1939 - 40
Class Leaders
Senior Class Officers: James Riley, president; Phyllis Sakech, vice president; Mary Hinckley, secretary; Matt Petrlich, treasurer.
Junior Class Officers: Perry Williams, president; Julia Hearley, vice president; Virginia Vetter, secretary; Jack Reid, treasurer.
Sophomore Class Officers: Eddie Farrell, president; Patricia Van Derck, vice president; Betty Smith, secretary; Ed Morrissey, treasurer.
Freshman Class Officers: Pat Reeves, president; Albert Mooney, vice president; Evelyn Rasmussen, secretary; and Justine Seitz, treasurer.
During the Summer
To defray an annual maintenance deficit of several thousand dollars on the Judge school building, the Knights of Columbus launched a mid-summer fundraising campaign that asked each Catholic wage earner to contribute $10.
In an article promoting registration, the Catholic Register said Judge “boasts of an excellent department specializing in science and advanced mathematics preparing a young man for entrance into engineering schools. Finally, there may be found at Judge Memorial a complete commerce and business department. … Along with regular classes, opportunities are offered in speech and dramatics, in music, which includes piano, violin, glee club and band, and in athletics.”
Three weeks later, as school opened, the paper touted its K-12 enrollment of 450 and history of 15 graduating classes. “A high percentage of graduates go to college each year, and a great number of last year’s students will attend St. Mary’s-of-the-Wasatch college, the University of Portland, Santa Clara and the University of Utah. Some of the outstanding newspaper, business and professional men of the city are Judge Memorial alumni.” As proof, Judge cited two graduates who recently passed the Utah State Bar exam – John Brennan, Class of 1931, and Bob Murphy, ’32. Observed a school official: “Judge Memorial makes no idle claims to superior scholarship, but stands on her record and points with great pride to her representatives at home and abroad among the clergy and in professional business circles, as well as in that all-important domain of the home.”
The Year
Faculty: Sr. Teresa Clare, principal; Fr. Thomas Butler, superintendent; Fr. Daniel Leahy, religion and Latin; Sr. Mercedes Marie, social sciences; Sr. Scholastica, science; Sr. Paulina, history; Sr. Mauricita, mathematics; Sr. Alexandrine, English; Sr. Zoe, English and speech; Sr. Alice Marie, commercial and Spanish; Sr. Anthony, singing, glee club and instrumental music; Sr. Stell Marie (replacing Sr. Timothea); Sr. Agnes Regina, English and modern languages (replacing Sr. Agnes Imelda); Sr. Alexandrine, English and history (replacing Sr. Hortense); Sr. Anthony, music (replacing Sr. Josephus); Rose Naccarato, girls athletics; Wally Morse, history and boys athletics.
Fr. Thomas Butler celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination with a dinner attended by most of the hierarchy of the Salt Lake Diocese. A native of Dublin, Fr. Butler was ordained in 1914 in Ireland. His first assignment in Utah had been at the “small and difficult mission church in Vernal,” followed by a stint at St. Mary’s Parish in Park City. He had come to Judge two years earlier.
Marcia Ivers was in charge of “Misfit Day,” when students were allowed to wear “cock-eyed costumes and hilarity ruled.” The day featured a rally for a football game, followed by a dance.
Mildred Wiser, Ann Doak and Mary Jane Sershen mended books available for purchase at the fall Book Fair, whose theme was “Books Around the World.”
For the first time, the Glee Club was asked to sing on KSL Radio. It performed five songs on the “Your Hymns and Mine” program.
Jerry Hill and Mary Hinckley were in charge of transforming the gym into a “Winter Wonderland,” the Senior Ball theme. Helping them were Loreen Pelly, Phyllis Sakech, Robert Flynn, Jack Dugan, Geraldine Hill, Margaret Lindmeyer, Ann Doak, Carol Barber, James Riley, Matt Petrlich and Robert Himstreet.
Alumni Association officers – President: William Reid; Vice President: Peggy Ivers; Secretary: Marjorie Sullivan; Treasurer: Sara Bero. They replaced Robert Murphy, Bill Reid, Jack Leary and Frances Frantz.
High school students gathered in the auditorium in mid-April to watch “The Perpetual Sacrifice,” a 16-millimeter film on the history of the Mass from Biblical times to the present.
Judge received accreditation from the Northwest Association of Secondary and High Schools, one of six organizations nationwide that develop policies and activities that improve educational opportunities and services. Established in 1917, the association had 550 member institutions in 1940.
“In an 18th Century Drawing Room” was the theme of the Junior Prom, held in Memory Grove. The chairwoman was Virginia Vetter, assisted by James Buller, Perry Williams, Julia Hearley, Mary Jane Welch, Dan Sullivan, Fred Sirstins, Pat Denner, Helen Hernon, Jim Collins, Carole Ann Davis, Pauline Nickerman, Peggy George, Dorothy O’Sullivan, Nora Jane Kirk, Tom Johnson, Jack Park and Rudy Bratun.
