North Andover High School - Knight Yearbook (North Andover, MA)

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JOHNSON HI G H S C H OOL D CLASS HISTORY HE monotonous passing of time was recorded by a loud tick! tock! re¬ echoing through the desolate corridors and silent, shadowy classrooms, so lately filled with tumbling laughter, hurrying feet, chattering girls, and happy-go-lucky boys. The desks, now emptied, the stairs with their hollows complained no more under the weight which each bell had for¬ merly brought. The old, red brick school settled itself for a long rest cure ’neath the soft summer rains and warm sun, only to revive itself again in the fall so that another crop of frightened, frivolous freshmen might enter its staid portals. With a sigh, it remembered the last graduating class, the class of forty. How raw and green they had been that first day, so young and eager to grasp their new life. Somewhat noisy and rather undisciplined at first, but the faculty had soon seen to that. Let’s see, the biggest honor that year had been given to that boy with a mile-wide grin, Billy Mackie. He’d done well at it, too. That thank-you speech to the seniors, at the party they had given the freshmen, had been a work of art. It must have been in November, because the decorations had been corn stalks, which by the end of the evening were strewn from one end of the floor to the other, due to the peppy music of Hatchie’s Jig Jags. My! How dressed up in manners and clothes the fresh¬ men had been that night! How much envied were the seniors who danced so effortlessly. Of course, there had been lessons by these same seniors be¬ fore the affair, but to no avail; the stiff one-two-three, one-two-three style still hung on. However, you wouldn’t have known they were the same freshmen in April, at the return dance ; they had grown up entirely in five months. First, they put on a super-colossal theatrical production named “Elmer” in which Mackie, the renowned actor, had taken the lead. Miss Pierce had coached them with success, she hoped. Their dancing had improved and they weren’t quite so shy— by the time refreshments came around, in fact, they were hav¬ ing quite a fine time. After that dance, the commencement activities of their beloved seniors had quite over-shadowed everything. The next fall they had come back, that class of forty, as sophisticated soph¬ omores, and they certainly made known to the new freshmen their authority. Mackie again was chosen president. That year, there had been a new addi¬ tion to the faculty, Miss Jensen, by name, and the library certainly became a well known retreat for harassed, admiring, confiding students. Their com¬ bined dance with the juniors had been a real success. They seemed to have a jinx, however, where stunt night was concerned. They just couldn’t seem to win that prize, but they did manage to take second with their radio program this year. The old school smiled gently to itself in remembrance. When the leaves began to turn color, the class trooped back— well browned and ready for work, full fledged juniors. They had gone to the big¬ gest from the smallest for president, and Bing Miller was the honored one. Yes sir! They had chosen an able pitcher to control the ball game of their junior year. There was plenty of pep that year, and as soon as those small scholastic matters had been settled, the Sophomore-Junior Party was held. Mmmm, that had been in October. They’d rented a nickelodian. “First time I’d ever seen one of those contraptions,” murmured the school to itself. What a time they had had, what with prize waltzes and broom dances. 22

