1943 - 44
Class Leaders
Senior Class President: John Downey.
Junior Class President: Jack McCormick.
Sophomore Class Officers: Bill Brennan, president; Bernice Maher, vice president; Margaret Cuburu, secretary; Norman Harmon, treasurer.
The Year
Faculty: Sr. Rose Anne, principal; Sr. Frances James, English and religion; Sr. Mauricita, math; Sr. Augustina, religion and social science; Sr. Anthony, music; Sr. Miriam Anne, religion and languages; Sr. Josephine Marie, business and shorthand; and Sr. Annunciata. New teachers included Sr. Claire Antoine, who replaced Sr. Scholastica as head of the science department; W. L. Bussenius, physical education and coach of football and basketball teams; Rose Naccarato, Spanish and PE (after two years in the USO). The cafeteria was managed by Leone Small.
The junior class led a schoolwide effort to support the war effort, selling more than $50,000 in war bonds and stamps between Oct. 16 and Nov. 21. Senior Robert Grisley played Reveille at the launch of the second bond drive.
Frank Brennan won an oratory prize on the value of a Catholic education.
Installed as Girls Sodality officers were prefect Sylvia Rinetti, vice prefect Norinne Maher, secretary Margaret Park and treasurer Marjorie Park. Committees were headed by Helen Walsh, Bernice Maher, Frances O’Brien, Mary Ellen Murphy, Nadine McInerney and Gail Shea.
Senior Gerda Sirstins died March 6 of a heart ailment. The entire student body attended her funeral at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. She left behind a father, an older brother (Fred) in the U.S. Marines and a younger brother (Otto), who was a junior at Judge. She had gone to the school all through elementary and high school. Gerda’s death came less than a month after she modeled clothes in a fashion show to raise money for the purchase of a papal flag for the auditorium. Joining Sirstins in the fashion show were Era Mae Wade, Frances O’Brien, Evelyn Maher, Connie Orgill, Helen Jean Bryant and Lou Jean Ray.
In December, 1943 graduate Eugene Kirtley died at his parents’ home.
Staff Sgt. Jack Caulfield Haire, Class of 1942, was killed in the European theatre. He had gone to Judge since kindergarten and was mustered into the service in December, 1942 and as a radio gunner. “Gifted with an engaging personality, sincere and devout in his faith.” His brother, Curtis, was a junior at Judge. A requiem Mass was offered in Kearney Hall on April 28.
Sgt. William W. Carter, Class of 1940, also was reported missing in action over France. The son of the custodians of the Knights of Columbus clubhouse, he was married and had flown nearly 25 missions, and was “anticipating his well-earned furlough,” he said in a letter written on the eve of his 23rd birthday.
“Good Neighbor Policy” was the theme of the Senior Ball in the Winter Roof garden at the Hotel Utah. The event featured “Hispanic-American motifs in costumes and decorations.” Organizing the event were John Downey, Don McHugh, Sylvia Rinetti, Tom Ivers and Frank Brennan.
After the Fort Douglas military band played, Lt. Col. P. K. Keller awarded Judge a “Minute Man flag” because 90 percent of the student body bought war savings bond and stamps regularly.
Sylvia Rinetti was Mary in the Christmas pageant at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. She also crowned the Blessed Virgin in the May Procession, attended by Patricia Hession, Evelyn Maher, Dorothy Maher, Mary Tappero, crown bearer Peggy Clark and train bearers Billie Ann Hanlon and Thiry Gail Ericson.
In February, the sophomore class oversaw the school’s war-bonds drive. Its goal was to raise $15,000 for the purchase of a training plane. The previous drive raised $13,000. A handover of the “Schools at War” flag took place from junior class president Jack McCormick to sophomore class president Frank Brennan.
The Sophomore Cotillion was held at the Memorial House in Memory Grove, organized by Bill Brennan, Bernice Maher, Margaret Cuburu, Norman Harmon and Thomas Cashman.
An armorial plaque of Christ the King was presented to the school by Don McHugh, who designed the coat of arms based on the rules of heraldry. In conjunction, the school established the William McHugh memorial award for the Judge graduate who had the highest cumulative GPA over four years.
