Brown Preparatory School - Brownian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

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SALUTATUHY In His benevolent justice, the Creator of Mankind does not exact perfection or infallibility. Yet it is our task throughout life to perfect the gifts and the talents that He gave us, that we might attain to something, at least of human perfection. In this life-struggle, as we often call it, we discover more and more the need of self-improvement. This is our duty and it necessarily depends upon us to have a willingness to seize every opportunity to further our knowl- edge and attain to a greater understanding of God. During our life He places before us these opportunities and we are ex- pected to make the most of them. Our strenuous life demands that we know more about the world around us that we feel the truth of the saying, We learn something every day. 4'..Does' it not seem consistent, with this view in mind, that we should learn such lessons while our minds are open to good impressions and our characters are being moulded during our preparatory school years? Our training at Brown has strengthened both our minds and our char- acters, so that now we shall not hesitate to make the best of our opportunities in later life. We step into the outside world with open minds, knowing that the moral strength and mental force that we acquired in school are only the sparks that are to be fanned into a bright flame in our lives ahead. Brown Preparatory School has given us, in addition to opportunities for our intellectual development, a fine sense of human friendship. Our institution is symbolic of friendship and we at Brown should realize what it means to us. Friendship among the members of our student body means more than just the overlooking of faults and the helping of one another. It means the combination of harmony, co-operation and thoughtfulness. Here at Brown we have made many life-long friends among the faculty as well as among the student body. Many of us will keep up these friendships throughout life. We cannot -put too high a value on the importance of friend- ship and our corresponding relationship with our friends is but a link in the chain that binds us together. With this in mind we are fully aware of the fundamental principle of human society, that if we have made true friends during our life, we have not lived in vain. -William Nurthen. 49

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VALEUIETUHY For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth - Luke 12:15. Tonight we deem it necessary and appropriate to think on this statement from the lips of Him who understood life. We dare paraphrase these words, to get from them this basic idea: it is not what we grab in life, but what we give that really counts. Preliminary days of preparatory training are not for personal profit only, but to enable us in days to come to aid humanity by some service, whether small or great. We are going into a world that is characterized by a feeling exactly opposite to this truth. Amid people that are hungry, for educated men and women to show them a life that is not self-centered will be a severe test, but the greater the sacrifice, the greater the esteem of society. History has proved this statement to be true. When we pause to think of Pasteur, Koch, Burbank, George Mueller, David Livingston and William Carey it is the fact that they aided humanity by sacrifice that gives them a predominant place. It is also obvious from the lives of such men that preparatory days are never ended. They rightly named the closing exercises of the school period, Commence- ment. Surely it is only the beginning. The one who feels that he has gained at this point enough to gratify his wants in life will stop. The wiser mind will press on with a new goal, knowing that this night is just a milestone. As we leave Brown, we want to remember that success is not measured by dollars and cents, it does not operate by bias selection, and it is not limited to a few whose names are fixed in a court of predestination. These thoughts belong to those who are spiritless, lazy, and content to complain rather than lift a hand to aid the condition of themselves or of others. Over against such negatives these facts remain true. Success lies within the scope of all, it is attained by conscientious endeavor, by the keeping of a vision, by the taking advantage of all opportunities. Our training here was for the specific purpose of enabling us to recognize these opportunities when they come, and to make the most of them. Generally speaking, the greater number of the people who claim they never had a chance, in reality never recognized their chances when they came. Let the members of the Class of 39 leave this school determined within themselves to achieve that measure of success for which they have been pre- paring within their own respective fields. We might do well to bear in mind the exhortation, He that would be greatest among you let him be servant of all. Others may do a greater work, But you have your part to dog And no one in all God's heritage Can do it so well as you. -George Smith. 48

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Cfafdif P P019 QC? CDI-XY SEHUULJ Being secretary to a prominent obstetrician was a position which required more of my time than I expected. For, be- tween managing Dr. Leila P. Kidd's home and answering her telephone, I became very tired. I finally had a moment to myself. With a sigh of relief, I sank into a chair and picked up the newspaper which lay on the table. Turning to the Sports Page, I scanned the baseball section and a large pic- ture caught my eye. It was George Lichtenberg, who had been an excellent player at Brown Prep and, who was now starring with the A's . I noticed also that Everett lones- former manager of Brown's baseball team-after much per- suasion had accepted the position of manager of the Athletics. I then remembered that Travis cle Grouchy was adver- tising manager of the paper I was reading. I also noticed an ad run by millionaire Ed Brautigam's department store. The phone rang and it was my former classmate, Betty Inch, who was now head matron of Inch's Select School for Girls. She invited me to lunch with her at Goldstein's Club Exclusive. lt was too early for my luncheon date so I decided to take a walk. As I was passing through City Hall courtyard, I saw quite a crowd collected around Evan Staufier la professor of Political Scienceluwho from his perch on a soap box was de- livering a campaign speech in favor of Cliff Baldwin, who was running for Mayor of Philadelphia. While I was standing absorbed in this speech someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was Bill Schlachter, now a famous criminal lawyer. Our conversation centered on Harry Hallman, who was recently killed while testing a new racer at the Indianapolis Track. Poor Harry! And such a winning smile. I bade Bill goodbye and hurried toward their Club. Crossing Market Street I was almost hit by a truck owned by Lee Dairies and being driven by Burr himself. He had be- come quiet a successful dairy farm owner. His pal Bill Nur- then was head coach at Princeton. I at last found myself at my destination. While Betty and I were going to our table, we saw Drs. Iames Riviello and Leonard Miceli, operating on a freshly roasted beef steak and chatting quietly between themselves. We crossed the room and noticed Bud Miller and Ted Kulpinski. Bud, it seems, was giving Ted a high-pressure sales talk and finally con- vinced him that he should insure his bakery and fleet of trucks. Betty and I found our table and sat down. The food was very good and the orchestra, led by Ralph Vasso, was invig- orating. We talked of many other Brown Prep alumni and became so engrossed in our discussion that neither of us realized that we had stayed longer than we had expected. We reluctantly parted and went our respective ways. As I walked down Chestnut Street in the bright afternoon sunlight, I wondered whether each of my former classmates had achieved their coveted ambition. It would be such fun for us to have a grand reunion and recall the happy incidents of our school days, that I think I will prepare to make the next Alumni Dinner Dance a special Class of '39 affair. b ' A RITA Lro. so