On a previous post, it was mentioned that Bob Adams, on one of his frequent visits to his old stomping grounds, and I took a tour of the Brookings County Historical Museum in Volga. Their collection of BHS annuals is even more extensive than the Brookings Public Library. The 1926 annual is one that piqued my interest. One of the senior boys in that class was a young man by the name of Niall Tidball. His father Clyde owned and ran Tidball Pharmacy, which later became Shirley Pharmacy. The Tidball house was built on the SE corner of 3rd St. and 6th Ave., just south of the courthouse, in the 1920's, and is listed as a historical property in the city of Brookings. Our family moved into that house in the summer of 1963. I am fortunate to reside there yet today.
1926 was the last year for annuals to have a name other than "The Bobcat." Up until then, there was no official name for the athletic teams, so the annuals were given various names. In 1918, the annual was called "The Bomb;" in 1921, "The Sioux;" in 1926, "The Pheasant." An explanation given in the 1926 Pheasant says that the high school athletic teams, by a vote of the student body, will henceforth be known as "Bob Cats." The reason is that Bob Coffey, a star athlete and 1925 graduate of South Dakota State College, had been hired as teacher and coach for the 1925-26 school year. Because his teams displayed some of the qualities of the feline species, the Register often referred to those teams as "Bob's Cats." As an aside, there was a sophomore picture of one Marvin Iverson. That man is my father. When our family moved into that house in 1963, the attic had numerous copies of old magazines. Some of the National Geographics, for example, preceded World War I. Had we kept them, they might be rather valuable today. I seem to recall seeing advertisements for esoteric cars such as the Stanley Steamer and the Hupmobile.
One of the earliest schoolhouses built in Brookings County is also display. It was in use from 1884-1965, and was located south of Volga. Perhaps some of our classmates who lived in that area may have been students there at one time.
Another attraction that caught my eye was the Hauxhurst house, built in 1884, and perhaps the first home built in the city of Brookings. It was located in the 500 block of Third Street, just across from where the public library is now located. As a young boy, one of my best friends lived right next door to the east. Mayor Homer Dwiggins lived next door to the west. These houses were all on the same block where Tom Bozied and I grew up. In the 1950's, Jim Egeberg lived right across the street from that house.
That house was moved to Volga a few years ago when the new government building was built on that site. The big apartment building on the corner was also relocated part of town, just a block west of Southside Park.
Many farming inplements were located in another building. included in these "implements" were four stuffed horses. One small room displayed s an array of over 40 different kinds of barbed wire. If anyone was caught stealing the barbed wire, he would be held in the jail, which also an exhibit in that building.
Perhaps the most stunning display is the original log house built in 1879 by the Sundet family. It was located south of Brookings, near the I-29 bridge over the Sioux River. It actually had an upper floor that appeared to be a bedroom for the parents. There was also a small crib there, suggesting that the baby of the family would be near the parents if an emergency occurred. The downstairs contained the living quarters and an additional bed for the older children.
There is a great deal of history in that gem of a museum. If the history of Brookings County is of interest to you, a trip over to Volga would be well worth your time and effort.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
New Hall of Fame Members Announced
Five new members of the Brookings High School Hall of Fame will be inducted at halftime of the football game against Yankton on Friday, August 25, 2017. In addition, a championship team will be honored for the first time. This is the link to the Register: ( you may have to cut and paste the address in your browser) https://brookingsregister.com/article/erickson-adams-andersh-burns-johnson-to-be-inducted-into-bhs-athletic-hall-of-fame
A couple of the honorees may be quite familiar to us; one was a teammate/classmate, while the other was teacher/coach. Our teammate/classmate is Bob Adams, the fourth member of the 1968 State "A" championship team to be so honored, joining Lee Colburn, Jim Kortan, and Tom Osterberg. The teacher/coach receiving recognition is Norman "Nig" Johnson (1945-1973). The other inductees are Ron "Red" Erickson, class of 1951; Lori Andersh, class of 1981; and Tim Burns, class of 1988.
Bob Adams moved to Brookings in 1963, at the start of his 8th grade year, and immediately displayed his athletic and scholastic skills He was talented enough to play on teams with the older boys. This prowess allowed him to earn nine varsity letters in football, basketball, and track and field. He was one of the few athletes of his era who excelled in three sports.
In football, Bob played quarterback for his first two years. When Jim Kortan earned the starting quarterback position during Bob's senior year, he adapted easily to his new position of wide receiver. On defense, he used his speed and intelligence to perform most admirably at the safety position, setting a school record of three interceptions in one game. I believe that record still stands.
In basketball, he was the lone starting senior on the 1968 championship squad. He was not the most flamboyant or flashiest player, but his steadiness and leadership helped cap off an exciting season for a new coach in a new high school building.
In track and field, he was one of the few members who qualified for the state meet. He was one of the best hurdlers the school has ever produced, setting two school records in the 120 highs and 180 lows. His 120 highs record lasted for about 30 years. If Bob had had the training facilities that the school has today, he probably would still have that record. His 180 lows record will likely never be broken, as that event has been replaced by the 300 meter intermediate hurdles.
Athletics was not all that Bob was gifted at. He also was exceptionally blessed musically and academically. He earned All-State choir honors three times, and was chosen as an All-State soloist. He was valedictorian of his class, and was awarded a National Merit Scholarship.