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1940 YEAR BOOK Outside the ring about Germany, hostility against Germany was fast dying. Then in 1922, the fear of a Russo-German alliance because of Germany’s recognition of Soviet Russia, caused hostility to ebb faster. A noticeable shift in sympathies was brought about by the French occupation of the Ruhr. The main object of this occupation was to exact reparation from Germany. Instead, it aggravated unemployment problems and the industrial depression. great many German citizens and officials were put out of the Ruhr; manu¬ facturing offices and newspapers were seized. In the meantime in Germany, Hitler and the Nazi regime were struggling for possession of the government. Paper currency was being printed fast. Germany’s economic system, collapsing swiftly, threatened to do away with the ring about her. The value of the mark fell rapidly. By 1924, with France’s own currency slipping fast, France made ready to back down. Germany now, threatening to fall apart, was doing away with old treaties, old economies, and old customs and moralities. Outside Germany, stabiliza¬ tion was fast growing. Poland and Russia made peace, Czechoslovakia thrived, Mussolini had grasped control of Italy; but within Germany there was still chaos, still sixty-two million Germans to feed, clothe, to organize. With the Locarno Pact came hope of disarmament, arbitration and peace. Prosperity came to the post-war world— a world at peace! These were years of reconstruction, of German loans, of building! Production had reached new heights. These were years of international cooperation in Eur¬ ope as trade grew. France had stabilized her currency, Germany was rebuild¬ ing her merchant marine, England was struggling with labor problems. Then in 1929 the market crashed in New York; then came the depression! With the depression, Germany, helpless without a strong leader, received Adolf Hitler as the Chancellor of Germany and with him, his Nazi regime! From Germany soon came rumors of bloody purges, of Jewish persecution, of cruel and violent leaders. Hitler had begun to carry out his program for bringing all groups and forces within Germany under his absolute control. First in Europe, then overseas, Hitler planned for the expansion of Germany’s military power, political influence, and territorial possessions. Soon after, crises came thick and fast; war in Ethiopia, war in Spain, war in the Far East, seizure of Austria, seizure of Czechoslovakia. War, this blooly monster has come once more to scourge the earth, brutal, barbarous, his crimson jaws hanging open, his tongue ever flicking out! Mr. Hayes, to you who have guided our paths and have been a sincere friend to each of us during our four years at Johnson High School, we wish to express a little of our deep gratitude. Teachers, who have worked patiently and faithfully with us in the class¬ room and whom we shall ever esteem, we can never express our great appre¬ ciation for your help and cooperation. Parents and friends, who have been always sympathetic anl helpful, we shall never forget your kindly interest in us. Schoolmates, to you we leave Johnson High, its future, its traditions, its spirit. Keep it ever the Johnson it is today! Classmates, we have at last come to the parting of the ways. This it the last time we shall come together as the class of nineteen hundred and forty, and after tonight our school life at Johnson High will be but memories; mem¬ ories to help each of us to attain that goal for which we are striving. Goodbye and God bless you! DOROTHY V. DAINOWSKI 21

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1940 YEAR BOOK This year, a new disciplinary system had been introduced, forbodingly called, the demerit system. It certainly had given Room 12 a little more ex¬ clusiveness, if we could call it that. Rings and things too this year, well anyway rings, and they’d done well, considering, mused -the building. The fortyites had started talking about the class supper in February, and when the big night arrived, it certainly had been no disappointment. The will, prophecy and history, having been duly read and accepted with laughter in gales, the memorable junior year drew to a close. Seniors! That unbelievable rank had been bestowed upon the heads of the class of forty— could they live up to it? I’m afraid there were a few skeptical minds. However, these were soon convinced and everything had gone quite smoothly and conventionally. They had started by reelecting Bing for president and had done their duty where the freshman party was concerned. There were so many things to do as seniors— “Journal,” “Year Book,” ath¬ letic leadership. They had done these things commendably. The teachers hadn’t been quite satisfied with their conduct, but I’m sure they made allow¬ ances for the excitement of the senior year. April rolled around, and with it pictures, and all the hustle and bustle they brought. Just to be different, they decided to have a prom that year and al¬ though many were dissatisfied, they all worked together to make it a success. -Preparations for graduation made the seniors oblivious to all as they tried to catch up on chats with classmates who might not be seen for a while. The school heaved a sigh— a sigh of both regret and good wishes to that incomparable class of forty. KATHERINE E. WAIN WRIGHT CLASS WILL © E, the Class of Nineteen Hundred and Forty, being, it is rumored, of sound mind, though we doubt that a competent physician could prove it, do declare this to be our last will and testament. Without any fur¬ ther ado, the following bequests are made: To Patrick Kennedy, John Jackson and Clifton Stone we leave a sigh that they have plunged into things too deeply now and might as well stick it out. Harry Bunker, who, were silence golden, would be a millionaire, bequeaths his silence to Thomas Calzetta and James Richardson along with the advice “ ’1 is better to be brief than tedious.” Joseph Provencher leaves his success in bookkeeping to William Lafond. Anthony Giragosian, the Turkey town terror, bequeaths his guard position, which he handled so capably, to James Guthrie, and his robust baritone voice to Glenn Farley, the boy soprano. Helen and Lillian Burns leave a vast amount of good sense to Eliza and Marcella Hebb. Alex Hay wills his boldness towards girls to Robert Garneau. Kathleen Long leaves her wisdom teeth to Isabella McKinnon. John Casale bequeaths his ambition to be an airplane pilot to Frank Carvell, and his strong desire to be among the girls to William Bartley and Frederick Chase. James Winning leaves the loudest yawn in the school to Warren Rea. 23