Westerly High School - Westlyan Yearbook (Westerly, RI)

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The Senior Year Book — 1940 (ClaaH ffitBtnrij Three years ago, we were just beginning our Sophomore year. Thus there were many hours of study and hard work before we would be leaving Westerly High School. Yet how rapidly those hours have passed. Presently, many of us will be looking for positions, while others will be thinking of further advancement in their education. Now the day has arrived when we must depart from our classmates and seek for ourselves a place in the world. Before we take leave of all of these cherished days, let us, in retrospect, review' the events which have occurred during our high school career; we find many humorous and many serious incidents. Early in the fall of ’37, the class chose Philip Greene to wield the gavel. Supporting him w'ere Miriam Anderson, vice president; Joseph Mahfood, secretary; and Gloria Ruisi, treasurer. As we were quite susceptible to the pranks of the seniors, w'e had to rely upon our class officers to protect us. Now, we are wondering if they did. From our sophomore class, came many of Westerly’s outstanding athletes; among these are George Mearns, Joseph Mahfood, Clarence DiPaola, Larry Panciera, and Nat Federico. Upon our return to study after the summer vacation, classes w'ere upset by the unforgettable Hurricane of September 21, 1938. After a short unscheduled acation, we eagerly returned to school and elected our junior class officers who were Philip Greene, president; Gerard Nardone, vice president; Mary Morrone, secretary, and John Matarese, treasurer. The Pirates of Penzance,” directed by Mr. Robert Valentine, was presented to the public on February 9th and 10th. and received due recognition from Westerly music lovers. The cast included two soloists from the Class of ’40, Russell Brow'n and Fiammetta Donati, supported by Clarence DiPaola, Joseph Mah- food, Ernest Nardone, and Gerard Nardone, as Pirates. Among the members of the girls’ chorus were the following from the Class of 1940: Madeline Ca-palbo, Ida Cataldo, Elizabeth Langworthy, Cecelia Mathieu, Mary Cozzolino, Marjory Kenyon, Dorothy Nichols, and Mary Ferendo. Through the untiring efforts of John Matarese, we finally obtained enough money to stage a Junior Prom (even though the seniors were doubtful that we could). Much of the success of the prom w'as due to Carolyn Browning and her decorating committee. The appearance of our make-believe ball room was that of an orchard in spring and certainly gave many spring-fever,” as was evident the following Monday. Other steps in making this an eventful year were the winning of the prize speaking contest and the Hi-Y cup by Philip Greene; and of the Martha C. Babcock essay contest by William Clarke. When we returned in the fall of ’39, we were entering upon that highest golden flight of stairs—that flight which meant that we, the Class of 1940, had but one more year of labor in which to complete our high school education. This being our last year, we were prompted to make it unforgettable and to cause it to go down in the records as the greatest year in the history of the Westerly Senior High School. (We hope.) Our first step toward making these few months most outstanding was the election of our class officers. Without any fuss we gave Philip Greene the third term; Gerard Nardone, vice president; Mary Morrone, secretary, and Edgar Freeman, treasurer. The next noteworthy accomplishment was the publication, under Ann Pengelley’s editorship, of the “Senior,” w'hich proved to be both a literary and financial success. The Senior Prom was the third great feather in our cap. The harvest decora- -“•${ ‘9

