Windham County Observer

Presentation Of 56 Diplomas, Five In Absentia, By Schools Supt. John A. Langford, Address By The Rev. Harry J. Price, And Announcement Of Honors, Prizes Highlight Program.

Presentation of 56 diplomas, five in absentia to members of the Class of 1944 serving with the Armed Forces, address by the Rev. Dr. Harry J. Price of Scarsdale, N. Y., president of Education for Freedom, on "Times for Greatness," and the announcement of scholastic honors, awards highlighted the 67th annual commencement exercises of Putnam High School Thursday night at the Bradley Theater. The playhouse was crowded to capacity with an appreciative and representative attendance of relatives, alumni, and residents of the Putnam area in general.

Three students at the University of Connecticut, former recipients were awarded Ella Jane Thayer scholarships as announced by Mrs. Minnie Macdonald, chairman of the Board of Education. The trio includes Misses Beverly Burgess, Phyllis Bell and Marjorie Danielson. A fourth scholarship usually awarded was deferred until after the war, according to a vote of the Board of Education.

Other awards announced at the program were: Valedictory, Joanna Averill; Becker scholarship key, Helen Spielman; secretarial, Gloria Simonzi; Latin, Joanna Averill; mathematics, Bernice Bovia; French, Joanna Averill; science, Louise Arnold; American Legion medal, Edward Robbins; D. A. R. history award, Louise Arnold; Eden Tatem (Continued on Page Eight)
(Continued from Page One)
Memorial prize in English, Joanna Averill; V. F. W. prize for excellence in non-college preparatory English, Gloria Simonzi.
Diplomas were presented to the members of the class by Supt. of Schools John A. Langford. Five members are in the armed forces:
Alfred Emond, Walter Levy, Robert Ellsworth, Frederick Lippmann and Richard Keith.
Others include Edmund Cournoyer, Tadeusz Janczyk, Francis Norton, Floyd Loomis, Edward Robbins,
James Byrnes, Germain Fortin, Alfred Goulet, William Nelson, Donald Chase, James Ellis, Wesley Frost, William Gunsalus, Fred Morgan, Lester Page, Richard Platt,
Paul Smutnick, Richard van Haagen, Samuel Weiss, and Michael Wochesky. Girls include Louise Arnold Valedictorian Joanna Averill, Bernice Bovia, Dorothy Braun, Martha Converse, Gladys Danielson, Hazel Edwards, Jean Gifford, Ruth Gosselin, Phyllis Green, Rita Gregoire,
Elaine Hanson, Jean Herlihy, Olive Heywood, Elizabeth Howe, Marjorie Hughes, Mary Kacerik, Shirley Lepine, Glenna Loos, Alice Lucier,
Florence Murphy, Florence Newton, Irene Niles, Anna Peckham, Anna Robbins, Nancy Ryan, Lois Shaw,
Salutatorian Gloria Simonzi, Dorothy Smutnick, Helen Spielman and Cecelia Strycharz.