Winchester High School - Aberjona Yearbook (Winchester, MA)

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A. A. Executives; Minute Man Flag; Dance Decorators; Cup Winners; The Gang”; Fourth Period Gym.

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Once, namely six years ago, we came to¬ gether, a picked group from all corners of town, prepared to live with each other in and out of school until we were graduated as the Class of 1944. The year we entered Junior High, the school hours were shortened three-quarters of an hour; already changes were being made for a revolutionary class. It was here, under Mr. Dickman, that we first walked from class to class, played basketball and used gym equip¬ ment, had lockers, heard “stand and file”, drove the singing teacher insane and heard Miss Barr call us by various names. We elected home room officers, had men teachers for the first time, elected a traffic squad and the girls had a hard time eating the results of their cooking. It was during these years that “Shiney” Am- ico established his claim to the heavyweight of the class, Gordon McGovern the tallest, Bar¬ bara Bonnell the shortest, Ruth Tapley the smartest, Ken Harvey the wittiest, and “Rat” DiMambro the fastest. Some of us previewed the high school by eating in the cafeteria — but we were as bewildered as ever when we entered the Wadleigh. We were freshmen, very much so. Although we embarked on our voyage dazed and slightly perplexed, we dug our way out from under the piles of homework with an eagerness to make good and show the way to the upperclassmen. We elected Dick Fenno, Bob Maynard, B. J. Smith, and Ann Jennings as class officers and representatives to the Prom. Still another change for our class came in the form of lock¬ ers, and we all became acquainted with the base¬ ment, Peter Benson, and the print shop. Under Mr. Graves we hotly debated Roos¬ evelt and Willkie, Miss Bailey introduced us to Shakespeare, we translated Fabulae Faciles with Miss Carmichael, and in all classes squirt guns were the sole weapons of defense. Ken Harvey captained a freshman football team which boasted of one tie and a fighting spirit typical of the class. Gaspare Cottone, “Shiney” Ami- co, Charley Ferro, and “Richie” Donohue were standouts on the gridiron as were Gordon Mc¬ Govern, Ted Atkinson, and Bob Maynard on the basketball court under Coach Bartlett. Tony Saraco and Frank DiMambro started on the second track team. John Ottiano won a first team letter in track as did Gordon McGov¬ ern, Ted Atkinson, and Dick Fenno in tennis. On the girls’ tennis team Muriel Howard and Anne Penniman showed the way to the upper¬ classmen. We led the School in Thrift, A. A., Red Cross activities, and were guinea pigs for the newly formed Student Council’s plan of student study hall rule. This was the year Bill Wilde broke his collarbone; Dick Gallagher played in Courtney Crandall’s orchestra; Steve Greene and Bill Cole fought their way through a plate glass window; Jim Dodson was never on time; David Hersey made the Quiz Kids — Tom Derro, runner-up; Ralph Muehlig headed the “Jerk Club”, forerunner of the “Purple” Ring”. It has been four years since we lined up for the hike to the cafeteria, went through the food line with the wrong change, first danced in the gym, and took turns going to assemblies. In the Wadleigh we formed a solid foundation which has carried us through the years as school leaders athletically and scholastically. In two short months we were eligible to hobnob with the elite in the main building and in no time proved our worth to the school. We elected four fine officers in Gordon McGov¬ ern, Phineas Newton, Jean Freygang, and Ruth Tapley. We were proud of a football team which suffered but one setback, but were proud¬ er still of our boys who helped toward that goal. Ruth Tapley, Edie Dover, Ginny Ter- hune, B. J. and B. A. Smith, Muriel Howard, Marilyn Drake, Virginia Wallace, Joan Nettles, and Anne Penniman started on the trail to basketball and field hockey fame. Although the “Red and Black” grew in size and the A. A. membership price had dropped from one dollar to eleven cents during the sum¬ mer, events abroad held the spotlight and in¬ cited in us a strong feeling of patriotism. Ger¬ many had heartlessly mistreated the smaller

