisure hours. The standards of life have not changed, however, since the War Between the States. Honesty, honor, decency, and fair play are the basic ideals of a good life today as in the 1860’s. It is not what happens to a man, but how he accepts life that counts and marks him a success or failure. Your individual success in life will not be your accumulation of material things, but the way you live your life. If you meet each day with courage and honesty, you will be a success and can truly say, “mission accomplished.”