Class History
For many of us our freshman year began in 1961. About 200 of us came from other Catholic and Public Schools. Some came from Blessed Sacrament, Immaculate Conception, Mater Dolorosa, St. Jerome, Sacred Heart, and Holy Rosary. While others came from John J. Lynch and H.B. Lawrence Schools.
With our entire Class now assembled we entered Holyoke High School in the fall of 1962, we realized that we were merely youngsters just starting to walk along the long, bumpy road to adulthood. Our first days as shy, bashful sophomores at Holyoke High were just a sample of what the future held for us.
Our primary duty as a class was the election of the officers who were: James Hurley, President; Nancy Barrett, Vice-President; Robert Stachowicz, Treasurer; Gail Hegy, Secretary; and Harold Henry, Marshal.
Singing, laughing, and good humor echoed through the halls of Holyoke High, as the traditional Big Sister Party was held in the auditorium. We, the shy sophomores, became acquainted withour senior sisters.
The fall months brought many exciting Saturday afternoon football games, which really displayed our school spirit as sophomores.
click to see full size programs
During the month of December, to continue the traditional holiday spirit, many of us attended the Junior-Senior Prom, "Winter Fantasy," which was held at the Wyckoff Country Club.
In the spring of the year, the Holyoke High School Arts and Performance Guild, under the expert guidance of Mr. Kinney, Mr. Walsh, and Mr. Falvey, presented the highly successful Broad- way musical, "Paint Your Wagon." Many sophomores were included in a cast which was compelled to give additional performances.
We were saddened to learn that after twenty-four years 0f service at Holyoke High School, Mr. Henry J. Fitzpatrick, our principal was retiring. Mr. Edward J. Moriarty, the chairman 0f the English department, would be our new principal.
As the school year terminated, we all looked forward to a new year that would bestow upon us, as juniors, many new and varied responsibilities.
In November of 1963, class elections were again held, placing in office: James Hurley, President; Nancy Barrett, Vice-President; Michael Lescault, Treasurer; Gail Hegy, Secetary; and Harold Henry, Marshal.
On November 22, 1963, our school joined with millions of people the world over in mourning the death of our beloved President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The ideals of liberty for which he gave his life shall live forever in our hearts. The Christmas season brought unusual excitement to us for that year, as juniors, we helped in the planning of the Junior-Senior Prom. In the gaily decorated John J. Lynch gymnasium, on December 27, we danced to the music of the Eddie George Orchestra at our "Sleigh Ball." The months passed very quickly, and in April, to welcome spring to Holyoke High School, the Student Council sponsored "Paris in the Spring," which was held at the Wyckoff Park Country Club.
The Drama Club, in May, presented a wonderful production, "The Miracle Worker," in which Jody Cutler, a junior, starred as the deaf, blind, mute child, Helen Keller, and received great acclaim for her performance. As our junior year concluded, we realized that in the fall, we would be entering the new 4.5 mil. lion dollar high school to begin a new century 0f education in Holyoke.
In the fall of 1964, we, as seniors, entered our new school apprehensively. We wondered if the fond memories, the joys and the laughter of that other building which had become a part of our lives would be lost.
Orientation was held in the cafeteria. Upon welcoming our class, Mr. Moriarty explained to us the entire floor plan of our new school and passed out to us our own personal maps of the school.
Following a vigorous campaign, our class elected to office in our senior year: James Hurley, President; Nancy Barrett, Vice President; Michael Lescault, Treasurer; Gail Hegy, Secretary; and Harold Henry as Marshal.
We were very fortunate to have a foreign exchange student, Marlene Wamers, from Germany with us at Holyoke High this year. Marlene has become a very welcomed addition to the halls of Holyoke High.
In the early part of December, excerpts from the Christmas opera, "Amahl and the Night Visitors" were presented by the Choral Ambassadors, under the direction of Mr. Falvey, Chairman of the Music Department. As seniors we planned the annual Junior Senior Prom, with "Snowflake Serenade" as its theme. We danced to the music of the Eddie George Orchestra in our new, gaily decorated cafeteria.
The highpoint of our senior year occurred February 21, when the new Holyoke High School was dedicated. A new era of education for Holyoke was begun officially by us, the Class of 1965.
Once again honor was bestowed upon Holyoke High School with the arrival of the college board scores. Eight students received nine 800's. Those in the "800 Club" receiving perfect scores were, in English, Barbara Burnham, Ellen Burns, Bellamy Schmidt, Ann Singer, Loren Sandiford, and Jo-Anne Sharac; and in Mathematics, Thomas Smith and Daniel Briotta.
An event of historic nature was the viewing of the first closed-circuit television system in the Holyoke area by the seniors who were seated in the auditorium. The system enables the people who are unable to be in the auditorium to see what happens there while sitting in the cafeteria or in the gymnasium.
The traditional Student-Faculty game was played in our new gymnasium with the faculty merging victorious in the final seconds of the game.
In April, the annual Student Council dance was held at the Townhouse. Appropriate decorations really pointed up the theme for the dance, "Blue Hawaii".
On May 28 and 29, the Drama Club presented the Noel Coward production of "Blithe Spirit" on the stage of the Holyoke High School auditorium
As we look back over our eventful days at Holyoke High School, we remember the friendships we have made, the traditional dances, and, of course, the sports events attended by the loyal fans
As we think about Commencement, we realize that our high school days were very important, and a never to be forgotten chapter in the book of life that each one of us is writing.
