Diman Vocational High School - Artisan Yearbook (Fall River, MA)

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CLASS WILL AND TESTAMENT We, the Illustrious 55 of '55, of Diman Vocational High School, having reached the end of our vocational training, and through somewhat fatigued by incessant mental toil, but still being of sound mind, memory, and understanding, do make and publish this, our Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and making void all former wills by us at any time heretofore made. As to our wordly estate, and all the property, real, personal, or mixed, or which we shall die, seized, or possessed, or to which we shall be entitled at the time of our decease, we devise, bequeath, and dispose thereof in the manner following, to wit: TO ALMA MATER: An inexhaustible prayer of Thanks for moulding the pattern of our future careers. TO THE FACULTY: An endless poem of gratitude and heartfelt appreciation for their untiring effort in imparting useful knowledge to us under great difficulties. TO THE REMAINING STUDENT BODY: To the Juniors: 40 more weeks of school. To the Sophomores: 80 more weeks of school. To the Freshmen: l20 more weeks of school. To the individuals: Ronald Banville: We leave 50 acres of Westport-Farmland so that he may farm happily. Norman Baraby: A '55 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Alfred Bento: A check for 31.47. Walter Bigos: A train ticket. . Richard Biello: A ladder to help him in his climb to success. Robert Boissonneault: We leave a new gas gauge, constantly reading full. Alexander Bond: A running contract with Dick Tracy, as Open-Mind Monty. Kenn Boyer: A trip back to Japan. The walk and swim will do him good. Bruce Burton: A triple-barreled shotgun: don't miss your next squirrel. Ed. Campbell: A wire recorder to listen to his thrilling accordion solos. Vincent Campbell: A contract to wrestle The Great Moto. Richard Chase: A high powered telescope to watch the bathing beauties at 'GrinneIle's.' Frank Ciosek: A bus, so he can accommodate everyone. Thomas Clark: A pass to the Lonely Hearts Club. Kenneth Cookson: The right to become a citizen of Fall River. Ernest Cote: A contract as understudy to Curt Gowdy. Raymond Curry: A pea-shooter for hunting mice. Ernest Desnoyer: A 25 year subscription to Hot-Rod magazine. ' Matthew Drewniak: The role of Woody the Woodpecker in all forthcoming movies. Walter Drewniak: A courtesy card from the Fall River Police Dept. Jere Duffy: A glass of water from the Pilgrim Restaurant. David DeNadaI: A night-school course in physics. George Faris: We leave a Sparktricians license. James Greenwood: A pair of long-johns for gym class. James Giblin: We leave one soda-jerks license. Alfred Hamel: One chrome-plated lunch pail. Donald Hamel: A date tree, for all the dates he would want. Francis Harrington: We leave one 'Kinifiller' pin for his '37. John Harrington: An outboard motor for his sailboat. Allen Hinchliffe: A new X862'IVa iet engine for cruising the city. James Hopkins: We leave you one dyne of energy. Henry Joannis: We leave you a portable mechanic for your car. Thomas Krupa: We hereafter respect Feb. 30 as Krupa's Day. Ronald Leger: We leave a pair of elevated shoes. Kenneth Legault: A contract to star in The Tame One, a sequel to The Wild One. Raymond Legault: His own private, completely stocked, exercising gym. Alan Leverault: A I0 year supply of shorthand notebooks. Raymond Michaud: A steel-mesh glove for feeding White Owls. James Medeiros: A pair of hiking shoes for going to and from school. Edward Michael: A pass to the girls' gym at Durfee. Leonard Mroz: A smile-stretcher, to widen his already bursting smile. William Pontes: A transmission made up of rubber gears. Charles Prezalor: A one-way ticket to Mars. Leslie Robinson: A sheep's clothing to hide his true appearance. John Rogers: A partnership in the New Englander. Gerald Shannon: A bottle of Vitalis, for that iust-combed look. Ronald Talbot: A Polaroid Land Camera to prove his fish stories.- Thomas Teves: A revolver with six rounds to play Russian Roulletep alone. Foster Thompson: 2 lbs. of skinless hamburger for his famous meat loaf. Roger Toni: One glass hammer and a box of rubber tacks. John Wheadon: An accident insurance policy for rear-end collisions. Ronald White: One bushel of Boston-Baked-Beans. Raymond Wrobel: 6 ft. of sausage and a quart jar of mustard. George Wilson: Take Tea and See. By Bob Coulombe

