More of those old photos from 1954. One thing I noted and hesitate to mention, but as I looked at them, an awful lot of the guys and gals look bowlegged. I suspect a good psychologist could put a spin on it that they were somewhat nervous? Freaked? Or inhibited at being photographed in their costumes. Also by the way, there seem to be a mixture of our class and some from 1955.

So easy to recognize most of the faces in the photos. Here is Henry Christopher (class of ’55), Patricia Padgett, Wayne Lybecker, and Susan Crawford.

Someone once asked me—how do you know so many of our class? The secret is that I had a job our junior year. I took orders for and delivered the senior class rings. For a couple of months in the fall, I sat in the small box office to the left of the auditorium in the main hall and took the orders. That included measuring the ring size, the weight, and taking a deposit. Then in the spring I waited for you all to bring the balance due and pick up the ring. So I became passing familiar with a lot of people in the class. Rings then cost around $16 or $17 to the best of my recall. If anyone has a better recall, let us know.

A little-known fact to reveal is that I earned 50 cents for each ring I sold. With a class of 435, I vaguely recall selling around 350 rings and earning close to $170. That covered a lot of rounds of golf at CoolCrest and milkshakes at Buddy’s for 25 cents each.

The final kink in this tale is that I was permitted/instructed/authorized to leave my third- period class three minutes early to get set up in the box office with my sales paraphernalia. Fall semester I happened to have Plain Geometry with Mr. McDaniel. It absolutely infuriated him that I was able to leave his class, and he let me know it and also Mrs. McIntyre, who was our class sponsor. She was adamant, though, and I continued to leave his class. For the rest of the semester, Mr. Mac nicked me points here and there on assignments, tests, and some inane project to design and make stained-glass windows out of colored cellophane and black construction paper using geometric designs. Does anyone else remember that project? He nicked me enough on the points to lower my final grade. Looking back, I suppose the 50 cents per ring was worth it.

Do remember that you can comment or add to any of this drivel if you feel moved.