Somerville High School - Radiator Yearbook (Somerville, MA)

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8 SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR (Ibe Xatc fllMss jfov Miss Sarah Winslow Fox, teacher in Somer- villes High Schools for thirty-eight years, and per- sonal friend of a large number of alumni, passed away a few weeks ago. In this connection the following obituary has been written by former Headmaster George I,. Baxter, who was for so many years associated with Miss Fox:— “I first met Miss box in February, 1808, when she was a young woman in her twenties. Miss Sarah R. Osgood, teacher of classics and mathe- matics in the high school, had resigned to accept the position of head assistant in the Salem High School. Miss Osgood was a very successful teacher, and when she gave up her position in Somerville she was asked if she knew of anyone whom she could recommend to fill her place, one as good as herself. Her answer was: ’I will recommend a teacher better than I. Sarah Wins- low Fox.' The committee and superintendent were impressed by what she said, and interviewed Miss Fox. The latter asked to be tried in the schoolroom. She proposed to come to Somer- ville. take for one day the classes that would be given the new teacher, and conduct the recitations without seeing the pupils beforehand or knowing what lessons had been assigned. The proposal was accepted, and the committee were so pleased with her teaching and management that she was chosen directly to (ill the vacancy. Miss Fox was of the best Xew England blood, descended on her mother's side from the brother of Governor Winslow, and on her father's side from Thomas Fox, one of the original proprietors of Cambridge. The opportunities for the education of young women were not such in the fifties as they are to- day. Miss Fox, after completing with the young men a course preparatory to college, continued her studies under private instructors and by her- self until she became more highly educated than most college graduates. Endowed with a brilliant mind, with an eager appetite for learning, her natural taste for the in- tellectual cultivated by severe discipline and con- stant study, she would have been a marked woman whatever line of life she had chosen. Perhaps her sphere of influence was largest as a teacher. Probably no woman teacher in Xew England has made a deeper impression on the minds of her pu- pils. She knew Latin better than many college professors. In mathematics she delighted to solve original problems, problems that puzzled the best teacher. Her success in teaching history to college-bound pupils was remarkable, and no one laid a better foundation in Greek in the mind ot beginners. Quiet and dignified in the classroom, she had perfect control over her pupils, and her whole time was given to instruction. If a pupil did not succeed he confessed that it was his fault alone. I ler health was never very strong, but she took the best care of herself, and after several years of teaching always asked for a year’s leave of ab- sence for travel abroad. 'Phis broadened her mind, taking away all narrowness of the school- room. and gave her extra opportunity for study, so that she came back better ccpiippcd in mind and body for teaching. She loved the Somerville .High School, and, although she had many opportunities to go else- where. was tempted but once. Xewton asked her to teach in the high school at a larger salary, and she accepted in 1873. She had taught there less than two years when she heard that the Somer- ville committee were sorry they let her go. She offered to come back and was immediately elected to her old position. Her relations with her fellow teachers were ex- ceedingly pleasant. The younger teacher came to her for advice, which was freely and wisely given : the older teacher frequently consulted her in regard to methods of instruction and the man- agement of pupils. Outside the schoolroom Miss Fox was greatly admired, sought for in society, welcome everywhere. ‘ She was an example of the highest type of the old-time teacher, oeginning teaching in a public high school at seventeen, and continuing her work as an instructor without intermission, except when she had leave of absence for travel, for fifty years.”

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SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR 7 ©ur lltcw teachers Miss Ber-tha Bray is a graduate of the Somer- ville Latin High School and Tufts College. At Tufts College she was secretary of her class four years, captain of the basket ball team, active in track athletics and tennis, a member of the col- lege choir, and prominent in dramatics. She was also assistant editor of the Brown and Blue. Since graduating Miss Bray has made a specialty of French and German, traveling abroad and studying at the University of Gottingen, Germany. She will teach French and German. Miss Mildred V. Clark, the new cooking teacher, is a graduate of Boston Domestic Science- School, and has spent one year at Simmons Col- lege. Mr. Walter 1. Chapman was born in Somerville, lie is a graduate of the Edgcrly Grammar School, Latin High, and Boston University. While in High School he was the first treasurer of the Radiatok. He has been supervisor of public schools, Bago. Occidental Xegros, I I., principal of Rigal Institute. Provincial High School, Occi- dental Xegros. I I., and master of several gram- mar schools. Mr. Chapman is now teaching alge- bra and Spanish. The position of laboratory assistant is filled this year by Mr. A. W. W’athan, of South Dartmouth, Mass. Mr. W'athan is a graduate of Brown Uni- versity. and has had about two years’ experience in public and private school work. Xetters to a jfrcsbman H-tumbcv One Dear Freshman:— As you are now entering upon your high school career, take a few words of advice from one who is nearing the end of high school days, and who writes from personal experience. The courses which you will take arc for the purpose of preparing you to cope successfully with the problems of life. Don’t neglect them. Even- time you do it means so much more for the next lesson. Don't let them go unlearned because of some social affair which is of less importance than Study. Let studies be the uppermost thought in mind. I don’t mean worry about them, but do lessons first, and then you will enjoy your pleas- ure a great deal more. Do your work well and faithfully each day. and then you won't have to worry about examinations at the end of the year. Take time to choose your friends. A few months with a poorly-chosen friend means the loss of much valuable time. Choose one who knows a little more than you do; try to gain something by your intimacy with him. and let him find some- thing good in you. thus making the friendship valuable to all concerned. Find a friend who is always ready to lend a willing hand when difii- culties arise. The choice of a true friend is some- thing which can never be regretted. Always work in co-operation with the teachers. When you are studying in a room with a division reciting, use the time for study and not in taking the teacher’s time to look after you. .Teachers are here to instruct and help you. Do all you can to help them. Last, but not least, let me mention school spirit. Do all you can to help along a good cause. In a school of 1,800, individual aid means a great deal; try to do your part, and you will be all right. Enter into the school spirit, abide by the laws of the school, attend the games, if possible, and do your share toward making a better, busier Som- erville High School. Sincerely your friend, A Senior.

