1960 SPHS grad

new guy here..its been a bunch of years..some of my teachers
principle, Dr.Ross Jones... asst prin, J.A Floyd...counselor, Honest Wallender... Geometry, Henry Compton... AmHist,Roy Davidson...English, Rachel Dean...Bookeeping, Ruth Dean...Health, C.E. Donaho...English, Mary Fore...Drivers Ed, w.R. Kimbrough...English, Leola Lander...Typing, O.E. Lively"(you make me so mad I could eat fried chicken"...History, w.r. Phythian...Civics, Clemma Ross...Biology, Ethel Simkins...chemstry, Jack Folmar...Teachers were the greatest..they prepared us for the world..we didn't know it at the time...we respected our teachers..talking back was just not done..remember the wooden paddle with the holes drilled in it hanging the the coaches office in the gym..wonder what ever happened to it...after graduation in 1960 (the draft breathing down my necks) joined the USAF ..spend 21 honerable years...retired in 1981..worked for Texas instruments..retired in 2000. Pig stand..circle drive in ..weekends at the beach (rollover pass)..malts at the drug store on the cornor across from SPHS..could go on and on..any 1960 grads out there..or anybody

I remember downtown, Jefferson, Liberty, Tivole movies and there was one other. Hotel Beaumont coffee shops, Black Cat and Kitten..Kreeses 5 & 10.. Hotel Dieu hospital..Fullers seafood resturant...Alice Keith park rec center dances on saturday nights..and Alice Keith part swimming pool what fun we had..those were the innocent days....

You have brought back a lot of Memories at SP. Some of the teachers are deceased but there are still some around. A lot of places we went to are gone like Drugstore, Pig Stand,Lamar Picture Show,South Park Drive In Theater. The pool is there but not the one we swan in. If you haven't been to the South Park Area in a while you would be surprised at so many sites are gone. SP is now South Park Middle School. Pietzsch is now Pietzch-MacArthur Elementary in a new building. The two- story building is gone. Like Joe said could go on forever.

1975: Hanging out at the car wash, across from the school, Burger Chef and parking out on Erie street (cheap date), Gas around 60 cents per gallon, streaking and mooning was popular for some reason, Jimmy Hoffa disappears (I had nothing to do with that), smoking cigs in auto shop bathroom, swimming at the pipes (fresh water canal), getting pulled over by the Lamar Campus Police because we were riding around to much during cheerleading camp at Lamar, Coach Hentschel making us do the Greenie Busters or Grinders during PE, can’t remembered what he called it, getting licks with a paddle, I think they are called pops now, Mrs. Freeman hitting me with her metal ruler on my hand, wish I had spell check back then, Mr. Gary Barnes Woodshop, Mr. George Kellum History, Mr. Howard Davis drafting, Coach Alex Durley, Jerry Hentschel, James Anders & Steve McCarty well respected men, Mrs. Clema Ross government, Mr. Ragsdale Algebra, Mr. Harley Clegg Metal Shop, Coach Herring Health and Drivers Ed, and Mr. Ty Bain Asst Principle, also one of the most respected men, sliding down the fire escape, Saratoga lights, Interstate 10 Vidor 0, plain clothes police offices in hallways, pep rally’s, Friday night football games (set record in 1974 undefeated in the regular season), Sparketts, Cheerleaders, bonfires, prom, homecoming, South Park Independent School District,
One Of These Nights, Eagles, Kung Fu Fighting, I'm Not Lisa, Jessie Colter, Listen To What The Man Said, Paul Mccartney and Wings

It is Miss Ross. I had her too. Boy was she something. When I was a senior I had fainting spells in her class. She got to where I had to take a coke with me everyday so if I fell like I was going to pass out I could drink some coke and not disrupt her class.

I remember the most listned too radio station was KRTM 990 am (that's nine-nine-o on your radio dial). DJ's were Gardon (barefoot) Baxter and Slim Watts..two very funny guys. there was no rap or metallic or acid rock...some of the tunes of that day were: Teen Angel, Running Bear, Chantilly Lace, Rocking Robin, Rebel Rouser, Only 16, 16 Candles, Peggy Sue, Donna, Poison Ivy, Earth Angel, Let the Little Girl Dance, Little Duece Coupe just to name a very few..I have all the 50 and 60' tunes of the day. several hundred tunes..I remeber I was in Mrs Landers english IV class when the word came out that Buddy Holly, Big Bopper (from Beaumont),I forget the other singers name, was killed in a plane crash. Don't mean to bore anybody with yesteryear. I have much more to post later on...take care all you GREENIES "GREENIE SPIRIT NEVER DIES"

I saw Gordon Baxter a year or so ago... hadn't changed too much in the last 20+ years <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Gordon Baxter died in 2006, but still looked the same. One of the funniest funerals I've ever been to. The pallbearers were all barefoot.

Bob Kittell
Class of '61

I haven't heard that name since I moved to California in 1965!
Gordon Baxter!!! Just saying his name brings a jovial spirit to my mind.

Barefooted paulbearers! lol I hope someone made a recording of the service to help to re-live the occasion. I don't doubt that it was the "funniest funeral" you've attended. lol Will there ever be another Gordon Baxter? I think not.

1959 is very close to 1960 Joe. I'm a '59 Greenie model...beat ya by a year. lol All those names jolted my memory quite a bit.
Some of the names had been hard to remember, but I can see them up at the front of the class very clearly. Of course, I see them all the same age as when we were in their classes! We've now surpassed most of them in age. Do you suppose they would recognize us today? lol I'm sure there were some things about us that they never forgot.