Bob attended Hamline University in the Twin Cities, and continued to excel in track and field, specializing in the 440 yard intermediate hurdles, while earning a degree in music.
Ron "Red" Erickson graduated about the time most of us were born. His career (and hair color) was somewhat of a precursor to that of Bob Adams. Like Bob, "Red" was multi-talented as an athlete, and actually outdid Bob one better in the letters department, earning 10 varsity letters.
"Red" was a member of some fine athletic teams. The football teams on which he played had a combined record of 22-8-1 and won ESD crown. He played on three basketball teams that participated in the state tournament, finishing as runners-up in 1949 and 3rd place in 1951. They were also ESD champions in 1951. To cap off that fine 1950-51 school year, the Bobcats were state champions in track and field. "Red" was on the 880 yard relay team, which won the meet with a school record time of 1:33.9. Also during his senior year, "Red" was homecoming Lord. He continued his athletic career at South Dakota State College, again competing in three sports: football, track and filed, and baseball.
It was interesting to come across an article of the March 21, 1956 edition of the Register. It mentions that "Ron Erickson, SDSC athlete and Brookings Cubs centerfielder the past few years, has signed a contract to be head basketball coach at Cosmos, Minn...Cosmos (500 population) is located 65 miles west of Minneapolis. The town is new and a sportsminded town."
I also believe "Red" taught in Madison, SD for a while.. He was in a class that I took in the mid-70's. Tom Osterberg taught in Madison for about 35 years. Did they know each other?
Tim Burns is the third male athlete to be inducted this year. Coincidentally, he also has (had?) red hair, as Bob and Ron did. Some of you may know of Tim's father Bob. He was a young college professor (political science?) at SDSU when many of us enrolled there after high school. Although he is officially retired, he is still quite active in the political arena. Tim was another excellent three-sport athlete. He earned three letters in football. His senior season was rewarded by earning All-ESD and All-State honors. Also during his senior year, he was wrestling captain, winning the region at heavyweight, and placing third in the state meet. In track and field, he was chosen as the most valuable athlete. He won the prestigious Howard Wood Dakota Relays discus championship, as well as the conference title, while finishing third at the state meet. He was rewarded for his athletic achievements by being named Outstanding Boy Athlete for BHS. That class was somewhat reminiscent of ours. They had a number of outstanding athletes, had won the State "AA" basketball championship the year before, and finished third ithat year (1988). Tim earned four letters in football at SDSU, being named a team captain his senior year.
In the early 1980's (1982 perhaps), Tim was directly involved in a policy change in athletics at the Middle School. Like a number of boys of that era, he tried out for the 7th grade basketball team. However, the coach was not overly impressed with his skills. Thus, Tim did not make the team. Tim's father, who was on the school board on the time, disagreed with the decision to cut players at such an early stage in their development. Bob Burns made the case that no one should be cut from the squad. At that age, he claimed, it is too early to determine how successful one will be later on in life. Consequently, a no-cut policy was instituted the next year (1983-84). For me, that meant a team of about 45 players. Since there was no one assisting me at the time, I needed help and guidance to come up with a plan that was fair to all involved. We decided to have split practices. One group would practice from 3:45-5:00, while the other group would practice from 5:00-6:15. (Somewhat reminiscent of our second semester Junior English classes. Remember them? Half the class would come for the first half of the period, while the other half would come for the second half of the period). We had a great group of players, and they responded exceptionally well. When those same players were juniors (1986-7), they accomplished what we did in 1968: a state championship.
While the girls in our class may not know much about Norman "Nig" Johnson, the boys likely do. Most of us knew him as the athletic director, a position he held from 1954-1973. He was also our PE teacher our freshman year. In some of the older annuals, he is listed as a history and/or algebra teacher, I bleieve.
I have heard that Mr. Johnson grew up in Sinai. He was an exceptionally talented athlete at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, becoming the first to earn 16 letters at that school. He started teaching/coaching in Brookings in 1945. At that time, it was common for an individual to coach multiple sports. Consequently, Mr. Johnson was assistant coach in football, basketball and track and field. He became head track and field coach in 1951, remaining in that position until 1965. (Did Mr. Rykhus take over then for a few years?) As mentioned above, his 1951 team was state champion, while they were runners-up the next two years. Some of those member that will be recognized from that championship team are "Red" Erickson, Arnold Johnson (Mr. Johnson's son), Duane Rykhus, Dave Christensen, and Jerry Danielsen. Mr. Johnson also had much success as a golf coach. He was the guiding hand behind the state championship teams of 1969 and 1970. The were ESD champs in 1970 and 1971. Mr. Johnson retired in 1973. He moved to Arkansas, and I believe passed away while residing there. His son Norman (Nig, Jr.), himself a member of the Hall of Fame, and his daughter will likely be receive this award.
The female athlete is Lori Andersh, class of 1981. The family moved here while she was in high school. Her father was the postmaster. He may have taken over for Tom Lyons, father of Kris. (As an aside, both Bob Adams and I worked at the post office during our junior years.) As the others were three sport athletes, so was Lori: cross-country, gymnastics, and track and field. She was one of the many outstanding female athletes BHS was blessed to have in the early 1980's. In the fall, she was named the most improved runner on the cross-country team that won both ESD and State championships. In the winter, she was again voted most improved for a gymnastics team that won the Region meet and finished fourth at the State meet. In the spring, though, she really shined. She was a key member of four championship relay teams during her track and field career: 4 x 400; 4 x 800 (twice); and medley. Like Bob Adams, she was a hurdler (her gymnastics training undoubtedly helped her in this event), setting a school record in the 300 intermediates with a time of 46.6 seconds. She was quite versatile too, setting another school record in the 800 at 2:20.0. Her name was etched into the annals as a member of two relay teams that established school records: 4 X 400 (3:59.9) and 4 X 800 (9:25.83). The latter was also a state record at the time.