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SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RADIATOR 9 fllbaFung THts 'Xcttcr 36 ? 3obn jf. Barkis, ’12 ILL FLEET was a gritty lad. and for three years had worked hard to make the football team and thereby win his “S.” This was his iast year in school, so he plugged hard all the season to make a backficld position, but he was handicapped by his light weight: also there was a veteran backficld from last year’s team. His heart and soul were set on making his S.” so lie played with the scrub team, and awaited his chance to go into a game and make good. Now there remained but the Thanksgiving Day game, so he fought hard in scrimmage during the last days of practice, and when it was finished lie waited with feverish impatience for to-morrow to come. Thanksgiving morning dawned clear, but windy and cold. The crowd began to fill the stands and the sidelines long before the game was scheduled to commence. The Summerval rooters occupied the cast and centre section, and their part of the stands looked like a great swaying slope of red and blue. The rival rooters for Ranual occupied the west stands, and they had turned out in great numbers to cheer their team on to victory. Both teams had been drilled and coached for the last battle of the season, and both were keen and eager for the fray. Bill Fleet listened with in- tense interest -to the last words of the coach to the team, and then he trotted out with the squad on the field, headed by their captain. The Sum- merval stands to Bill looked like a waving mass of red and blue; and the deep rumble and roar of the school veil sent the blood jumping through his veins, then the Ranual team trotted on the field, and they were given a reception by their fol- lowers worthy of gladiators. Bill was crouched on the sidelines covered with a blanket, watching the two teams go through a brisk signal practice. He watched the two rival captains meet, and then they tossed a coin for their choice of the kickoff. The Summerval captain won the toss, and chose to play against the wind and to receive the kick. Dane, the Ranual fullback, scraped a mound of dirt with his shoe, arranged the ball with great care and precision, and then stepped back. The game was on. It was a terrific kick, and Bill breathlessly saw Thorne, the fullback, catch it almost under the goal post. Bill tightened his fist and rose to his knee as he saw Thorne dodge the first tackle, and then a second dove and brought Thorne to one knee: and Bill almost shouted as he saw Thorne still fight on. and as he was thrown to the ground by the Ranual men Bill bit his lip and dug his hands into the ground. The Ranual team proved stronger than ex- pected. and the first half ended with no score. Between the halves Bill listened in grim silence to the coach, who flayed them alive and besought them to go back in the second half to fight for their lives. The referee put his head in through the door, and yelled: 'lime’s up.” Then the Summerval team trotted back to the field, with white faces and savage eyes, determined to score or die. They kicked off to Ranual. who rushed the ball back to their thirty-yard line. Here the Sum- merval team, fighting like demons, held Ranual for downs, and took the ball away from them. Bill Fleet's heart was jumping like a trip ham- mer as he saw the Summerval backs smash through the Ranual team for four- and five-yard gains, and then, after an exchange of punts, it was Summerval's ball on Ranual’s forty-yard line. Bill held his breath as the ball was snapped to the halfback, who. lowering his head, plunged into the line of flying arms and feet. and. with a sicken- ing impact of bone and muscle, was crushed to the ground by a pile of Ranual men. Bill, with eager eyes, watched the men slowly get up. and something came up in his throat as he saw Gates lying limp and white on the ground. Bill’s breath came in long gasps as he saw the players lift the halfback and bring him towards the sidelines. I lad his chance come at last? Bill, half kneeling on the ground, prayed for a chance to make good, and when the coach turned to him and said: Get in there. Fleet, and fight for your life.” he tore off his sweater and sprinted on the field. He was given the ball on the first play, and he shot through skin tackle for six yards. On the next play the quarterback fumbled the ball, and a Ranual man fell on it on the fifty-yard line. Twenty yards back of the scrimmage line Fleet