It Was 40 Years Ago Today!

I suspect all of us have, or at least had, a photo like the one above. That's me with my mother and father getting ready to leave home on graduation day.

My picture was buried in a box until I dug it out recently. And it is likely that's where yours is (if you still have it and remember where to look).

This photo has great relevance today. Because it was 40 years ago this very date, May 25, 1969, that the 165 members of the Father Ryan High School Class of 1969 went through our baccalaureate and graduation exercises.

It began by reporting to Father Arnold and Father Hitchcock (I guess they wanted to be sure we knew they meant business and to be on time)by 10:15 AM at the Cathedral Of The Incarnation on West End Avenue, which was not far our campus on Elliston Place.

We were there for a special mass at 10:30 AM for the graduating seniors of all four Catholic High Schools (Father Ryan, Saint Bernard Academy, Saint Cecilia and Cathedral).

We were told to report in cap and gown and to line up as for graduation. That was in alphabetical order with the Class Officers (Bill O'Donohoe, Les Mondelli, Rick Sinnott & Will Forte), Valedictorian (Ted Lenox) and Salutatorian (Terry Shelton) in the front of the line.

It was a fairly quick turnaround after mass, as we were to report(again to Fathers Arnold & Hitchcock) by 3:30 PM that afternoon in the open courtyard of the War Memorial Auditorium next to the State Capitol downtown. That's Phil Bennett, serious as usual in the photo above, as we all began to line up for the graduation exercises held inside the War Memorial Auditorium beginning at 4:00 PM.

Before we received our degrees (that's my cousin, the late Johnny
Shelton, receiving his diploma above), we heard Terry's Salutatory Address as well as Ted's Valedictory Speech. Then Nashville businessman and Father Ryan graduate John Connors, Jr. gave us some parting words of wisdom, to a class which included his son, John Connors, III.

Alleluia! The strife is over!
Looking back over the class report we got from the Guidance Office (Father Bill Fleming) of the 165 graduating seniors, 86.6% went on to college (143), 6.0% went into the work force (10), 4.3% enlisted in the military (7), and 3.1% were undecided (5).

For those who went on to college, here were the most popular choices: University of Tennessee (21), Memphis State University
(21), Middle Tennessee State University (17), Austin Peay State University (9), Vanderbilt University (8),St. Ambrose College
(6).

I remember, during the ceremony, Father Hitchcock announced, quite proudly, that members our class had earned 275 admission acceptances to 56 different colleges and universities (an 87.3% acceptance rate) and that we had received $145,800 in scholarships and another $40,400 in National Defense Loans.

Now those dollar amounts seem paltry today (especially with all the lottery scholarships available) but our numbers were an impressive in our day.

After the graduation ceremony, it was time to celebrate with family and friends, before heading off with our dates for a graduation party held at the old Richland County Club behind old West End High School that evening (and into the next morning as I remember).

Got any graduation memories you want to share? Leave them by clicking on the link below and also be sure to bring them with you Reunion Weekend (June 5-7). Don't forget the RSVP deadline has been extended to Friday, May 29 and all late fees have been waived.So be sure and join us for a weekend perhaps almost as memorable as 40 years ago today.