Manchester High School - Memoir Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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PROPHECY Looking into the future there is war, but somewhere beyond that strife there is an everlasting peace. We, the senior class, have attempted to look into that future to picture our- selves in the year 1955. First we go to the Stork Club in New York. As we go in, everyone is dancing to the music of, yes, it's those Kings of Jazz, Raymond Ferguson and Raymond Graves. VVe take our szats just as a beautiful girl, Joyce Poarch, starts crooning a love song. Say, this looks like a family affair, there's Nettie Mae Davis doing a danc- ing specialty. Remember how that foursome used to hang together back in '43? Leaving the night club, we center our interest on the El Paso Theatre located on Broadway, starring Veronica Brook and Robert Tyler in The Ever- lasting Peace. We enter as the feature begins and gasp in amazement when we find the leading roles to be played by Gloria Butler and Bobby Williams. Remember how they used to fuss and scrap at school in '43? My, they have turned out to be a lovely pair! A As we leave the theatre and enter a subway, we find ourselves being pushed and shoved around. We glance up and there in the conductor's seat sits Stanley Woodfin, all grins. During our conversation with him we discover that he and Elizabeth Winn are to be married soon. Remember how they arrived late for school every morning? We visit Roy Grubb and his wife, Christine Wilkinson, in a beautiful apartment down town. Roy is ex- pecting to ride his horse in the Ken- tucky Derby next year. Good luck, Roy! You know it seems funny about Clarine Wilkinson and Sidney Chalk- ley being separated from Roy and Christine, but they seem to be doing fine with their lovely set of twins. Stuart Baltz, who used to run around with that group, is no longer with them now, for he is in the farm business. We get off the subway and decide to go sight seeing. just as we step on the bus, we bump into that one and only Ellen Chadwick. We have seats together and have an Old Memories talk. It seems that Ellen is a private secretary for that famous lawyer, Raymond Wilkinson, in New York. She boards with Grace Crouch and Twila Smith, who are also secre- taries for a Real Estate Business. Remember how well they got along in commercial work? Ruby Pinkleton, who used to be with that crowd, mar- ried one of those sailors who used to be around. Just imagine that! Alice Seay and Decatur Miller are engaged to be married. Decatur is half-owner of a circus in which Alice is a stunt motorcyclist. Norman Wood, who used to attend to all of our senior business, is at last a lawyer. It seems that he and Audrey Britton are engaged. Doesn't that make history for you? Do you remember how quiet Belver Richie used to be? Well, she is an advertising agent for the Lowman Company, and she and Raymond hardly used to speak to each other. My, how people change. We hear a newspaper boy yelling the headlines at the top of his voice.

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History of the Senior Class On September seventh, nineteen hundred and thirty-nine, eighty-six pupils entered Manchester High School as freshmen. After the first month of school we had a class meeting for the purpose of electing officers to lead us through our first year of high school. June Johnson was elected president of the class. Joyce Harris was elected vice-president and Bill Traylor, secretary and treasurer. With the aid of our sponsors, Miss Berry- man and Miss Hodges, we had a very successful year. The following spring we had a May Day Festival in which we were represented by Mary Clarke, Annie Werne, Jimmie Craze, and Jim Turner. We had a picnic in the same month at Forest Hill Park, where we had a lot of fun together. At the end of the year, there was a feeling of loyal class unity and a pride that we were to enter Manchester the next year as sophomores. We were called together by our sponsors, Miss Lumpkin and Miss. Fore, to elect ofricers for the coming year. Hilda Protzman was elected president and with the aid of the other officers, vice-president, June Johnson, secretary-treasurer, Ruby Pinkleton, and reporter, Joyce Harris, we started another school year. Seeking entertainment, we organized a bowling team and had regular bowling games at bowling centers in Richmond. The class again had an outing at Forest Hill, which was enjoyed by everyone. Our class was represented in the May Court that year by Doris Wright, Gloria Butler, Raymond Ferguson, and Harry Lane. That closed our school activities as sophomores. The following year we returned to school as juniors. The class elected Ray- mond Ferguson as president, Bill Pfeffer, vice-president, Ruby Pinkleton, treasurer, and Roy Grubb, secretary. Miss Lumpkin and Miss Crawford were our sponsors for that year. During that school year one of our sponsors, Miss Lumpkin, was married, and Mrs. Crump came and took