Lauren Dolinky (Moss)

Believe it or not I was in an office machine class. Learning to use all the equipment that is now obsolete! We raced out into the hallway when the loudspeaker gave the terrible news and ran to my east hall home room where we watched the news on a screen. One of the dreadful moments in life that is easy to relive and remember. BTW I am impressed at how so many of you remember many of your teachers. I only remember Mr Unks who taught history I believe. My sister was 2 years older, class of '62 and was in a class with him too. We used to commiserate and joke about the teacher!! Such memories! But what did I have for breakfast today. My birthday is tomorrow and I am officially OLD like all the rest of you!!

Charles Whitcomb

I was in the television studio watching the news. Hillary Sargeant was the too.

Susan Spiegel (Pastin)

Ruth, my condolences on the loss of your sister!
 That was a beautiful tribute you wrote to her!
she sounds like a brave woman. I believe the

soul continues after death.  I often communicate

(or so I believe) with my deceased husband,

mother, father, and even some relatives,

whom I didn't know in life, because they died

before I was born. So keep sharing your love

with your sister.   But I know you miss her.

Susan Spiegel (Pastin)

Paula, I remember your sister Kendra.

I didn't know (or maybe have forgotten) 

that she died in 2014.  Way to young to die!

I know you always miss the people you lose

who are closest to you, even if you

believe you can still communicate

with them and they're still up there.

Judith Sheahan (Lindgren)

Susan, the time line you described (and helped us remember) makes sense. Like you, I was an educator for many years and understand the concern about a 2-day school week. I suspect the timing made the decision easier for the administration at that time. I do think there is value for students to discuss such crises in classrooms.

Our son was in high school when 9/11 occurred and each of his teachers provided time for discussion so students could ask questions, express concerns, and better understand what happened. But, that was 2001, not 1963 when people may not have understood the significant emotional impact such an event could have on young people. Back then, I also guess that teachers were less flexible when discussing current events if it was  outside of their specialty. Chemistry teacher? Assasinating our president is not my field!

One of our classmates mentioned earlier in this thread that his chemistry teacher proceeded with a previously announced exam. That shocked me, but that is from my 2023 perspective. I am guessing this teacher had no idea how to discuss this assasination and perhaps thought he would be criticized for canceling the exam kids had prepared to take that day.

Just like the afternoon after the initial announcement, I have no recollection if teachers discussed this event when we returned to school after Thanksgiving week. But, I sure remember the stunned reaction I had hearing the announcemnt and the surreal atmosphere in the halls at the end of the day. I also remember the various reactions of our classmates--expressions of sadness, fear, feigned hysteria, and the immature glee some expressed for having school unexpectdly cancelled for three days. I imagine that over time, even the less mature or silly evloved in their feelings about that time.

Paula Massey

Thanks ,Susan, for your response.   

I remember many of my teachers including Miss Vettes and Mrs. Gerwig, Mr. Bodycomb, Mr. Zamzow, Mr. Sharp and Ms. Van Sweringen. O Yes, and Mr. Ditton, Mr. Proper and Mr. Wallace Smith. 

Gloria Friedman

I was in the speech arts office. I was "excused" from study period to help out in the office. The phone rang and it was speech arts teacher, Bill Ditton who was using his lunch hour to get a marriage license. He had just heard it on the radio. He told me the news and told me to get Miss Mitchell (head of department) on the phone.

Leo Schlosberg

1. JFK - over the years I have, with openness and curiosity, followed the stories about who killed JFK. After all these years I still cannot say I have a confident understanding of who was involved, both on the day and behind the scenes.  No need to reply with your pet theory unless you have slam dunk evidence.

2. Jack mentions Senate and representation. A few yers back I thought a lot about the dispoportional representation in the senate (vs. the proportially-based house) and did a little research. First I realized that the ratio of population of largest to smallest states had shifted greatly. 

I compared the population ratios of the states back in 1779 (about 6:1 at the extreme) to today (40:1 or worse) when pondering some amendments.  This gives much greater to residents of small states. Then I realized that given how amendments occur (2/3 of the states needed to ratify) it was futile to try to dilute the excess power that small states have. I would have proposed giving each state one senator and apportioning the other 50 by population. Not realistic under the constitution - why would the small states give up their power?

Susan Spiegel (Pastin)

You pose a true dilemma. But I don't want

anyone rewriting the Constitution

at the moment!

That said, your idea of giving each

state one Senator, with additional Senators

based on population, sounds plausible to me!