Congratulations to all of these fine individuals. If you happen to see this blog entry and are in the Brookings area on August 25, 2017, please join in the festivities. There will be a social at BHS from 4:30-6:00 pm. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet the new inductees. Following the social will be the football game with Yankton, slated to start at 7:00 pm on the SDSU campus. The five members will officially be inducted at halftime.
A couple of the honorees may be quite familiar to us; one was a teammate/classmate, while the other was teacher/coach. Our teammate/classmate is Bob Adams, the fourth member of the 1968 State "A" championship team to be so honored, joining Lee Colburn, Jim Kortan, and Tom Osterberg. The teacher/coach receiving recognition is Norman "Nig" Johnson (1945-1973). The other inductees are Ron "Red" Erickson, class of 1951; Lori Andersh, class of 1981; and Tim Burns, class of 1988.
Bob Adams moved to Brookings in 1963, at the start of his 8th grade year, and immediately displayed his athletic and scholastic skills He was talented enough to play on teams with the older boys. This prowess allowed him to earn nine varsity letters in football, basketball, and track and field. He was one of the few athletes of his era who excelled in three sports.
In football, Bob played quarterback for his first two years. When Jim Kortan earned the starting quarterback position during Bob's senior year, he adapted easily to his new position of wide receiver. On defense, he used his speed and intelligence to perform most admirably at the safety position, setting a school record of three interceptions in one game. I believe that record still stands.
In basketball, he was the lone starting senior on the 1968 championship squad. He was not the most flamboyant or flashiest player, but his steadiness and leadership helped cap off an exciting season for a new coach in a new high school building.
In track and field, he was one of the few members who qualified for the state meet. He was one of the best hurdlers the school has ever produced, setting two school records in the 120 highs and 180 lows. His 120 highs record lasted for about 30 years. If Bob had had the training facilities that the school has today, he probably would still have that record. His 180 lows record will likely never be broken, as that event has been replaced by the 300 meter intermediate hurdles.
Athletics was not all that Bob was gifted at. He also was exceptionally blessed musically and academically. He earned All-State choir honors three times, and was chosen as an All-State soloist. He was valedictorian of his class, and was awarded a National Merit Scholarship.
Bob attended Hamline University in the Twin Cities, and continued to excel in track and field, specializing in the 440 yard intermediate hurdles, while earning a degree in music.
Ron "Red" Erickson graduated about the time most of us were born. His career (and hair color) was somewhat of a precursor to that of Bob Adams. Like Bob, "Red" was multi-talented as an athlete, and actually outdid Bob one better in the letters department, earning 10 varsity letters.
"Red" was a member of some fine athletic teams. The football teams on which he played had a combined record of 22-8-1 and won ESD crown. He played on three basketball teams that participated in the state tournament, finishing as runners-up in 1949 and 3rd place in 1951. They were also ESD champions in 1951. To cap off that fine 1950-51 school year, the Bobcats were state champions in track and field. "Red" was on the 880 yard relay team, which won the meet with a school record time of 1:33.9. Also during his senior year, "Red" was homecoming Lord. He continued his athletic career at South Dakota State College, again competing in three sports: football, track and filed, and baseball.
It was interesting to come across an article of the March 21, 1956 edition of the Register. It mentions that "Ron Erickson, SDSC athlete and Brookings Cubs centerfielder the past few years, has signed a contract to be head basketball coach at Cosmos, Minn...Cosmos (500 population) is located 65 miles west of Minneapolis. The town is new and a sportsminded town."
I also believe "Red" taught in Madison, SD for a while.. He was in a class that I took in the mid-70's. Tom Osterberg taught in Madison for about 35 years. Did they know each other?
Tim Burns is the third male athlete to be inducted this year. Coincidentally, he also has (had?) red hair, as Bob and Ron did. Some of you may know of Tim's father Bob. He was a young college professor (political science?) at SDSU when many of us enrolled there after high school. Although he is officially retired, he is still quite active in the political arena. Tim was another excellent three-sport athlete. He earned three letters in football. His senior season was rewarded by earning All-ESD and All-State honors. Also during his senior year, he was wrestling captain, winning the region at heavyweight, and placing third in the state meet. In track and field, he was chosen as the most valuable athlete. He won the prestigious Howard Wood Dakota Relays discus championship, as well as the conference title, while finishing third at the state meet. He was rewarded for his athletic achievements by being named Outstanding Boy Athlete for BHS. That class was somewhat reminiscent of ours. They had a number of outstanding athletes, had won the State "AA" basketball championship the year before, and finished third ithat year (1988). Tim earned four letters in football at SDSU, being named a team captain his senior year.
