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Ilion High School

1945 Senior Class History

As reported in "The Mirror of 1945"

Nobody ever reads the History anyway, so, knowing that, we feel perfectly free to write anything we please about anyone we please. We would probably be justified in not writing anything. However, for you who have wandered in here by mistake, a graceful exit must be provided. From now on, proceed at your own risk.

The less said about our Freshman year, the better in fact, we don't remember anything about that first year and if we did remember anything, you probably wouldn't read it even if we wrote it-so we won't write it.

To mark our Sophomore year, three events stand out. First-the Christmas party -second, the three-one act plays, which were the last plays directed by E. E. Swarthout in I. H. S. - (Hey, wait a minute. That's four!) and the third, if your mathematical mind will let you continue, actually took place during our Junior year as a result of our having too much money in the Sophomore year.

Let us dwell a minute on that Christmas party. What a rat-race, and what destruction! The library hasn't been the same since. We can't elucidate the happenings of that night; it would be easier to relate what didn't happen. The goldfish leaked, Sid was Santa Claus, and food was the main participant in a game of ball, namely, the ball. Oh well, fun was had by all and we lived to present to the public three thespian productions in the form of "Ghostly Passenger...... Two Crooks and a Lady," and "Silence Please." The cast for the play "Ghostly Passenger" consisted of Danny Reed, Phyllis Eckler, Milton Hess, Therese Champagne, Doris Spencer, Jean Hungerford, Dorothy Fay, and Burrill Fay. "Two Crooks and a Lady" was presented by Wilma Browning, Wallace DeVere, Violet Bruso, Jean Hilliard, and Milton Hess. The comedy "Silence Please!" was performed by Robert Day, Joan Billington, Shirley Eckler, and Jane Cooper. As a result of these superb examples of dramatic ability we came out ahead to the tune of seventy-odd dollars, thirty-five of which were sent to Dr. Robert B. Ainslie to be used for Chinese War Relief. In return, we received a letter from Peter Fu. But we didn't read his letter, just as you aren't reading this. We couldn't. It isn't that we're illiterate or anything, it's just that we haven't progressed far enough in our study of Chinese, and don't know which side of the page to start from. We would really have been sunk if they hadn't sent the English translation along. Here it is:

To the Junior Class of the Ilion, N. Y., High School.

Dear friends:

I am very glad that you sent me money so that I can continue in school. Thank you for your generous gift, received from Dr. Bob Ainslie.

Now I am in the third year class of Junior high of the Oberlin Shansi Memorial School at Minghsien, 90 li from Chengtu. I enjoy school very much. Perhaps you would like to know the school activities in which I have a part. I blow the bugle, am a member of the Glee Club, am leader of my class and captain of the basketball team.

It would be so nice to hear from you about your school life. Hope the Lord will give you much happiness and help you at school in everything.

Your friend,

PETER FU

Oops, here's a cutback-Special bulletin from thee powers that be. Mr. Baker, feeling sorry for this lost piece of information said we would use it to fill up a blank space so here goes nothing. During that blank space we called our Freshman year these brains got elected to the National Junior Honor Society: Gerry Ackler, Joan Billington, Margaret and Marion Ray, Barb Schwartz, Mary Stokes, Sid Partington, Chas. Paddock, Paul Bouck and then the next year Mary Horan joined them.

We're getting tired of doing things in chronological order. What's say we start where most of the people would end-at the end? O.K. Prof? O.K. Bill.

We marched in the theater behind the Seniors. We never could figure out why they had the Juniors march behind the Seniors when they belong in front. After all, aren't the Seniors the last class? (P.S. joke.)

The Seniors met their Waterloo at the merciless hands of those paragons of wit, THE JuniorS, on one Friday night in June. (Of course the production would have been even more superb had Miss Gordon posted our history marks at some other time.) All kidding aside, classmate of '44 was the best produced in years. The quartet, which consisted of one Ronald McLean, Hugh Griffith, Al Morris, Robert Haughton, incidentally received a "1" rating in the State Music Finals for their rendition of "The Prisoner's Song." The photograph album can be found on file in the New York Public Library, New York, New York, and the court scene should have discouraged any prospective lawyer.

Next or before that come the Tri-City Plays, which Juniors participated in, so we're claiming it in our Junior year. "The House of Greed," a murder thriller and a good one, filled the auditorium to its capacity. Eccentric Miss Letitia Roberts was skillfully portrayed by Phyllis Eckler. Her nephew, Cedric, brought Steve Seamans to light. Clara Burdick gave a delightful presentation of Mamie, the maid. Phyllis Innes another swell addition of the cast played Carlotta Hendricks. The comical salesman was presented by Thomas Kibbe and just right, Tom! Ted Oakes showed us his acting ability by taking the part of Detective Brooks. Gwenda Lee, the actress was presented by Kay Smyder. All in all, the play was a grand financial success and added another swell time to our Junior activities.

