Richard Montgomery High School - Rocket Yearbook (Rockville, MD)

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’Tis a sunny day on the football field of Montgomery High in the year 1958, and a stirring can be seen beneath an orange and blarlc helmet cast aside from the ’48 football season. As I crawl from beneath Fetrow’s size 10 helmet, I wonder why I can’t see. What’s the matter, what’s the matter? Oh, now I know. My bangs haven’t been cut for ten years. I shove them back from my face, gaze at the helmet next to mine and gingerly toss it aside. Who should be there but my twin, who, dressed as I, wears the black sweater, the orange and black skirt, and dirty white saddle shoes that can only prove we were the cheerleaders of ’48. After picking ourselves up, (she still clutches her Christmas card folder!) we exchange greetings and converse on the subject of our classmates. Since neither of us could inform the other on the subject, the logical place to begin our research seemed to be the school. Thus we progressed up the bank and through the aqua doors of our Alma Mater. We barge into the office and step back, startled, to see Kathleen Smith as Principal and Marjorie Creamer as Vice-Principal. After conversing a few sics with our old classmates, we decided to tour the school and see what changes had been made. Marching down the hall and passing the bank, we wave gaily to Margaret Ricketts who is still THE PROPHECY figuring up the debt for the Rocket of ’48. Next we cast ourselves into the typing room, and amid the beautiful plastic, atomic typewriters, we spy Joyce Perry and Josephine Thomas conducting a class in the art of typing 500 words a minute with only 500 mistakes. At this moment Jene Van Nordstrand dashes frantically into the room with the notices, screaming, “I’ll get those kids who skipped or die in the attempt.” We discover that she has taken the position of school secretary. Just then the bell blasts away, and the supervisors of the patrol (gestapo system of RMHS), Julia Darby and Allan Burgee may be seen using their ray guns on the unsuspecting students. Suddenly we hear the fire siren, and with hopes of returning to the school later, we dash madly up the street. Upon arriving at the Fire Department, we view Bill Berry in the Chief’s car still selling his new pocket editions entitled How To Pass Biology in 40 Years.” Finding Bill too absorbed in his work to speak, we head down the beaten path that is East Montgomery Avenue and stop, as our eyeballs nearly pop out upon seeing Joanne Brosius, the new Duchess of Magruder, whizzing by in her limousine with all the little Dukes in the rear compartment. Turning left we come face to face with a huge plate glass fronted store displaying Thompson-burgs” in solid gold letters — owned, operated, and fondly cherished by Gene Thompson, Esq. Looking into the ritzy interior, we see Jackie Abbe’s counter with a sign reading Clothes Made While You Wait, Men’s or Women’s.” Having noticed a dog sled outside, we aren’t too shocked to see Frank (He-Man) Darcey garbed in a coonskin cap and Eskimo outfit buying supplies for a ten-year trip to Alaska and all parts west. Next we step into the Atomic power elevator and speed to the 52nd floor, where we are most charged to see Mary Jo Berrier, Frances Salyers, and Peggy Lancaster’s Super, Slick, Slimy, Superior Salon (beauty, that is) where all girls may buy long, 26