In the early 1980's (1982 perhaps), Tim was directly involved in a policy change in athletics at the Middle School. Like a number of boys of that era, he tried out for the 7th grade basketball team. However, the coach was not overly impressed with his skills. Thus, Tim did not make the team. Tim's father, who was on the school board on the time, disagreed with the decision to cut players at such an early stage in their development. Bob Burns made the case that no one should be cut from the squad. At that age, he claimed, it is too early to determine how successful one will be later on in life. Consequently, a no-cut policy was instituted the next year (1983-84). For me, that meant a team of about 45 players. Since there was no one assisting me at the time, I needed help and guidance to come up with a plan that was fair to all involved. We decided to have split practices. One group would practice from 3:45-5:00, while the other group would practice from 5:00-6:15. (Somewhat reminiscent of our second semester Junior English classes. Remember them? Half the class would come for the first half of the period, while the other half would come for the second half of the period). We had a great group of players, and they responded exceptionally well. When those same players were juniors (1986-7), they accomplished what we did in 1968: a state championship.
While the girls in our class may not know much about Norman "Nig" Johnson, the boys likely do. Most of us knew him as the athletic director, a position he held from 1954-1973. He was also our PE teacher our freshman year. In some of the older annuals, he is listed as a history and/or algebra teacher, I bleieve.
I have heard that Mr. Johnson grew up in Sinai. He was an exceptionally talented athlete at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, becoming the first to earn 16 letters at that school. He started teaching/coaching in Brookings in 1945. At that time, it was common for an individual to coach multiple sports. Consequently, Mr. Johnson was assistant coach in football, basketball and track and field. He became head track and field coach in 1951, remaining in that position until 1965. (Did Mr. Rykhus take over then for a few years?) As mentioned above, his 1951 team was state champion, while they were runners-up the next two years. Some of those member that will be recognized from that championship team are "Red" Erickson, Arnold Johnson (Mr. Johnson's son), Duane Rykhus, Dave Christensen, and Jerry Danielsen. Mr. Johnson also had much success as a golf coach. He was the guiding hand behind the state championship teams of 1969 and 1970. The were ESD champs in 1970 and 1971. Mr. Johnson retired in 1973. He moved to Arkansas, and I believe passed away while residing there. His son Norman (Nig, Jr.), himself a member of the Hall of Fame, and his daughter will likely be receive this award.
The female athlete is Lori Andersh, class of 1981. The family moved here while she was in high school. Her father was the postmaster. He may have taken over for Tom Lyons, father of Kris. (As an aside, both Bob Adams and I worked at the post office during our junior years.) As the others were three sport athletes, so was Lori: cross-country, gymnastics, and track and field. She was one of the many outstanding female athletes BHS was blessed to have in the early 1980's. In the fall, she was named the most improved runner on the cross-country team that won both ESD and State championships. In the winter, she was again voted most improved for a gymnastics team that won the Region meet and finished fourth at the State meet. In the spring, though, she really shined. She was a key member of four championship relay teams during her track and field career: 4 x 400; 4 x 800 (twice); and medley. Like Bob Adams, she was a hurdler (her gymnastics training undoubtedly helped her in this event), setting a school record in the 300 intermediates with a time of 46.6 seconds. She was quite versatile too, setting another school record in the 800 at 2:20.0. Her name was etched into the annals as a member of two relay teams that established school records: 4 X 400 (3:59.9) and 4 X 800 (9:25.83). The latter was also a state record at the time.
Congratulations to all of these fine individuals. If you happen to see this blog entry and are in the Brookings area on August 25, 2017, please join in the festivities. There will be a social at BHS from 4:30-6:00 pm. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet and greet the new inductees. Following the social will be the football game with Yankton, slated to start at 7:00 pm on the SDSU campus. The five members will officially be inducted at halftime.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Interesting Trivia
As promised, here are some incidental highlights while researching the Hall of Fame nominees. The date of the Register will be listed, along with the headline, followed by a brief synopsis of the article.
May 13, 1926 Contracts Are Let for Completion of the Brookings High School Building When the high school was originally built in 1921, the board evidently lacked enough money to complete the structure. This contract "provides for the completion of the entire second floor of the building. The new auditorium will be the chief feature, as it will provide a place for all the school activities--band work, music, debates, public performances, and the like. It will be strictly up to date and will seat approximately 500. Seven new class rooms will be aailable, and the domestic science, normal training and physics equipment will all be moved to the new building."
June 3, 1926 Class of 38 Receive First Holy Communion--Statue of St. Therese also unveiled at Catholic Ceremony
First Holy Communion is a milestone for a young Catholic.One of those young Catholics was James V. Connelly. Would this be an uncle to Robyn? One of the two girls who unveiled the statue of St. Therese "The Little Flower" was Mary Connelly. Would this be Robyn's aunt? The pastor at that time was Fr. Francis Xavier Dooley. He was also the pastor when many of us received First Holy Communion. Below is our First Holy Communion picture. Can you identify them?
Summer 1929 (forgot to write the exact date) Several School Houses Reported as the Oldest.
One of those listed is District 79, located south of Volga. It was erected in 1884.
Nov. 14, 1929 Loses Two Toes "Milton Moxon, 18-year-old son of Geo. Moxon, is minus two toes on one of his feet, the result of a hunting accident on Sunday. He was carrying his gun under his arm and is not sure how it happened, but believes that in some way the trigger caught on his jacket and was discharged. The load struck the two middle toes, and lacerated them so badly they had be be amputated. He has a mighty sore foot foot, but otherwise is getting along all right." It just so happened that a couple of days after I had come across this article, there was a couple in the library looking for some historical data on their family. After we exchanged pleasantries, I found out they were cousins of Tom Moxon.