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The Senior Year Book — 194U = (filaaH S’tatiiilini Most Beautiful Perry. Zonfrillo Girl Most Likely to Succeed Turco, Pengefley Most Handsome a W. Clarke. Federico Neatest Boy H. Nardone. Federico Popular Girl Morrone. Perry Neatest Girl Nichols. Harwick Popular Boy Mearns, Panciera Class Wit Freeman. H. Nardone Best Dressed Girl E. Langworthy. Morrone Class Bluffer Parrilla. Berardo Best Dressed Boy H. Nardone. Clarke Most Talkative Donati. Parrilla Intelligent Girl Harwick, Murphy Cutest Girl Mathieu. Ferendo Intelligent Boy Clarke. Federico Cutest Boy Freeman. Hindle Twins Athletic Girl Hurtado. Sposato Most All-Around Boy Panciera. Mearns Athletic Boy Mearns. Panciera Most All-Around Girl Browning. Mathieu Girl Done Most for Class Morrone, Pengelley Best Dancer. Boy Sposato. Mahfood Boy Done Most for Class Greene. H. Nardone Best Dancer. Girl Turano. Capa 1 bo Quietest Girl Clarke. Nichob Most Romantic Boy Panciera, Federico Quietest Boy Matarese. McKenna Most Romantic Girl Cottrell. P. Langworthy Class Optimist Nelson. Freeman Class Actor G. Nardone. Greene Class Pessimist Fiore. Servidio Class Actress Donati, P. Langworthy Best Natured Federico. Perry Class Flirt Perry, Pengelley Most Humorous Freeman Teacher s Pet A. Bliven. Gilchrist Class Stenographer Masse. Gilchrist Most Sophisticated Harwick, Anderson Most Studious Murphy. W. Clarke Class Bafiy Donati. P. Langworthy Class Artist Sanders, Parrilla Best Singer. Boy Brown. G. Nardone Class Poet Donati. Hamilton Best Singer. Girl Breckenridge. P. Langworthy Most Original H. Nardone. Browning Class Musician Paladino. Mahfood Most Sociable Perry. Scott Most Sarcastic P. Langworthy. Harwick Most Collegiate II. Nardone. Greene Most High Hat Harwick. Pengelley Most Polite Boy McKenna. Brown Woman Hater Stewart. Bell Most Polite Girl Nichols, Perry Office Boy Bliven, Peckham Boy Most Likely to Succeed W. Clarke. Greene Most Mischievous Parrilla. Algiere -4 iSfr-

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The Senior Year Book — 1940 tions of cornstalks and pumpkins could not have been better arranged if they had been designed by Hollywood experts. Carolyn Browning and her committee composed of Richard Brindle, Larry Panciera, William Clarke, Henry Nar-done, Grace Harwick, Phyllis Langworthy, Ada Tourtellotte, Adelaide Sanders, Ann Pengelley, Ernest Nardone, Vernon Bell, and Miriam Anderson deserve much commendation for their efforts. Early in 1940, Mrs. Van Horn began to search for talent for the 1940 Senior play, “The Late Christopher Bean.” She chose a brilliant cast, including Philip Greene as the undistinguished rural doctor; Phyllis Langworthy as the nineteen-year-old daughter; Everett Willis as the village painter and paperhanger; William Clarke as the elderly and distinguished gentleman from New York; Emilia Lera as the wife of the country doctor; Eiammetta Donati as the famous “Abby;” Russell Brown as the smooth, youngish New Yorker; Roland Berardo as the oily, affable, middle aged man from the city, and Delphine Arnone as the daughter with the babylike manner. The comedy proved to be a true dramatic triumph. The business section of the play was extremely well handled by Rita Servideo, Eleanor Urso, William Kaskewsky, Angeline Gencarella, and their many assistants. Class night, the reception, the banquet, and graduation followed one another rapidly. Sometimes when we look back at those many hours we have spent in school, we see things that we regret, but, oh, so many more for which we are deeply thankful. THE HISTORIANS, Sheila Breckenridge, Virginia Kenney, Arthur Nelson. (Ulaas Jjnrnt THE CLASS OF 1940 “Wisdom is like a dawn that rises slowly Out of an unknown ocean,” so we say. Classmates of nineteen-forty may its beauty Brighten the dawn of this, our glorious day. Our day of graduation which is ending Three years of fine companionship with you, And gracious Westerly, to you we promise That we will make our prophecy come true. We hope that all the pathways that divide us May come together every little while. And when we meet and pass along the highway Friend will greet friend with a familiar smile. Daylight is here, and life begins with sowing; We’ll tend the seeds of knowledge here begun That they may grow to splendid heights and show us A perfect flowering with the setting sun. —Fiammetta Donati —•§{ 20 J -