An essay contest sponsored by the Salt Lake Diocese was won by Peggy George, followed by Jack Dugan and Mary Jane Welch. Also winning prizes were Robert Flynn, Perry Williams and Laureen Pelly.
John Dugan won the annual Oratorical Contest with his speech “Brothers Under the Sun.” Other finalists were Robert Flynn, Ann Doak and James Riley.
The Spring Recital featured piano solos by Peggy George, John Stafford, Jane Morton and Donna Marie Laying; and selections by Bill Raterman (violin), Sally Rufe (cello), Helen Hudson (harp), Billy Deason and Jimmy Morton (trumpets), John Allen (clarinet), Colleen Bircumshaw (mellophone) and Mildred Wiser and Margaret Kennebeck (vocal solos).
Laureen Pelly was selected to be the Blessed Virgin in the annual May procession. Her attendants were Mary Jane Welch, Peggy George, Nora Jane Kirk, Virginia Vetter, Julia Hearley and Pauline Nickerman.
The Music Department’s Spring Recital featured an orchestra involving William Brennan, Helen Hudson, Helen Rufe, Maybelle Wixom, Jane Morton, Sally Rufe, Perry Williams, Curtis Haire, Patrick Reeves, Albert Mooney, James Morton and Peggy George. Singing in the Glee Club were Mary Anne Casto, Peggy George, Helen Hudson, Donna Marie Layng, Joan and Rosemary Lyhene, Norinne Maher, Evelyn Marron, Jane Morton, Margaret Murphy, Mary Ellen Murphy, Sylvia Rinetti, Gerda Sirstins, Yvonne Scott, Maybelle Wixom and Mary Dragatis.
Plays
“Waiting for Santa,” was the Christmas play performed for the school by grammar-school students. To boost attendance, Judge students were divided into three groups, each one cheering for a different character from the “Wizard of Oz.” That character – the Cowardly Lion for one group, the Tin Woodman for another and the Scarecrow for the third – was moved forward on a hallway racetrack each time a ticket to the show was sold.
“Pride and Prejudice,”
“Growing Pains,” starring Jack Dugan, Mary Hinckley, Ann Doak, James Riley, Patricia Kavanagh, Joseph Bradley, Robert Himstreet, Robert Flynn, Carol Barber, Peggy Lindmeyer, Laureen Pelly, Jerry Hill, Peggy George, Larry Maloney, Edward Farrell, Jane Morton, Matt Petrlich, Carol Ann Davis and Phyllis Sakech. The show also featured tap dancers Catherine Ann Eidler and Patricia Ann McElroy. Glee Club members added six songs, to the accompaniment of Mary Anne Casto and John Stafford. Chester Dowse and Josephine Dowd helped the cast with makeup.
“The Lunatic,” written by senior Robert Flynn, starring Flynn, Marcie Ivers, Julia Hearley, Virginia Vetter and Phyllis Sakech.
Sports
Coach Wally Morse had only 19 players on the football team, which went 0-4 and was shut out in its last three games. Players included co-captains James Riley (quarterback) and Matt Petrlich, plus Jim Buller, Jack Reid, Perry Williams, Harry Cowburn, Bill Moreton, Jack Hill, Junior Mellick, Dan Sullivan, Jack Haire, Bill Sweeney, Jim Collins, Pat Hession, John Finn, Douglas Neville, Edward Morrissey, Frank Terry and James Maher. Salt Lake Tribune sports reporter Marlowe Branagan, from the Judge Class of 1927, wrote that “Judge annually puts a fighting team on the field and only lack of manpower has kept the Bulldogs from being in the thick of the title fight on several occasions. This season their ace performer is Matt Petrlich, a rugged guard who stacks up with the best in the state.”
Wally Morse’s basketball team did worse, finishing 0-10. The squad included James Riley, Bill Moreton, Zeke Melick and Jim Buller.
Playing in a Sodality League, the girls basketball team defeated St. Joseph’s 24-19 to end a streak of 28 consecutive wins for the Ogden school. The Holy Cross Hospital team was boosted by the addition of two Judge graduates, Mildred Curley and Hope Toone.
Graduation
13 graduates; (6 boys/7 girls) on June 7 in the Judge Auditorium. Valedictorian and General Excellence Award winner: Joseph Flynn. Holy Cross Scholarship to St. Mary-of-the-Wasatch for highest four-year GPA: Laureen Pelly; Science Award: John Dugan; McGean Award for athletics: Matt Petrlich. The award was named after Jim McGean, who helped found Salt Lake’s CYO basketball league and coached teams at Our Lady of Lourdes before dying at the age of 27 following an appendicitis operation.
Graduates included Carol Barber, Joseph Bradley, Ann Doak, John Dugan, Joseph Flynn, Geraldine Hill, Robert Himstreet, Mary Hinckley, Marjorie Lindmeyer, Laureen Pelly, Matt Petrlich, James Riley and Phyllis Sakech.
Alumni
Andrew Brennan, Class of 1931, and Bob Murphy, Class of 1932, passed their State Bar examinations and were licensed to practice law in Utah.
