East Haven High School - Pioneer Yearbook (East Haven, CT)

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ft alt • • cTzeihman Q eat It was with eagerness and knocking knees that 177 of us put in our bids for East Haven High School's Hall of Fame, as freshmen. We first gathered in the auditorium, from the shores of Momauguin, the hills of Foxon and the center of town. During September we bewildered freshmen were to be seen wandering through the halls trying to learn the up” and down stairways and strange classrooms. By the time October had come and gone, we were well on the road to success in new friendships and activities. Ten freshmen girls began high school by active membership in the Swimming Club. They were: Hazel Bell, Ruth Brockett, Jean Donahue, Barbara Dudley, Shirley Fairchild, Charlotte Gallo, Elizabeth Gillis, Evelyn Gould, Bettie Green, and Helen Paris. Our modesty decreased and talent shone, as Jimmy Minahan, Jerrie Warner, and Robert Heffernan played violin, clarinet and trumpet, respectively, became charter members of our music masters. Barbara Dudley of homeroom 209, Thomas Friscoe, representing 207, Dorothy Fasig, of 103, and Lois Simmonds, from 201, participated in a quiz at an assembly, sponsored by the language department in November. Charlotte Gallo starred in the Junior Thespians' production of Mimi Lights the Candle. Our first class election was held in December, when the freshmen students chose as their leaders, Walter Smith, East Haven High's Henry Aldrich , president; Muriel Cook, vice-president; Elizabeth Gillis, secretary; and Gordon Mead, treasurer, all of homeroom 207. Student Council members were also elected. Marion Shore and Thomas Hanley represented 103; Florence Niedzwicki and Bill Walsh were chosen by 201; 205 sent Helen Kawra and Michael Grasso; Charlotte Gallo and Walter Smith represented 207; and 209 sent Barbara Dudley and Chester Bombriant. It was in January that Astrid Johannesen and Elizabeth Gillis shot past upperclass « 1 CLASS ' = HI STORY m-f £ . vC competition to win the annual spelling bee held in the auditorium. The girls in the Commercial Department chose February as the month for their project of visiting various factories and companies. Alice Averill, Angela Albano, Rachel Myers, Mary Powell and Frances Williams were among the group. With the arrival of June came those dreaded exams—the first in our high school careers. When we had come through this ordeal, feeling as green as our first day, we looked forward to a pleasant summer and then to September and the start of our sophomore year. Sojahomote Ifaat ' When, we, the members of the class of '44, minus our air of uncertainty, gathered again in September to renew friendships and continue our studies as sophomores, v e numbered only 125. The school year was in full swing when Elizabeth Gillis and Astrid Johannesen represented the sophomore class in a spelling bee sponsored by the Community Chest over New Haven's station WELL Homeroom 207 won recognition when election time came 'round. William Norton, president; Claire McCartin, vice-president; Bettie Green, secretary; and Charlotte Gallo, treasurer; all of 207, were chosen by their classmates as leaders. The Comet masthead now boasted such names as Ruth Brockett, Mary Bunnell, Lev-erett Clark, Muriel Cook, Thomas Friscoe, 29

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4-jl- (Jlnli ftoll-i- Ticl± Astrid Johannesen . Bettie Green . . . Muriel Cook . . . Mary Bunnell . . Genoefa Szuszkiewicz Bettie Green . . . Claire McCartin . . Agnes Peterson . . Astrid Johannesen . Charlotte Gallo . . Susanne Aitro . . Elizabeth Gillis . . Esther Harrison . . Carmella Castellon . Helen Paris Agnes Peterson Mildred DuMonde Geraldine Warner Muriel Cook . . Of Greatest Service Most Popular Best Looking . . . Best Dressed Best Athlete Best Dancer . . Wittiest . . . . . Cutest . . . Most Likely to Succeed Most Extra-Curricularistic . Most Courteous . . Most Dignitied . Most Independent Most Talkative Biggest Eater Best Smile . . Nicest Eyes Most Musical Best Artist . . . Gordon Mead Joseph Biondi George Weber Herman Johns William Spencer Herman Johns . Thomas Friscoe Ray Alderman Gordon Mead . . Gordon Mead . . Leverett Clark Leverett Clark Luke Bowman . Thomas Friscoe Joseph Steiner . . John Brereton James MacKinnel James Minahan Gerald Leavstrom 28

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Elizabeth Gillis, Esther Harrison, and Astrid Johannesen. Bettie Green was selected as a cheerleader in November and Genoefa Szuszkie-wicz gained the title of badminton champion of the girls' gym classes. The annual spelling bee took place in January, when Elizabeth Gillis won first prize. In the following month Esther Harrison placed second in the American Legion Oratorical contest. The long-awaited Varsity Show was presented in April as the Victory Varsity. Sophomore Bettie Green appeared in the cast, while Milton Anderson served on the business staff. At the athletic awards dinner held in the cafeteria in June, awards were given to the following girls: Dorothy Fasig, Georg- ette Jeanfaivre, Barbara McLay, Helen Paris, Genoefa Szuszkiewicz, and Frances Williams. At the same dinner it was announced that Muriel Cook, Herbert Christoferson, Charlotte Gallo, Elizabeth Gillis, Jean Gino, Astrid Johannesen, Gordon Mead, Mary Pom-mer, Martha Sanderson, Lois Simmonds, and Walter Smith had been elected into the Athena Chapter of the National Honor Society. This marked the finish of our sophomore year. The thought of being upperclassmen at last, was in our minds as we struggled over exams and recuperated from the shock of final report cards. junior Ifeat Veterans of two years of service, we juniors were members at last of that select group of society known as upperclassmen, looking forward to the fun to come. School activities started off with a bang with the Student Council taking as junior members Joe Biondi, Luke Bowman, Bernice Gehrke, later to be elected secretary, Esther Harrison, Herman Johns, Eleanor Savo, and Gloria Savo. Muriel Cook was named Business Manager of the Comet in a November scoop, with Mary Bunnell, Claire McCartin, and Mary Melillo on her staff. Music hath charm, all right, for East Haven High's brain children, if the oh's and ah's heard from all when the Wurlitzer jukebox was presented to the school by the Board of Education was any indication. True to the tradition of moving on October first, some seniors found themselves in new surroundings. Homeroom 207 moved down the hall to 205. Senior homeroom 307 was originally 103 and 201, while 209 remained in Home, Sweet Home -room. Our own Nobel prize should go to the Thespians who at a December assembly presented the enjoyable comedy, People Don't Change. The play featured in leading roles juniors Milton Anderson, Warren Johnson and Esther Harrison. We became doubly aware of war conditions when we found that several of our A paper a day brings victory our way. A Nurse in Need and Deed Collecting Scrap lor a Bigger Scrap 30