Kingswood Oxford High School - Retrospect Yearbook (West Hartford, CT)

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NORMAN SCUDDER BARNES ’40 Working its way up slowly hut surely, the Class of ’40 acquired Norm Barnes in the Fifth Form. Norm seemed to make a name for himself right away. In the fall of that year he took up tennis while he was still getting settled, hut by the basketball season he was all set to go. He made the first team, thereby gaining a letter. In the spring Norm stepped right into the First Baseball Team and obtained the position of catcher, l ie again made his Major “K,” and with this award he became a two-letter man for that year. During the summer Norm takes up residence at Martha’s Vineyard, where he indulges very fully in his favorite hobby of dancing. Some of the steps he learns he brings hack to school, and he has burned up the floor at many a Kingswood dance. Norm enjoys the water too, as sailing takes up the rest of his time. Every morning Norm drives up to school in a Buick “Oldie.” Another one of his hobbies is to see how little time and gas he can use on the way to school from Bloomfield, where he lives; he has it down to tenths of a gallon now. This year Norm left the ranks of tennis players and took up soccer. He developed into a first-class half-hack, and it was his good, steady playing that kept the team from many losses. Because of his fine spirit and good workman- ship he won his Minor “K.” Basketball again called, and he jumped into his position at right forward and held it through a tough season. Norm was well- known in connection with this sport because of his drive and his skill in flipping the “long ones.” Baseball is the last sport for Norm this year, and we again see him behind the plate catching unwary base-runners. Normie is planning to go to Wesleyan and to study for his B.A. there. We cer- tainly hope that he continues his sports career and makes life as pleasant for the Wesleyanites as he did for us. His good humor will he an asset to Wesleyan and a great loss to Kingswood. 7

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'40 JOLLY deBRACEY BACKER Jolly joined our ranks in 1937 when he entered the Fourth Form. He immedi- ately took up football and went out for the varsity, where he has remained as a firm bulwark in the line. This year he aided tremendously in giving the team a suc- cessful year, and he was rewarded by be- ing named as alternate all-state guard. For three years Jolly has been the humorous mainstay of the Dramatic Club. In his first year he was a chorus girl in a Christmas revelry, and this year he played the part of a little boy in a similar farce. By far his greatest role was that of Grumio, the clown, in Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew,” which was given this year with Oxford. Being athletically minded, “Jol” went out for varsity hockey and baseball, in the Fourth Form, and he became a first-class softball player the last two years. Although Kingswood has no regular wrestling program. Jolly was a well-known figure on the mat in his Fifth and Sixth Form years. His ability was rarely surpassed by any one. In his first two years Jolly was often to be seen in the rifle range, and as another extra-curricular activity he became circulation manager of the Netvs. In the Fifth Form he gave the services of his baritone voice to the choir, thereby improving its volume and value. This year Jol was transferred from the News board to the Wyvern board, where he successfully became their first circulation manager. He was also appointed a monitor of the Common Room. Jolly has well lived up to his name by possessing a very keen sense of humor and a catching chuckle. His dispo- sition was always agreeable and was rarely changed by any adversity. His aca- demic standing has always been good; his name has appeared on the Honor Roll many times. On the athletic field his un- yielding spirit spurred his mates on to victory on innumerable occasions. Jol intends to go to either Dartmouth or the University of Virginia next fall, and we feel that he will make a sound place in either’s society. 6

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'40 ROY DONALD BASSETTE, JR. “Don” came to Kingswood in the Third Form and has been one of the out- standing contributors to the life of the school ever since. He took up football upon his arrival and played in the back- field of the Intermediate team. The class possessed a brilliant track star in this in- dividual, for in his Fourth Form year Don won medals for both the broad-jump and the hundred-yard dash; to say nothing of the letter he earned that year for Interme- diate football. In the Fifth Form the “Chief” Gradu- ated to first team football, and he again won a shiny medal for an eye-opening bit of broad-jumping that June. Each winter has found Don plowing through snow with the winter-sports group, and running the customary number of laps around the Hazen Track. Don joined the News in the Fourth Form, trying out for the business end of it. For the last two years he has been co-business manager with Jack SalTord. This year Don joined the Publicity Board and reported on a large percentage of Kingswood’s major contests. He is an excellent rifle-shot, and thus he has won numerous letters as a member of the Rifle Team. Don’s hobbies are perhaps the most interesting in the school. First, and foremost, his Tri-State Detective Agency has achieved nation-wide recognition through magazines, radio, and newsreel. He has become so absorbed in this fascinating study that he intends to make crime detection his vocation. Print- ing has turned out to he a hobby for Don, and a profitable one, too. His electric press seems constantly rolling out printed matter of one sort or another. Aside from being a “Super Sleuth,” the “Chief” also finds a good hit of time to devote to drumming. Being an ardent rhythm fan, he has gone a long way to- wards mastering this art as any one can testify. As for the immediate future, Don hasn’t made definite plans; he has decided to study criminology, perhaps at North- western. Good luck, Chief! 8