her place as sponsor and teacher. As juniors, we sponsored a play, Pickles Becomes a Lady, which proved a great success. With the arrival of spring, May Day festivities began. Those representing the junior class were Mary Clarke, Joyce Poarch, Jimmie Craze, and Harry Lane. Gloria Butler served as maid-of-honor. In the big event of the season, the juniors were hosts and hostesses to the seniors, at the annual Junior-Senior Banquet, held in the new gym on May 15, 1942. A very happy year was ended in June with great hopes of returning to Man- chester as seniors in the fall. In September, 1942, the fourth and last year of our high school life began with our beloved sponsors, Miss Ball and Miss Terry. In our first meeting of the year we elected oliicers, who were, president, Raymond Ferguson, vice-president, Hilda Protzmang secretary, Ann Jolly, and treasurer, Ruby Pinkleton. We had a Christmas Party in the home economics cottage which was very entertaining, and everyone enjoyed it. Because of the war and gas rationing many of the senior activities were cur- tailed, but we, as patriotic citizens, understood the circumstances. We knew that we would give up our pleasures now so that we might enjoy them later. Many of the former students of our class have entered the services. Those who have gone are Ranny Collier, Robert Hudson, William Donner, Warren Davis, Ralph Reams, Jim Turner, and Jimmie Craze. Many other boys are qualified for the armed forces and are expecting to be called. We seniors know what we can do for our country, and that is to keep on buy- ing War Bonds and Stamps, which we have engaged in so faithfully this year. As graduation came nearer, we realized that as a class we would not have much longer to be together. Some were planning their college careers and others were making plans to go out into the working world. We, as a senior class, greatly enjoyed our high school days together, and we wish success and happiness to those who follow.

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lt's that big hunk of a man, Forrest jolly. I thought he had settled down to married life. We buy a paper and glancing through the pages, we see where that famous novelty dancing team, Doris Wright and Garland Canada, are t o u ri n g the country thrilling the audiences with their superb dance routines. The opera house is our next stop. We take our seats as the curtain rises. Who is that singing? Why, that's Hilda Protzman! What a beautiful young lady she has become. After the curtain falls, we go back stage to see her. She tells us that she is to be married in a month to Kenneth Savedge. He's the boy who used to be the ladies' man of our class. As we are leaving, Ann Jolly and Broaddus Hey come through the door. He is Dr. Hey now and one of New York's best surgeons. Ann is his nurse and chief assistant. Things have certainly changed since '43. We learn that Harry Lane Finally married Virginia Hammond. We know she is happy. Helen Hiles and her wonderful family are living in the same apartment house with Harry and Virginia. We leave the opera house and hail a cab. When the driver steps out to open the door for us, we are really startled, for there stands Thomas Suttler. He married Virginia Hender- son, and they have two children. just imagine that! Thomas says that Tuck Atkinson owns the cab company he is driving for and that he and Shirley Fricke are to be married next month. And to our surprise, Ewell Flippo, Doctor of Divinity, is to marry them. Laura Dunn, we find out from Thomas, has gone into dress designing and is a famous designer now. She designs ,clothes for Countess Uldine Booker. a We get out of the cab at the hotel and who should be waiting to see us but Gene Winfree. She is just as tiny as 'she was and very dainty. It seems that Gene is a model. She tells us that Betty Lou Smith is a beauty operator in Hollywood and that Annie Werne and Joyce Harris have become famous movie actresses. Gene says that Katherine Williams is now a famous actress on the stage. Remember how well she used to act back in '4-3? Our stay in New York has been quite enlightening, but where is the remainder of our classmates? Since we must find out, let's go into Madam Viking's. Well, there sits Violet King, gazing into a crystal ball. She says the ball reveals that Jacqueline Gillie is now entertaining millions as a vocalist for Glenn Miller. Mary Lee Snellings is a hat designer in Paris. Wonder if she designed all of those topsy, turvy hats the women are wearing now? Gertha Goins and Gloria Firesheets are air hostesses on that famous Eastern Air Liner from New York to Miami. Mae Donner's tea shop in Richmond, is a very well known eating place. Charlene Walsh, who used to be quite an athlete, is now a physical and health education director of the Y. W. C. A. in Tallahassee, Florida. Well, as our trip ends and we head for home, we can't help thinking what a success our senior class of 1943 has made. It seems that there is an ever- lasting peace!