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SENIOR CLASS HISTORY ln each hugh epoch of time, there comes forth from at least one school in this wonderful country of ours, a group of men whose academic and voca- tional achievements are so great, so irrevocable, and so unapproachable, that it would be a blotch on our American way of life, if their accomplishments were not made known to the rest of the world! This is the story of the 55 of '55, and long may it be told before the hearths of the humblest cot- tages, or to an eager audience housed in a mamoth hall, for this is the story of fifty-five American men who attempted in the true American spirit, to gain the knowledge and wisdom which was so profoundly given by a score of adept instructors in the Voca- tional High School known as Diman. Their battle against an uneducated way of life deserves recogni- tion. Their struggle to acquire the knowledge they so desperately sought and needed, should be made known to the rest of the world, as a shining example of how fifty-five young men, braved four years of grueling assignments and exhausting shop work, to emerge as well-rounded, skilled and experienced artisans. This then, is their story . . . A tribute, to their glory! As the last week of summer heralded the ending of our vacation period, the Horn of Diman, ini- tiated us into our Freshman year, a great awaken- ing sound, burning into us, the imprint of our future days in the spacious and well-tooled shops. It wasn't easy for us to give up comparative freedom and Congeniality of an ordinary high school, and resign ourselves to the simple, hard, but rewarding task of work . . . work . . . and more work! We began our torturous iourney in the Fall of '51, with a text book in one hand, and our shop tools in the other, but we kept to the task assigned us, and soon became prolific, if not expert, in our respective trades. But the journey to reward was hard, and by the end of our first year at Diman, many faces that were with us when we started our courses, were not to be found among us, as we headed down Hart- well Street away from the school for a while, to our homes, to recuperate from our first year, and pos- sibly our hardest, and show off our gained knowl- edge! In the Fall of '52, we again entered the portals of Diman, to continue our gauntlet of education where we had commenced. Through forty weeks, we fought relentlesly against the basic desires in each and every one of us to take the easy way out, to go through life with a strong back and a weak mind, yet as strong as this desire was, the drive for knowl- edge was stronger, and it wasn't too long, before the last week of our Sophomore year was hence, and we were receiving our report cards, overioyed that next year, we would return to continue our pursuit of education as Juniors. But as ioyous as we were, we were also despondent, for this Sophomore year had been the most grinding year we had faced, or would ever, face: almost half the group of 55 had found the course too grueling, and had either been dropped out, or turned to less strenuous fields of endeavor. Our Junior year was a credit to our previous three years of preparation and training. We sky-rocketed through the forty weeks of exams and shop work to reach the end of the vintage year without a fatality in the whole group. We also attempted our first stage play, entitled Decision! , by Ed. Camp- bell, with Robert Coulombe, Kenneth Boyer, James Hopkins, Raymond Curry, and Foster Thompson. Senior year! The end result of three previous years of gruelling preparation and thought-provocative assignments. This was the year we all remember best. Dances run regularly helped to speed the year along. Sports activities helped erase the bitter memories of seemingly unmerciful instructors. The production of our yearbook became a breakneck contest between our four years of manufacturing skill, and the yearboak's deadline! The fourth year came and passed, and the inex- perienced young men who had started on the uphill iourney to knowledge, had evolved into master craftsmen in their trades, with a fine crop of acad- emic records to booster their titles. But the fourth year was also the hardest, and the responsibilities placed on their learning ability were great. Still, three years of preparatory assignments had hard- ened them, and various activities and assignments made the year pass swiftly. So, they conquered the fourth year in true American style, and those who saw it through, and mastered the four years of toughening assignments, were now graduates, and ready to meet any challenge that life could hurl at them! They had it rough, those 55 of '55, but it was not without fun and laughter and good times. Although at first, we were inclined to look upon our instruc- tors as foes to be wary of, it was not long before we had found that they were in reality, loyal com- panions, and true, and there was not a one among them who would not give up freely of his time, to help us in our quest for knowledge. We are proud that we have had the opportunity to share in the proud and growing heritage of Diman. We are equally proud, that Diman has been an instrumental factor, in our lives, starting us off in the right di- rection, and with the basic knowledge, to a well- rounded, well-adjusted life, in this wonderful coun- try of ours. To Diman, our Alma Mater, to our teachers and instructors, who so amply aided us, and to our be- loved parents, to whom we owe so much, our humble thanks, and sincere appreciation, for giving us the right, and the means, for a well-adjusted, and un- doubtedly, bountiful life. To you, the very best. Your Yearbook Editor

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CLASS OF '56 Mr. Stanley J. Remiesiewicz CLASS ADVISOR CLASS OFFICERS R. O'Neil, Pres., J. Webb, Vice Pres. 'lst Row: M. luurennno, N. Vermehe, R. Chreiien, P. Bisson, M. Fariu, E. Dean, A. Arrudu. 2nd Row: J. Ferreira, J. Mooney, C. Morrisseiie, T. Carrol, L. Guy, R. Fernandes, H. lachapelle. 3rd Row: L. Hulxeem, O. Rodrigues, P. Chicco, A. Duviclux, J. Burgess, E. Dupere, R. O'Neil, P. Midura P. Campbell.