High-resolution, full color images available online
Search, browse, read, and print yearbook pages
View college, high school, and military yearbooks
Browse our digital annual library spanning centuries
Support the schools in our program by subscribing
Privacy, as we do not track users or sell information
Page 9 text:
“
Feb. 3. 957 his is the year 1957. To us it is one month old; to you. a half century. The purpose of a yearbook is to try to close this gap and with pictures and and words portray the past for the scrutiny (and perhaps sympathy) of the future. To give a complete picture of the school year ’56-’57 we must do more than record the scores of football games. What sort of pressures, political, educational, and otherwise did you meet when you graduated? What kind of world did we live in? Often one forgets. Perhaps this foreword will bring the year you left River Falls into sharp focus once more. You were graduated into a world of troubled complacency in 1957 and, as you might recall, this didn't seem to be a contradiction at the time. The gentle an of optimum might have imagined itself in the Dark Ages for all the support it received in ’s6-’57. Yet there wasn't so much pessimism either as complacency, a rather strange sort of giving up” or resignation. This I don’t care” attitude seemed to be an avoidance reaction to ten years of The Cold War,” the term uniaue to this period of history. People today are tired. They are tired of a constant threat of tear with Russia, they are tired of paving three fourths of their taxes for the purpose of avoiding such a tragedy, and they are tired of worrying about both. This has resulted in a philosophy of “enjoy it while you can, a philosophy that ice have grown so used to that ice have almost forgotten our worries. In fact, a third world war would surprise and shock us today, even though the situ-ation is twice as perilous at before Pearl Harbor. To you in the year 2,000 we might seem quite like the ostrich, refusing to face the facts but still plenty vulnerable to attack, instead of sand, we hide today in our foam rubber cushions behind the chrome exterior of the latest model automobile. Automobiles today are getting larger, but people arc getting smaller. Because we are hiding in our materialism, we have adopted a smaller view of things. Today we are suspicious and resentful of criticism and because of this attitude we have been receiving more criticism than ever before — even from our friends. Relations with our traditional allies, France and England, have grown a bit cooler in 1957. Under the pressure of the times, our allies are desperately trying to survive without the advantages of the prosperity and wealth we enjoy. On top of everything else 1956 was an election year. We elected Dwight David Eisenhower for his second term. Formerly a general, there was no doubt that he would be elected in this era of uncertainty. When war is threatening we like to have someone around who has been in one — just in case. When President Eisenhower was elected to his first term many people expected some sort of miracle to happen to take care of the world’s troubles. Now at the beginning of his second term, we start to realize that one good man is not enough. But we are painting a pretty dismal view of your graduation year — at least of the political and world situation. It is encouraging to note that we moved ahead in 56-'S7 in science and education. This year was designated the National Qeophysical pear, dedicated to finding out more about the world we live in. In connection with this the planet Mars was observed more closely than ever before, new expeditions explored the Antarctic, and the first “space satellite” is due to be launched soon. In the field of medicine, science triumphed in ’56 57 with the conquering of poliomyelitis, the great crippler. Education moved ahead too, with integrated schools finally approaching a reality after much strife. Soon, all Americans will have the same opportunity to receive the best education we can provide. Schools are more crowded than ever before, but with help such as the Ford Foundation grants given this year and the proposed federal aid to education, this problem no longer looks insurmountable. Inventions were many in ’56 57 — the solar battery and atomic powered ships come to mind as two examples of important ones. Science, fortunately, moves ahead independently of world affairs, although not so independently that it is unaffected. Science today must make toys for the war-minded before humanity can benefit. Scientific progress can build a better tomorrow—if given a tomorrow. And what of the future? What lies ahead for us? You in the year 2,000 are in the enviable position of knowing our future. Perhaps at this trme it might be interesting to compare notes as to what the future may hold. To this editor there seem to be two roads into the future. They are, classically, the road to peace and the road to tear. It seems unlikely that the present potentially explosive situation of the Cold War” can last fifty years and survive intact. It would seem that the touchy foreign situation is bound to erupt into a major war, with all the horror and devastation that atomic energy can produce. It would mean a severe setback to the human race, a setback that might take hundreds of years to regain what once was. We see little today to avert such a catastrophe. One hope and one hope only do we have. This hope is the United Nations; more specifically. United Nations disarmament. Disarmament would not solve all the problems of the world, but it would prevent war. We could then turn our attention to relieving suffering and hunger in the world. We could explore the universe. Science would create untold miracles. We would live longer and like it. We could dream again. In short, we could pull our heads out of the sand and live again. Whether nations will set aside their differences in the future, and disarm, only you can know and unfortunately you can’t tell us. Incklently, if you haven’t looked at the Siduation pictures in this yearbook, do so now. No ubt you will laugh heartily at the funny antique costumes and hairdos. We hope you will also laugh as heartily and as long at the worries and fears we had in 1956-57. We pray your children haven’t inherited them.
”
Page 8 text:
“
THIS FOREWORD IS ADDRESSED TO T E GRADUATING SENIORS OF 19 7. WHO. Jug KinTT A HALF CENTURY FROM NOW. MAY iE, t GSTALGIC enough to look at the YEARBOOK PUBLISHED THE YEAR THET • L.AlNDVA l' ' C T A F III Dl.iJI 2 XVI ' mam-. —i --------- WERE GRADUATED FROM WISCONSIN ST ATE COLLEGE AT RIVER FALLS. RICHARD DOETKOTT Mblitian Editor, 57
Are you trying to find old school friends, old classmates, fellow servicemen or shipmates? Do you want to see past girlfriends or boyfriends? Relive homecoming, prom, graduation, and other moments on campus captured in yearbook pictures. Revisit your fraternity or sorority and see familiar places. See members of old school clubs and relive old times. Start your search today!
Looking for old family members and relatives? Do you want to find pictures of parents or grandparents when they were in school? Want to find out what hairstyle was popular in the 1920s? E-Yearbook.com has a wealth of genealogy information spanning over a century for many schools with full text search. Use our online Genealogy Resource to uncover history quickly!
Are you planning a reunion and need assistance? E-Yearbook.com can help you with scanning and providing access to yearbook images for promotional materials and activities. We can provide you with an electronic version of your yearbook that can assist you with reunion planning. E-Yearbook.com will also publish the yearbook images online for people to share and enjoy.
