Fernald High School - Echo Yearbook (Fernald, IA)

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C lass Prophecy qc ontinuedj It was not long until all the guests had assembled and were seated at the numerous tables in the gym. After a delicious dinner, the meet- ing was turned over to the president of the alumni association, a hand- some man in uniform. For the benefit of those who had not been around Fernald recently, he introduced himself as Ray Couser. When he noticed several people looking questioningly at his uniform, Ray explain- ed that after several years in the National Guard, he had become so in- terested in military matters, that he had worked himself up to head of the R. O. T, C. department at Iowa State College. It was evident that Ray was the same bashful, unassuming person he had been back at F. H. S. , for he seemed embarrassed when the guests applauded his good fortune, and told the group that he was now going to introduce a group of really successful people--some former F. H. S. teachers. The first teacher Ray introduced was Mrs. Edna Talbott, recently retired after years of teaching service at Fernald. As Mrs. Talbott rose to acknowledge the introduction, there were shouts of speech! speech! Mrs. Talbott apologized and said she would not be able to give a speech. She then explained that she was suffering from a rare nervous ailment common only to schoolteachers, and that her doctor had per- mitted her to attend the banquet only under the stipulation that she bring her private nurse with her. Mrs. Talbott then commented that she was sure everyone would be interested in meeting her nurse. All eyes turned toward the nurse and many had already recognized her when Mrs. Talbott gave her name. It was Margaret Miller, another member of the class of '53, a class which had, itself, probably contributed gener- ously to Mrs, Talbott's nervous ailment. The next teacher Ray introduced was Mrs, Mabelle Chitty, who was leading an even busier life than she had led as teacher at Fernald. Mrs. Chitty told the alumni members that she was the new head of the Des Moines Art Center and that she also taught art classes at Drake Universi ty. Wishing to turn the crowd's attention from her achievements, Mrs. Chitty said that she would like to introduce one of her former colleagues, Mrs. Neva Cummings. None of her old typing students were surprised to learn that Mrs. Cummings had advanced to the position of President of the Gregg Division of Northwestern University. Just as Ray was starting to introduce the next guest, a strange looking character dressed in ragged overalls wandered into the gym. Believing this person to be in the wrong place, Ray began to explain that this was an alumni banquet and that only graduates of the local high school were allowed. But I am a graduate of Fernald, the person ex- claimed in a somewhat familiar voice. I am Barbara Cawthon of the , class of '53, now known to members of my society as Beautiful Barbara, Queen of the Hoboes. Needless to say, everyone was

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Class History fContinuedJ Our Senior year arrived and the thirteen years which at times had t seemed endless, now seemed remarkably short. Florence Watt and Mike Kendall had moved during the summer and Phyllis Stevens moved away in March. We were happy to have the same faculty return in addi- tion to Mrs. Neva Cummings. Our last year proved to be very busy-- we had our pictures taken at Waterloo, and the Juniors were hosts to us at a fine banquet at Lloyd's near Marshalltowng our class play, Rest Assured , was presented April Z9thg and we enjoyed Skip Day in Des Moines. Then came Baccalaureate and Commencement. With mixed emotions we received our diplomas Tuesday, May 19, 1953. Among the graduating class were seven of the original class which entered Fernald's halls of learning nearly thirteen years ago. The eleven members of the graduating class of 1953 included Barbara Cawthon, Ray Couser, Elaine Crosby, Donna Rae Danielson, Dean I-Iandsaker, Gay Huhn, Kay Huhn, Evelyn Jarboe, Janet McBride, Margaret Miller, and Helen Wheelock. Class Prophecy The new ultra-modern Fernald Municipal Airport was swamped with arrivals one May evening in 1963. The annual Fernald Alu.mni Banquet was being held and alumni and former teachers from all over the world were journeying back to their old alma mater. As these visit- ors made their way through the heavy traffic of Fernald's metropolitan area they noted many changes. Where once had stood the Federal North Iowa Grain Elevator now stood a skyscraper to rival even the Empire State Building. Another point of interest was the gigantic Hackett Super Market, advertised as the largest in the United States. However, the greatest surprise of all greeted arrivals at the high school. The neat brick building which they had expected to find had been replaced by a mammoth glass-walled structure which had' evidently been patterned after New York City's U. N. Building. Yes, after years of controversy, the consolidation issue had finally been accepted and Ames and Nevada High Schools had combined with Fernald making a high school enroll- ment of well over 2000. As people began to enter the gym where the banquet was to be held they noticed a dark haired woman rushing about giving orders. A man in the crowd, probably one of her old high school sweethearts, exclaim- ed, Why, I believe that is Kay Huhn, Hearing her name mentioned, the woman came over to the group and confirmed the fact that she in- deed was Kay Huhn, now Kay Handsaker, of the class of '53. Although Kay was either too modest or too busy to tell the group at the time, they later learned that she was the social leader of Fernald and that no event of any importance was ever staged without her supervision.

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Class Prophecy qc ontinuedj amazed, for they remembered Barb as an extremely industrious and ' ambitious high school student. Barbara proceeded to explain that she was riding they rails of a slow freight en route to Minnesota after a win- ter in Florida. When the train had come to a stop at a huge Rock Island Depot, she had disembarked to look around. It was then that she had noticed a familiar face--her former neighbor, Mac McNatton, and had realized that she was in her old home town. She then related how Mac had told her of the alu.mni banquet and how she had decided to attend it and renew old acquaintances. After the excitement had subsided somewhat, Ray introduced another of Fernald's illustrious former teachers, Al Miller. Asked for an account of the ten years since he left F. H. S. , Mr. Miller was just beginning to speak when a woman seated beside him jumped up and be- gan to recite Mr. Miller's many accomplishments ending with his recent appointment as Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference. Yes, it was none other than Mrs. Miller. When asked about her career, Mrs. Miller reluctantly told the crowd that she was now serving as the head of the Julliard School of Music. She also told about the new music con- servatory she had opened in Paris financed by the vast fortune she had accumulated while teaching at Fernald. She then introduced one of the teachers at this new school who.was with her that evening. It proved to be one of her former pupils, Elaine Crosby. Elaine's appearance had not changed, although it was obvious that she had been living in Paris for she had already acquired a French accent. I Next on the program was some musical entertainment by a famous Fernald alumnus, Gay Huhn. Ray explained how Gay had consented to interrupt a busy television and radio schedule to return for the banquet. Gay was known in the music world as the 'successor to Johnny Ray. After several songs, the enthusiastic audience agreed that the title was certainly well deserved. t After Gay had finished singing, Ray presented the main speaker of the evening. Ray related how this speaker had risen from the obscure post as Superintendent of Fernald High School to head of the electrical engineering department at Yale University, and how his inventions had revolutionized American industry and made his name a household word in every home in the nation. There was tumultuous applause when Ray finally announced the name of the speaker--Don Begg. It was evident that Mr. Begg had an important speech prepared, for he requested that those present take notes on his talk. He had just said, Take out a half sheet of paper, when a loud groan was heard from one of the far tables. The offender, an .elegantly dressed blonde, apologized profusely for interrupting the speech, but said that the