July 31, 1930 Brookings School Had Very Humble Beginning Back in Winter of 1979-80. Two of the early teachers were Mrs. Horace Fishback and her sister Miss Leona Van Dusen.
May 10, 1934 Some of State's Grid Hopes For Next Season One of the players pictured is "Arndt, Tackle." This would be Al Arndt, father of Jim (class of 1968), and owner of Al's Sport Shop, where many of us purchased our baseball gloves, bats, basketball,s footballs, etc.
May 9, 1935 Wm. Connelly Dies at Elkton, Aged81: Was Early Pioneer This is Robyn's great- grandfather. Grandson Morrell Connelly ( Robyn's father) was a pallbearer.
May 23, 1935 Local Boys Named on Freshman Crack Platoon at College Harvey Schroeder (Nanette's father) of Bruce was selected to be a member of the "freshman crack drill platoon of State College...The crack drill platoon is constantly in demand to give exhibitions of their pleasing show at different occasions of the year such as Armistice and Memorial Days, the Military ball and other occasions of the like."
Mal(sic) 14, 1935 (Should this be May 14?) New Chief of Police, City Attorney Appointed--Jas. J. Collenny to Head Police, E. A. Berke City Counsel (sic) James J. Connelly is Robyn's grandfather. He was chief of police for a long time (til early 60's perhaps?)
April 10, 1935 Estelle Dickson Is Captured at Kansas City, Bullets End Career of Husband-Bank Robber 16- year old Estelle Dickson and her 27-year old husband Benny were the pair who robbed the Northwest Security National Bank in Brookings and the Corn Exchange Bank in Elkton. "Benny's abrupt killing and Estelle's capture elicited little comment in Brookings." The vice-president and manager of the Security bank stated that "he was glad they got Benny and the capture of Estelle seemed to be the next logical step."
April 13, 1939 Lenore Bork Becomes Bride of Virgil Braley Would Lenore Bork be a relative of Carol Bork of our class? One of Virgil Braley sons is Steve Braley, who was a year ahead of us in school. My recollection of Steve is from Little League baseball. He was a pretty good ballplayer. The family moved to Huron around 1963.
April 10, 1930 Why Study Halls Should Be Abolished This item by a Gordon Olson is an unsolicited editorial from the high school newspaper The Broboca. It seems appropriate to quote the letter in full (mistakes are as they appeared in the original):
"Study halls in certain and frequent instances are abstructive to the idea that if the teacher is not in the room, they can raise whoopee! These tactics do more harm than good. This condition discourages the studious pupils that want to study.
Study halls are merely places to study; therefore why should person who do not want to study be required to remain there.
In the morning before homeroom period the best conditions in regard to quiet and the amount of studying that can be done, exist.
The elimination of compulsory study halls would also benefit the teachers. Instead of being required to parole a study hall, they would be able to work with and advise students who need additional instruction.
Not only would the faculty benefit, but students would be able to go home, play, work, study in comfort or do many other things more interesting than sleeping in study halls. This arrangement was successfully tried three years ago. Why wouldn't it succeed again?
The abolition of study halls would shift more responsibility to the students. This would undoubtedly contribute toward a more successful post--high life, wherein he will be forced to exercise initiative.
If we look at the problem solely from the viewpoint of how the presence or absence of study halls affects the students studies, we again find evidence to indicate that these study periods should not be required.
In that only a few can take advantage of the library at one time and no one can leave the building to seek information, a student sometimes sits and does nothing. For these reasons as well as others unenumerated, study halls should be abolished."
April 17, 1939 Letters To The Editor (From the Broboca) Open Letter to Gordon Olson:
Will all due appreciation to the editorial on "Why We Should Abolish Study Halls," this is being written to show the one and only disadvantage.
The big catch would be sleep! Where would we of the student body catch up on our sleep if it were not the nice soft, well cushioned seats of the study halls (Oh, yeah!). Can you think of anything nicer than, after a hard night, to go into study hall and sleep? No! We plead with Mr. Lynott and the school board not to do away with our one and only means of getting a bare two hours sleep a day! Spare us this one meager pleasure that we have from 8:30 a. m. to 4 p. m. If this is done you will have our hearty and sincere thanks.
(Signed) Study Hall Snoozer.
May 13, 1926 Contracts Are Let for Completion of the Brookings High School Building When the high school was originally built in 1921, the board evidently lacked enough money to complete the structure. This contract "provides for the completion of the entire second floor of the building. The new auditorium will be the chief feature, as it will provide a place for all the school activities--band work, music, debates, public performances, and the like. It will be strictly up to date and will seat approximately 500. Seven new class rooms will be aailable, and the domestic science, normal training and physics equipment will all be moved to the new building."
June 3, 1926 Class of 38 Receive First Holy Communion--Statue of St. Therese also unveiled at Catholic Ceremony
First Holy Communion is a milestone for a young Catholic.One of those young Catholics was James V. Connelly. Would this be an uncle to Robyn? One of the two girls who unveiled the statue of St. Therese "The Little Flower" was Mary Connelly. Would this be Robyn's aunt? The pastor at that time was Fr. Francis Xavier Dooley. He was also the pastor when many of us received First Holy Communion. Below is our First Holy Communion picture. Can you identify them?
