Ilion High School - Class of 1937

Utica Observer - June 21, 1937

Break Girls' Honor Monopoly

Two Boys Top Ranking Seniors of Ilion High

Article 2

John Powers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Powers, 95 First Avenue, will be valedictorian of the graduating class of 1937 of Ilion High School.

Harold Hemstreet, son of Mr. and Mrs. Adelbert S. Hemstreet, 2 Second Avenue, is salutatorian.

School graduating records had to be checked back 10 years to find a class where two boys had shared the highest honors the school can give. It was in 1927 that Frank Getman served as valedictorian and William Humphrey as salutatorian. More often than not two girls held the honors together. In other years at least one girl had one or the other position.

Largest graduating class in the history of Ilion High School will receive diplomas at commencement exercises in the Capitol Commencement events will conclude with the annual alumni banquet Wednesday night at the high school.

This year the two boys left no doubt as to their being entitled to the high ranking. Powers' average is 93.92 per cent, and Hemstreet has 93.38 per cent, the only two of 128 prospective graduates to better 93 per cent.

Seven of the remaining eight honor students are girls; the other is a boy. They are: Gertrude TJeerdsma, 92.67; Marguerite Cash, 90.56; Helen White, 90.82; Norma Lake, 90.26; Helen Eastham, 90.23; Mildred Ruddy, 89.76; Louise Snell, 89.56; Walter Humphrey, 89.36.

Several among the class members have done notable work for their school. One at least, acquired national fame. She is Louise Snell, youngest member of the all girl debate team that defeated the pick of other high school teams in the eastern district and competed in the national tournament at Topeka, Kan., four years ago. At that time, Miss Snell was but 14 years old, the youngest girl to ever debate on a high school team in this part of the country, it is thought.

The class this year will both largest in the history of the school, according to Principal J. Guy Prindle, numbering 123. It exceeds last year's class by nine and the preceding year by 10. It Is the third successive year the school has graduated more than 100 pupils.

The complete list:

Charles Adams,
Donald Alexander,
Edmund Allen,
Ruth Allen,
Pliny Applegate,
Jack Ashton,
Dorothy Biderman,
Julia Blake,
Theodore Bluett,
Mildred Bowie,
Helen Bowman,
Perry Bremer,
Mary Brooker,
Thomas Bushnell.

Bernard Button,
Delena Carroll,
Marguerite Cash,
John Chesebrough,
Arlington Cole,
Margaret Compeau,
Gordon Conley,
Edward Couchman,
Harry Couchman,
Richard Cross,
Dorothy Davis,
Edgar Dawley,
Katherine Dodge,
Dorothy Donovan,
Helen Eastham,
Dorothy Ellsworth,
Robert Fay,
Harty Fenner,
Francis Fletcher,
Clarence Getman.

Mary Gilmartin,
Martin Green,
Frances Grimm,
Edward Hamilton,
Marion Hanson,
Florence Harrison,
Pauline Hayes,
Alfred Hegeman,
Harold Hemstreet,
Howard Hendrix,
Agatha Hoeschele,
Donald Hoffman,
Howard Hoffman,
Helen Homan,
Margaret Hopkins,
Margaret Houghton,
Walter Humphrey,
Robert Hynes,
Philip Isom,
George Jackson,
Wilma Jarvis,
Geraldine Jennette,
Marion Joiner,
Eloise Julian,
Lois Kane,
Steber Kerr,
Helen Knapp,
Norma Lake,
AlbertLuley.

Eleanor Letts,
Robert Long,
Charles Loomis,
Raymond Lubey,
Robert Matthews,
Robert McCumber,
James McGuinnes,
Harry McMahon,
Alice Merry,
Helen Milsted,
Robert Morse,
Regina Murphy,
Marion Nunn,
Gerald O'Connell,
Doris Palmer,
James Paro,
Stanley Piper,
John Powers,
Duane Prosser,
Elaine Prosser,
Irving Rasmussen,
Dorothy Richertt,
John Roberts,
Mildred Ruddy.

Betty Rudolph,
Donald Russell,
Robert Samson,
Virginia Seath,
Betty Seller,
Joseph Seymour,
Doris Smith,
Graco Smith,
Leland Smith,
Russell Smith,
Louise Snell,
Edward Snow,
Georgiana Spencer,
Iona Stairs,
Hazel Starks,
Frances Sullivan,
Albert Taylor,
Gertrude TJeerdsma,
Dorothy Towne,
Garrison Trimble,
Mary Trimble.

Albert Urtz,
Joseph Urtz,
Lucy Urtz,
Bernard Venema,
Genevieve Ward,
Helen Waters,
Leland Wells,
Helen White,
Mavis White,
Ermina Whiter,
Raymond Williams,
Philena Woolver,
Francis Yager,
James Younglove,
Norma Wood,
Fred Zeh and
Howard Zeh.