Organizing the Junior Prom were Don McHugh, Frank Brennan, Robert Grisley, Betty Ann McGarry and Mary Ellen Murphy.
The Catholic Converts’ League gave its first annual Oratorical Contest award and $100 to Frank Brennan for his speech on Msgr. Fulton Sheen as a “leader of Catholic thought and action.” Norinne Maher came in second, talking about Paul Claudel, former French ambassador to the United States. Other speakers were Joan Maher, Marjorie Park, Robert Grisley, Helen Walsh, Thomas Ivers and Mary Ellen Murphy.
At the end of a week dedicated to vocations, from religious and business to nursing and motherhood, senior girls put on a performance in which Mary Ellen Murphy represented the Statue of Liberty, Margaret Park was a nun, Marjorie Park a businesswoman, Helen Walsh a mother, Sylvia Rinetti a nurse and Norinne Maher an artist.
Alumnus Peter O’Carroll spoke to the student body at an assembly following his return on leave from the North African and Italian campaigns of the Allied armies. He won the Flying Cross and the Distinguished Service medal for his performance with the Army Air Corps.
“Journey to a Star” was the theme of the Senior Prom, organized by Otto Sirstins at the Salt Lake Country Club.
Plays
“Enter the Hero,” starring Frank Brennan, Norinne Maher, Marjorie Park, Sylvia Rinetti and Tom Ivers.
“Old Doc,” directed by Sr. Frances James, starring Robert Grisley, Frank Brennan, John Downey, Mary Ellen Murphy, Norinne Maher, Tom McHugh, Helen Walsh, Richard Kane, Tom Ivers, Patricia Collins, Joan Lyhene, Margaret and Marjorie Park, Betty Hession and Sylvia Rinetti. Don McHugh was the stage manager. Ed Paukovich was in control of properties.
Sports
James Powers became coach of both the football and basketball teams. The 15-player football team finished 3-3, but still lacked a regulation-sized field. Powers grew up in Denver, played three years of football at St. Mary’s College and came to Judge after being discharged from the Army due to an injury.
The basketball team went 6-8 for Coach James Powers, beating East, West and South in the pre-season.
A baseball team was revived in the spring by Coach James Powers. It was not entered into formal competition in high school leagues but played several games.
A fundraising campaign to improve the football field was launched Jan. 21, 1944 with a meeting of “fathers of Judge students” after the Bulldog basketball game against South Summit. The target was $10,000 to grade and sod the field, install bleachers along the terrace and purchase better equipment. Later, the goal was expanded to include money to beautify the school grounds and to make classroom and laboratory improvements. “It has been evident for a long time,” the Intermountain Catholic reported Nov. 14, 1943, “that the Judge boys suffer a handicap in not having a regulation field adjoining the school. It is hoped that work can be undertaken on this project in time for the 1944 season.”
Graduation
28 graduates (10 boys/18 girls) on June 11 at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. General Excellence award: Mary Ellen Murphy. She also received the award for highest GPA over four years. McGean Award: Frank Brennan; Cosgriff Memorial scholarship to St. Mary’s-of-the-Wasatch College: Norinne Maher; McHugh Award: Mary Ellen Murphy; Science Award: Don McHugh.
The graduates were Frank Brennan, Patricia Collins, James Conlon, John Downey, Bernadette Durbin, Robert Grisley, Betty Hession, Mary Hill, Thomas Ivers, Richard Kane, Joan Lyhene, Norinne Maher, Betty Ann McGarry, Donald McHugh, Thomas McHugh, Mary Ellen Murphy, Margaret Park, Marjorie Park, Sylvia Rinetti, Ursula Schultz, Maureen Smith, Peggy O’Connell, Jean Sugino, Era Mae Wade, Helen Walsh, Edward Paukovich and Rose Fuoco (Curia), later a kindergarten teacher at St. Ann’s.
Alumni
Peggy George, Class of 1941, received a Kellogg Fund scholarship to study medical technology. She previously was awarded the Holy Cross Scholarship to St. Mary’s-of-the-Wasatch.