Summer 1929 (forgot to write the exact date) Several School Houses Reported as the Oldest.
One of those listed is District 79, located south of Volga. It was erected in 1884.
Nov. 14, 1929 Loses Two Toes "Milton Moxon, 18-year-old son of Geo. Moxon, is minus two toes on one of his feet, the result of a hunting accident on Sunday. He was carrying his gun under his arm and is not sure how it happened, but believes that in some way the trigger caught on his jacket and was discharged. The load struck the two middle toes, and lacerated them so badly they had be be amputated. He has a mighty sore foot foot, but otherwise is getting along all right." It just so happened that a couple of days after I had come across this article, there was a couple in the library looking for some historical data on their family. After we exchanged pleasantries, I found out they were cousins of Tom Moxon.
July 31, 1930 Brookings School Had Very Humble Beginning Back in Winter of 1979-80. Two of the early teachers were Mrs. Horace Fishback and her sister Miss Leona Van Dusen.
May 10, 1934 Some of State's Grid Hopes For Next Season One of the players pictured is "Arndt, Tackle." This would be Al Arndt, father of Jim (class of 1968), and owner of Al's Sport Shop, where many of us purchased our baseball gloves, bats, basketball,s footballs, etc.
May 9, 1935 Wm. Connelly Dies at Elkton, Aged81: Was Early Pioneer This is Robyn's great- grandfather. Grandson Morrell Connelly ( Robyn's father) was a pallbearer.
May 23, 1935 Local Boys Named on Freshman Crack Platoon at College Harvey Schroeder (Nanette's father) of Bruce was selected to be a member of the "freshman crack drill platoon of State College...The crack drill platoon is constantly in demand to give exhibitions of their pleasing show at different occasions of the year such as Armistice and Memorial Days, the Military ball and other occasions of the like."
Mal(sic) 14, 1935 (Should this be May 14?) New Chief of Police, City Attorney Appointed--Jas. J. Collenny to Head Police, E. A. Berke City Counsel (sic) James J. Connelly is Robyn's grandfather. He was chief of police for a long time (til early 60's perhaps?)
April 10, 1935 Estelle Dickson Is Captured at Kansas City, Bullets End Career of Husband-Bank Robber 16- year old Estelle Dickson and her 27-year old husband Benny were the pair who robbed the Northwest Security National Bank in Brookings and the Corn Exchange Bank in Elkton. "Benny's abrupt killing and Estelle's capture elicited little comment in Brookings." The vice-president and manager of the Security bank stated that "he was glad they got Benny and the capture of Estelle seemed to be the next logical step."
April 13, 1939 Lenore Bork Becomes Bride of Virgil Braley Would Lenore Bork be a relative of Carol Bork of our class? One of Virgil Braley sons is Steve Braley, who was a year ahead of us in school. My recollection of Steve is from Little League baseball. He was a pretty good ballplayer. The family moved to Huron around 1963.
April 10, 1930 Why Study Halls Should Be Abolished This item by a Gordon Olson is an unsolicited editorial from the high school newspaper The Broboca. It seems appropriate to quote the letter in full (mistakes are as they appeared in the original):
"Study halls in certain and frequent instances are abstructive to the idea that if the teacher is not in the room, they can raise whoopee! These tactics do more harm than good. This condition discourages the studious pupils that want to study.
Study halls are merely places to study; therefore why should person who do not want to study be required to remain there.
In the morning before homeroom period the best conditions in regard to quiet and the amount of studying that can be done, exist.
The elimination of compulsory study halls would also benefit the teachers. Instead of being required to parole a study hall, they would be able to work with and advise students who need additional instruction.
Not only would the faculty benefit, but students would be able to go home, play, work, study in comfort or do many other things more interesting than sleeping in study halls. This arrangement was successfully tried three years ago. Why wouldn't it succeed again?
The abolition of study halls would shift more responsibility to the students. This would undoubtedly contribute toward a more successful post--high life, wherein he will be forced to exercise initiative.
If we look at the problem solely from the viewpoint of how the presence or absence of study halls affects the students studies, we again find evidence to indicate that these study periods should not be required.
In that only a few can take advantage of the library at one time and no one can leave the building to seek information, a student sometimes sits and does nothing. For these reasons as well as others unenumerated, study halls should be abolished."
April 17, 1939 Letters To The Editor (From the Broboca) Open Letter to Gordon Olson:
Will all due appreciation to the editorial on "Why We Should Abolish Study Halls," this is being written to show the one and only disadvantage.
The big catch would be sleep! Where would we of the student body catch up on our sleep if it were not the nice soft, well cushioned seats of the study halls (Oh, yeah!). Can you think of anything nicer than, after a hard night, to go into study hall and sleep? No! We plead with Mr. Lynott and the school board not to do away with our one and only means of getting a bare two hours sleep a day! Spare us this one meager pleasure that we have from 8:30 a. m. to 4 p. m. If this is done you will have our hearty and sincere thanks.
(Signed) Study Hall Snoozer.
Summer Recap
Now that summer is just about over, and school has started, it seems appropriate to highlight some of the events that concern some of our class members.
