Members of Caldwell H. S. Class of 1951 Remember

It was a simpler time
CHS Graduates of 1951 Still Remember Good Times, Enjoy Each Other

There were 132 young men and women in the graduating class. Among them were Bob Engle, Bill Crookham, Joe Frost, Harvey Hoff, and Lois Padour.  They were members of the graduating class of CaldwellHigh School. The year was 1951.

It was a simpler time. In 1951, you could buy a new car for about $1,500. Items like turn signals were still an extra and most drivers still used hand signals to let other drivers know which way they were turning. Oh, yes, and gas was only 19 cents a gallon!

Sixty years have now come and gone. Many members of the CHS class of 1951 have also passed on, but the remaining members like to get together and recall simpler times. Why do they come together more often than the five or ten years that most classes do for reunions?

“Because we like each other,” states Bob Engle, a graduate of the CHS class of 1951. “Our class was 

one of the best. We had a very smart class. Many of them went on to lead very successful lives�"lots of attorneys, engineers, pharmacists�"and they went on to have a good life.”

Classes for the 1951 graduates were held in the old school building. This was prior to the time when the new school was built later that same decade. Engel says he doesn’t remember any after school clubs or activities. The only activity was sports, but there weren’t any school sports for girls, only cheerleading.

With no exceptions (that can be remembered), all the boys who graduated from CHS also went on to fulfill their military obligations. Engel fulfilled his responsibility by spending four years in the Air Force. He traveled around the world and even spent some time in Alaska at a radar listening site located only miles from the mainland of Russia. After his release from the service, he attended business college, met and married his wife, and eventually became a bookkeeper.

“The class of 1951 was a fun class,” remembers Engle. “We became known as an ornery class by some of the teachers. I guess it was because we liked to joke and play pranks. One day a group of guys decided to carry Joe Frost through the hallway. One of the teachers, Mrs. Rice, saw Joe and since the other guys were carrying him, she thought Joe had fallen and was hurt.”

Engle doesn’t remember whether the guys got into trouble for fooling Mrs. Rice, but he says it was easy to get sent to the principal’s office. He says you could end up in the office for just about “anything,” especially for throwing something in class.

“One of the teachers had a hatchet, and if you got in trouble and sent to the principal’s office, you were given the hatchet to carry to the principal’s office,” explains Engle. “Everyone knew you were in trouble if you were carrying the hatchet and they would say you were ‘given the hatchet’ and it meant you were really in trouble.”

But it wasn’t all fun and games in 1951. You were expected to work hard and homework was part of the normal routine. According to Engle, respect was customary and was an important part of school code. Students respected their teachers.

“There was one teacher that everyone respected,” Engle recalls. “I can’t remember her name, but she made an impression on me and many others. She was an English teacher and she was very strict. She made you tow the line and everyone respected her because she was so strict. We all learned from her.”

Although most graduates of the CHS class of 1951 are now 79 or 80 years old, some still lead very active lives. Engle named Lois Padour as one who is very active and involved in many projects. Even though some have been separated by geography or by death, the remaining class members meet every year for a mini-reunion. This September will mark their 61st anniversary.

“Our usual mini-reunion is actually a potluck dinner,” says Bill Crookham. “We usually have it at Purple Sage and we play some golf. I’m not sure if anyone wants to play golf this year, but I think our dinner will be at Canyon Springs and we’ll be able to just order from the menu.”

Like the male CHS graduates before him, Crookham completed his military obligation following high school. He then entered the family business selling bulk vegetable seeds to farmers. The company recently celebrated their 100^th anniversary.

“One of the proudest moments of the 1951 graduates is the scholarship we give each year to a CaldwellHigh School graduate,” Crookham says. “The endowment has now grown to more than $50,000 so, when our class president, Harvey Hoff, announces this year’s scholarship winner, it will be a proud moment for all of us.”

Asked what the biggest difference is between 1951 and 2012, Engle says there are many.

“We had a small black and white television back then and I remember watching some funny shows. One of my favorites was The Red Skelton Show,” says Engle. “But I guess one of the biggest differences is the price of gas. It was 19 cents a gallon then, but prices today are ridiculous. It’s like highway robbery.”

S

o, is that what they talk about when they get together at their reunions?

“No, we just talk about kids and grandkids, and give an update about what’s happening in our lives,” explains Engle. “Oh, and we talk a lot about health, health problems, and prescriptions for medicine. 

That’s a popular topic. Except for some arthritis, which everyone seems to have, and my eyes, because I can’t see as good as when I was younger, I’m thankful to be in good health.”

There aren’t 132 members anymore. About 25 to 30 members show up each year at the mini-reunions, and the world has certainly changed since 1951. One thing hasn’t changed though. They still enjoy the simple joys of life and they still like each other.

Copyright 2012 by S. R. Morris