Four years ago our class of
seventy-five embarked on the grand old ship "Grove" and started on a
perilous voyage. During these eventful years of storm and stress our courage has never
failed us, and
now we find ourselves coming into port.
As we anchor in this port each will leave the ship with a diploma in his possession. As we
separate
and travel through the future, each in his own chosen path, we will ever cherish the
memories of the
happv days spent in the spacious staterooms of the grand old ship.
In the fall of '35 a group of 132 bewildered boys and girls, minus a great deal of later
acquired so-
phistication, came aboard. After many amusing initiations, we came to know Professor Fitch
and our
teachers, and soon established our own enviable class record. We chose as our president
Fred Holder,
who led us through our freshman school days. Doris McCutchan won for us first place in the
dra-
matic division of the Intel-class Contest. She also won first place at Martin and
represented District
II at Knoxville. Helener Kane Currier was awarded the Murray Jewelry Medal for highest
non-senior
grades. We were well represented during this year in both boys' and girls' athletics;
Juliet Johnston
and Sarah Faust were selected as football queen's attendants.
The next fall we again assembled on the deck to heap even more honors upon our fast
advancing
class. Much hard work brought results, and we soon found two sophomores taking first
places in the
Intelclass Contest — McCutchan in humorous reading, and Richard Hudson in oration.
Cathlyn Cole
became a member of the county all-star team in basketball, Fred Holder was on the winning
team
in debate, and Blackwood was awarded the Murray Jewelry Medal. John Hugh Floyd was chosen
as
our president. Julia Hagan and Sarah Faust were the two sophomore football queen's
attendants.
Although we sensed our responsibilities, we now really began to enjoy our school days
— as juniors.
Compacts and lipstick, which had appeared the year before, were still found and, if
possible, in even
greater abundance. Still, with a new gymnasium, a new commercial teacher, Mr. Dill, and a
new prin-
cipal, Mr. Routon, we settled down to work and soon found that we had made another
record-breaking
year. Members of our class were very prominent in football; and in basketball Cole was
again made
a member of the county all-star team. Annie Dell Largent won for us second place in the
Interclass
Contest. Doris McCutchan won second place in the Tri-State Contest at Memphis, and thus
was
eligible to enter the National Literary Contest. Fred Holder, Richard Hudson, and Perry
Bigham were
members of the winning teams in debate at Martin. This year Joe Routon was chosen as our
presi-
dent. Now that we were upperclassmen we were allowed three queen's attendants for which
compli-
ment we selected Sue Akin, Julia Hagan, and Doris McCutchan.
Proud, sophisticated, and reserved, we boarded the old ship for the last time on August
29, 1938 and
not without regrets. With the generous help of our sponsors, Miss Diggs, Miss Morris, and
Mr. Dill,
we are now graduating with honors as great as those of any class preceding. To lead us
through this last
voyage, we chose Fred Holder to be our Senior president. The football team of '39 will
have a sense of
great loss in the absence of Holder, Hert, Horner, James and Billy Riley, Hudson,
Scarbrough, Snow,
Martin, and Vester. With the superb coaching of Lackey and Davis this season has been
perfect - a
victory in every game. Our vivacious cheerleader, Sue Akin, was elected football queen and
was crowned
on Barton Field in a very impressive ceremony. She was attended by Martha Morris and
Eleanor
Watkins from the Senior Class. Doris McCutchan, our charming little band sponsor, was also
the asso-
ciate football sponsor. In boys' basketball the team will feel a great loss in the
graduation of Compton;
in girls' basketball Cole, Etheridge, and Faust, will leave places hard to fill. Cole and
Etheridge were
made members of the county all-star team and later, members of the district allstar team;
each of these
girls was awarded a tiny gold basketball. In preparing for the Interclass Contest,
enthusiasm ran high,
and we maintained our record in connection with the power of our voices. The results were
two first
places Jane Greer in humorous reading and Charles Humphreys in oration.
Never will we forget our trustworthy captain and his faithful crew who have so carefully
guided our
course for these years. As we, the passengers of 1939, bid farewell to our ship and our
underclassmates,
we treasure them in our hearts. As we go into our future, we hope to place dear old Grove
on the highest
pinnacle of success,
Earline Blackwood, Class Historian
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