Lee High School - Huntsville Alabama Alumni

Something's got the staff's creative juices flowing again and we all benefit by getting to read stories written by someone other than the editor. Collins has sent us a two part series on automobiles in his life, which may inspire me to sit down and give it another angle seen from my personal memories. Any other Classmate is welcome to submit the same. While my family did not own that many different cars when I was growing up, I did have friends who had some nice ones and some not so nice ones with personalities and stories all their own. Remember how we used to name cars back then? I do.

We had no guesses on the Mystery Classmate last week, but if you scroll to the bottom of the page you'll see who the man is blue really is.

We've recevied some updates on the missing classmates and hope that everyone will get a chance to look at the new list and see if they can help with any of the ones that still are listed there.

If you look at the top of the page when you log on and see that your number is 267 this week, then you are actually our 75,000th visitor. E-mail me you name if you are the one.

Please include your name and class year with your e-mail to me.

T. Tommy

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Cars, Cars, Cars

Part 1

By Collins (CE) Wynn

Class of ‘64

This is a scene from our Parking Lot at school that appears in the yearbook and it proves I was not the only kid at Lee with a funky ride. When I blow this photo up much of the definition is lost but I think these are (l to r) a blue VW hatchback, a tan and white Nash station wagon and a small blue/green Mercury sedan. Can anyone further identify the cars or does anyone dare identify the drivers? Come on now, rat out your friends to us!!

The first car I actually drove was a 1956 Ford. The car of my first date (where my Mom drove me and it was with Mary Ann Bond) was a 1955 Buick Roadmaster. Through my Lee High School Years my family had a 1963 Ford Fairlane and a 1959 Chevolet (but not at the same time; we were a one car family). Only the 1956 Ford was a 2 door; all the others were 4 door due primarily to the growing size of our family.

My first personal car was a 1951 Chevy 6 cylinder 2 door sedan. I think I’ve told a few others previously that my parents paid $100 for the car and it had the clutch laying over in the floor and a gallon of bulk oil in the trunk. It was a honey!!!!! I think I was blinded by the pride of ownership.

I recall a couple of creampuff cool cars at LHS. One was Billy Byrom’s really sharp candy apple red 1949 Ford Coupe. I couldn’t find a photo of that model but this one is close except that Billy’s red color was much, much brighter. During our high school years I rode to and from school with Billy from time to time for, I think, a dollar a week. When you think about it this arrangement was pretty good for both of us. I got be seen in his car and he got 3 gallons of gas ($.30/gal) which got him about 60 miles of riding at no cost to himself and, what the heck, he was driving to school anyway whether I was in the car or not.

Another creampuff was Woody Beck’s little run around car – his Nash Metropolitan (I think it was a white over blue convertible) .

I really liked that Nash which is one reason I suppose I bought an Austin Healy Sprite a few years later. Speaking of Austin Healey’s; Harold Tuck had a really nice full size white one that I think his Dad bought for him.

Whew, the more I write in this little article, the more I recall. Mike Smith’s mom and dad had a super fine 1957 Ford that I got to ride in from time to time. I was always envious of Mike because they would let him drive to stores in the neighborhood by himself sometimes even at the age of 13 or so. The only problem that ’57 Ford had was that it was an automatic which did not lend itself to squealing the tires on takeoff. For that reason, Mike perfected the technique of revving the engine up while sitting at a stop sign then suddenly dropping the gear shift into “Drive” thereby launching the car forward with a jolt and a squeal. Which works really well so long as you precisely judge how high to rev the engine just as you drop into gear; however, one day Mike’s timing was off (I think he was distracted by a girl walking down the street) and rather than scratching off from the stop sign in a cloud of glory the car simply jumped forward with a grinding thud and refused to move any further– he had torn the rear end (the u-joint?) completely out from under it. I think I let Mike explain this to his step dad, Billy, without my presence – I felt like I would not help his case any and might be placing myself in considerable jeopardy just by being there. Self preservation is a primal urge.

PART 2 NEXT WEEK

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Ladies and Gentlemen

by Eddie Sykes

Class of '66

During our high school days we were expected to dress and conduct ourself as Ladies and Gentlemen. These words are not used very often today, and rightfully so. According to the 1965 Webster Dictionary (which I still posses), the #1 meaning: men and women of social status. The #2 meaning: a courteous or well-bred man or women. The #3 meaning was: just a man or women. Of course originally only people of social status were educated and a part of that education was social educate and training on how ladies and gentlemen should conduct themselves. In school we likewise were expected to conduct ourself in a courteous, respectful manor, and to act like "ladies and gentlemen".

The girls wore dresses and the guys wore pressed slacks and shirts. In school we talked and acted the part regardless of what we did after school. This is called "role play". Interestingly enough, the fact is that most of us turned out to be ladies and gentlemen. Somehow, this all changed in the seventies. Dress and conduct rules seemed to go out the window. It became tabu to teach social or moral values as the role of education changed... and the meaning went from "courteous or well-bred" to just men and women. The meaning sort of "progressed or digressed" over time like our society.

Today in school the fashion is for the girls to dress more like prostitutes than ladies and the guys look more like gang members than students. I can't help but believing that this negative "role play" has had a powerful effect on today's youth. Schools no longer try to influence young people in social behavior. The influence is coming from peers and from the "Pop Culture". In a resent article Tommy wrote about Lee being in need of repair or replacement. I think the school system is in a greater need for repair or replacement than the buildings.

The institutions that made our nation great seem to be now failing. The government, the schools, the churches, and the family seem to be losing their influence on todays society. We are quick to agree and blame the institutions from the highest to the lowest order. However, the blame is from the lowest to the highest. Parents have turned over the responsibility of raising their children to others. This might have worked ok when we were in school, because the schools and churches usually had higher standards than our parents. Today, Moms and Dads should be determining how their children should dress and act, rather than depended on school policy. But, most parents have left it totally up to the school and the schools have gotten out of the business of teaching values.

Don't get me wrong, we also kicked up our heals and acted less than "ladies and gentlemen" in our day. But the alarming part is the total reversal of values. Today the "bad boy" / "bad girl" image is the norm and the "good" is the exception. It was our generation that started the "rebellion thing" against the institutions that determined "acceptable values" for centuries. There has become to much focus on "special interests" and little or none on "common interests". We have to hold those in leadership accountable for doing "the right thing" and we need to return to the values of our parents and grandparents. Looking back, we have so much to be thankful for. I guess the good news is that I remember my grandparents saying something similar to my parents.

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How True

submitted by Linda Ragland Dykes

Class of '64

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip.

You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read them straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half-dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.They are the ones that care.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." (Charles Schultz)

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