Newton High School - Newtonian Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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DEDICATION tj - V:,E, Michael B. Gradone Aristotle maintained that worthy men led exemplary lives because they devoted their efforts to only a few problems and did not carry many burdens in their minds. We can only wish that the sagacious philosopher could meet the living contradic- tion to his assertion, a gentleman named Michael B. Gradone. For fourteen years Mr. Gradone has been an outstanding citizen of Newton and leader of Newton High, and his responsibilities have been anything but few. After graduating from Medford High, Mr. Gradone finished his degree at Salem Teachers College in 1942 and received his Masters in Education from Boston University in 1946. He came to Newton in 1949 and has been here ever since. In addition to teaching in the Business Department, Mr. Gradone was an As- sistant Building Supervisor and was in charge of Visual Aids. During our first year at NHS he became Administrative Assist- ant. In 1961 he realized his desire for a House of his own, be- coming Housemaster of Palmer House. Since then, he has devot- ed himself to Palmer with a whole heart, guiding its Council, supporting its athletic teams, even painting its commons room single-handed. And the sons of Palmer respect Mr. Gradone and admire him for his comprehensive ability, his sense of humor, his out-going interest in everybody, and his vivacious attitude toward life. But Mr. Gradone belongs to Newton High and to the city as well as to his House. He has supervised graduation exercises for three years, and served as advisor to the Civics Commission. Many future stars of Newton High know Mr. Gradone as a leader of the Babe Ruth League. He was president of the New- ton Teachers' Credit Union and presently serves on the Executive Committee of Norumbega Scout Council. In his many com- munity activities Mr. Gradone displays the same friendliness, interest, and joy in living that are so familiar to students of Newton High. It is hard to believe that Mr. Gradone receives as much as he contributes to the life of Newton High. Yet he claims this is true. He has often said that one of the joys of being a house- master is coming into contact with many young minds. In grat- itude for his inspiration and appreciation for his friendship, we of the Neufzfonian, on behalf of the students of Newton High, dedicate this record of what we have given and gained to Mr. Gradone. 4

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The zmexazmmec! Zz e zs not worth living. M Sophocles n 4 ' v -fa f ty lb- E sJ'J

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I X W 'qui' Dr. Charles E. Brown Superintendent of Schools The story of the Greek city-state has in it a message which to me has lost none of its clarity through the passage of time. This extraordinary civilization, so rich in its art, architecture, drama, philosophy and literature became the victim of its own success. As Alexander the Great, forgetting, I am sure, some of the lessons learned at the feet of his teacher, Aristotle, built his vast empire stretching from Greece to India, the free Greek cities, to which Aristotle pinned his hopes for human progress, lost their pride and their liberties, never fully to regain them. In a very real way, this great civilization was l 5 destroyed from within-destroyed by men who had lost their perspective, and consequently, lost their very way of life. We face this same danger, as does Nigeria and every other nation which places its faith in the strength of the individual member of that society. Plato talked about the States being made out of the human natures which are in them. The wisdom of this statement still rings true, and must have meaning for us as we make our individual contributions to the society which we are shaping. Such is our her- itage-we dare not do less than value and preserve it.