Erick High School - Bearcat Yearbook (Erick, OK)

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SENIOR HISTORY The discovery of the class of '49 was an accident. Twelve years ago, early the morning of the 6th day of September, 1937, the faculty of the Erick Grade School were strolling aim- lessly through the corriders of the grade school and wondering if there would be any start- ling changes in their work during the coming year. Suddenly they caught a glimpse of some- thing new. It was the 43 students who were to become the Class of '49. The discovery was reported to the ruler of the Grade School, Principal Alexander, who had to put up with the following students who became Seniors in 1949g Bill Barker, Jackie Gallaway, Willie Clancy, Richard Elms, Bob Puthuff, Bob Baker, Donnie Balkcom, and Jo Evelyn Waters. The rest of the class joined them as follows: Sonia Pamplin 5th, Roma Jo Crosley, 6th, Jim Bill Henry, Leon Hobbs, Bob Stewart, jane johnson, and Jerry Stone, 9th, Lyndel Hinchey, 10th, Leon Nippert and Bob Puthuff in the Ilth. The dawning of the ninth year was a glorious one. They were given the name of Fresh- men. The most unpleasant thing about this year was the contempt in which they were held by those who were presiding over the school, but they ignored the upper-classmen. At the end of that year a terrible disaster befell the Freshmen. They were greatly reduced in num- ber. It was the worst massacre of all times. The next year they received their new names, Sophomores. They were also allowed to serve at the Junior-Senior Banquet. Then they became juniors, and how they scorned the Freshmen and Sophomores, as they had been scomed when they were Freshmen and Sophomores. After a year of hard work they were given the title of Seniors. The same group- that were Juniors were also Seniors with jackie Gallaway rejoining them. With the gaining of the name, Seniors, they began to take themselves seriously. And when I say seriously , I really mean SERIOUSLY ! As the year drew to a close they were postively dizzy with dignity. All this was looked upon with friendly amusement by the teachers, who regarded the result of their twelve years of hard labor with rightful pride. They had converted a band of ignorant, untamed aborigines into intelligent, courteous citizens of their great school, and had lost only the usual proportion in the process. Better yet, they had found that for which they had been searching so eagerly for four years - - a genius - - in fact, several of themg and all of the class were passable. At the expiration of the twelve years the principal expressed himself as greatly pleas- ed with the additions to his school alumna and pronounced them all highly eligible for ad- mission as citizens. He praised the work of them and predicted that their names, with those of their teachers, would be written in history together. By way of appropriate celebration, a strange ceremony, known as commencement, was held. Speeches were made, for no particular reasong songs were sung and scrolls called diplomas - - from the Iriquois word diplomacy , signifying the skill and finesse it took to get one - - were given to the Seniors, and they became citizens ready for their work in life. Each is choosing his vocation. They are destined to become famous and honored throughout the land. ' ,

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Bill Barker Leon Hobbs Roma Crossley Lyndel Hinchey Leon Nippert Lowell Downey Willie Clancy Bobby Stewart Jim Bill Henry Jane johnson Richard Elms Bob Puthuff

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