Weaver High School - Portal Yearbook (Hartford, CT)

Page 10 text:

‘Dedication ,,, Senior Davidson Seeks Advice There is hardly a student in Weaver who has not come in contact with the warm genial¬ ity, the friendly encouragement, the restless drive, and the extreme capability of Mr. Frank H. Burke, our beloved and respected principal. Somehow, Weaver just wouldn ' t have been the same without him; Frank Burke and Weaver will always remain inseparable in our thoughts. We will always be able to see that long, winding line in front of his office, as he skillfully went through the varied range of natures and personalities arrayed before him; guiding, encouraging, advising, admonishing—but in that friendly, sincere face one recog¬ nized a true friend, ready to lend a helping hand. His was a master ' s touch. Mr. Burke did not remain in the seclusion of his office; he was to be seen all over Weaver. Who could forget his ' ' basso profundo in assemblies, as he roamed around the stage? How he had us rolling in our seats with the story about the curly, red-haired Latin teacher, and the one about the gladiator! We dreaded to hear the familiar, ' ' I your first recitation. We will remember his voice coming over the P. raid drills, see him calmly surveying the teeming torrents in the lunchrc now dismiss you to A., system in the air om, hear his springy steps echoing in the halls while we were in recitation. We missed hin when illness kept him away for any length of time; school just lacked something. Often that rainy football season, huddled up in the uppermost stand with the le was to be seen in vater pouring off his LOYAL FAN 5URKE, MRS. BURKE, AND SON FRANK

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Remember Weaver ' s Fighting Team of 45? Remember the Gala Weaver Night? It has been bur object to present in this book, besides remembrances for the future of our alma mater, a picture, tentative to be sure, of what the class of ' 45 will come to in the next fifteen years. In this next decade and a half will be decided the aims for which our soldiers, many of them our own Weaver boys, have shed their blood so profusely, and you, the class of 1945, will have your individual parts to play. Our prophecies for the future, which are to be found on the ensuing pages, are in jest, to be sure, but as a result of our sense of humor (?), we sincerely hope that a profound realization of the roles to be played in the next fifteen years will be deeply inculcated into your senses. And may we act in accordance with our high Weaver standards! Give attention to the notice about a class reunion, at which we hope to compare notes arid see just how our budding geniuses have fared. Remember the reunion!! It has been said before, but it must be repeated: without the creative and systematic ability of Mr. Larrabee and the just plain hard work diligently put in by Mr. Cunningham, this book would never have been possible. We hope it will be worthy of their efforts. So now, without further ado, we submit our brainstorm to the public cen¬ sure and praise and trust that no innocent soul will be slighted by our jovial bantering. May the memories inspir ed by this book lead us on to noble living in the sight of God, and usefulness to the community and country. Forsan et haec olim meminisse juvabit . . .

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old gray hat; while we scurried for shelter, he stoically sat there, and waited loyally for the continuance of the game. And after a thrilling forty yard dash, when pandemonium was breaking loose, he would fondly murmur, That ' s my boy out there. More than for any single act of his, however, we respect him for the example set by his high standards and lofty principles. Sincere, energetic, and friendly, he stands as a concrete pattern of virtue, to be held before us and emulated, when he dismisses us to our first recitation in life. If after fifteen years, when we look back upon our achievements, we find that we have lived up to his high codes—there will be a truly great accomplishment. We, who have spent our three high school years in a war period, have seen our prin¬ cipal step into a new and vital role. When Weaver boys needed assistance in planning their future, when they left for the armed forces, and when they returned on furlough, Mr. Burke ' s aid and cheerful companionship were constantly sought out. Without complaint he has assumed the responsibility of guiding the graduating seniors into the proper channels; he has labored to keep up their courage and hope, so that when they came back, they might take their places in the community. Each star in the service flag near his office held its own story for Mr. Burke; every gold one brought to him a deep, grievous pain, and he endeav¬ ored to keep alive their memories, and the ideals for which they had laid down their lives. We remember the sincere and heartfelt address he made to the crowds thronging the dedi¬ cation of the Northwest Honor Roll. He had known personally so many of the individuals whose names stood on that impressive monument, that he felt as if they were all his boys. In his own way, every Weaver teacher has made a contribution for the welfare of the boys in the service, but we felt that in what he has done, both for the boys and for their families, Mr. Burke is a representative of the whole faculty; to him, more than to any other single person the Weaver service men turn. Mr. Burke, in addition to your regular duties as administrator of our school and besides being our advisor and friend, you have taken on and carried out with extreme capability the extra obligations demanded in a war-torn world. You have faithfully served your school and country. To you, we dedicate The Portal of 1945. PRINCIPAL BURKE