Butler High School - Tropaeum Yearbook (Butler, IN)

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Oberlin and Vera Houck performed the duties of president and secretary- treasurer respectively. Now we have Richard Hollinger as our president, Donald Webb, vice presidentg Vera Houck, secretary and Richard Frakes. treasurer. To lead us in patriotic work the student body chose Vera Houck as '!Miss Butler. She and her assistants directed our sale of War Bonds and Stamps, in which Butler High went 'Lover the top exceeding all estimates of the faculty. Various salvage campaigns were also sponsored. The years we have been together bind us into a solid group of friends. We shall be faced with the hurricane of war and our work against a com- mon foe must be well done. Imbued with the goldcn friendships formed, the excellent instruction received, we will put our happy school days behind to prove our worth to the world. Lynn Blackwell. CLHSS PROPHECY IT'S 1953 and I am in Grand Central Station waiting on a train. The war is over. Troops are returning from occupation of Europe. People are milling by. I think I will look and see who is getting off this train, My! What snappy uniforms! Why it's Col. Richard Frakes, Master Sgt. Bob Ridge and Commanding Officer, Don Webb. tDon never did intro- duce us to '4Rosie, the girl he used to skate the moonlight waltz with at The Silver Moon Skating Rink! There are some more former classmates. P. F. C. Raymond Slentz, Lt. Jack Yates, and good Buck Private Johnny Sherck. CI wonder if Raymond remembers way back in 1943 when, while riding with a classmate one night. he ran into another car. Strange!! I walked up to the depot clerk to ask about my train. The clerk was Richard Eakright. He reported that Jack Yates is still the same old wolf. Richard said that Johnny Sherck lost out in the race for Esther Spake's hand when Bob Ridge took over the situation. I wonder who that dignified well-dressed business man is? Why, Lloyd Carpenter! And he's head of the stock markets on Wall Street. Why, isn't that Gordon Oberlin who just brushed past me? There's Mayor Blackwell handing Mr. Carpenter the key to the city. Well, can you imagine that?- Opal Stuller and her brass band welcoming Mr. Carpenter to the city. Page Nineteen

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CLHSS I-IISTGRY IN A LARGE MEASURE all class historians have the same task. Our class is much like the classes that have gone before. Our work is much the same as others, our trials and difficulties have been like theirsg and no doubt our ambitions and outlook upon the future are not unlike theirs when they stood where we now stand. However, it is our class and we are proud of it. We give no apology because it is no better. It is our class . . . , the one and only class . . . . and we take pride in it. We give you the graduating class of '43 and smile when we think how good it really 1S. In the fall of 1939 the Freshman Roster boasted eighty-three enthu- siastic seekers of learning, the largest class ever to enter the portals of that Citadel of wisdom-Butler High School. We took up our work with all the zest of eager young students, but when we commenced chanting amo, amas, amatf' our enthusiasm was somewhat diminished. The good fortune of always keeping so large a class as we had when we entered was not to be enjoyed. One by one they have dropped out for various causes until now at roll call we have but fifty-one, We greatly feel the absence of those who have left our company before the quest was completed, but as long as the number can be no greater we are happy indeed that it is no less. Moreover we are convinced that never have lights shone more brightly o'er fair women and brave men than they will on our com- mencement night. Our social attainment and activities extended into many fields. In- dividual initiative and team co-operation showed itself to be one of our assets at an early time in our development. Various members of our class joined those organizations for which they were eligible such as Blue Triangle, Hi-Y, Dough Girls and F. F. A. Clubs. Many members showed skill and talent in athletics and the fine arts. In the Junior year we sponsored the customary banquet for the preced- ing class. The banquet had a patriotic theme, fitting the perilous times, and it was judged a huge success. It was also our privilege to present a class play in each of our last two years. The Junior play was entitled Miss Smartyf' the Senior play was Don't Take My Penny. Both were worthy accomplishments. Above all, class organization must not be forgotten, for that was one of the most interesting and exciting events at the beginning of each of the four years. We were endowed with very capable leaders chosen from among our ranks. They performed their duties with a faithfulness that brought honor to themselves and the class. As Freshmen we were led by Carolyn Fanning. Her staff was composed of Kathryn Kandel, vice-presi- dentg Marilyn Houck, secretaryg Clark Springer, treasurer. ln the Sopho- more year Leo Haddix was elected presidentg Richard Hollinger, vice-presi- dentg Vera Houck, secretary-treasurer. When we were Juniors Gordon Page Eighteen

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My train is about to leave-I'll get on. I guess I'll sit by these ladies and their children-my two old buddies, Joan and Vera! After exchanging hearty greetings I was introduced to their children and also learned the lucky gentlemen's name to be Dick Dove and Don Voss. Joan pointed out the window to a hospital which we were passing and said that Bob Ginder was the president of it. The beautiful big bridge leading to it she said was constructed by the Bryant Engineering Company. As we neared Chicago, a plane zoomed crazily over the train. Vera said it was Wendell Bell, a test pilot who after 500 crack-ups applied for a license. My two buddies left me at Chicago. I settled down in my .seat thinking I was left alone to continue my jour- ney to Long Beach, California, when the conductor, who had been eyeing me since I got on the train, stopped at my seat and said, Haven't I met you somewhere before? Then I recognized Myron Love. Myron sat down be- side me and boasted what a good engineer the train hadelater I learned that it was Earl Keller. Suddenly the train gave an awful lurch and every passenger, including myself, was thrown out in the aisle with the luggage on top of them. I struggled to get up while Betty Turner, eager to apply her first aid lessons on a victim, was tying my legs and arms in bandages. Betty said the acci- dent was caused by Garcile Smith, now a famous movie star, who had stalled her car on the tracks. As no one was seriously hurt, we proceeded on to Kansas City. I had two hours to pass there so I caught a taxi and went to the stage show up- town. Much to my surprise, the cast consisted of some of my old school- mates, such as Deloris Dailey with her magic violin-accompanied by Ber- dena Souder on the piano. The Ault twins Ruth and Ruby, were greatly appreciated when they sang The Best Tunes Of All Move To Carnegie Hall. The all-girl orchestra included Irene Ginder, lst bass player and Grace Hose, golden-voiced soprano. The show lasted longer than I thought and I raced back just in time to catch my train. I slumped exhaustedly into a seat when who should I see staring oddly at me but Norma Spake and Woodena Fifer. After we became acquainted with each other again, Woodena told me she and Norma were keeping Old Maid's Hall where they held a big party for all the old bachelors in the city, every week. As I grew tired of their constant chatter I excused myself and went to seek silence in the lounge room. There I met Theda Baldwin who told me she was enroute to the coast to sketch a picture of the President. As you remember, Theda was quite a gossip, so I gathered the news she knew. She told me Jean Naitzka and Josephine Schuller were working in Bob Ginder's hospital, Jean as chief dietitian and Jo as Superintendent of Nurses. We parted and I went to seek my room for the night. All went well until about 3 o'clock in the morning when a blood curdling scream came down the hall to my room. As I rushed out into the hall I ran into Mar- jorie Lott who also was trying to find out what was going on. Page Twenty