Westerly High School - Westlyan Yearbook (Westerly, RI)

Page 17 text:

The Senior Year Book — 1939 covered it to be our own Pat Visgilio, who, as a prominent and prosperous Doctor of Medicine, was returning from a meeting with the board of trustees from his own hospital. He offered to show me the city. Just then his chauffeur drove up in the latest streamline model limousine, and I found him to be none other than Louis Giorno. On our way through the city I remarked to Pat on the large number of chain stores, and was especially interested in the name of them—“Great International Stores, Inc., William Anderson, President.” Pat suggested we stop for tea at “Dottie’s Tea Shop” owned and operated by Dottie Tet-low. She had four very charming waitresses, all graduates of Florence Kennedy’s Hostess Academy, who were quickly identified as the Misses Jean Williams, Charlotte Spear, Frances Weeden, and Juliet Capalbo. I noticed particularly that Miss Williams was very busy at a table occupied by many honorable gentlemen whq proved to be members of the Bachelors’ Club, Ronnie Carlson presiding. Other familiar faces at that table were those of Walter Brown, and Johnston Hepburn. After stopping to chat a few minutes with each of them, we made our way to the car but were stopped by a newsboy yelling “Extra! Extra!” and guess what it was all about! Lois Maines had won the Nobel Prize for contributing most nobly to the literary field, both in prose and poetry. Such grand news! I was thrilled. This sudden pause also caused me to glance across the street to a building exhibiting a sign which read, “Join Our School of Singing, Dancing, and Dramatics Under the Supervision of Miss Prudy Dower, D. G. A.” (Doctor of Graceful Arts). That was all I needed. We immediately crossed the street and entered the building. We didn’t see Prudy, however, as she had just recently signed a radio contract and was away at the studio. But her attractive assistants, the Misses Connie Phillips, Gil-da Garafolo, and Betty Champlin, were carrying on very nicely. Jean Crockett was seated at the piano fingering the keys in great style. Speaking of the graceful arts, Pat told me that if I were staying longer, he would take me to Hollywood to see I’lee Rippe-toe, the latest find in the movie industry, and Janet Macomber, the chief make-up expert there. Francis Card was there, also, taking a screen test. Now he will have more female admirers than ever. But as time did not permit my seeing these old friends of mine, I was contented simply to hear such wonderful news about them. As we left that building, I saw two very-familiar names on the door of a large office: Berarducci and Fusaro, Certified Public Accountants. I began to realize then that our class was certainly getting places. On our approaching the car again. Pat murmured in a low tone, “Don’t look now. but those two young ladies coming out of the Parisian Style Shop are this season’s most popular debutantes, Joy Beattie and Mary K. Robertson. I hardly recognized them. But they recognized me and came over to the car. They could scarcely wait to tell me that Josephine Santoro and Joe Cappuccio had won the National Debating and Oratorical Contest. We invited them to come along, but they had to decline our offer as they were on their way to the dock to say good-bye to Jim Harvey, who was sailing to Europe to serve for a year as exchange professor at the Sorbonne. We headed for the outskirts of the city and on our way passed many little unique pop-corn stands all under the sole ownership of Harold Howard. Hr had some good assistants, too—Bill Burdick and George Fish. A little farther on, we passed a laboratory in which James Beebe, biologist, and John Drew, physicist, experimented. On going further, we found parked at the side of the road an open touring car in which sat “Syl” Cofone and “Banjv” Gencarelli engaging in a terrific argument with the State Cep Frank Crandall. I understand they were on their way home from the Golden Gate Exposition. A little slow, but then! After wishing them the best of luck, we drove into a road which led to the State University for Women. of which Ruth Whitford was dean. Most of the faculty- came from Westerly “•s( 15 £• -

Page 16 text:

The Senior Year Book — 1939 13, 1939? I can never remember the importance of that date. CHORUS OF GIRLS—“Red” Hepburn landed! BOYS—Ohhh! GINNY—Patriotism was given a great boost, too. Rita Alexander won the essay contest sponsored by the Elks Club on “Americanism”; and Ethel Vredenburg, the poster contest on the same subject. Yes, and the local delegate to the Daughters of the American Revolution was Angela Nardone. WALT—The 1938 hurricane caused the planting of many trees in 1939. Among those cooperating in this constructive movement was the Senior Class which left three rock maples to Westerly High School, its President so aptly suggesting. “May their shade keep our memory green in the years to come.” RUTH—Miss I’Lee Rippetoe, the latest movie find, was discovered by talent scouts Art (Scene opens with the people from the first act walking around, looking at the different booths at the World's Fair.) MILLIE—I'm stiff from that long ride, but I can’t wait to see the Fair. Let’s go over and see what’s in this booth. It looks mightv interesting. RITA—Oh, look! The World of Tomorrow! Come on, let’s go in here. I’ve always wanted to know what the future has in store for me. Lois, why don’t you come with me? You’re eager to learn your fate, aren’t you? LOIS—Yes, of course. I’ll go in with you. RAY—May I come, too? Lois—Yes, we’ll need a chaperon! Here goes! (They go through the doorway of World of Tomorrow) (Prudy comes in humming “Little Sir Echo,” looking for her echo. Bud is behind the Perisphere whistling. He peeks around the corner, and Prudy sees him. He comes out and whistles while Prudy sings. They are both dressed in Swiss costumes.) while taking the lead in a school play, “Mrs. Bumpstead-Leigh,” in which she was ably supported by Joseph Cappuccio, Betty Kugler, Ernest Saunders, Prudence Dower, Florence Tamer, Clifford Fusaro, Pauline Merrill, Angela Nardone, Joseph Pucci, and William Anderson, and Patrick Visgilio. My, that was a play! FLORENCE—And wasn’t Mrs. Van Horn an inspiring coach? And I think the only other things we have to remember are the memorable names Angela Nardone, Valedictorian, and Ruth Whitford, Salutatorian. CHORUS—Whew! .... It’s about time we came to an end of the achievements of that class. Talk about the ancient Greeks! GINNY—Let’s hear a song from Hester before we go. This history has half killed me; and besides, we have to get up early to go to the fair. (Curtain after song) Qlmo GEORGE—Now, folks, be sure to get your souvenirs over here at this booth. (Jessie and Angela in the booth distribute gifts to the people on the stage in the form of souvenirs from the country which they are representing. Rita, Lois and Ray come out of the World of Tomorrow.) LOIS—We’ve so many exciting things to tell you! RAY—Just think, in our excursion into the World of Tomorrow, we found out what everybody in our class will be doing ten years from now. RITA—Quiet, everyone. Listen! I have to admit I did get lost in there, but it was such a beautiful place I didn’t mind. First I came upon a big city. The buildings were very tall, streamlined structures exhibiting a severe and modernistic type of architecture. There were the cutest little shops, so colorful and gay they seemed to beckon to everyone to come in and visit. I stepped up to a very distinguished-looking young man to inquire as to my whereabouts (confidentially, I think it was his moustache that made him look so distinguished) and after a second look, I dis- A 14 ►-

Page 18 text:

The Senior Year Book — 1939 and from our class, too. Rita Paldino was the algebra professor; Sully Koulbanis, gym instructor; Margaret Behrens and Leila Foley in the English Department; Jean Herrick, riding instructor, and Mary Kelly, dietician. That mugt be an ideal school. We circled around and concluded our drive at Dr. Visgilio’s hospital. There I met Jessie Sawyer, Florence Tamer, Helen Raithel, and Elaine Boucher, all nurses of the genuine type. No wonder Pat was a good doctor! 1 was about to bid adieu to the girls, when a call came in for the doctor to go to “Cook and Culley’s Gymnasium” where Neal had been unable to revive Sam after a vigorous struggle with the punching bag. That’s all I had time to see, as I knew Lois and Ray must be waiting for me somewhere else in the World of Tomorrow. Now, Ray, you tell what you saw. RAY—That was some experience for me! The part of the World of Tomorrow that I visited was patterned on the scale of a small town. I noticed a very distinctive building and there were many women standing in line waiting to enter it. I wondered what the attraction could be. Then I saw a sign over the door which read, “Madamoiselle Link’s Dress Shop,” the proprietor being that charming young miss, our own Millie Link. Next I noticed Viola Dabrowski and Elaine DePerry entering the shop. Well, if you think the women’s hats and dresses of today are absurd, the hats which they wore would practically make one cross-eyed. They varied from something that looks like a frying nan to a sailboat turned upside down! Walking a little way further down the street, I passed by Irene Bromley, Dot Clarke, and Elva Crandall, they, too, adorned in the -latest fashions and talking so fast they reminded me of the ’39 track team! Soon I came to a vast area covered with luminous colors, and was I surprised when I saw I gtalie Fiore, Marion James, and Phyllis Grenier working with their garden tools in their world-famous petunia bed! They have entered all their varieties in numerous flower shows, but the blue-streak variety won the praise of every critic. Directly in the middle of the street on the next block stood a huge crystal ball. The attendant was a cute little miss, Dot Lawrence, who declared that she could FRANKly tell me anything I wished to know. I asked about some of the girls and learned that Theresa Perra, Elizabeth Main, and Eleanor Mimande were running a prosperous knitting studio and giving instructions to representatives from Eskimo land where fur-bearing animals are rapidly becoming extinct. Their creation of new winter caps with wimples to keep the men’s beards warm and cozy during the raging snowstorms were the talk of the nation. Jeanette Keena was doing a bicycle act in a circus, according to Dot, and Rose DeSimone had a large hairdressing firm featuring “Uppidv-Downidy” hairdos with Pauline Merrill, the studio nurse, taking care of the astonished and bewildered customers after they have seen their “crowning glorv” in the mirror. (The mirror, by the wav. being made of a new substance which is guaranteed not to break!) Going past a modern apartment. I heard someone causing quite a commotion over the song, “Three Little Fifis” and saw Lena Strawderman. a happy little bride, entertaining Edna Bednarczvk, who had just returned from a goldfish expedition in the Orient. Again I heard music, this time beautiful strains from a violin which I was told was owned by Francetta Weimar and had come from a very reMOTE part of the world. Shortly, I met Ethel Vredenburg and Margaret Anderson, who are working as stenographers for Barbara Kenyon, the owner of the Kenyon Kookery Korpora-tion. Just then they were featuring their annual “Kooking Kontest” which starred the noted Russian dancer, Jessica Mit-chellski. Nearby, suspended from a hickory limb in a little yellow basket crouched Angela Nardone and Rita Alexander where they claimed to get astounding inspiration for their newest book, How to FALL in Love Painlessly.” After wishing these girls success in their subject, my eyes 16 )►—