Walter Johnson High School - Windup Yearbook (Bethesda, MD)

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CT DONALD MILLER WILLIAM MAURY MARIE POWELL CORDELL HART senior class history The graduating class of i958 of Walter Johnson Senior High School has had a short but important history. The parents who heard us vocifer- ously announce ourselves in i940 could not have known we would be graduating from Walter Johnson in l958. Walter Johnson, being now at the end of its second year, was a long way even from a drawing board when most of us were born. World War ll was being felt in the shortage of teachers, in crowded classrooms, and in an enrollment predicted to be staggering in successive years when we were to be in school. Al- though problems such as these were extreme in some areas, those of us who were fortunate enough to live in Montgomery County had the advantage of a forward-looking school system and an alert citizenry who saw to it that we had relatively little make-shift schooling. We attended junior high schools all over the county, and some of us came into the area from different parts of the country, after which most of us started high school as sophomores in our neighboring school, Bethes- da-Chevy Chase Senior High School. Our life as students of Walter Johnson began September 4, l956, when we were juniors. Bethesda-Chevy Chase played host to us for six weeks, for we held classes at their campus until our building could be occupied. Our physical occupation of Walter Johnson Senior High School began October 22, l956. Even without a building we had got off to a fine start with our own Student Council and the beginnings of a well organized student body. When the big day arrived, we moved into our own new and beautiful building. There was a hectic period at first when we waited for the com- pletion of the cafeteria, the gym, and the installation of lockers. Some of us still recall painfully hauling our heavy books around all day and home every night. By January, however, such matters being well in hand, we could turn our attention to other more telling things. I8 After the first year when we had established creed and a motto, when we had published severc issues of the Johnson Journal, had designed our clas ring, had issued the Warm-Up, a handbook to ne' students, had circulated our initial Windup, and ha cheered on our teams, we actually became senior: We had been the top class our first year in the builc ing, for there was no graduating class in l957, bl. it was not until the beginning of our true senior yec last fall that we felt the responsibility placed on 1. as seniors and, more important, as the first gradua' ing class of Walter Johnson Senior High School. This year has seen foundation laid down in mar areas. The Wind Up had been formally staffed, l: student vote, the Johnson Journal became the Pitcl published weekly by the newly offered class in jou nalism, the Spectator, a creative writing magazini enjoyed its literary birth, the band was now in un form playing for the Pom pon team, the Majorette for school games, and at public functions, the foo ball team set an example for clean and victorioi participation in sports, the drama groups entertainer we received our class rings: and the library was ad' ing books on its shelves as the PTA, making this the chief project, lent its support to the school. Tl' academic tenor of the school strengthened as v took our qualifying college entrance examination and our reputation in the community began to I established as we applied for employment. We had come to a seldom rivalled position, v infants of World War Il, where after uncertain ed cational beginnings, we lent our strength to the foun ing ofa new senior high school. We want to rememb ourselves as the graduating class that establisha strong foundation and good example for the futu classes of Walter Johnson, mostiqf us will want think back on this as an uncomrn-on privilege. V are very proud to have had this chance to attend an to build in Walter Johnson, and we hope the futu will prove that we built well.