Happy Father’s Day - 2016

I hate this day and have decided that it is the hardest day of the year for me.  Sure, it’s a time to celebrate the dads in our lives but there will always be that very special dad who is missing, except in our hearts. 

This morning as we were doing our weekly grocery shopping, we walked by the card section and even that early in the morning, there were people pouring over the Father’s Day cards.  Typically not being ones to procrastinate, we commented that those folks were sure waiting until the last minute to find that perfect card.  Then it struck me – at least they had someone to buy that perfect card for. 

So as I’ve done several times before in 2015, 2013 and 2012, I’ll take a moment to remember that special man, Gordon Levy, in pictures.

Here’s Dad on his 2nd birthday, February 11, 1929 (thanks again for labeling so many photos, Grandma).  I love his little friend!



By 1931, Dad was ready to drive.  And look how he’s sporting that cute hat! 



1936 brought a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia.  I’m not sure where else they might have visited on their vacation but they did stop for a photo.  And look, another cute hat!



Off again in 1937 – this time to New York.  There they visited Jack Dempsey’s restaurant which opened in 1935 and closed in 1974.



Wikipedia states “most nights would find Dempsey's famous proprietor on hand to greet guests, sign autographs, pose for pictures, and hold court with people from all walks of life.”  And look at that – he posed for a photo with Dad!  I seem to remember seeing this photo hanging on the wall at Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Fresno.



I’m going to guess this photo is from 1943-1944 when Dad was in his final years of school at Fresno High School.  He’s got the pose of today down with his hand on his hip.



Mom actually wrote on the back of this photo – Stanford Grad 1949. 



After completing his Bachelor’s and MBA at Stanford, Dad went on to have a successful career at Dean Witter & Co where he became Manager, General Partner, and Vice President.  I think this photo might have been a ‘marketing’ type photo from the early 1960’s.



Dad went back to New York in 1963 – hey, I just realized that I was there, too!  And on July 29th, he was back at Dempsey’s posing with a special someone.



One thing Dad never shied away from was a photo op with a celebrity or anyone who might become a celebrity and since one of his favorite things in the world was sports, it’s no surprise that I found this photo of him with John Wooden, famed UCLA basketball coach, in 1986.



But through it all, I think Dad’s proudest achievement was his children, and later grandchildren and great grandchildren.  While he didn’t tell us often that he was proud of us, he sure seemed to tell other people.  And deep down we knew how much we were loved. 

This photo seems to capture his feelings well – I just wish we had a similar pose after little brother had joined the family.  Although I’m sure if I give it time, I’ll run across one.  I’m not sure of the date but since brother wasn’t with us and Mom wasn’t pregnant, I’d guess this to be about 1959-1960.  A time when there was so much to look forward to – a growing family, a successful career, and a life full of happiness.



My dad was one of a kind and while I miss him every day, Father’s Day is the day I miss him most.  Well I do!

The Owl – June, 1908 – Society

I took a detour for a bit but am now back to documenting The Owl, Fresno High School’s yearbook.  I last wrote about The Commencement Number from June, 1908 here.  There are so many photos from this edition that I’m breaking it down into small pieces. 

Next up – Society



I love reading old newspapers – typically no horrible events were listed but if you wanted to know who was visiting who, newspapers were THE source of information!  And, apparently, the Society section of The Owl followed in those footsteps.

I love the first paragraph, but that might because my grandfather’s older brother, Leon Levy, was mentioned. 



I’ll bet that dance was fun, especially since when you were tired of dancing you could go out on a boat.  I’d never heard the term terpsichorean before so I looked it up – found in Greek mythology, Terpsichore (“delight in dancing”) was one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus.

Photo from Wikipedia

It amazes me at times when I’m blogging or researching something and the facts I come up with are today’s date and this was no exception.


 
It’s fun to see what the students had planned after high school – I sure wish we’d done that at our high school as there were so many of us who left school never to be heard from again.  Although Facebook has changed that!





And a small section of The Owl was this.



I now officially know where my dad’s brother, Robert Levy, got his corny jokes.  He always had a joke to tell and more often than not, they were really groaners just like these.




Next up is Athletics with lots of team photos!

The Owl – June, 1908 – Fraternities

I took a detour for a bit but am now back to documenting The Owl, Fresno High School’s yearbook.  I last wrote about The Commencement Number from June, 1908 here.  There are so many photos from this edition that I’m breaking it down into small pieces. 

Next up – Fraternities



Fresno High School students were very involved in activities and as I learn more about their organizations, the more it sounds like a college.  There were even fraternities represented on campus!

Delta Iota Chi was represented, although there isn’t too much information about them.


The names are hard to read so in order to make it easier, they are:  Dorothy Noble, Ann Collins, Bernice Pierce, Lynette Morgan, Marguerite McLane, Elise Hall, Doris Zieske, Leora Schaeffer, Verna Aldrich, Hazel Fisher, Eleanoro Webster, Isabel Hoover, Mila Cearley, Edith Noble, Anna Tupper, Elizabeth Hawes, Bernice Olney, Hazel Beall, Marfreda Danks, Elsie Worswick, Helen Miller, Alice Miller

Every one of them has their hair pulled back and look at the bows!

And then came Gamma Eta Kappa.  Many districts of this fraternity and the Fresno chapter (Lambda) was included in the Alpha District along with San Francisco, Stockton, Oakland, San Jose (my hometown), Santa Cruz, and Sacramento.  There were also representatives from Southern California, Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and New York.


Albert Becker, Hugh McNulty, Carol Liseby, Blaine Rogers, Floyd W. Cowan, Alfred Becker, Seaborn Phillips, Louis B. McWhirter, Robert Collins, James Beveridge, Chester Minard, George Beveridge, Cuyler Leonard, Penn Cummings, Dick Crawford, John Morgan, Clarence McKay, Ben R. Walker, Ralph Rehorn, Bertrand W. Gearhart, John Phillips, Niel McNulty, Edward Waterman, Will Tupper, Clinton Collins.

Another women’s fraternity on campus was Lambda Theta Phi.


Marcia Edwards, Fredo Olufs, Ietta Wills, Elka Wormser, Margaret Cory, Jeannie Beveridge, Lewella Swift, Hazel Cartwright, Blanche Moore, Margherita Beveridge, Gertrude Swift, Violet Hodgkin, Beaulah Miller, Margaret Kenyon, Marguerite Vogel, Leota Marshall, Dorothea Burdick.


I’m starting to see some of thee same surnames in different organizations – siblings or cousins, I suppose.

And finally Pi Delta Koppa.


Frank Short, Russell Hall, Perry Pierson, James Spratt, Harry B. Paulden, Gus Hoover, Edwin Einstein, Ronald Harris, Kenneth Elmore, George Spratt, Hollis Pierson, Everett Hickman, Alec Robb

What I found particularly interesting about this fraternity entry in The Owl was the Pi Delta Koppa Chapter Roll.



It is so interesting to see all of the schools represented, especially San Jose High School since it was in my hometown.  Our high school, which was fairly new in my day, played sports against San Jose High School and while I realized then it was an older school, I had no idea it was in existence in 1908 (or before).  So I googled it and learned that it is the second oldest public high school in California and was founded in 1863.  Who knew?

* Looks like Lowell High School in San Francisco, founded in 1856, is the oldest public high school west of the Mississippi.