English High School - Blue and Blue / Record Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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I have always felt that the military instruction I received while at the English High School pointed me towards my military career. The excel- lent academic instruction and the sympathetic and wise council of the teachers were of the untmost value to me during the forty years that ha je elapsed since I graduated. The other, who has remained closely associated with the school as instruc- tor of military drill for the past thirty years, is Col. Joseph McKenzie Driscoll. Col. Driscoll returned to English High School in 1923 as a lieutenant and veteran of the first World War. He has remained on the faculty ever since except for a leave of absence granted him during Word War II. Upon his retirement this year, a scroll bearing the following inscription was presented to him by the Head Master . Colonel Joseph McKenzie Driscoll, a graduate of the class of 1913, a soldier who fought in defense of freedom in two world wars, a military leader, who for thirty years has been an inspiration to thousands of stu- dents of the English High School, Boston. Walter F. Downey, Head Master The Lieut. (J. G.) Paul Halloran Memorial Award was established this year by Lee Wintergrad, a graduate of this school, in honor of his classmate. Both Halloran and Wintergrad were pilots in the United States Naval Reserve. While on a bombing mission they attacked an enemy ship. Diving downward, they unloaded their ammunition and left the target in opposite directions. Win- tergrad returned to his base safely, but Paul Halloran was never seen again. The 1953 trophy was awarded to Francis Theodore Spriggs. Again, Gen. Matthew B. Ridgwoy deserves recognition here upon being appointed Chief of Staff of the United States Army. This is the highest military office other than that of Commander in Chief. Robert C. Roberts, ' 53 ( 9 )

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lummj otes Each year the great record of honor and achievement of the EngUsh High School alumni is augmented by graduates in every conceivable field. The stories of these men and how they rose to such high positions in their service to mankind are a great inspiration to present-day graduates and undergradu- ates. Many or these men were of unbelievably humble beginnings and had to overcome tremendous handicaps to command the highest positions in business, industry, and the professions. The following paragraphs will recall members of the alumni whose attainments have been brought to our attention during the past year. On April 11, 1953, an article, entitled Your Heart is His Business, ap- peared in the Saturday Evening Post. This is the story of Doctor Samuel A. Levine, clinical professor of medicine of the Harvard University Medical School and associate in coronary research at Massachusetts General Hospital. Doc- tor Levine is today one of the world ' s foremost heart experts. He is credited with being one of the first to identify coronary thrombosis in a living human be- ing and has made several important discoveries in the field of medical re- search. He was the first to detect the absence of acid in the stomachs of per- sons afflicted with pernicious anemia and has made invaluable contributions to the study of thyroid heart disease. The doctor, an individual of amazing intellect, was a freshman at English High School when he was only twelve years old and graduated with the class of 1906. He completed four years of college work in three years at Harvard College and was graduated cum laude from the Harvard Medical School at the age of twenty-three. Samuel Levine came from Lomza, Poland, to live with his family in a slum flat in the North End when he was five years old. He worked his way through school, selling newspapers, and won a scholarship from the Newsboys ' Union. In addition to this he received many honors from English High School, including a Franklin Medal. Before graduating from medical school Levine was sleeted to do re- search work with the first cardiograph in this country at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. Another distinguished alumnus, a member of the class of 1923 is William M. Hickey, president of the United Corporation. Mr. Hickey graduated summa cum laude from the Harvard Engineering School in 1927 and was employed by Stone and Webester, Inc., of Boston and New York until 1930. He has been with the United Corporation since 1943. An account of Mr. Hickey appears in the 1953 edition of Who ' s Who in America. This year the class of 1913 held its fortieth annual reunion, which was at- tended by two distinguished military officers. One was the Chief of Finance of the United States Army, Major General Bickford E. Sawyer, who made the fol- lowing comment on his career at English High School in a letter to Mr. Dow- ney. ( 8 )

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Masters Emeriti Retiring 1953 COLONEL JOSEPH McK. DRISCOLL (Military Drill) for thirty years a member of the faculty of the English High School. LEROY M. RAND (Commercial Subjects) for forty-four years a member of the faculty of the English High School. What greater or better gift can we offer the republic than to teach and instruct our youth? (3jn JHemortam WILLIAM I. HAYES (English) for twenty-eight years a member of the faculty of the English High School. Retired October 1, 1952. Died April 3, 1953 ( 10 )