Sunday, May 19, 2024
LOOKING BACK
Looking Back is a column that highlights articles retrieved from local newspaper archives published in years past.
As if we needed one more reminder other than the local traffic congestion, the number of students in Granbury has skyrocketed over the last several decades.
The Thursday, June 5, 1958 edition of the Hood County News-Tablet reported that Granbury High School had 40 graduating seniors that year.
The GHS Class of 2023 — 65 years later — featured approximately 450 seniors who graduated, according to GHS Principal Jeremy Ross.
The 1958 article stated, “Forty seniors of Granbury High School received diplomas Monday evening in Commencement exercises in Pirate Stadium. They were presented by E.G. Williams, president of the school board.
“The Granbury School Band, under the direction of Harold Parnell, played the Processional by Elgar as the forty graduates in white caps and gowns took their places. The invocation was given by Johnny B. Price, the salutary by C. Don Stinnett.
Bruce Price, vice president of the Rotary Club, presented the Rotary Award to Johnny Price and Rozelle Philley. W.C. Cleveland, high school principal, presented scholarships to Jackie Davis, Don Stinnett and Patricia Gray. Linda Ray was presented the DAR award. The Balfour award was presented to Jackie Davis in addition to scholarships.
“Jackie Davis gave the valedictory address.
“R. Sidney Powell, on behalf of the class, presented a check for the sign, which marks the high school and junior high. This was received by Supt. A.H. Pritchard, who expressed appreciation of the faculty, school board, and students for the lovely gift. After the singing of the school song, Delmar Dar gave the benediction.”
ONE EDUCATED WOMAN
This item was not a local news event, with a San Jose, Calif. dateline, published in the Friday, April 7 edition of The Granbury News.
A woman, named as “Mrs. Lura Bacon Bailey” and identified as being 79 years old, received her “A.B. degree after four years of study at the San Jose State College.”
But that’s not all, as someone used to say on TV.
“It was her fourth diploma from the institution, having received her sheepskin from the general elementary division in 1896; her kindergarten primary credentials in 1902, and a home-making secondary degree in 1914,” the brief article stated.
BELLY UP
On a lighter note, entering the summer season we are just wondering if anyone who missed out on the belly dancing lessons offered here in the summer of 1976, was still regretting it. An article in the Sunday, 13 edition of the Hood County News listed the community education summer classes that were scheduled.
Buried in the story, below mentions of the more traditional summer programs such as a basketball clinic, gymnastics classes, tennis lessons, and weightlifting instruction was “Belly Dancing III and IV” directed by Gayle Beaird. The tuition for the six-week course was set at $12.
In case you were wondering about Belly Dancing I and II, the article noted, “students must have completed the first two classes of Belly Dancing before enrolling.
The Bee Gees’ huge hit song “You Should be Dancing” was released in that same month and year those classes were held — although not for the purpose of promoting Hood County’s Belly Dancing I, II, III, or IV classes.
