Bromfield High School - Beacon Yearbook (Harvard, MA)

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Br-om?iel.cl. Bcgscon THE HISTORY OF THE CLASS OF 1950 as written by Robert Hall The nine of us who were graduated from Harvard Grammar School felt very important. We all agreed that when the first day of high school came we would show the other classes in Bromfield just how brave we were. The school opened on September fourth, nineteen hundred and forty- six. In we came, Wayne Blackwell, Lois Dickson, Mary Fox, Robert Hall, Sally Leadbetter, Marie St. John, Robert Salvas, Paul Thatcher, and Albert Tooker, laughing, joking and making a lot of noise. When the bell rang, everyone became very quiet, that is, everyone except the freshmen. We felt that we were so important that we did not have to be quiet, we were different. This feeling was short lived. Mr. Dunlap rose behind his desk and quietly stared at us until our egos collapsed like so many pricked balloons. From then on we knew that We were the least important class in Bromfield. We noticed that we had a new classmate, Jane Waters. Jane looked just as much afraid of Mr. Dunlap as we were now feeling. We saw too that our teachers were Mr. Dunlap, Miss Brown, Miss Moulton, and Mrs. Turner. The first of October, when the parts for the Senior Play were assigned, we were proud to hear that Marie was taking the part of a grandmother in the play, Almost Summer . Marie was also on the Beacon staff that school year. Even though they were freshmen, Lois, Marie, Jane, and Sally played on the girls' athletic teams. Albert Tooker and Robert Salvas played on the boys' teams. In April we were joined by James Joyce. From April until June was a small step. Soon we were decorating the auditorium for graduation. On the night of June thirteenth, nineteen hundred and forty-seven we ex- perienced our first high school graduation. We returned to school on September third, nineteen hundred and forty-seven. Now we were sophom-ores, and we could look down one some- one. We could also sit nearer the rear of the room. We liked this idea. After we were settled, we saw that we had lost two of our classmates: Robert Salvas and James Joyce had left us. The Sophomore Class now was made up of Wayne, Lois, Mary, Robert, Sally, Marie, Paul, Albert, and Jane. Though there were a few changes in our class, we still had the same teachers. When the parts were given out for this year's play, we learned that Wayne was to play the part of Commander Stone in Act Your Age . In December we l-ost Sally Leadbetter. Our class now had eight members. Marie and Wayne were on the Beacon Staff for this year. In this school year Lois, Marie, Albert, Wayne, and Robert played sports for Brornfield. Jane Waters and a senior girl started cheering for our teams. Page Eighteen

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Bromileul Be alison Galen, of Greek parentage, practiced in Rome about 130 A.D. His fees were rather high, and he catered to the wealthier class. It is stated that for a fortnight's attendance upon a prominent Roman's wife Galen received twelve hundred dollars. His study and records of bones are nearly as accurate as those of t0day's physicians. His knowledge of the heart was very accurate, too. Through the Dark Ages no progress was made in medicine. The Arabs chiefly carried on medicine, but study was absent until 1542. Versalius, a Belgian, is called the founder of modern anatomy. Because he questioned Galen's writings people were against him and, discouraged, he threw many of his unpublished manuscripts into the fire. In 1796 the inoculation of cowpox virus in the treatment of smallpox was first used by Jenner. This was an important discovery for few people had heretofore reached adult life without having this disease. During the nineteenth century many important discoveries and inven- tions were made. In 1850 Louis Pasteur made great advancements against hydrophobia. ln 1865 Joseph Lister first used antiseptics -on wounds and in surgery, and in 1876 Robert Koch improved methods of treating tuberculosis. Recent progress in medicine has been very great. Tuberculosis sana- toriums have been built and favorable cases are cured in these hospitals. Asylums for the demented are in use now, and sanatoriums for yellow fever and malaria victims have been established. Much research in cancer, tu- berculosis, and heart disease has been carried on through the aid of annual drives such as the one for infantile paralysis. Poliomyelitis hospitals are numerous. A possible symptom of cancer has been found in that the red corpuscles of the blood of a cancer victim have a tendency to clot much faster than those of a person without the disease. From the fields of research have come many new drugs such as insulin, sulphur, and penicillin. Insulin is probably the most important of these new drugs. This drug is sometimes the sugar diabetic's only hope of life. Insulin was discovered in 1922 and nothing more effective has been found yet. The iron lung is indispensable for people such as infantile paralysis victims who need artificial respiration. Through the many years of research, study, and discovery from before 4000 B.C. to the present day thousands of advancements have been effected. The records of Galen, the contributions of Hippocrates, and the studies compiled by the men of yesterday all aid in the progress of medicine today. And now, through research, the field of medicine is progressing in great strides to rid the world of sickness and disease. Marie St. John Page Seventeen

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Brom? i QELA Be anon The graduation of nineteen hundred and forty-eight was almost here. The classes were practicing singing and marching. Then came the big night. Even though we were just ending our sophomore year, we were glad to see this graduation because it meant that in two years we would be in the front row if we were lucky. The fall term of our junior year began on September eighth, nineteen hundred and forty-eight. On this first day we noticed that we had two new members, Barbara Benjamin and Francis Lennihan. The class now had in it Barbara, Wayne, Lois, Mary, Robert, Francis, Marie, Paul, Albert, and Jane. The teachers were Mr. Dunlap, Miss Brown, Mrs. Clifford, and Mrs. Turner The cast' for the annual Senior Play was chosen in early October. Marie and Jane were given parts. Mary Fox left us in October. On October 29, 194.8 we, the Junior Class, had a Hallowe'en Dance to raise some money for the Junior Prom. Just before the play was to be presented one of the seniors became ill, and Wayne Blackwell was asked to take his place. Soon it was nineteen hundred and forty-nine, and we found ourselves decorating the auditorium for our Prom. We decorated the hall in blue and white and had large clusters of balloons on the ceiling. These were to be released when the dance was almost over. April first came - a perfect night. The crowd was large, and everyone seemed to enjoy himself. The members of the class who took part in sports during this year were Lois, Marie, Albert, Wayne, and Robert. Jane Waters was now head cheer leader. About this time Mr. Dunlap announced the Beacon Staff. Wayne Blackwell, Marie St. John, and Robert Hall were on his list. It was not long until graduati-on. When that night came, each of us juniors had his fingers crossed, and was thinking, Next year I will be in the front row. The summer went by very quickly. Soon it was time for school to open. Due to some work that was being done in the school, classes did not begin until September twelfth, nineteen hundred and forty-nine. This was to be our most important year. As seniors we felt very proud. There now were Wayne, Lois, Robert, Barbara, Francis, Marie, Paul, Albert, and Jane in our class. Our teach- ers were to be Mr. Dunlap, Miss Br-own, Mrs. Clifford, Mrs. Turner, and Mr. Driscoll, who was to be both teacher and coach. He coached our first six-man football team, our basketball teams, and our baseball team. The Senior Class all went to Worcester to see the Clark University Players present Othello . The play was produced in Shakespearean style. Shortly afterward the parts for the Senior Class play The Doctor's Daughter were announced. All the seniors were given parts. The play was given on December second, nineteen hundred and forty-nine, and we all feel that it was a success. On January eighteenth, nineteen hundred and fifty, our class went to Boston to have our pictures taken. After the pictures were taken, we went to Schraffts' for lunch. Later we purchased tickets for Brigadoon . Page Nineteen