About a dozen years, the activities director at BHS began a Hall of Fame to recognize some of the outstanding athletes, coaches, and other contributors that have played a prominent role in the history of BHS athletics. Each May since then, a committee of former BHS students has convened and selected those individuals worthy of selection. Those results will then be announced about a week prior to their induction, which is generally the first home football game of the following season. Our talented class is fortunate to have had three athletes selected: Lee Colburn, Jim Kortan, and Tom Osterberg.. When the names of this year's inductees will be released, an entire blog post will be devoted their achievements.
Some of the people on that committee asked me to do some research on some of the nominees. Since the Public Library has copies of old Registers on microfilm, it was a fairly easy and enjoyable task. While searching for information on those athletes, I also found some information pertaining to the parents and even grandparents of some of our classmates. That information, too, will be posted on a later blog entry.
Meanwhile, this summer has some pleasant surprises. Bob Adams of the class of 1968 made a number of forays into Brookings. He frequently visits with some of the locals, such as Mike McClemans and Steve Hayes. We make the obligatory dining excursions at Nick's and Pizza King. He often brings his bicycle along, so he and I can go for nice rides around the area. In late June, we met up with Jim Duffey, also of his class. Jim's father is still going strong in his 90's, and Jim comes back perhaps once a month to keep tabs on him. We met at Nick's one noon for a couple of hours to reminiscence. Joining us were Steve Hayes and Craig Steen. We swapped some great stories about growing up in Brookings in the 50's and 60's.
On one of Bob's visits, we checked out the Brookings County Historical Museum in Volga. What a great way to spend an afternoon. On the grounds there is one of the first schoolhouses in the county. It was built around 1885, and finally closed down about 80 years later in 1965. Some of our classmates may have very well attended that school in the 50's and 60's. Some other trivia will be posted on a later blog.
In early July, Stan Skubic and his daughter were in town for a few days to help his parents celebrate their wedding anniversary. It may be their 71st, if memory has not failed me. Jim Kohler and his wife Mary hosted Stan, his daughter, and a few other classmates for a lovely dinner in their honor.
Also in July, I happened to be in the SDSU library and ran into Patty Vick. She indicated that her mother was having some difficulties, and that she would be unable to attend the dinner at the Kohler's. We all hope and pray that Patty's mother is doing better.
In August, John MaComb was pictured on the front page of the Register. He and another gentleman were shown repairing broken wheelchairs. Had I been using my brain, I would have copied that picture and posted it here. However, my absent-mindedness was showing, and I failed to copy his picture.
Did anyone make a trip to see the total solar eclipse, or were you already in its path?
About a dozen years, the activities director at BHS began a Hall of Fame to recognize some of the outstanding athletes, coaches, and other contributors that have played a prominent role in the history of BHS athletics. Each May since then, a committee of former BHS students has convened and selected those individuals worthy of selection. Those results will then be announced about a week prior to their induction, which is generally the first home football game of the following season. Our talented class is fortunate to have had three athletes selected: Lee Colburn, Jim Kortan, and Tom Osterberg.. When the names of this year's inductees will be released, an entire blog post will be devoted their achievements.
Some of the people on that committee asked me to do some research on some of the nominees. Since the Public Library has copies of old Registers on microfilm, it was a fairly easy and enjoyable task. While searching for information on those athletes, I also found some information pertaining to the parents and even grandparents of some of our classmates. That information, too, will be posted on a later blog entry.
Meanwhile, this summer has some pleasant surprises. Bob Adams of the class of 1968 made a number of forays into Brookings. He frequently visits with some of the locals, such as Mike McClemans and Steve Hayes. We make the obligatory dining excursions at Nick's and Pizza King. He often brings his bicycle along, so he and I can go for nice rides around the area. In late June, we met up with Jim Duffey, also of his class. Jim's father is still going strong in his 90's, and Jim comes back perhaps once a month to keep tabs on him. We met at Nick's one noon for a couple of hours to reminiscence. Joining us were Steve Hayes and Craig Steen. We swapped some great stories about growing up in Brookings in the 50's and 60's.
On one of Bob's visits, we checked out the Brookings County Historical Museum in Volga. What a great way to spend an afternoon. On the grounds there is one of the first schoolhouses in the county. It was built around 1885, and finally closed down about 80 years later in 1965. Some of our classmates may have very well attended that school in the 50's and 60's. Some other trivia will be posted on a later blog.
In early July, Stan Skubic and his daughter were in town for a few days to help his parents celebrate their wedding anniversary. It may be their 71st, if memory has not failed me. Jim Kohler and his wife Mary hosted Stan, his daughter, and a few other classmates for a lovely dinner in their honor.
Also in July, I happened to be in the SDSU library and ran into Patty Vick. She indicated that her mother was having some difficulties, and that she would be unable to attend the dinner at the Kohler's. We all hope and pray that Patty's mother is doing better.
In August, John MaComb was pictured on the front page of the Register. He and another gentleman were shown repairing broken wheelchairs. Had I been using my brain, I would have copied that picture and posted it here. However, my absent-mindedness was showing, and I failed to copy his picture.
Did anyone make a trip to see the total solar eclipse, or were you already in its path?
Sunday, May 28, 2017
It's Not Quite Livestreaming, But it is BHS Basketball from 1968-69
Did you ever wonder if films still exist of that great bunch of basketball players in the Class of '69? You will recall that those players won the ESD Conference two years in a row, 1968 and 1969. Runners-up at the Class A state tournament in 1969, they won it all as state champions in 1968. Good times! Four of those players ended up in the BHS Athletic Hall of Fame in recent years.