Roger Dorio

I remember leaving chemistry class and was immediately knew something was wrong - girls were crying and Jeff Liebman ran up to me and told me that JFK had been shot- my next class was American Studies and Bill Bunce and Bob Reeder were in the class as we sat there shaking our heads many in the class were justifiably upset - were we supposed to take a test that day and to our amazement we had to take it - in the middle of class Mr Wright walked to the board and wrote" Kennedy is dead"  some if the girls began crying and the guys kinda hung our heads - at that moment my thought that there had to better more sensitive way to let us know. That night we went to watch our basketball game at Mt Prospect High which was not cancelled which was very strange. A friend who was a student at Prospect swears that we didn't play there that night - does anyone know if we played there or somewhere else - kinda a silly request about that day but I would really like to know if I misremembered.

Jack Rakove

Couldn't resist claiming message #1947 as my own!

I guess Istarted quite a thread by referring to the JFK assassination, but it was a formative moment for every single one of us. There are few if any other moments one could possibly remember that specifically. I remember where I was when I heard that Challenger had exploded and hearing about 9-11--in Sorrento, after spending the day in Pompeii on our "empty nest" trip. But JFK's assassination defined us as a generation.

Responding to Roger: I do recall going with Mike Silverman (anfd maybe Mark Goodman?) to see the basketball game that night--except that I think it was against Maine East, not Mt. Prospect--and the strange sense of feeling totally disoriented watching what might have been the season opener in the aftermath of the assassination.

I had a college philosophy professor, Josiah "Tink" Thompson, who wrote one of the earliest books on the assassination. Somehow (I don't know how) he became a consultant to Time-Life, which had the original copy of the Zapruder film--evidently the Warren Commission worked with a copy--and along with a Haverford physics student, concluded there were multiple shooters. There is a much later sequel to this book which, as I understand it, reaches a similar conclusion, but I haven't followed the assassination controversies carefully.

Jack Hayes

I'm with Roger--I think Mount Prospect. As I recall, there was no cheering permitted out of respect for the assasination. Living in Dallas since 2001, I was surprised to learn what a stain that event left on Dallas' reputation for years thereafter. If anybody visits here, I highly recomment going to the "6th Floor Museum," which commemorates President Kennedy and depicts the events of the dreadful day in a very tasteful and respectful manner. It is very unsettling to be able to stand right at the window from which the fatal shot (presumably) was fired.

I recall being in Homeroom when we learned the Kennedy had been shot and Phys Ed when we learned that he had died, then going to the Student Lounge. I recall being glued to the TV when Jack Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald and also during the funeral procession. To this day, I can recite the drumbeat rhythm from that sad event.
 

Pauline Noznick (Gerstein)

Replying to Leo about representation in Congress.  The writers of thee Constitution were concerrned about the power of the large states because their populations would dominate Congress if representation was determined by population.  However, giving equal representation of all the states--for instance, 1 vote per state, the small states would have more power since there were more of them.  This compromise in determining representation by population of the states, and giving each state equal representation in the senate has led to the smaller states having more actual representation in the Senate--a state with a low population like Montana has the same representation as New York or Texas.  As Leo pointed out, citizens of these low population states have  more political power that we in Illinois have. And in the House the small states, with one representative in the House, also have more power because there can only be 435 voting representatives itn the House.  The men     writing the Constitution were not sure how this new system would work because no country had a government like this at that time. 

Rosanne Bass (Keynan)

Abolish the senate. Just sayin'.

Rosanne Bass (Keynan)

Oops! I just remembered Fred's last email. The discussion of what Jack wrote started off as history, but subsequent reactions veered into politics, which we should have moved to a different page. . . . 

Mark Goodman

I was recently in Dallas and had some time to walk around the city before I had to head to the airport. Ironically, I found myself starring at the Book Dipository where Oswald had fired the shots that allegedly killed JFK. It's a museum now so I decided to go inside. This was actually the second time I've been there and my reaction was the same as it was from the first time I was there.

The angle of the shot, from a point of logic, just doesn't match or line up with the angle of the entry wound. I could not and still cannot wrap my head around a shot coming across from the left (like a cross court tennis shot) with an entry wound on the right side of the head. The angle of the shot, when you see it, is extreme. I took some pictures of this and would be happy to share them. I'd have to figure out how I could get them onto our site.

Like Jack, I still remember the drum roll of the funeral and can begin to feel the tears building back up that I felt at the time as an 18 year old who felt inspired by JFK's leadership. The impact to our country of his death and our loss will never be fully known - nor the real truth behind his assasination. 

One small anecdote which I recently learned is illustrative of a change. The government acquired a significant amount of land around Boston during JFK's presidency. That is where NASA was going to be headquartered. When JFK was assasinated, Presidet Johnson moved it to Houston. So one thing has not changed in all of these years  -  politics and getting the vote.