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countries of Europe and England was totter¬ ing under intense bombings. Pearl Harbor! Before we knew it, we were at war. It seemed like a dream as we sat in the assembly hall and listened to the President ask for war. To us fighting was unreal and far away, but the Japs had struck us between the eyes and we soon awakened. Our principal, teachers, and schoolmates shortly answered the call to the colors. Air raid drills, dimout rules, paper conservation and the scarcity of prod¬ ucts brought the battles home to us. War, however, did not hamper the activities of an ambitious and energetic sophomore class. We campaigned for a school band, bolstered a championship baseball team, saw Bert Moore and Gordon McGovern star on the second team hoopsters who lost only their last game in sev¬ enteen; watched Dick Callahan and Bud Ma¬ honey win first team suits in baseball; and danced to the strains of ‘White Cliffs of Dover”, “Chattanooga Choo-Choo”, and “El¬ mer’s Tune”. We won’t forget our contribu¬ tions to the Vaudeville, either; Bert Moore’s violin. Bud Mahoney’s monologue, Bill Ev¬ erett’s and Earle Spencer’s “Air Raid”, Patsy Leonard’s “Maudie”, and a host of girls that brightened up the choruses. Our junior year was one of sunshine and glory. After two years of “getting ready”, we were now prepared to take our place as upper¬ classmen. Class officials for this memorable year were Steve Greene, Ken Harvey, Barbarie Harm- er, and Herbert Mahoney. We bolstered our claim to greatness during the ensuing football season which saw the team climax an unbeaten season with the Class C Championship. Our first team letter winners were Ken Harvey, Doug Cromwell, Angelo Amico, Fred Hicks, and Tom Derro. In all other sports we were tops! Our basket¬ ball team, bolstered by Juniors, was invited to the Tech Tournament. Saraco, Swymer, Calla¬ han,McGovern, and Clarke were diamond aces, while DiMambro and Ottiano ran wild on the cinder paths. In girls’ sports new faces ap¬ peared — Anne Richardson in hockey, Peggy Ware in tennis. Ken Harvey was announced captain-elect of the football team; Anne Richardson, hockey; “Edie” Dover, basketball: Anne Penniman, tennis; Tony Saraco, baseball; while John Ot¬ tiano and Frank DiMambro shared the track honors. Of course the records will never let us forget our illustrious two-year, three-sport manager, Alan Bugbee. Juniors monoplized the “Red and Black” and lifted the paper to its proper place in school affairs; Jean Freygang headed the Red Cross with Bill Eaton as Vice-President; Jim Kim¬ ball was Vice-President of the Thrift Associa¬ tion; B. J. Smith was Secretary of three organi¬ zations; Steve Greene held the second highest position in Student Council; George Gould presided over the Camera Club. The class play, “Seven Keys to Baldpate”, couldn’t have been a success without the stellar performances turned in by Joan Mullan, Her¬ bert Clement, Larry Smith, Earle Spencer, and Virginia Terhune. Bob Johnston was the in¬ dividual star of the Vaudeville — while over fifty other classmates directly contributed to its success. During this year Bert Moore engineered the sale of War Stamps, introduced the Honor So¬ ciety; and the Student Council sponsored our first Vocational Day. Will we ever forget the dances held in the gym to the tune of “I’ve Heard that Song Before” and “Sleepy Lagoon”, climaxed with the pomp, color, and gaiety we combined into a wonderful Prom . For three years we had slaved and suffered until this Fall we reached the top — Seniors at last! It was high time now to put away our yo-yos and buckle down to the task of better¬ ing the records left by other graduating classes. In no time the A. A. boasted of a 100% school membership for the first time in history; the Student Council introduced traffic squad re¬ vision; our girls’ basketball team sported a rec¬ ord second to none in the annals of the school; we flew the minuteman flag for the first time; the chorus broadcast over the radio; we held the first town meeting discussion; and we founded new hockey and indoor track squads. Countless other unsurpassable records will be left behind us as a result of our efforts. Joe Foley was elected as chief executive, with Frank DiMambro second in command; Mary Power, Secretary; and Larry Norton was left