Durfee High School - Durfee Record Yearbook (Fall River, MA)

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Our freshman year—the first inside Durfee for many of us— we idolized the upper classmen. Coming from grammar schools, many of us no more than 14, we found that scholastic life at Durfee was far different from the one we'd previously led. Although there weren't too many activities exclusively for the fresman class, we entered into everything in full swing, participating in all. We weren't to be out- done. Some of the activities were above our heads, but we didn't care for we were high school students and if this was what was to be done in high school, we were going to do it, too—come what may. September found us getting adjusted to the new life of changing classes and of meeting new friends and teachers, October and football brought into view one of Durfee’s most outstanding athletes, Joseph Andrews, who began his magnificent sports career in his freshman year, starting with football, November stands out in our memory also. One reason was Parents' Night. We went to classes from 7:30 to 8:15 P. M. with our mothers and fathers. Climaxing that program was an assembly for the visitors. The talent was provided by school groups. Durfee clashed with New Bedford at Sargent Field on “Turkey Day” and won in the last minute by the score of 13-12. December found the Music Department, which many of us had joined, presenting “Music of United Nations,” featuring Christmas music of many countries. Basketball opened in December. Although our '49 boys played only on the freshman All-Star team, they began what proved to be glorious careers. Outstanding hoop men were Joe Andrews, Chuck Burton and “Bed” Mullen. In March. Durfee was chosen to participate in the Headmasters' Tournament. Although none of our freshman boys was playing, we certainly went in full force to the Boston Garden. The switch from basketball to baseball took place in March. Practice began and again Joe's name could be found among the participants. Meanwhile, the Music Department had begun to practice for the State Music Festival at Needham and all the music groups brought home superior ratings. May of our freshman year, the entire student body joined together for a city-wide paper drive to raise money for Alumni Field. When school closed in June, we’d become accustomed to high school and with the closing of our freshman year, we looked forward to our sophomore year.

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JOAN E. WALTON Business Manu-ger CONSTANCE L. HAWKINS Aast Business Manager ANNA M. MacDONALD ELIZABETH L. WILLIAMS GLORIA P. BLAISDELL NORMA M. MARKLAND Typist Typist Typist Typist

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As sophomores, many of us '49-ers entered Durfee from junior high. Mightily impressed as we were with our own importance, we soon became part of the activities going on about us. On the sports scene, we cheered for a good football team. Although its record was five wins and five losses, the team was up against very tough opposition. On Thanksgiving Day we saw our classmate Joe Andrews come close to scoring a victory over our traditional rival with some fine ball toting. In December the annual Christmas Concert was given, and a group of Christmas plays was performed by the Dramatic Club. About this time. Coach Urban sent out the call for basketball aspirants. Among the group reporting were some names strike a familiar chord, namely: Andrews, McDonald and Burton. sophomores whose Farrissey, Collias, After starting the season with a loss, their great basketball team swept through the season undefeated. Invited to the Tech tourney In Boston, Durfee copped the Massachusetts Class A title and ran a close second in the New Englands. Fall River, agreeably surprised by the doings of the quintet, sent this team on a well-deserved tour of New York and presented the coach with a new car. On the social side, several school dances were held, including the Pigskin Hop, Mid-Winter Hop, Valentine Dance, S. A. A. Dance, and the Record Book Dance. The existence of a thrifty student body at Durfee was shown by the establishment of a school banking system. In February, we were further entertained by the Dramatic Club with its presentation of “Captain Applejack,” a comedy. This or- ganization also performed at the annual Drama Festival with a well- received enactment of “Henry V ' In the spring, the Music Department gave a concert of American Music, some of which was performed for the first time in New England. Spring also brought baseball, and among the many contenders for positions on the nine were sophomores Andrews, Farrissey and Burton. After a successful baseball season came the bustle of gradua- tion. But for the sophomores, there was merely the outlook of another year of grind in the halls of B. M. C. D.