Volume 51, #28 Friday, May 7, 1965

Number 4, Saturday May 7, 2005

As usual, The Owl broke the news. The next year's election winners were Pete Fogg, Head Boy, Mary Hale, Head Girl, and Jay Gould, Treasurer.  With new management in place it was time to move on with the important things like The Prom and graduation.

The big prom location debate ended a week after it started in The Owl's editorial column (see last week). The Glen Miller Ballroom at CU won out over the remodeled Boulder High courtyard. The basis of the decision?  Something about a use-it or lose-it contract with CU and construction of decorations
already underway when the courtyard idea gained momentum. 
Also on the prom front, a page 3 box saying "SENIORS DON'T PANIC-There is still time to get a date to the prom. Don't miss your big chance. REMEMBER girls are made to love and take to the prom." (For the record, this is an EXACT quote.)

Senior Class President Ron Bush announced that Donald G Brotzman, former US Representative from Boulder would be the graduation speaker on June 10th. Brotzman was second choice. The first choice as Lyndon Johnson, the President of the United State. Hearing he might be in the area, Senior Class
Secretary-Treasurer Ann Willyard had invited Johnson to speak at graduation.  Jack Valenti, Johnson's special aid (and for decades later the head of the Motion Picture Association of America), wrote back to Ann, saying The President "appreciates very much your letter and wishes the class of 1965 at Boulder high school the best of luck."

Another front page story announced a meeting with a state employment office rep to try to recruit high school kids to work in the farm fields.  Congress had not renewed what now would be called a "guest worker" program for farm laborers, and the state was left 2000 short.  "Youths from 14 years up will work in supervised crews of five to 15 within a 15-20 mile
radius of Boulder. "Employees will work six to eight hours daily, for five or six days a week.  Wages will be $1.30 an hour, or by piece rate."

Thespians were opening their last show of the year, "Night Must Fall," a suspense drama based on a hotel murder in Essex, England.  Seniors Cal Winn and Terry Hogan starred.

Senior Paula Schneider was named a national merit scholarship winner.  She planned to attend parsons College with a research physics major.

In a lesson of how acronyms change meanings, a "POW Banquet" was held by the Triangle club to honor the Panthers of the Week. 

Golfers won.  The track team (known in The Owl as "thinclads") came in way back at CSU and the baseball
team was looking forward to a Cherry Creek game the next day.

Advertising that week contained examples of subsequent
inflation and limited products as  national brands evolved. 

Bergheim's offered Tuxedo Rentals for the prom for $10
including a white dinner jacket or black Tux coat,
formal trousers, cumberbund, black tie, and suspenders.  A formal shirt complete with studs and cuff links was $2 more.

In the limited SKEW department, McDonalds again was advertising the "New 'N' Good" Filet 'o Fish sandwich, a weekly regular in The Owl.  Still 24 cents.

(Next: "All-Night 'Prom-athon' To Feature Coronation")

 

Then, Now and The Rest of the Story provided by Ronny Bush

 

It was late April when Alice and I made a trip into Boulder from Fort Collins to tend to some details related to the Reunion. Among other things we wanted to visit the south lawn of BHS where the Sunday Picnic is to be held. Having not been to BHS for 10 years we wanted to make sure the place isn't occupied by apartments. While there we decided to give ourselves a self-tour of the interior of good old BHS.

 

I stood in the courtyard facing the cafeteria doors. The image in glass of the window transcended time. I was not bald back then. Images from 40 years ago began to fill my field of view. My most vivid image from this space was of the last day of school in 1965. It was a tradition, even in Junior High, to clean out our lockers by pulling all the unwanted junk onto the floor of the hallways. This day was a little different. Everyone began tossing the junkola over the rails and into the courtyard. It was a mess and I could see that the seniors led the way.

 

As Senior Class President I felt a sense of responsibility. Why? I don't know. I stood 40 years ago on this concrete floor of the courtyard which had been completely covered with papers, 3 ring binders, broken pencils, back issues of the Owl, a slide rule, pop cans, gum wrappers and colored flyers. Everyone else had left the school. It was quiet. I was alone.

 

I went into Principal Greer's office. He was still there along with the custodians who were pushing brooms down the hallways. Hallway cleanup was easy and a practical way to clean out the lockers. Dumping in the courtyard was different. I apologized to Mr. Greer for the actions of my fellow classmates and offered to get a crew together to help out the custodians. Greer chuckled and in words that I cannot exactly recall told me to give it up. He said he had never had a Senior Class President hang on to the responsibly of the office as long as I had.

 

Today, the courtyard is quiet but clean. Standing in the heart of the space, and leaning like the Tower of Pisa, is the fountain, which was a gift to the school by our class. Alice and I could not believe it was not only there but was situated in such a prominent position. A marker on the base gives credit to our class of 1965 and notes that the BHS faculty of 1996 was responsible for its restoration.

 

Near the end of the school year in 1965 the Senior Class Officers (Ann Willard, Bill Lanterman and I) discussed the disposition of the funds remaining in our class account. I'm not sure how the idea of a fountain came about; I just know that I agreed to do the research. A stonemason on north Broadway built the fountain for about $350. When it was delivered to the school Mr. Greer called me into his office and asked me if we (the class of 1965) had established a custodial account for its ongoing care and maintenance. I wish I could have said, "Yes, Ann and Bill have that all worked out." Care and maintenance? My gosh! That never even entered our minds! Mr. Greer was not happy about the gift.

 

Alice and I stood there pondering the fountain and feeling proud of our class. The only negative aspect of the fountain is summed up in just 2 words, Butt Ugly!