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 Jacqueline Abbe wills her sewing ability to Neville Smith. Gillian Bairsto wills her delightful ENGLISH ACCENT to Miss Abeyounis. Mary Jo Berrier leaves her long blond tresses to The Deacon” Leighton. Bill Berry wills the Rockville Fire Department to Jimmy Nicholson. Joanne Brosius wills her gift of gab” to Judith Abbe. Tom Buchmann leaves his giggle to Eugene Heflin. Allan Burgee wills his industry to Wallace Comegys. Kathleen Clagett wills her interest in farm machinery to Barbara Nichols. Marjorie Creamer wills her demure manner to Jackie Monday. Doris Curtis wills her swing and sway” to Myles Olsen. Julia Darby leaves her interest in the human race to James Moneymaker. Frank Darcey divides his height between Paul Mulligan and Bradley Karn. Sally Deets wills her love of Tennessee to the Yankees and her third of the Three Musketeers to Charlotte Frost. Joan Dulin wills all those handsome Maine lads to the manless” girls in R. M. H. S. Alton Elder will his gentlemanliness to all the hoodlums in the lower grades. Daniel Etter wills Gaithersburg back to the Mountaineers. Ward Fetuw wills his freckles (glad to get rid of them!) to Pat O’Brien and his leadership ability to next year’s president. Francis Fisher wills his choice of jokes to Billy Redifer. Richard Gray wills his wavy hair to all the girls for rainy days. Nancy Heacock wills her position on the cheering squad to Dot Luhn and her third of the Three Musketeers to Donna Diehl. Jo Anne Hickman leaves Tarah” and all her animal books to Lucile Campbell. Margaret Higgins wills her knowledge of the country roads to Dorothy Monroe and her third of the Three Musketeers to Jo Ann Dawson. Pauline Howard wills her sense of humor to Anne Wilson. Anna May Jones wills her typing ability to David Waters. Kathryn Kirby wills her desire to be a Powers Model to Fae Ray. Peggy Lancaster wills her Veronica Lake” hair-do to Barbara Cole. Donald Lawson leaves his trips to Coles-ville to anyone who can drive that bulldozer. Hazel Merry wills her knack for public speaking to Bobby Chambers. Robert Mills wills his athletic ability to Buddy Briscoe. Hubert Nicholson wills his running ability in football to Dougy Harding. Robert Nicholson gives his claims over Prue” to the fellows of Pennsylvania. Charlotte Parks leaves her studiousness to Upton Grant. Joyce Perry wills her happy-go-lucky manner to Jane Alice Chinn. Ralph Ray leaves his harem with neglected sophomore fellows. Louise Reid wills her efficiency to Wendell Day.

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luscious, limpid, blonde locks. We tear ourselves away from the grasping hands of our friends who wish to give us a peroxide pretty-up” and speed back to the 1st floor. Running from the elevator we bump into Charlotte Parks and scatter her many provisions for her coming missionary trip to China. Just as we skid through the diamond trimmed door, we hear horrifying screams pierce the air and look up to see Thomas (Giggles) Buckmann’s Batty, No-dash Brainy Joint” for the feeble-minded. Housed there is our nice little neighbor from England, Gill Bairsto, tied tightly to an iron bar, calmly writing her one-thousandth edition of Why Americans Drove Me Nuts.” Just then the little man in a white coat, Harry (Military Academy) Stevens, is leading a red-headed maniac who screams I won’t be a farmer, I won’t be a farmer! I won’t! I won’t! because I am Ward Fetrow, President of the student body of RMHS” slowly down the hall. Agreeing that we’d better leave Buchmann’s Nut House, we hop next door into Kathleen Clagett’s red-hot physical culture school and view her able assistant, Pauline Howard, as they gaze proudly upon their classes. In the room next to the main gym, Doris Hankel and Alton Elder are holding classes for all people over six feet on how to shrink six inches in two weeks. We take particular notice of the sign over the door reading The Best Things Come in Small Packages,” while directly across the hall Kathryn Kirby and Bobby Mills are running competition with their The Best Things Come in Big Packages School.” Noting a small door leading from the Physical Culture School with the sign Surveying While U Wait” over the door, we pick our way inside only to see Mrs. Reed’s boys, Francis Fisher, Donald Lawson, and Ed Sparks down on their knees rolling the dice; the plans for the tennis courts, swimming pools and covered passage-ways to the caf” for RMHS cast aside for the moment. Ah, yes, time is fast whizzing by, so we’d best be shoving off for other parts. Just as we step out into the street, we are almost crushed beneath the galloping hoofs of a horse with a gay little rider perched in the saddle. We recognize Joanne Hickman with her pocketbook swinging on one arm and her nurse’s degree swinging on the other. As she disappears, we sigh and turn our eyes toward a curving sidewalk that leads to the court house steps and decide to peek inside. We hear a strong, masculine voice from inside the court room and look in to see Dickie Gray, the new State’s Attorney with Doris Curtis (thus the curving walk) perched comfortably on his lap. Nearby we see Mary Jane Snouffer and Louise Reid as the two working secretaries in the court house. Having decided that we will have to depart from Rockville, we hop into our football ship and dash away. Ah ha, what’s this we spy? A lonely farm in the shape of a huge 4-H,” with Stanley Stiles as the proud and happy President of the Successful Young Farmer’s Association of America. We see that, at last, Stanley Sherman has found a place