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

Page 32 text:

Not only was the seating plan getting full but the parking problem was worsening (to you who are illiterate it means getting worse ) , so gradu- ally that the richer element of the school took over the parking places. C lir sophomore year closed pleasantly when Efnglish High School won an award in the school- boy parade. Thus ,we marched out of one year and into another. ' JUNIOR YEAR This school year began with a few additions and subtractions to and from the staff. Mr. Joseph L. Malone, the successor to Mr. Mclnerney who had to go to Brighton High, shocked our classes with a startling social reform — Dress Right. New clubs were also organized. The French Club or The Circle Francaise was supervised by Mr. Robert Red Evans, until this well liked teacher passed away in his sleep. Chess, radio, photography, and military units were organized not to mention the discussion club. Taking the place of Mr. Evans, in capacity as a teacher, was Mr. Roche, a highly volatile person. Mr. Ralph Quinn passed away and Mr. Devore succeeded him as head of the history department. Mr. GifFord died after 27 years of devotion to the alma mater and was replaced by Mr. Cullinane. Also Mr. O ' Brien etransferred from Girl ' s Latin School and became head of the math department. He quickly became well liked by everyone because of his helpful manner, particularly in the matter of direct help in the preparation for college exams. Mr. Charles Keelon went to East Boston to be- come headmaster there. Since the price of milk went down to two cents, we were able to saye our hard earned cold cash for the privilege of contributing $2.50 to the class fund dues, (money isn ' t everything) . Captain Fisher obtained a flag in Washington and brought it back with him for the school-boy parade. When he returned to the school he founded a cadet officer training course. The student council, having been duly and leg- ally elected by the student body, efficiently set to work as befitted our major law-making body. New shiny mirrors were installed for the better appear- ance of English High School men. This same august body also decided to set up entrance exam- inations which each applicant considered would have to pass. The school was getting crowded and naturally we wanted only the best. SENIOR YEAR 1957-1958 At the commencement of our final year of high school everyone was either talking about or suffer- ing from the Chinese Chimney (Asian flu). In November of that year we all regretted the death of Colonel Meanix, whom we had met very briefly at the beginning of our sophomore year. We were all disgusted when the price of that -precious bev- erage served in our cafeteria was boosted to $.03. Many boys complained it upset their budget and they would probably have to give up car checks. (HA). The results of the senior class elections were: John Sullivan as President, Paul Scarlata as Vice President, Anthony Brandenburg as Secretary- Treasurer, and Paul Wolfson and Robert English as members of the Executive Committee. After the elections the school made the final arrange- ments for the construction of the hard top pave- ment in the rear yard. I don ' t believe the political machines had anything to do with these final ar- rangements. At about the same time the school was honored by a gift from the class of 1913. A beau- tiful stone, in memory of those students of English High who died for their country, was placed out on the front lawn and surrounded by shrubbery and floodlights. We also acquired a statue from

Page 31 text:

routed at first, we formed a new line and from this test on never did we forget our memory pads. We maintained, in spite of the faculty ' s cold- blooded quizzes, a high percentage of passing grades per class. A common vow was sworn — next year the classes woilld have a few tricks in the bag. SOPHOMORE YEAR 1955- ' 56 The second year of the existance of our illus- trious class began with a bang. In fact it didn ' t begin at all. (on time that is) A polio epidemic covered the New England states and the Boston School Committee felt it best to delay the open- ing of school until the epidemic abated. Once again we were under the guidance of the same faculty with a few minor changes. Mr. Mclnerney decided to undergo once more the idiosyncracies of his faculty and students. We all deeply re- gretted the fact that Girl ' s Latin School moved during the summer and that Col. Meanix retired. I guess that he took one look at us and quit. Captain Robert Fisher replaced the Colonel and introduced us to the Boston English High School Trick Drill Team. Early in the year we had an interesting experience. During the first period a notice was sent to the individual home rooms, notifying the pupils to get their coats and return to their homerooms for dismissal. The boys were overjoyed by this but they soon found out that they were victims of the mad bomber. After the ballistics men went into action it was revealed that it was a hoax. Think of it, we almost saw the great English High School go up in an enormous puflF of smoke ! Next came the classic English-Latin game on Thanksgiving Day. The Blue and Blue carried most of the game away with a final score of: English 20, Latin 14. That night the English High School Alumni Association congratulated our vic- torious tfcam by honoring them at a testimonial dinner. Our hockey team took, a 9-2-1 record which included the city championship. The track team not to be outdone by the hockey team won the city championship and the regimental cham- pionship. A 7-5 record was displayed by our basket- ball team with two decisive victories over Boston Latin School. That year we beat Latin School in every major sport. In the spring we took part for the first time in the Annual Schoolboys ' Parade. Although we didn ' t take first place we wound up the year with our competent band and drum and bugle corps placing first above all other schools in our section. This year the teachers had a hard time; Mr. Evans was out sick, Joseph Sheehan suffered a severe heart attack which necessitated a conva- lescent period of two or three months in a hospital ; even Mr. Charles E. Murphy, who is apparently indestructible took a leave of absence foi a similar reason. Substituting for Mr. Evans was Hal Connolly who went on later to set a new hammer- throwing record in the Olympic Games. During Mr. Evan ' s absence somebody had evidently dis- covered a new cure-all for school and tried to force it on us; smoke poured into the room on one occasion, sending the students gasping cheerfully for air.

Page 33 text:

the old building on Montgomery Street. In one corner of our assembly hall, four plaques were hung on the wall, each one depicting a freedom mentioned in the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution. Then came the football season. The Alumni Association held a rally on the Monday before the 71st Annual Thanksgiving Day Football Game at Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, between the Blue and Blue and the Purple Palace . On Wednes- day, for the first time in the school ' s history, we had our traditional football rally on the new pave- ment at the back of the school. It seems that these rallies did a lot of good because we came out winning with a final score: English 26, Latin 20. Randy Mullins took a great part in the game but he couldn ' t have done it without the help of his fellow teammates and coach Bill Stewart. By win- ning this game we tied the city championship with Dorchester High School when Dot won over Roxbury Memorial 27-0. At Christmas time we had a Christmas assembly with selections from the band, the glee club, Frederick Kelley, Frederick Jackson, Lawrence Marsh, Alfred Fisher. After this joyous season most cf the boys buried them- selves in their books to study for the coming College Board Entrance Examinations. Among the major improvements over the Christmas holidays was the new gym floor; it had been slicked down, polished and shined until it was easier than ever to fall down on — we could even do our Berkly ' s without dirtying our hands. New games were played dur- ing the gym period, and basketball took a rest while high-jumping and volley-ball took over. Mr. Ronan formed a new Athletics Captains Associa- tion, the members of which were elected each year by the classes — one from each home-room. This Association had the responsibility of organizing basketball games between home-rooms and fur- thermore the captains of their respective home- rooms were to tell the classes how our teams were doing. In the mi ddle of January we were invited to see a film in the assembly hall called Dress Right . Just about everyone enjoyed the presentation but a great majority didn ' t care for the styles of correct apparel suggested by the Clothing Institute. The E.H.S. Varieties , which introduced the E.H.S. Combo was a great success. The entire class is looking forward with great enthusiasm to Class Day, the Blue and Blue, Prom, and last, but cer- tainly not least, Graduation Night. It has been a complete four years — and four years that we will never forget.