Hartford High School - Hartford Key Yearbook (White River Junction, VT)

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Class History The year was 1935 The day, September 9; The place was Hartford High School Where met those frosh of '39. Well do I remember that day of all days when I walked up the driveway to Hartford High School for the very first time. What freshman doesn’t! There were the seventy-seven of us that rainy afternoon when we filed with the veterans of the building to the spacious auditorium which only the spring before had been completed. There we sat—enchanted. Mr. Whitney Parker, the principal, explained impressively to us, the ways which we were to follow. Then he introduced to us the teachers of the school and explained the intricate maze of corridors. At the end it seemed to us that he dismissed us with a very casual wave of his hand and a thoughtful, perhaps doubting glance. 'Ere long we learned that Miss Young and Mr. Smith were to be our special advisors for the year and it was under them that in June we found that we had successfully pulled through our first year in this new life. The other members of the faculty were Miss Oakes, instructor in three years of English; Mr. Smith, English 1 and Latin; Miss Young, Algebra 1, Girls' General Science, and French 2 and 3; Mr. Allen, French 1, 0. S. History, and music; Miss Kingsbury and Miss Jensen, who later was replaced by Miss Kelleher, commercial studies; Mr. Osgood, mathematics; Miss Ainsboro, Home Economics and Biology; Mr. Saunders, Manual training and Mechanical drawing; and Mr. Holland, Boys' General Science and History and coach of football, girls’ basketball, and baseball. After a few weeks had passed, we learned that it was customary for each class to have officers who were obligated to lead us dutifully and nobly on into further activities. For the president we all eagerly elected Harold Rising; for vice-president, Howard Miller; secretary, Caroline Cameron; and treasurer, Geraldine Churchill. Very shortly after this the seniors informed us that they were going to give us a reception. This, we felt, was their way of showing their appreciation of our presence in the building. Surely our good deeds had not passed unnoticed. The night came and we were, carefully ushered to our reserved seats down next to the stage in the old assembly-hall Our time had come! Ve were really the object of everyone’s attention. Mr. Charles Perry, then a senior, was the speaker of the evening. He told us the importance of our years to come and the importance of our friendly relationships throughout the class. We listened, thoroughly resolved to put away childish things and to be grown up. This talk was followed by dancing and refreshments for us. We now really felt a part of the school—in fact, the biggest part, until the following Monday when it seemed to us that all the other classes had completely forgotten us. In October “Stunt Night” came, that night when each class vies with the others in more or less skillful stunts. We freshmen jumped for joy. girls hugged each other, and boys went around chests and chins up, when the judges presented

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Yearbook Board YEARBOOK BOARD First Tew left to right: Leon Farnham. Caroline Cameron. Robert Stoekwell. Seeotid row left to right: Harold Rising. Helen Perdelwitz. Dorothy Moore. Lucille Wood. Philip Rolx-rts. Third row left to right: Henry I cwis. Susan Wright. James Donahue.

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to us, the babies of the school, the third prize for our rodeo with saw horses, our bull-fight, and our playlet. A very short time after this the class voted for a “social.” It was to be our first, and under the careful supervision of Miss Young and Mr. Smith several of us met at the practice house to enjoy ourselves with games and refreshments. Winkum seemed to be the favorite game enjoyed by mostofusthat night so long ago. Oh, there were so many things to learn about. In the fall there was football. Six or eight members of the freshman class joined the squad later to give a fine train. Winter came and so did basketball. Over half the girls in our class went out for this sport and so did several of the boys. But when spring came, all that the girls could do was to stand and cheer for our boys as they “whacked” the ball and sped around the bases. When baseball season was well at hand we knew that it would soon be time for school to close. However, final examinations had to take place liefore vacation. There is always something to spoil life, isn't there! Well, struggle we did and pass we did, and before we realized it, it was all over and we were enjoying happy hours together on a trip to Lake Morey. Camming, rowing and swimming brought a happy ending to a happy year. SOPHOMORE YEAR In the fall of '36 about seventy of us returned as sophomores. Pearl Cashman, Eleanor Coran, Catherine Farr, Dorothy Little, Arietta Newell, Rudolph Couter-marsh and Frank Connolly were no longer with us but we were pleased to welcome Roland LaBelle, from St. Albans; Clair Lovell, from Willaston Academy; Roy Plummer, from California. We found that Mr. Whitney Parker had resigned his positon as Principal, and had accepted a similar jxisiton in Littleton, N.H., and Mr. Holland, who had faithfully and skillfully drilled the various students in athletics, had succeeded Mr. Parker. Mr. Freitas from Boston University, joined the teaching staff and also took over the extra curricular activities which had previously l een done by Mr. Holland. He also had classes in history and physics. Miss Winn followed Mr. Smith as instructor in Latin and English 1, and Miss Leach came in to assist Miss Ainsboro in the Home Economics department and also as teacher of chemistry. The change in routine was ery great. An extra hour was added to the day’s program in order that each student might have an extra four in which to study not that we needed another hour for that! Nor was this all, for it was necessary to have a small, but very important white slip of paper entitled Basement Permit” in order togo to the lower regions where we had hitherto brought our books, etc., only to visit and while away the time. To In in a room to which you were not regularly’ assigned, it was also necessary to have a transfer signed by the teacher and also by someone in the office. There was still another magic slip which was equally important and which I l elieve received even more frequent usage than the others and that bore the woefully significant name of Detention Slip”. Thus with these varied changes we continued on our way trying hard to avoid in the midst of chaos the detention room. It was not long before election day arrived and this time we chose Bernard Dwyer as the head of the class. To assist him we elected Roland Hamel; for secretary, Elizabeth Cone; and for treasurer, Peggy Quinlan. Stunt night was soon upon us as before and we, under the directions of Caroline Cameron.(for it was her idea) produced in miniature form, The rac-