Home  |  Alumni News  |  Announcements  |  Alumni Profiles  | Dragon History  |  Historical Photos

On September 7, 1947, twenty-six cocky, little freshies entered the portals of Downs High, preparing to complete a four-year high school education.  New students who joined us were: Alice Bohlen, Burton Huiting, Marvin Gradig, and Sylvester Redeker.

Our introduction to D.H.S. was Initiation Day, which proved most enjoyable for the entire student body.  Class officers elected for the freshman year were as follows: President, Max Poppen; Vice-President, Marvin Gary; Secretary, George Knoll; Treasurer, Keith Blide; Student Council Representative, Bill Cunningham.
 

Our sophomore year was similar to the freshman year, except that we were more accustomed to school by this time.  During the summer, several faces had disappeared from our class and several new ones took their places.  They were Sylvester Redeker, Harold Kerr, Leora Ware, and Marilyn Vanderiet.  The new ones were Raymond Henderson and Bill Kempton. Several parties and picnics were held during this year.  Our class officers consisted of President, Marvin Headley; Vice-President, Donald Self; Secretary, Elsie Kindley; Treasurer, Raymond Henderson; Student Council Representative, Kay Ortel.

Our junior year proved to be most enjoyable.  We elected for class officers, Marvin Headley as President; Donald Self, Vice-President; Shirley Carswell, Secretary; Elsie Kindley, Student Council Representative.  We again welcomed Marilyn Vanderiet and Neal Shephard, losing Marvin Gradig, Raymone Henderson, Dick Thomas and Neal Shephard during the year.

On the night of December 9 and 10, we presented the play, "The Angell Brats", which proved to be a big success.  Another highlight of the year was the Junior Box Supper.  The most successful event was the presentation of the Junior-Senior Banquet, the theme being "In An Old Dutch Garden".

At last, our long-awaited four year arrived.  Our enrollment for the senior year was twenty-three members, with Marilyn Vanderiet and Mary Brees gone, and Bruce Fink added as a new member of the 1950 class.  The following officers were for the year: Keith Blide, President; Betty Hake, Vice-President; Shirley Carswell, Secretary; Bill Kempton, Treasurer; Bill Cunningham, Student Council Representative. Miss Inez Yeager and Mr. Armin Brandhorst have been our sponsors during our four years of high school.  We chose as our class flower the
 carnation, red and white as our class colors and "Yesterday a Dream, Tomorrow a Vision" as our class motto.

Other highlights in our senior year were freshman initiation, senior pictures, and senior carnival.  A delightful banquet was given to us by the juniors on the evening of April 25.  After much hard practice, we presented the play, "Nuts and Bolts", on April 13 and 14.  It proved to be a great success.

Twenty-three seniors and their sponsors were absent from school on April 27.  The reason-they left on their sneak on the afternoon of April 26.  They visited many places of interest in Denver the first several days.  Later they journeyed to Colorado Springs to finish the adventure of their senior sneak days. Soon, all the activities of the year were over, and only one thing was left before us-graduation. 

The Baccalaureate program was one that will long be remembered by the class of 1950.  On Thursday, twenty-three seniors proudly marched in to the graduation exercises and received their diplomas.  At last we were no longer students, but the alumni of D.H.S.  In leaving, we will miss our many friends and teachers, and we
will surely always remember our wonderful days at D.H.S.

 (AS RECORDED ON PAGE 9 OF THE DRAGON-1950)