Dad the Grad

While perusing boxes of hastily sorted pictures and memorabilia, I came across some cool things... at least cool for me... I may be just one of one who really gives a hoot but here they are. His yearbook just confirmed what I always knew, he had a great sense of humor and hopefully this is one trait I acquired, along with his shitty eyesight which I curse him for daily...Braille is difficult to learn :-( Remember how we always had the most popular, best athlete, most likely to succeed etc. section? They also did so way back 75 years ago. Dad was mentioned in a few categories:  Best Looking Boy...nope, not Dad but... under "Thinks so" - Gordon Hewitt.  Now that's funny...I'd don't care who you are. He looked pretty much like Alfalfa with curly hair and glasses. Best Politician - Gordon Hewitt, Biggest Apple Polisher - Yep, Gordon Hewitt and finally the most perplexing to me, Most Conceited - Gordon Hewitt !  They blew that one big time... Probably the least ego plagued man I ever knew!  The "Prophecy" was written by Majorie Bodine as a vacation return to Moravia 10 years later (1948). Before leaving town, she "discovered that Gordon Hewitt was also living here and had a fine office in the bank building where he had commenced his lawyer's practice (her spelling, not mine). Realizing I couldn't go home without seeing an old friend, I made a short stop at his office. Business had progressed to an extent that a secretary was none other than Julienne Kneedler. She had graduated from CCBI in Syracuse and was drawing a good salary from Mr. Hewitt. While I was still there, Naomi Ely came in, and I had wondered vaguely what had taken place with her during my absence. Upon leaving, Mr. Hewitt confided to me that Naomi was applying for her another divorce. She had married twice but still was not satisfied."   The class of '38 all had a sense of humor!!  Gordon Hewitt was also the sports editor of MO-HI-SKL, their version of our Echoes!  This is much more the GLH who came to "be"than a stuffy old lawyer:-)  Dad loved baseball and basketball...There's a line from their sports pages that says: 
In the finals, Moravia opposed Sherwood, the league winners....... Moravia was again "on" and led comfortable until the end of the 4th quarter when Sherwood pulled up to tie 23-23. "Buzz" Hewitt tossed a high arching shot through the meshes to make Moravia the County Champions.  OK....goosebumps:-)



Dad's 1938 Yearbook

Dad's Graduation diploma cover- The cover was dark blue suede lined in satin....

The newspaper announcement of Dad being Valedictorian extolled his virtues as participating in basketball, baseball, class leadership roles, orchestra, band and member of the Blue and White school newspaper. His fellow salutatorian was Julia "Ruth" Denman.  Wow, I thought she was always 80;-)



Finally, His Valedictorian speech♥ which I think I will cherish.  The original is typed on his first (and probably only as a young man) typewriter. He professed, even at 17 how difficult it was going to be to hard say good bye to so many who had become "very dear friends."  He was sure that their time together as classmates were "very happy ones that made us as classmates, a little nearer and dearer to one another than mere friends!"

Yep, that's my Dad♥