Seneca High School - Arrow Yearbook (Louisville, KY)

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Mr. Wich with the 1959 drum major, majorettes, and band. and there that I would make good on this job. They weren,t going to confuse ME with my scalp-mad an- cestors. That first year at Seneca was a busy one for me. Everyone pitched in and with all those mothers, the Dad's Club, the teachers, and the students working to- gether, a dreamed-of stadium began to materialize. In October 1959 we had a regulation football field ready for those football games. Those 'sunny days on that new field were the best ever. My band had gorgeous new red and gold uniforms to wear when they put on their half-time spectaculars, and my gridiron warriors had red, white, and gold outfits to don when they faced the opposition. l've always felt about my braves the way King Arthur must have felt about his knights of the Round Table. To me they are unbeatable because they have the right purpose in mind-to bring glory to Seneca as a result of their having disciplined their fine young minds and physically fit bodies to -withstand the hardest attack. Our fencing team always appealed to me for somewhat the same reasons. They were keeping a tra- ditional sport alive when they practiced, and the dex- terity with which they learned to handle the blade fitted in with my pictured vision of the armored medieval knight going into battle, determined to gain honorable victory for a just cause. As you may have guessed by now, I made it my business to attend some history classes-not many were offered in Dogpatch. Seneca was a leader in the adoption of many aca- demic changes in the Jefferson County schools. The Mr. Matthews and Mr. Mayer sponsored the fencing team.

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Lonesome's Legend 541 aj: .. . .. Senecafs football stadium as it appeared in 1959. l've learned that lookey tharv isn't good English, but that's the way lfelt when I first saw Seneca. It seemed so big when I first arrived here in November 1958. I was told that thirty-four new classrooms had just been added to the original thirty-one rooms that were dedicated February 25, 1958, and that almost fif- teen hundred students were enrolled instead of the orig- inal 862 young Redskins of 1957. However they were still running true to form, rushing through the wide hallways to beat the bell to their classrooms, worrying about homework and exams, and making good grades. I also learned that the school had opened under the name of Goldsmith Junior High School and on Nov. 14, 1957 had selected the name Seneca by 414 votes over Goldsmith 155, Cumberland 93, Watterson 65, Glen- dale 35, Beargrass 14, the colors red and gold were Seneca's 1959'Redskin football squad. ,Az yt K X fx Kg favored over others, and finally a little later the student body had chosen to be called Redskins rather than War- riors, Braves, or Indians. This had happened before I came to assume the duties of chief and mascot. Did I ever feel exalted in spirit! To know that with all the handsome Indians available for the job, they had chosen ME-pot-bellied, beak-nosed, back-woodsy ME!! They even painted pic- tures of me on the walls and wore me on sweatshirts and pep buttons! Whoops-s s-sl!! I decided right then or Dick Simpson and Steve Banes compiled this Lonesome using photos of Seneca teachers, and the floor inlay of Lonesome was a gift from the Seniors 1965. 72 L 2 59 , . ,fag f ,lay- , L 25. fs 3541 2 -5014 ,W 335934 f www

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Lonesome,s Legend Five Track Program was initiated here in 1959 in the seventh grade, and it was extended each year until by 1964-65 the entire school was divided into Advance, Superior, and Regular classes. The academic progress of each level was developed to best suit the various abilities and desires of the great variety of students found in a school of this size. Educational Television was introduced in 1958-59 and by 1960-61 my school was participating in the full-time program which included General Science, English 11, American History, and Seventh and Eighth grade Mathematics. The Redskins seemed to thrive on their academic diet, and this is probably one of the reasons that Seneca was chosen as a pilot school when the time came to separate the Junior and Senior High Schools, giving each its own area of the building as well as separate faculties and administrations. Scholastically the Redskins have always tried for the top. Senecais first Beta Club was installed in 1953-59, and since that time has become the largest in the nation even though its entrance qualifications are among the most difficult. When the first graduates, the Class of 1961, reached Seniorhood in 1960, twenty-four of its deserving members were tapped for the National Honor Society. Me plenty proud of those two organizations- you betchum! Oh- oh- there 1 go. When 1 get too ex-. cited 1 lapse into the old Kickapoo Joy Juice lingo. When Seneca first opened its doors to the first fresh- man class sixteen courses were offered. These included English 1, General Science, Spanish 1, Latin I, Civics, Algebra 1, General Mathematics, Industrial Arts, Home Economics, Art, Mechanical Drawing, Health and Phys- ical Education, General Music, Chorus, Band, and Or- chestra. When that first class reached its last year in high school a total of eighty-five subjects were offered. Now, this is only hearsay, but I have heard people, who I presume understand this business of education better than 1, say that many small colleges have less academic variety than MY school has to offer. That really makes me feel that MY school performs a great public service. Okay, Okay, its YOUR school, too! Any casual observer can see the physical changes that The 1962 Natimial Honor Society.