University High School - Flickertail Yearbook (Grand Forks, ND)

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PRESlDENT'S INAUGURAL BALL Uanuary 4, 19491 At last one of the greatest political struggles every engaged in by the people of the United States has become history. On June 10, 1948 the National Convention of the Progressive Party was held in Grand Forks and Charles Ryan was nominated as President and Nellie Allen as Vice- President. After a very close and exciting campaign Mr. Ryan and Miss Allen were also elected in November. In 1930 the United States constitu- tion had been amended so as to make the term of President, Vice-president, and Congressmen begin on January fourth instead of March fourth. The annual meeting of Congress was also to convene on that day. Being Chairman of the National Progressive Committee, and also Mr. Ryan's campaign manager, and feeling very much in need of a rest, I de- cided to go to California for a few weeks vacation before the opening of Congress. Climbing the stairway to the hangars of the Trancontinental Aerial Transportation Company and buying a ticket for Los Angeles via aeroplane, I was soon on my way, arriving there in just twenty hours. While walking along the beach the next day, whom should I meet but my old classmate Carl Wild, now president of the Transcontinental Aerial Transportation Company, and his charming wife Kathleen Knee Woldj. Carl also took a very prominent part in the recent election, being respon- sible for Mr. Ryan's carrying all of the Pacific coast states. After talking over old times they urged me to spend my vacation with them at their winter home, a few miles south of the city. I gladly accepted the invitation, and what was my suprise during the next few days to meet several old classmates, who paid a visit to the Wilds. They were Theodora Walland, a famous lecturer, who delighted us with her favorite talk, on Women's Place in Politics, Ellen Melsted and Allie Olafson, who hold important offices in the government of the republic of Iceland, having played a prominent part in the peaceful revolution from Denmark in 1935. They were spending the winter in Sunny California. While we were talking, who should enter but Dorothy and Katherine Mac- Millan, who own and conduct the Movie Nymph Dancing School at Hol- lywood, where ambitious young actresses learn the latest steps. In the evening Carl tuned up the radio ,and we were soon listening to a concert. How surprised we were to suddenly hear, Station I-B-Q-J Denver Audi- torium, will broadcast the vocal concert by Ethel Haugen, America's lead- ing Contralto Prima Donna. How sweet her voice was and how our party applauded, and when she concluded her concert with her own original composition, Dear are Departed Days, our enthusiasm ran wild. Just as the concert closed our radio began buzzing, and after several seconds of tuning to get the right wave length, the connection was made, and who should it be, but President-elect Ryan himself trying to get in touch with me. He told me that Mrs. Ryan and he had decided to hold an Inaugural Ball on the evening of January 4, and that the members of the Class of 1923 of the University High School were invited as special guests of honor. He requested Mr. Wild and myself to see to it that every member of that famous class would be present. z Altho the event was then only a week away, we assured him that we would have every member there. It being already quite late, we decided to come together again the next day and take up this work. At our meeting the next day, the same enthusiastic spirit with which our Class overcame all obstacles in the U. H. S. manifested itself. Several of the ladies brought

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I. Earl Rogers, bequeath my ears that flap in the breeze to Sophie Gar- rison that she may get all the latest gossip. I, Milton Schroeder, give my manly appearance to Wallace Edwards that he may make a better hit with the girls. I, Christine Ellingson, entrust my kittenish manner to Lillian Klagos. I, Charles Ryan, will my patent leather hair to Robert Vold. I, Theresa Klemesrud, bequeath my blue slips to Ray Markell to increase his collection. I, Lucille Urness, leave my vampish manner to Ernest Johnson. We, Katherine and Dorothy MacMillan, sadly relinquish our ability in dancing and doing nothing the rest of the time, to Bettina Bush and Eliz- abeth Johnson to save them from over studiousness. I, Nellie Whaling, give my little feet to Ezra Schroeder that they may increase his speed in Basketball. I, Agnes Strand, will my dignity to Naomi Campbell. I, Carl Wild, leave my curly locks and sunny disposition to Louis Andos, so that he need not go to a hair-dresser to get his hair marcelled. I, Hazel Jack, sorrowfully entrust my old powder puff and surplus rouge to Lyla Stenmo that she may easily vamp Oscar Ring next year, who is our woman hater. I, Katherine Ensch, will my cleverness to Paddie Fagstad. I, Wilbur Anstett, will my business to Gladys Leeson. I, Rosie Forseth, leave my Basket Ball jersey to Lyle Sandlie. In witness whereof, we the class of '23 have herewith set our hands, and caused our seal to be aflixed on this 9th day of June, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-three. -Class of 1923.

