Nichols School - Verdian Yearbook (Buffalo, NY)

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SHELDON THOMPSON III Born: October 20, 1921 - Entered: September 1932 Football, Manager, '39, Hockey, Manager, '40. Ten lingers playing up and down your ribsg a poke in the stomachg a push in the back-guess who? It's Shelly Thompson, one of the inevitable roughnecks of this Senior Class, who denies all recognition in con- nection with the poet. Since Shelly's entrance into the school way back in the sixth grade, his sense of humor has developed steadily. The results may be heard daily from Mr. Verrill's first-period English class. For him a day at school is wasted, but days spent on his vivid green auto contain the really important accomplishments of life. How this antiquated, but often renovated, Chev. is kept running, remains a mystery, but at 8:30 every morning, whoever happens to be left over at school from the day before may see him bounding up the driveway in it. Two years ago, Shelly was the assistant manager for both football and hockey, and during this last year he acquired the managership of both of these teams, a decidedly unusual feat at Nichols. Incidentally, we are searching for someone who can remember when Thompson used to be active on a squad. Shelly has not yet decided in which institution to further his education. GEORGE WADSWORTI-I Born: April 1, 1922 -Entered: September 1938 Soccer team '38, '39, Tennis team '39, Dramatic Club '39, Charities Committee '39, '40, News Board '40, Honor Roll '39. Coming to Nichols from Syria two years ago, Waddy immediately entered into the school life. As a member of the Dance Committee, he holds the record of being the most tenacious ticket seller therein, and his motto in the Charities Committee has been one of collect or die. Not content with these positions, George industriously saw to it that each of the alumni received his copy of the News every month. On the athletic field, Waddy has not remained inactive. He was a regular member of Mr. Pierce's varsity soccer team in 1938 and Mr. lkeler's in '39, playing most creditably both years. His swift footwork and quick returns have made him an increasingly valuable member of the championship tennis team. One can well imagine that such a profuseness of extra-curricular activities would literally inundate the average person, but not so in this case. George was an inveterate holder of the honors title and comprises one-third of the intelligensia of Doc Walsh's third period Virgil class. George in his quiet and unobtrusive way intends to foster his inclination for international law at Princeton

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GERALD RAY TAYLOR Born: December 2, 1919 -- Entered: October 1939 Football team '39, Basketball team '40. In one year at Nichols, Jerry has, through his remarkable athletic ability and his amiable manner, become exceedingly popular with his class-mates. Throughout the football season, his astounding end-runs and accurate punts, which usually managed to bounce out of bounds in the vicinity of the opponents' three-yard line, saved several games for the Green and White. He has also shown promising ability in various other sports, which include especially basketball and baseball. Certainly Jerry is one of the best and most versatile athletes in the school. As a student, he does not always attain highest honors, but the eighth period often finds him enjoying the tales and comments of Mr. Thornton's class for boys who cannot fathom the intricacies of General Business . Since athletic activities have left him no time to enter into the extrascurricular lields, the various commit- tees and boards have not been able to take advantage of his jovial, yet carefree nature. Jerry's hopes for next year lie in Michigan State. CHARLES FREDERICK THOMPSON Born: April 4, 1922 - Entered: October 1939 Soccer team '39. Much to the disappointment of all who grew to know and like Charlie this year, he, like most of the 1940 Seniors, will no longer frequent the halls of Nichols, but, after his one short year with us, will head for Rutgers University. A man after Mr. Pierce's own heart, Charlie came to us from Kenmore High School, and long before school opened, made his initial appearance on the soccer Held. There he played long and diligently, filling the important position of left half -back in an otherwise weak defensive system. Tommy's talents are too numerous and far-Hung to be enumerated, but we might add that he is a master mathematician, frequently surpassing his awed classmates in penetrating by brilliance and insight into some unfathomed geometric depths. Time passes quickly as the class listens with interest OJ while Charlie tries to explain geometry to Mr. Tuthill. The field of plastics-an almost untouched frontier, according to Tommy -should provide him with an excellent opportunity to exploit his already obvious ability.

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CARLTON EDWARD WERTZ, JR. Born: March 7, 1923 - Entered: September 1933 Football squad '38, Football team '39, Hockey squad '38, Hockey team '39, '40, Dance Comn-u'ttee '38, '39, Chairman '40, News Board, Advertising Manager, '37, Operetta '38, Verdian Board, '40, Class Officer '39, '40, Student Council '39, '40. Carl Wertz' great popularity at Nichols is indeed proved by the fact that he was elected president both of the fifth form and the Senior Class, the latter an indeed coveted honor. In addition, he placed highly in the senior election for both the Biggest Heartbreaker and First to Marry , which would seem to indicate that his popularity extends to the opposite sex. But this is by no means the limit of his accomplishments. Since he entered Nichols back in the sixth grade Cone of the few seniors left with that distinctionj Carl especially distinguished himself as advertising manager of the News in 19375 both member and chairman of the Dance Committee, and at one time he participated in that famed Nichols-Seminary institution, the Operetta. Nor has he been inactive in the field of sports. Besides taking part in varsity football and track, he has been a member of the hockey squad since he was a freshman, and has made the team for three successive years--a brilliant feat in a school so hockey-minded as Nichols. Carl will study for his father's profession, that of a doctor, at Williams. DONALD HACKENBERG WHITMER, JR. ' Born: November 13, 1922 - Entered: September 1935 Football squad '38, Tennis squad '38, Boxing team '37, '38, Student Council '39, '40, Charities Com- mittee, Chairman, '40, Operetta '38, Verdian Board '40, HOIIOI' R011 '37, '38. Another one of the outstanding members of this class, Whit has been with us since the second form. During the last two years, he has assumed in his quietly impressive manner the duties bestowed upon him by the Student Council and has likewise shouldered the responsibility of the all-important Charities Committee most successfully. His popularity has never been questioned, since he has executed his duties as the Vice- President of the fifth and sixth forms efficiently and capably. In addition to these responsibilities, he has found time to assist in the publication of this volume without neglecting his athletic activities which have consisted of winning his laurels in the boxing tournament for two consecutive years and playing football and tennis with the varsity squads, ably assisting the manager of the former during the recent season. Bud was also a violent member of the now extinct Nichols-Seminary Operetta. Not overwhelmed by the extra-curricular activities, Whit earned honors for two years, receiving marks of the highest quality, especially in languages. Don hopes to further his knowledge of photography and sash-and-door manufacturing at Yale.