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

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Twelve thousand football fans watched two great touchdown runs by Jackie Lyons, and three un¬ believable goal line defenses by the Blue and Blue’s forward line. The final score was 20-0 in favor of English, who with a 4-1-1 record went on to become city champs. This game also marked the first appearence of the E.H.S. Trick Drill Team. Despite a high wind which hampered the marchers, the squad looked very sharp. The E.H.S. Alumni Association was so pleased with the football squad that they gave a wonderful testimonial dinner in their honor and presented all lettermen with pens engraved with the date of their victory. The best E.H.S. could do in cross country was to capture the City Championships. However, the track team had a very successful season, bringing the Regimental Championship to 77 Louis Pasteur Avenue. Our hockey team achieved success by winning the City Championship with a 9-1-1 record. How¬ ever the team did not fare as well in the State Tournament, being beaten by Natick High School in the first round. Jerry D’Avolio, incidentaly, won top scoring honors in the city. The basketball team finished the season with a 7 and 5 record, but highlighted their season’s fes¬ tivities by scoring two decisive victories over Latin. When the school year had ended, we had defeated Latin School in every major sport, which is a record to be proud of. SENIOR YEAR—1957 Seniors at last! Several new changes were ap¬ parent when we finally got up enough courage to enter the portals of the E.H.S. on that September morning not too long ago. As a matter of fact we were greeted at the door by our new headmaster, Joseph L. Malone, former teacher at E.H.S. and recent headmaster of the now defunct High School of Commerce. We were saddened to learn that Mr. Ralph Quinn, the beloved head of the history department had passed on during the summer. Mr. Devore was appointed head of the history depart¬ ment, and Mr. O’Brien, formerly of the U.S. Navy and Girls’ Latin School, was appointed head of the math department. “Doc” Frazier informed us that we were now MEN of E.H.S. and as such we were expected to support, in a monetary way, this prominent in¬ stitution. Not the least were to be the payments on the Year Book and the Prom later on in the year. We were introduced to chemistry this year under the careful eyes of “Doc” Atwood and it did not take long before we realized that this was going to be a very “smelly” subject. The sweet fragrance of the Chemistry lab, the gym, and the lunchroom provided the boys with a variety of aromas. Mr. Malone soon laid down the law concerning neckties and Mr. Frazier had several beauties for rent at ten cents apiece. (Where did the gravy stains come from?) Also a new rule was enacted whereby either mili¬ tary shirts or suit jackets were mandatory at all assemblies. Mr. Malone works so fast that you could never tell where or when he was going to pop up next. One of his special notices begged the pupils not to bring their cars because they were stealing all the teachers’ parking spaces! (Aw! come on now, every man for himself.) On October 10 the “intelligent” seniors of the E.H.S. elected Robert LeBlanc, Class President, Michael Sammarco, Vice-President, Francis Paris, Secretary-Treasurer and Vincent Ceglie and An¬ thony Iasbarrone Executive Committee. Mr. Eccles and Mr. Devore’s dreams of having a class of intellectuals were shattered on Nov. 6th when the first report cards were issued.

