Girard College - Corinthian Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 13 text:

I am writing this letter to you in my classroom with half of you before me reading The American Observer. As I look at you, I am pleased with your general appearance of neatness. Some of you need a haircut, but you have assured me that the matter will be taken care of before we leave for Washington on Thursday. As you read, you indicate an attitude of real in¬ terest. You are reading—just then one boy did yawn — an article entitled, Major Issues Face Congress. Within a few days get a glimpse of the machinery by which our Government is run. The issues about which you are reading are indeed genuine. You will carry back from Washington a sense of the relationship between issues and the men who try to resolve them. You will see Mr. Taft,, Mr. Barkley, Mr. Wherry, and both Mr. Myers and Mr. Martin from our own Commonwealth, in the Senate. In the House of Representatives you will see, among others, Mr. Rayburn, Mr. Martin, Mr. Knutsan, Mr. Rankin, and Mr. Bloom. You will think of these men in relation to matters of finance, housing, social security, controls, national planning, etc. You will eventually realize that these men are determining policies that will affect your lives very definitely. Only a short time now until you yourselves will help to decide at the polls who your leaders shall be. Truly you do need to know and understand the issues as well as something of the men who ask for your vote. You will come back from Washington after three days with a broadened vision, and you will reevaluate the College in terms of the background its classroom instruc¬ tion has given you, the home care you have had, the meals that have been provided, and the attention that has been given to your physical well-being. Pending examina¬ tions will absorb your attention, and before you know it Commencement Day will be upon you. On your own! Release! Freedom! How marvelous the words sound! And then you will go home—home with the responsibilities to that home, to mother, to other members of the family. You will face problems from which you have largely been shielded. Life after all isn ' t quite so carefree as you thought. You can ' t do just as you please as you thought you could. And you can ' t sit around home doing nothing very long. College? A job? If so, what job? The military service? My, my, it isn ' t any wonder that so many boys say, Oh, if only I could go back there! But we don ' t want you back here; we don ' t want you to want to come back. We ' ve tried to prepare you to meet life and its problems with a strong body, a trained mind, a firm foundatian in character, confidence in yourself, faith in others, respect for authority, loyalty to your Commonwealth, and a love for humanity. With that equipment you should be restless in your desire to prove your worth to your home, to yourself, and to society. God bless you, young men, on your great adventure, and may you continue after all to have a nostalgic desire to come back to Girard—not to stay here, but to tread again the walks and floors that each year become more hallowed in fond memory of the days of your youth. Affectionately, D. MONTFORT MELCHIOR DR. MELCHIOR you will see Congress in session. You will

Page 12 text:

F MR. J. HOLLAND HECK, responsible for the excellent photog¬ raphy. His cooperative and efficient work has aided us tremendously. The Editors of THE CORINTHIAN wish to express appreciation to the following contributors MISS RUTH NORTH for her expert advice on the art work in this publication. DR. RAYMOND I. HASKELL, faculty sponsor of THE CORINTHIAN, for his suggestions and keen foresight. It has been a pleasure and a fruitful experience to work with so friendly and so accomplished a person.

Page 14 text:

... a far nobler and wiser ambition to benefit mankind than ever animated the most devoted follower of the world ' s applause. —Nicholas Biddle, Esq. 1947 [ 10 ]