Rise Narens

I certainly remember where I was when Kennedy was assissinated.  WHO DOESNT?  I was in the lunch room.  Chris Carvel came over to my table and told me the president had been shot.  I told her not to joke about something like that.  I didn't believe her.  Didn't want to believe her.  I approached the teacher in the lunch room.  I asked him, "Is it true?"  I couldn't say the words.  He had tears in his eyes.  He couldn't say the words either.    Rise Narens, Class of 64

Fred Brostoff

The following message is posted on behalf of Karen Sitron Haight:

I was taking American Problems with Mr. Finley. Just before class they announced that Kennedy had been shot. I went to class and Finley said "If you think we are not going to take the quiz because of what just happened you are wrong - we are taking the quiz". We did have to take it.

I'll never forget that.

Karen Sitron Haight - North Hall 

Robert Lindner

Sorry Rise,

I have been racking my brain and I can't recall where I was and what I was doing when Jack Kennedy was shot.

I know what I was doing when Bobby got shot. 

Old age, eh?

Robert Lindner

Michael MacDonald

I was working at Marshall Fields in the DE program.  They sold TVs in the department I was in. I remember the news bulletins started coming in.

Don Hall

"Evanston was a great place to grow up in" has been the refrain of many of our classmates over the years.  I came across an article in the Chicago Distric Golf Association magazine "Distric Golfer" on pages 16-17 (Chicago District Golfer : February 2023 (mydigitalpublication.com) which brings hope for the potential future of one of the most cherished memories/locations I had growing up in Evanston and that is learning and playing golf with my Father (Phillip '26 ETHS) and Brother (Chuck '62 ETHS) at the old "Community Golf Course"...now, Canal Shores.  The header (artist's rendition) on this article takes me back to those days as I can place myself in this picture with Chuck and Dad embracing the fondness of those moments and allows me a vehicle to travel back, perhaps, to a simpler time in life.  May I encourge all who read this for whom it evokes similar reflections on either the same or other locations (think the "Lagoon" for Winter skating), to share your nostalga with all our classmates...what positive fun it would be to have a message forum "thread" of great memories of Evanston and its culture in our time as youth.  I know we have a Discussion Forum item: Grade School Memories...and, should the thread get too lengthly; then, Fred B. with the help of Art H. could redirect the inputs as appropriate.

Jack Hayes

I played many rounds at "Canal Shores" as a youth. I would sling my bag over my shoulder and ride my bike down Central Street to get there. If my memory is correct, Mike Kane lived in a house adjacent to the course.
I chuckle at "Canal Shores" being the official name because we used to call the course that as a derisive term. For a while the pins were wooden sticks, approximately 1/2 by 1 inch, rather than the real McCoy metal ones. Playing one of the par 3's, (I think it was the southbound one just before you went across the road to hit a tee shot across the canal) I hit what I thought was the perfect shot and watched it trickle up to the hole for a sure hole-in-one. But, alas, it stopped just short. When I got to the green and walked up to my ball, I saw that the idiot who played the hole before me had put the pin in one of the oval slots in the bottom of the cup rather than the round hole in the center. That caused the pin to be flush with the front efge of the hole and my ball came to rest right against it. I have never had a hole in one on a full length course to this date, so I stll feel that I was wrongly deprived of my only possible one.

I also recall not wanting to be near the fire station at the time they were testing the "air-raid" sirens. The sound was so loud as to be painful! But, all in all, I had a great time playing, then going to the drugstore across the street for a cherry Coke that was made by the "soda-jerk" actually adding cherry syrup to Coke on tap.

I'm glad to see that Canal Shores lives on rather than being sold to developers as prime real estate.

Dale Madson

Jack,

I played the Canal Shores with my dad when I was at Lincoln Elementary, sadly the golfing lessons did not stick. I have good memories of playing with my dad.  

Dale C. Madson

Karl Morthole

Thank you all for sharing this article and your memories.  I played on this course many times while in high school, most often with my good friend Ray Kittendorf.  My first golf bag and beginner's set of clubs (3,5,7,9,putter, 3-wood and driver, along with an old wood-handled club from my dad) were all I needed to have a great time.  Ray was an excellent swimmer in high school and before, and he got hired as a summer life guard at the North Shore Country Club.  He got the privilege of playing that course on weekends during the years of his employment, and he invited me to join him several times -- a bit different from "canal shores" -- par 72, over 7,000 yards, with fairways like greens, greens like perfect grass rugs and rough that was mostly like regular fairways.  Nevertheless, playing along the canal was always a real treat and provided a lot of experence, because we could go there just about anytime and rarely was it crowded.  Great memories, and I am glad it is still there and getting a make-over!  Thanks, again, for sharing.

Jack Rakove

The last time I played golf, Richard Nixon was still president. We know how that ended!

But I did play the Canal course back in the day, maybe with Bob Hamrin or Mike Silverman, and what I recall most is having a terrible slice off my drive so that every hole there seemed a water hazard.