ISTROUMA HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1947  

Istrouma High School class of 1947 graduated 213 seniors June 5, 1947 at the Old Istrouma H.S.  Class officers were: President, Tommy Ellis; Vice President, Bruce Davis;

Secretary, Betty Raye Covington; Treasurer, Corine Pruit.

The Graduation Program mentioned that graduation was held in the “New Gymnasium” at 7:30 P.M.  The band, under the direction of Mr. Charles L. Gaushell played the Processional and Recessional Marches. The band also played a selection, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”.  The girl’s chorus, under the direction of Mary Ann Reynolds sang “The Swan”.  

Dedication: “Because our principal, Mr. H. P. Overton, has for twenty-two years made the varied life and activities at Istrouma High School more enjoyable because of his leadership, the POW WOW staff takes great pleasure in dedicating the 1946-47 yearbook to him.  Mr. Overton, we salute you as depicted on these pages: at your familiar desk, at assembly, at faculty meeting, in the office, and seeing the boys off”.   

The faculty at Istrouma at this time: Miss Gertrude Creaghan, A. E. Alford, Mrs. Janie C. Bankston, Clyde Lindsey, Mrs. F. B. Fousse, Miss Seritta M. Cangelosi, and Mrs. H. P. Overton, Mrs. Mamie B. Trichell, Miss Anna Lee Brogdon, Mrs. C. D. Greer, Mrs. Ouida T. Hiroms, Mrs. J. M. Baker, Mrs. Evelyn Choppin, Mrs. Winfield Simmons, Mrs. Eloise Williams, Mrs. Helen Kovac, and Mr. J. A. Weakley, Assistant Principal.

More faculty members: Mrs. T. E. Shay, Mrs. Hattie C. Garrett, William S. Hanley, Mrs. Flora Turner, Mrs. Bess T. Kendrick, Mrs. C. W. Carter, Miss Annie Stewart, and Melvin O. Geller.

Faculty members: Mrs. J. J. Yunkes, Mrs. William W. Hattox, Mrs. Pearl T. Kinchen, Mrs. Agnes D. Nelson, Miss Thelma Ball, Mrs. Anges Morgan, Mrs. S. Vicki Vay, James E. Brown, Mrs. Ruth M. McLeon, John B. Edgar, Mrs. Louise K. Selleck, Charles L. Gaushell, Mrs. Marie Morris, Mrs. Mary Ann Reynolds, Mr. E. A. Brown, Miss Lydie Sommer, and Mrs. Syble Farr.

Those teachers still living are: Mrs. E. A. Brown, Mrs. Hiroms, Seritta Cangelosi, Mrs. Lou Hattox, Miss Annie Stewart,and Clyde Lindsey.  

Under the direction of the Cheerleaders and Mrs. Fousse, the Pep Squad was formed.  Faye Hunt and Mary Sue Disch Meador went down town to Third Street and chose the sweaters, white with wide red bottom stripe, girls wore their own white skirts.  

Many of the boys graduating that year went on to serve in the Armed Forces.  A few of them left before graduation, returned to take their GED test, then went on to college, most went to LSU.  Some of the guys stayed over to play football and graduated in 1948.  

The class held a 10 year reunion at the new Istrouma High School in 1957, and the Beta Club Members gave the class a tour of the new building with Miss Annie Stewart assisting.  Over one half of the class attended this reunion making the total attendance 230.  Reunions were held again in 1967, 1977, 1987, 1992, 1997 and again this year 2001.  This year we had 90 attending, 55 actual class members.  18 classmates married classmates.  Wanda Palmer married Charles “Kink” Courtney, Helen Davis married Wilfred Carlin, Joyce Sullivan married W. G. White, Nelda Gay Nichols married George Harvey Ross, Clara Ruth Campbell married J. B. Ouber, Frances Gross married Jim Roshto, Newlyn Dement married Alvin Earl Courtney, Betty Basso married Earl McAllister, Dot McCraine married Bobby Munn.  

The Pow Wow, 1947 has names and pictures of 217 grads, 11 of those are not listed in the graduation program.  The program listed 213 and 6 of those do not have pictures in the Pow Wow.  Most of  the 11 went into the service, returned and got their GED that I mentioned earlier.

1947 Istrouma High School Class Reunion held 1987 at Holiday Inn

Beginning with the Bottom Row Left to Right
1^st Row
Courtney, Alvin Earl; Dement, Nelwyn (Courtney); Large, Billy Bob; Palmer Wanda (Courtney); Corsentino, Charles; Accardo, Anthony; Patton, Mildred (McLain); Thompson, Dot (Jines); Pruet, Corine (LeClercq); Toural, Delores (Root); Covington, Betty Raye (Toler); Nordstrom, Billie Jean (Odom); Edwards, Wilma (Hendrick)

2^nd Row
Walton, Jessie; Gross, Frances (Roshto); Roshto, James; Courtney, Charles; Vaccaro, Sam, Chisholm, Violetta (Verbois); Price, Dot (Oneal); Falconer, Billy; Clayborn, Myra Nell (Chaney); Shingluer, Patsy (Myers); Coats, Elizabeth (Wisby); Smith, Betty ( Wright); Prestridge, Rose Marie (Hays)

3^rd  and 4^th Row Combined
Hodges, Charles; Goodwin, Paul; Hanks, John; Jurey, Clarence; Disch, Mary Sue (Meador); Hall, James, Day, Archie; Nichols, Nelda Gay (Ross); Wilson, Jewel; Dicharry Ray Marie (Veasy); Jines, Shirley Vick; Forcha, Beverly Ray (Landry); Schroder, Mary Lou (Lemoine);  Black, Ann (Janczys); Hunt, Faye (Rushing); Gallaway, Barbara (Cedotal); Garron, Bettie Lou (Sullwold); Rowland, Laurine (Pike); Davis, Helen (Carlin) 

5^th Row
Watkins, Fred; Raiford, Bobby Day; Smith, James Albert; Prestridge, James; Ross, George Harvey; Ellis, Tommy; Landry, Ronald; Frederick, Albert; Germany, Kirk; Strickland, Dale; Carlin, Wilfred.

Missing from this picture because they were late:
Elmer Nettles, Lionel C. Allmand, and George Stevens

Since this 1987 Photo the following people in the picture have passed away: Mildred Patton, Jim Roshto, Charles “Kink” Courtney, Patsy Shingluer, Elizabeth Coates, Betty Smith, Ann Black, Faye Hunt, Fred Watkins, Ronald Landry, Paul Goodwin.

Graduation program   
June 5, 1947, 7:30 P.M. 

New Gymnasium 

1.  Processional                Festival March – Mendelssolm                                                High School Band

2.  Invocation                   Rev. R. B. Crichlow                     

3.  Band Selection    “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”                                                           High School Band

4.  American Legion Awards            Mr. Earl Turner                 Henagan Williams Post of American Leion

5.  School and Other Awards            Mr. A. T. Browne                       Assistant Superintendent of Schools

6.  Awarding of Diplomas          Dr. C. L. Barrow                                            Superintendent of Schools

7.  Girls’ Chorus             The Swan – Saint-Saen                                                                 

8.  Alma Mater             Buckley-Clark                                                                                                 

9.  Benediction             Dr. S. C. Rushing                                   

10.  Recession              “Coronation March – Meyerhees                                              High School Band

All of the information for the 1947 Istrouma Graduates web page was provided by
Mary Sue Disch Meador.

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