Due to the diligence of the great Johnny I, this blog's owner and caretaker, some of those 16mm films were rescued several years ago, just seconds before becoming dumpster debris. (Thank you, John!) John even took on the task of getting those films digitized and onto DVDs for the viewing pleasure of team members and coaches.
Now you, interested members of the Class of '69 and anyone else, can check out those same film segments on YouTube. Several weeks ago, John suggested that I publish those videos, four in all, on YouTube. If others could publish cat cuties and baby burps, I could certainly learn to publish basketball game footage, right? After all, YouTube wants people like you and me to contribute content for free, so that YouTube (and its parent, Google) can rake in the dollars on advertising. More videos, more viewers. It's all about capturing eyeballs, folks. So the publishing process is indeed smooth and understandable.
Some things to remember:
1) The process of converting 16mm film to a digital format introduces a slow-motion effect in the resulting videos. Perhaps now, a half century later, we old-codger guys would move at the speed of the videos, but back then, we were fast up and down the floor, and quick underneath the baskets. Remember us as the young bucks --uh, Bobcats-- that we were then.
2) 16mm film was expensive. The cameraman was instructed to film only action on offense and defense; very few free throws are shown, for example. If you are conditioned to expect today's livestreaming of athletic events, end-to-end with no interruptions, these videos will look disjointed.
3) 16mm film was expensive. (Is there an echo in here?) Color film was most expensive of all, so black-and-white film served to record athletic events.
4) The first three videos have 10-second gaps (approximately) between the segments. John Iverson included an excellent 1960's soundtrack on the DVD, but copyright laws being what they are, these YouTube videos have no sound associated with them.
5) All four videos are home games. As is still done to this day in Jostad Gym, the recording camera faced south, toward the student body seating section.
Look for classmates ... try to find yourself.
"Trying to find yourself" ... was probably what you were doing half a century ago, too!
Select a clip ... make it full screen, maybe ... and enjoy.
Due to the diligence of the great Johnny I, this blog's owner and caretaker, some of those 16mm films were rescued several years ago, just seconds before becoming dumpster debris. (Thank you, John!) John even took on the task of getting those films digitized and onto DVDs for the viewing pleasure of team members and coaches.
Now you, interested members of the Class of '69 and anyone else, can check out those same film segments on YouTube. Several weeks ago, John suggested that I publish those videos, four in all, on YouTube. If others could publish cat cuties and baby burps, I could certainly learn to publish basketball game footage, right? After all, YouTube wants people like you and me to contribute content for free, so that YouTube (and its parent, Google) can rake in the dollars on advertising. More videos, more viewers. It's all about capturing eyeballs, folks. So the publishing process is indeed smooth and understandable.
Some things to remember:
1) The process of converting 16mm film to a digital format introduces a slow-motion effect in the resulting videos. Perhaps now, a half century later, we old-codger guys would move at the speed of the videos, but back then, we were fast up and down the floor, and quick underneath the baskets. Remember us as the young bucks --uh, Bobcats-- that we were then.
2) 16mm film was expensive. The cameraman was instructed to film only action on offense and defense; very few free throws are shown, for example. If you are conditioned to expect today's livestreaming of athletic events, end-to-end with no interruptions, these videos will look disjointed.
3) 16mm film was expensive. (Is there an echo in here?) Color film was most expensive of all, so black-and-white film served to record athletic events.
4) The first three videos have 10-second gaps (approximately) between the segments. John Iverson included an excellent 1960's soundtrack on the DVD, but copyright laws being what they are, these YouTube videos have no sound associated with them.
5) All four videos are home games. As is still done to this day in Jostad Gym, the recording camera faced south, toward the student body seating section.
Look for classmates ... try to find yourself.
"Trying to find yourself" ... was probably what you were doing half a century ago, too!
Select a clip ... make it full screen, maybe ... and enjoy.
Monday, May 1, 2017
Revisiting The Nature Park
Last summer, one phase of our reunion activities was held at the Nature Park south of Brookings. While there, a man was fly-fishing for trout at one of the nearby ponds. Obviously, there were trout to be caught. Catching trout is somewhat of a rarity in this part of the state. Most natural waters get too warm for them to survive for any length of time. However, last week some of us ventured out to those same ponds, and found at that there were trout galore. We were catching them like we used to catch bullheads at some of the local fishing spots. Most of them were thrown back, but a few of the larger ones we kept for some rather nice culinary delights later in the week. A number of local schoolboys also plied their angling skills, catching them even faster than we did. Will continue to visit these local waters to see how long this extravaganza will last.
She Experienced A Century Of History
Another of our esteemed elders passed away recently. The mother mother of Karen (Thysell) Borsay passed to her eternal reward on April 11, 2017, at the age of 101. What seems amazing is the history that she experienced during her lifetime, and the accompanying changes that occurred during that span. Her marriage of 62 years is also a tribute to her faith and belief in the sanctity of marriage. Not only is she survived by her children Anne, Karen, and Joseph, but she is also survived by her twin sister. Her husband, who passed away in 2009, was, I believe, an entomologist at the Insect Lab just north of Brookings. While never working directly with him, I became somewhat acquainted with him while working there during college. It seems that Alan Leibel's brother Jay worked rather closely with Dr. Thysell, if memory serves correctly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Karen and her family at this time. 
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