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their Flickertail and Student Directories. Carl and I got out an atlas and mapped out several routes, and then connecting up with the National Radio Exchange we were calling the numbers of our old classmates in the Northwest and all over the country, and before the day ended, nearly three- fourths of the class had been communicated with. They were told to assemble at the hangars of the Transcontinental Aerial Transportation Company in the various cities at the scheduled time. Those who could not be communicated with by Radio were reached by Aerogram. One of our classmates however could not be reached. He was Rodney Wagner, who in 1930 died of brain fever brought on by over studying. Mr. Wild had reserved for this trip, one of the largest aeroplanes used by his company. It was a large Caproni biplane carefully fitted out and capable of accommodating very comfortably over fifty persons. Bright and early on the morning of January second we left Los Angeles. How surprised we were to recognize in our pilot, none other than our old classmate Edward Simbalenko, now America's greatest Aeronaut and authority on Aero-dynamics. We stopped at San Francisco and took on Governor Lyle Tree, of California, Catherine Ensch, an eminent botanist whose work in developing new floral creations even rivals the work of Luther Burbank, and Nellie Whaling, a famous movie Star and now owner and director of a large Cinema corporation. At Portland, Oregon, we were joined by Agnes Strand, famous writer of out door novels, especially noted for her great book entitled, Tracking Man and Other Big Game. At Seattle Zipporah Christensen and Mildred Bergholtz joined us. After graduating from the U. H. S., they taught school for many years in Washington, but later bought land and now have a monopoly of all the truck farms in the state. They were soon busily engaged with Miss Ensch in a discussion of how to raise pink and purple cabbages. At noon we arrived at Helena, Montana, where our number was increased by Christine Ellingson and Olga Miller, two social reformers who came up from Salt Lake City, Esther Bjorlien, superintendent of the Denver Schools and Ethel Heller, U. S. Senator from Montana. We arrived in Grand Forks at 2 p.m. per schedule ,put up our aeroplane in a hangar and made reservations at the Hotel Dacotah for the night. It was our intention to visit our Alma Mateo' while here, and also to stay over night. Some real surprises awaited us at the U. H. S. The University now has an enrollment of thirteen thousand while that of the High School is almost one thousand. Roger Johnson is Principal, Miss Colvin is Superintendent and Mr. Kazda is now Dean of the School of Education. Due to various generous funds left by grateful graduating classes, the activities are no longer short of money. The Midget comes out regularly six times a year, while Our Opinion greets its readers daily, and Per Gradus banquets are held at every social hour. Hazel Jack has succeeded Miss Laycock as English teacher, while Audrey Carlson has taken Miss Colvin's place. We had planned to take Dean Kazda along with us as he was the Faculty Advisor of our Class in 1923. At first he refused to go due to the fact that it was so close to the end of the first semester and a very busy time, but after much urging and coaxing he agreed to accompany us the next day. After dinner that evening, several of us men decided to visit some of the old familiar haunts. Entering Wilde's Academy, we came upon Milton Schroeder and Raymond Olson playing Billiards, Raymond is now Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court, while Milton is Editor of the Grand Forks Bug. He also sings tenor in the church choir for