Here again we are supposed to tell you who got National Honors. Paul, Marion, Margaret, Mary H. and Mary S. and Joan got their Senior pins this year.

In May of 1944 we once again presented the annual Junior-Senior Prom. This year couples danced to the strains of the Rhythm Dukes. The motif of purple and white was accepted with spring flowers and evergreens. Outstanding was the sundial in the center surrounded by lilacs and evergreens enclosed by a low fence. A wagon wheel directly above it suspended streamers which were reflected by the sundial. Once again the custom of choosing a queen was revived and Lois Hall reigned. (You can tell we didn't write this-that's the help you have now-adays.)

On December 21st of the same year we held a Christmas Ball with an advance sale of tickets to guarantee its success. This time Phil Conte and his orchestra supplied the music. Decorations of red and white were supported by a background of evergreens. A huge Christmas tree, centered in a spotlight, highlighted one corner of the room. Green lanterns filled out the decorations.

Those things you saw hopping up and down in front of you at the football and basketball games were the cheerleaders we chose. In our Junior year, the Eckler twins, Marg. Ray, Mickie Pitts, Phyll Innes, Louise Leary and Jane Fake filled this order. They continued and last year a change was made. Mickie left and Pat Dunham joined the troop of jittery belles.

If you have followed us this far you probably are getting tired and so are we, so we're going to take time out for a short-coke. There goes somebody by the door-I'll get him to take over while we're out. Back again-

FOOTBALL '44-'45

September 23(Moral Victory) Whitesboro 6-0

September 30 (Ditto) New Hartford (We don't dare, besides we don't know)

October 6 (Surprise, we won) Mohawk 7-6

October 13 (Monotony again) Little Falls 28-13

October 20 (Whee we won!!) Amsterdam 20-0

October 28 (Again they won) Frankfort 6-0

November 4 (Nuff said) Herkimer 40-0

The basketball team won 12 consecutive moral victories and then wound up its season in a blaze of glory by winning an ... Hold on! You can't print that. Why not? The first twelve were moral victories, weren't they? Yeah. So what kind of a victory was it? O.K. it was, but we still can't print it.

BASKETBALL '44-'45

December 8 (Good Beginning) St. Mary's 36-18

December I 5 (Slipping) Little Falls 46-33

December 20 (Slipped) Mohawk 52-28

January 5 (Still trying) Richfield 37-28

January 12 (Almost) Herkimer 37-34

January 13 (Too close for comfort) Frankfort 37-36

January 19 (Oops-down again) Little Falls 41-27

January 20 (Gosh darn it!) Mohawk 39-30

Can't remember (Too Bad!) U. F. A 56-40

February 9 (Our usual luck) Herkimer 46-37

February 17 (Comin' up) Richfield 49-45

Feb. 24 (Slipped again) Frankfort 54-35

March 2 (We fainted too!!) St. Mary's 27-65

We don't want to forget all the activities of our musical genius'. Naturally we seniors make up the best parts of the band and choirs. Forty-three schools swelled our population to compete for sectional ratings on October 27 and 28. $150 proceeds from the Christmas concert on December 15 went to the uniform fund. If you tuned in to WIBX January 12 you would have heard the varsity choir trying their skill at radio renditions.

Our band sported forth in their flashy new uniforms April 16 with a concert and serenade from the choir. We all appreciated "Boogie-Woogie Band" and "The Donkey Serenade." Who didn't?

"Adam's Evening," our memorable Class Play, ran for 12 weeks in Ilion----yeah---ran from Elmer, who took his life and the lives of others in his hands. The cast consisted of those well known dramatists-Milton Edgar Hess as Adam, Jane Margaret Cooper as Anna, Shirley Anne Eckler as Gertie, Robert James Haughton as Casper, Violet Unonimous Bruso as Mrs. Bean, Kathleen Celia Smyder as Rosita, Lewis Russell Eddy as Elmer, George Samuel Ragusano as Dr. Fragoni, Phyllis Jayne Eckler as Mrs. Cokes, and John Herbert Reyome as Mr. Cokes.

More of our brains were graduated to the title of Honor Students. They were Charles Paddock, Kathleen Smyder, Alfred Morris, Ronald McLean, Jane Fake, Barbara Schwartz, and Doris Lyon.

To go back and start all over again (forgetful aren't we?) Sophomores: President, Paul Bouck; Vice-president, Al Morris; Secretary-treasurer, Mickie Pitts. Juniors: President, Sid Partington; Vice-president, Al Morris; Secretary, Mary Stokes; Treasurer, Bob Haughton. Seniors: President, Al Morris; Vice-president, Jack Reyome; Secretary, Kay Smyder; Treasurer, Milt Hess.

What! You still here? Thought we dropped you in our Sophomore year. Well, anyhow, for a history that nobody wrote and nobody read, we certainly wandered through a mess of pages-right? Did you like it? You didn't? Sorry, we didn't either.

Created and maintained by Aileen Carney Sweeney - Class of 1974