Seneca High School - Arrow Yearbook (Louisville, KY)

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Jw Etltlili .5113 1962-63 Redskin B-ballers, winners of Jefferson County's first Kentucky State basketball championship. newspaper, the Sentinel, which had replaced the Leaky Pen, our first publication. Linda Sawyer later became Miss Kentucky while Pat Richardson, Nancy Gleaves, and George Unseld are now Seneca teachers. I led many a cheer for George when he jumped center on my first great basketball team. The Seniors of 1962 took a dramatic step forward when they produced one of Broadwayis all time hit musical shows, Annie, Get Your Gunf' It was a terrific undertaking, but once again my Redskins set a prece- dent for others to follow. Succeeding graduating classes put on Paint Your Wagon , 'LMusic Man , Pajama Game , Carnival',, and How to Succeed in Businessf, Am I ever proud of their work at these times! They create all the scenery and costumes while lVIr. Wich and his orchestra play those difficult scores like professionals. The acting and singing directed by lVlr. Stickler and Mr. O. Williams is wonderful. Other schools have begun to follow their good example. There were five organizations at Seneca that first year. That number has swelled to forty, many of which are active service groups. Fine student interest and dedicated faculty direction have resulted in an exem- plary Student Council which represents the students and works for the welfare of the school, a nationally known Junior Classical League, and Student Exchange programs conducted by language groups as well as the Interna- tional Relations Club and the Key Club. Public interest in education has been stimulated by all of these forward steps made in the last few years. One of the latest developments that I have truly appre- ciated watching is the evolution of adult education. My having had so little schooling before I was lucky enough to receive my present job probably helps me to realize the value of this program. I admire those people who come to night school because they want to complete their high schooling, take enrichment courses that will enable them to obtain better positions, or satisfy their personal desires for self-improvement. Those impressive trophy cases lining the halls contain The 11121364 Redskins won the State again, the first time the championship was won back-to-back by the same Kentucky high since .

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A 1962 aerial photograph showing the combined Seneca and Goldsmith Elementary school layout. occur around a school, the wing that is added and the third floor containing additional classrooms tell the story of an ever-increasing population. As I survey the out- lying-areas it is equally obvious that we have expanded our health and physical education facilities. Instead of one baseball diamond, I now see five in constant use. The blacktop play areas support many basketball stanch- ions. The athletic field is surrounded by a hard-surface track that is used for everything from track meets to national competitive bicycle meets. ln our first few years of athletic competition with other high schools, our gymnasium seemed quite adequate. Now we find it necessary to hold our home basketball games at other locations so that the ever-increasing crowds can be ac- commodated. ln fact, the gym is hardly large enough to hold the daily Physical Education classes that all students are required to take through their freshman year. These changes do prove that the Jefferson County Board of Education was alert to the future needs of the citizens when they purchased this fifty-one acres in 1959-The Leaky Pen goes to press. 1954, built Goldsmith Elementary, and decided on con- struction of Seneca so the so-called World War II war babiesn would have adequate school facilities available when they reached Junior High school age. Was l ever glad that my school housed those Hbabiesn-they were terrific! When school opened in 1960 the final thirty-two room addition to the building had been completed. We now had a larger library, much needed science and language laboratory space, and additional vocational facilities. The faculty had increased to 101 and the stu- dent body to 2500. We were ready to be evaluated and in November 1960 Seneca was accredited by the South- ern Association of Colleges and Schools. This meant that grades earned by the Redskins would be repre- sented by Carnegie units which are required by most colleges as entrance units. So, I carved another notch in the Seneca totem pole that day. We were on our way! Graduation 1961 was a great thrill to me. Those kids were the ones who published our first y e a r b 0 o k ARROW '59 and twenty-two of them started my favorite 1958-59 Arrow staff plans the first edition. I3

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a variety of awards that these young Redskins have earned in the fields of Academics, Art, Music, Speech and Government as well as Athletics. The Senior Class of 1964 presented that large square case with the re- volving plate in it to the school after the Seneca Bas- ketball team woniits second consecutive state champion- ship in 1964. Right now the case happens to contain the Big Threei' trophies, the two basketball state champion- ship trophies I just mentioned and the Kentucky AAA Football Championship trophy of 1965. I always carry pictures of those three teams with me if you would like to examine them. Neat? Not many ten year old schools have records like that, you know. Of course all the awards and honors received at Seneca don't go into the trophy cases. Many are given to individuals who keep the awards themselves. Others go to groups such as the staffs of the Sentinel and the ARROW whose publications have received note-worthy accolades. We also have wall plaques on which are en- graved the names of outstanding students who have re- ceived specific honors. In 1961 Seneca graduated its first Merit Scholars and in 1966 three of our graduates received National Merit Scholarships, the most received by any high school in Kentucky. That made everyone sit up and take notice! All of this sounds as though my Redskins are content to play only the leading roles in the story of Seneca. In a school that now numbers over three thousand stu- dents and one hundred thirty-five administrative per- sonnel and teachers this is far from true. Our school .must operate much as a well-organized, successful busi- ness or an intricate machine must function. At times when eulogizing one of our successful leaders we may seem to have forgotten those who helped make his success possible. Without the administrators who provided the oppor- tunity, the patient teachers who drilled the winners, and the students who performed many small but necessary services this success story could not have been written. The members of the Library Club, the office and T-V Aides, the boys who operate .the Audio-visual equip- ment, the F.T.A. Aides, the managers of the various athletic teams, the Debate teams, the members of the choral and instrumental groups have all contributed their time and talents to the overall results that Seneca proudly produces. Even I may have been of some small help as one little cog in this great school of which I am so proud to be the mascot. Today's sun sets on an important occasion. A success- ful decade of Seneca's history is completed. As I watch you go on your way I feel grateful to each individual that has played the part in this story that suits him best. The words Seneca Forever carry a special meaning to all who revere the red and gold. We are bound to- gether by tradition, dedication, and love for our alma mater. Each of you has made my life more meaningful. I have told you this tale so you would understand that being here with you is the happy ending to my legend. LONESOME isn't lonesome anymore. Seneca's winning Redskin football squad of 1965-66 who brought home the Kentucky AAA Championship to Jefferson County for the first time. I5