Gloria C....tried to e-mail you but your address keeps returning as unable to deliver....I am a classmate...Joe B...I am at joetex98@yahoo.com

Gloria...remember the skinned cat tht Miss Simpkins had in the classroom for a good while...it was for di-section....I remember the girls were not too motivated..the boys thought that was real cool...also there were two Dean sisters that were teachers..I forget the subjects..maybe bookkeeping was one..they lived right across the street from SPHS in a small apartment above the business about two doors down from the corner drugstore. and also do you remember "Dead man's curve" out spindletop way..I remember that several students were in accidents there while racing. ah..so many years ago..if we only knew what lay ahead. God Bless...take care classmate Joe B

Gloria..do you remember the skinned cat for di-section in Miss Simkins bio class...it was there for a good while..the girls were not too motivated, but the boys thought that was real cool..and there were two Dean sisters teachers..I think bookkeeping was one...they lived right across the street from school in an apartment above the business about two door down from the drugstore. Also remember "dead man's curve" out spindletop way. There were several students in accidents while racing. God Bless...take care Joe

Miss Simpkins also live in a apratment across from the high school. The apartment was on top of Ye Old Sewing Store.Rachel Dean taught Spanish and English.

Joe, Miriam....

Now you're bringing up something I'd rather not remember....that skint kat! Yuck! No, it did nothing to motivate me either except to stay as far away from it as I could. lol

It had long been faded from my memory that Miss Simpkins lived upstairs across the street from the school! How slowly that comes back.

I do vividly remember Tivoli Theatre downtown. I saw MORE movies there than I have all the rest of my life. And Hotel Dieu...I was born there. Henry Compton....I thought was so cute/handsome...no wonder it was difficult to concentrate on the subject. lol I wonder if he and Leola Landers are still living. I would like to know about each and every one of our teachers.
I had a shorthand teacher whose name right now escapes me....she was MUCH younger so probably is still living. My yearbook disappeared awhile back so I don't have it for a ready reference. The shorthand I found was a little handy for taking notes in college, but I have since gradually stopped using it.
But typing? I'll probably be buried with my keyboard!!! lol
Now that you refreshed my memory about what Mr. Lively often said, I think I'll try using that saying the next time I get upset. lol
He was funny, wasn't he! And I'm so grateful that I know how to type....
Joe, what address were you using that it returned to you?

Congrats on your double retirement. Great! You've been on the top of the world and had your feet on the ground to boot!

I see that you live in Garland. My aunt, no longer able to care for herself, was put in a "place" near there by her daughter, no longer doing well at all. Time brings many changes, not always good ones. Sad.

I hope all the tornadoes going through Texas, Oklahoma etc. I've been hearing about are bypassing everyone.

Until we meet again,

Gloria...I tried your e-mail at beholdhowgood@nospamwmconnect.com
sent three e mails all come back as undelivrable..

Joe

Her email is BeholdHowGood@wmconnect.com

Anyone remember how Gordon Baxter got the the (barefoot Baxter) name? Well....back in the 50's he was the communator for the dirt track hot rod races outside of Beaumont on the weekends. It was quite a popular event. Being as it was hot in the summer time..he would take his shoes off and put his feet in a bucket of cold water while he called the races up in the speaker booth.
Also his sidekick at the radio staion KTRM was Slim Watts..the two guys were very funny...ahead of their times..Me and my dad would roll with laughter at some of the stuff they would come up with. And when the plane crashed that killed Buddy Holly, Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson),and Richie Valens, Gordon and Slim wrote a song called "Gold Records in the Snow". There were gold records found at the site of the crash that were thrown into the snow. It only sold a few hundred copies.. Interesting triva from the 50's and 60's

Thank you Miriam. I read something in here that indicated that I should add "nospam" in my addy to discourage anyone from automatically taking addresses for sending spam.

Sorry for the inconvenience, Joe. Yes, just leave out the "nospam" in the addy and you'll have it.

Have a beautiful day.

Joe,

I heard the tail-end of a radio show the other day. J.P. Richardson (Big Bopper) was being interviewed. I'm sorry I didn't hear more of it. But it rang a bell that you had just mentioned him in connection with "Gold Records in the Snow."

I hope you had a great Resurrection Day '07.

Got a question for someone....movies downtown was the Jefferson..across the street was the Liberty..and a few blocks around the corner down the street was the Tivole and across the street from the tivole was another movie...what was that one...

anyone remember going to the Lamar on a Sat morning...starting with the weekly serial..(rocket man..etc)..then the kids movie..then the regular movie...starting about 8 or 9 am and getting out around 2 or 3 pm...all for 15 cents....forget what I paid for popcorn..but I bet its wasn't $3.50 a bag...

Gaylyn( don't know if I spelled it right)on 11th.

I don't think that was one one I was thinking of..I remember the Gaylyn on 11th....this one was almost right across the street from the Tivoli downtown...the ol" gray matter ain't what it used to be....

Joe, the other movie house in downtown Beaumont was named The Peoples- Russell Thompson class of '66

Joe, the other movie house in downtown Beaumont was named The Peoples- Russell Thompson class of '66

Joe, the other movie house in downtown Beaumont was The Peoples Russell Thompson - class of '66

I graduated in 1960, should have in 59..needed English IV credit.
Latin was taught at SPHS back then..Does anyone remember who was the Latin teacher. I don't think any high school anywhere offers latin now days..also shorthand was taught at SPHS...only girls took that..not many boys took typing...glad I did..really helped me later in life...all the keys was blacked out..once you learn that method you never forget the keyboard...How schools have changed thru the years... ...All you GREENIES out there take care and God Bless.... Joe

Mrs Ethel Emmons, mother of Win ('64) & Jeanne ('67).

Paul Anawaty ('66)