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complaining?) and lockers, but soon everything was running on a smooth schedule. This year was also the year of the retirement of Colonel Meanix, who was a distinguished alumnus of the class of 1911. In his younger days he set many indoor track records, won many championships, and was a member of the 1920 Olympic Team. In 1955 our football team did very well, winning every one of its league games except for a heart¬ breaking 6-6 tie with a stubborn East Boston High team, and a trouncing by a strong Latin team on Thanksgiving day. In that contest Norm Chaban scored the only English touchdown, as the team went down to defeat 20 - 7. However, the game was much closer than the score indicates, with only Lady Luck providing the victory margin. The Blue and Blue’s cross country team com¬ piled an amazing record, winning every one of its meets, including the City and Reggie Champion¬ ships, completely routing B.C. High in the State meet, and taking fourth place in the New England Championships. This made the second year in a row that the team won the state class A title. As for the track team, outside of Tom Porro setting a new record in the class B 880 in the Regimental Championships the remainder of the season was mediocre, with the team compiling a fair record. The basketball team, having lost all but two of its letter men, fought hard, although every team in the league was out to prevent English from winning a third straight championship, and man¬ aged to break even for the season. ' I ' his was the first year under Mr. Fred Gillis as basketball coach. The hockey team had one of its most successful seasons, compiling a 7-2-2 record. Jerry D’Avolio, who was only a junior, was a standout, and. hopes were high for next season. The baseball team also did well, winning all but 2 of its games to take the city championship. JUNIOR YEAR — 1956 Juniors at last — only one more year to go. Be¬ cause of a polio epidemic, the opening of school was delayed for two weeks. (We accepted the school board’s decision without a struggle.) We were pleased to welcome Captain Robert Fisher to the faculty as the new drill instructor. He worked fast and soon had the drill program shaping up well. Captain Fisher brought with him several new ideas, among these, an Officer Candidate School where he instructed hopeful aspirants in the art of giving military commands, (remember the SNAP AND PRECISION) and a trick drill team to per¬ form at various school functions. This was also the year of the famous bomb scare. Unfortunately the “mad bomber” did not carry out his plans. How¬ ever, we were dismissed from school at 10:30 o’clock on the day of the intended bombing. (Bos¬ ton theaters reported a sudden upsurge in ticket sales.) 1956 was a rough year on the teachers w r ith Mr. “Chic” Evans, Mr. Charles Murphy and Mr. Sheehan all absent from school for several weeks with serious illnesses. During this period we had a great variety of substitute teachers; among these, substituting for “Chic” was Hal Connolly, who went on to set a new record in the hammer throw competition in the Olympic Games. On another day “Chic’s” room and the rooms near it were so filled with smoke from a blocked ventilator that many pupils joyously thought that the building was burning down. This year was also the era of the Sammarco Submarine Sandwich. Mike had a thriving busi¬ ness in those Italian delights when “the Admiral” put a stop to it. There were threats of violence and suicide from the more zealous and devoted spuckie eaters, but in time even they forgot about the East Boston Special. After two previous heartbreaking losses, the English High School Football team scored a tre¬ mendous victory in the Thanksgiving Day Classic.

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Shortly thereafter the annual football rallies took place. We listened to a stirring message about good sportsmanship by our headmaster and we were overflowing with spirited enthusiasm when we sang the traditional E.H.S. “fight” songs. Another first this year took place when the seniors were invited to the Alumni Rally, and the many who attended enjoyed themselves very much. Mr. Falvey lead a raiding party on the Long- wood, catching many of the E.H.S. pupils calmly sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes. This led to a notice that all the “havens of food” in the vicinity of the school were out of bounds to all students and from now on all pupils would have to eat their breakfasts at home. New honors w’ere added to the E.H.S. when the Milton Grenadiers American Legion Post Drum and Bugle Corps, trained by our Captain Fisher, won second place in national competition in the Presidential Inaugural Parade. In recognition of this feat the English High School was presented with the flag that flew over the Capitol Building on the day of the inauguration. Our many thanks to Captain Fisher for bringing these honors to the school. Early in February, we were shocked to learn of the death of Mr. Robert M. Evans, and shortly thereafter the death of Mr. Frederic O. Gifford. Their passing is mourned by the entire student body and faculty. Mr. Evans spent 25 years at E.H.S. giving students a better understanding of the languages and customs of the Europen coun¬ tries. Mr. Evans was noted for his cheerful spar¬ kling personality. Mr. Gifford had been a member of the English department for almost thirty years. Mr. Gifford was widely recognized as an excellent English teacher and a man devoted to his profes¬ sion. He took a warm and kindly interest in his students and always took time out to help boys in difficulty. Ahead of us now we still have our class day exercises, prize drill competition and the School¬ boy Parade. And early in June 1957 our high school career will come to a close when we will be presented with the coveted E.H.S. diploma, a document we will cherish the rest of our lives. Among the events which are not mentioned are the Class Day Exercises, Prize Drill Competition, the Schoolboy Parade, all of which have become fixed in our memory as part of the great history of the Class of 1957. The end