GUEST COMMENTARY: 1955 was good year, class member says
I am honored to be a member of the graduating class of Montesano High School in the fabulous year of 1955. Our class will join together on Saturday, Aug. 1, for our 60th reunion and, at our age, are still making the effort of maintaining longtime friendships. Our class graduated at a peace-time era and was full of enthusiasm, challenges and making a difference. The laid-back approach in life seemed to completely make it possible to accomplish anything that came our way. We were wide-eyed and ready to meet the world head on.This was out time and we were invincible.
What was happening in 1955? Quite a bit in our eyes. Our dads were employed, home-life was calm, everyone had a car, there was plenty on the table at meal-time and, most of all, rock and roll was here to stay. “Tutti-Frutti” by Little Richard was number one on the charts, followed by “The Great Pretender” by The Platters. Music was actually starting to sound good.
The halls of Monte-High were full and overflowing. Classes were great and the teachers were almost your friend. Principal Lloyd Enz was fair and treated everyone accordingly. Sports were tops and everyone who had Art Acuff for history knew more about football than those not in his class. Miss Ester Savage saw to it that you learned English and would always snap her fingers and call you “back to class” if you started to drift away into la la land. The food in the cafeteria was wholesome and really was edible. Those were good times.
Our class adviser was Mr. Donald Hoyt. He was new and had recently graduated from Columbia University and the University of Washington. He taught English as well and saw to it that you had learned something by the time you left his class. Mr. Hoyt was a little stiff at first, but after a few months, the class of ‘55 had showed him a few things about small-town life and how to work together and be at ease. Mr. Reiter on the other hand saw to it that if you couldn’t spell botanical names, you didn’t get it correct. We learned to spell in botany and chemistry.
Band and chorus was fun and gave a more relaxed feeling than a study period. Mr. Graham was an easy-going teacher and laughed along with us and made playing an instrument and singing fun. The music department received many honors and rewards under his baton.
The class of ‘55 had 52 members. We studied together, had PE together, ate together, played together, went to dances together and learned under the same teaching staff together. We were tightly knitted and got to know one another well. In ‘55 we also learned to become acquainted with the parents of our classmates. They attended our events and were chaperones at all the dances.
The class has lost 17 members to date along with our class advisor, Mr. Hoyt. There will be 35 remaining class members attending the 60th event on Aug. 1.
The Class of 1955 will honor a past seventh-grade teacher, Patricia Clemons, at the event. Pat was a longtime teacher at Montesano and is the remaining staff member of the Class of 1955. She will give a talk about her time and experiences at Montesano.
The class will meet together on Saturday, Aug. 1, in the Community Hall of the Montesano Church of God on the corner of Church and Spruce streets for their 60th reunion. The event will start at 11 a.m. and continue through until 4 p.m. The reunion luncheon will be served at 12:30 p.m. There will be a presentation of “stats” and awards following the luncheon.
The class of ‘55 decided to dismiss the event around 4 p.m. so that at “our ages” we could travel to home before dark.
Charlie Crass is a member of the Montesano High School Class of 1955.
What was happening in 1955? Quite a bit in our eyes. Our dads were employed, home-life was calm, everyone had a car, there was plenty on the table at meal-time and, most of all, rock and roll was here to stay. “Tutti-Frutti” by Little Richard was number one on the charts, followed by “The Great Pretender” by The Platters. Music was actually starting to sound good.
The halls of Monte-High were full and overflowing. Classes were great and the teachers were almost your friend. Principal Lloyd Enz was fair and treated everyone accordingly. Sports were tops and everyone who had Art Acuff for history knew more about football than those not in his class. Miss Ester Savage saw to it that you learned English and would always snap her fingers and call you “back to class” if you started to drift away into la la land. The food in the cafeteria was wholesome and really was edible. Those were good times.
Our class adviser was Mr. Donald Hoyt. He was new and had recently graduated from Columbia University and the University of Washington. He taught English as well and saw to it that you had learned something by the time you left his class. Mr. Hoyt was a little stiff at first, but after a few months, the class of ‘55 had showed him a few things about small-town life and how to work together and be at ease. Mr. Reiter on the other hand saw to it that if you couldn’t spell botanical names, you didn’t get it correct. We learned to spell in botany and chemistry.
Band and chorus was fun and gave a more relaxed feeling than a study period. Mr. Graham was an easy-going teacher and laughed along with us and made playing an instrument and singing fun. The music department received many honors and rewards under his baton.
The class of ‘55 had 52 members. We studied together, had PE together, ate together, played together, went to dances together and learned under the same teaching staff together. We were tightly knitted and got to know one another well. In ‘55 we also learned to become acquainted with the parents of our classmates. They attended our events and were chaperones at all the dances.
The class has lost 17 members to date along with our class advisor, Mr. Hoyt. There will be 35 remaining class members attending the 60th event on Aug. 1.
The Class of 1955 will honor a past seventh-grade teacher, Patricia Clemons, at the event. Pat was a longtime teacher at Montesano and is the remaining staff member of the Class of 1955. She will give a talk about her time and experiences at Montesano.
The class will meet together on Saturday, Aug. 1, in the Community Hall of the Montesano Church of God on the corner of Church and Spruce streets for their 60th reunion. The event will start at 11 a.m. and continue through until 4 p.m. The reunion luncheon will be served at 12:30 p.m. There will be a presentation of “stats” and awards following the luncheon.
The class of ‘55 decided to dismiss the event around 4 p.m. so that at “our ages” we could travel to home before dark.
Charlie Crass is a member of the Montesano High School Class of 1955.
