Middleborough High School - Timaron Yearbook (Middleborough, MA)

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1943 Memorial HigU. School 25 Under the able administration of Presi- dent Gross, the Student Council has been unusually active this year. Noteworthy among its accomplishments are the adoption of new plans for the allocation of Student Body dues and a revision of the constitution. This our last year in school was also to witness the loss of several veterans of the faculty. Mr. MacGown, the Science and Biology teacher, did not return after the summer: and Mr. Farley and Mr. Hyman left during the fall to join the Armed Forces. At the end of the first semester Mrs. Moore retired after fifteen years of efficient service in the Commercial Department. These va- cancies were filled by Mr. Spalding, Mrs. Sturtevant, Mr. Teeling, and Miss Dick. Tn March the Middleboro theatre-going public was afforded a rare treat in the pre- sentation of the Senior play, Leslie Storm ' s Heart of a City. The superior directing abilities of Mr. Ashworth scored again. With the excellent cast, including Patricia Hath- away, Ruth Kline, Barbara Michaud, Eliz- abeth MacDowell, and Arthur Burgess, he found himself with a hit on his hands. Or- chids to Mrs. Matheson for the realistic stage settings. Nor are the talents of our class confined to dramatics. We boast in our midst letter- men too numerous to mention; and the record of the basketball team, eleven wins and two defeats, is the best for some time. Scholastic honors go to Lois Wood, valedictorian, and Jeannette Atkins and Walter Alger, joint salutatorians. Many of the boys are already in the Military Service; the rest of us expect to be there soon. Most of the girls will un- doubtedly do work contributing to the war effort. It is therefore suggested that people interested in the further history of the Class of ' 43 consult their daily newsoacer.

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24 f e m o r i a 1 High School 1943 History of the Class of 1943 WILLIAM SULLIVAN On September 1, 1939, World War II broke out in Europe. Five days later the Class of ' 43 broke into Memorial High. At the time the latter event seemed much more im- portant. In the presence of our learned teachers and dignified superiors, the upper classmen, we felt rather timid. We were aptly described by a former class historian as scared rabbits. It was not long, however, before we be- came sufficiently sure of ourselves to elect class officers: Norman Andrews, president; Jeannttte Atkins, vice-president; Patsy lam- pietro, secretary; and Walter Alger, treas- urer. Further indication of our ability to adapt ourselves to the new surroundings was the absence of an acquaintance social, which, as its name implies, is designed to acquaint the Freshmen with the upper classmen and each other. The class got off to a good financial start by selling ice cream and candy at the foot- ball and basketball games. The plan proved so successful that it has been continued by the incoming Freshmen ever since. One of the less pleasant occurrences of the year was the advent of Midyears, which came down upon our innocent heads like a wolf on the fold. Happily the bark of the wolf proved much worse than his bite. In the fall of 1940 we returned to school feeling quite mature. We were now Sopho- mores. Our officers were Robert Gross, president; William MacMahon, vice-presi- dent; Roberta Gross, secretary; and Donald Quagan, treasurer. Our principal social event that year was the Sophomore social, which was held in February, in a patriotic setting. It was the first afternoon social, and there were some misgivings as to how it would go over. Thanks to the efforts of the committee in charge and the class adviser, Miss O ' Neil, it was a real hit; we made a lot of money, and Stuart met Lillian. The athletic facilities of the school were enhanced by an addition to the locker room, which Mr. Battis had built during the sum- mer. Of further interest in athletic circles that year was the excellent record of the baseball team, which lost only one game all the season and had one of the best defensive in-fields in the state. By June there were many new members of the faculty. Of these, Miss Merrill, Mrs. Ring, and Mr. Sturtevant are still with us. The next September, as Juniors now, we chose the following class officers: Donald Quagan, president; William MacMahon, vice- president; Constance Draghetti, secretary; and Walter Alger, treasurer. An important event early in the year was the dedication of the new football field to Mr. Battis in recognition of the time and effort which he had expended in completing it, almost singlehanded. The grandstand has a large seating capacity, and it is now pos- sible to charge admission and thereby greatly increase the income from football games. The death of our submaster, Mr. Tillson, in November was a loss to the whole com- munity; but it was felt most acutely in High School, where his devotion to his work and his sincere friendliness had endeared him to everyone. When he passed, something irreplaceable passed with him. After Christ- mas there were new additions to the teaching staff. Among these were Mr. Ashworth, the Senior English teacher, and Mr. Whitmore, who teaches Chemistry and Physics. The winter social season was climaxed by the Junior Prom, which was a triumph, measured by standards of either pleasure or profit. The year ended in a burst of activity. The occasion was the election of the Student Body president. Following a colorful nom- inating assembly and an exciting campaign, Robert The-Pupils ' -Choice Gross was elected to the office. His opponent, Eugene Sav- ard, became vice-president. Last autumn, after a vacation in which many of us worked to help relieve the in- creasing manpower shortage, we resumed our studies as Seniors. We were of course en- tirely familiar with dear old M. H. S., and perhaps our only new impression was a real- ization of what little creatures Freshmen are. Getting down to business quickly, we elected Malcolm Person, Donald Bowles, Constance Draghetti, and Roberta Gross, class officers.

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26 Memorial High School 1943 The Last Will and Testament of the Class of 1943 ROBERT W. GROSS Being of sound mind and memory and fully aware of the uncertainties of this life, we, the Senior Class of Memorial High School, do therefore make, ordain, publish and de- clare this to be our last will and testament, hereby revoking all other former wills by us at any time made. ARTICLE I The Class of 1943 appoint the Honorable Walter Hicks, Oak Street, Middleboro, Massa- chusetts, the executor of this our will, and we direct that bonds to the extent of one Red Coupon (value 8 points) be required of him in the performance of his duties as such. ARTICLE II After the payment of our just debts and expenses we give, devise, and bequeath as follows: A. We. the Class of 1943, do will and bequeath to the Junior Class our recent success and Nickerson Avenue hit, Heart of a City, with the hope that they can do as well with it as we did. B. We leave to the Class of 1945 a fund of three dollars and fifty-one cents ($3.31) toward the purchase of special glasses for their reading of Mr. Thomas ' s hieroglyphics. C. To the Freshman Class we will our outstanding record of achievements, to be held before them as a symbol of what a truly brilliant class may accomplish. D. To the incoming class we leave our faculty and our sympathy. SPECIAL LEGACIES To Jack Halahan we leave our president ' s harem. To George McLeod we leave Walter Al- ger ' s sparkling personality. To Robert Sullivan we leave Sully ' s knowledge of history. To Doris Breivogel we leave Tess ' s vitality. To Stanley Alger we leave Al Morris ' s sound judgment. To James Kilpatrick we leave Jeannette Atkins ' s journalistic ability. To KiUy Farley we leave Elinor Breivo- gel ' s ability to wear clothes. To Beanie Bell we leave Betty Sellew ' s sensibility and poise. To Mr. Battis we leave the book ' The Tyranny of Words. To Eddie Travassos we leave Donald Foye ' s height. In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord, one thousand nine hundred and forty-three. The Class of ' 43 Signed, published, and declared by the above-named Class of ' 43 as their last Will and Testament in the presence of us who have hereunto set our hands as witnesses: Town Manager Town Treasurer and Collector Chief of Police