Memories of Bowen High School

I loved going to Bowen because you went to school with kids from all different neighborhoods. At that time, we were all just "kids" -
no lines were drawn at all. Everyone got along and everyone was the same to each other. And the beautyof it was that we didn't even
know how great that was until later years when we hit the job market. Then we learned about those unfortunate "lines" that human
beings draw between each other. Those were good times at Bowen and the great turn-outs we get at the Reunions are proof of that.

Some of my favorite teachers were Miss Craven (who passed away when she was my teacher - very traumatic for all of us - she was
a cute, tiny redhead who taught Algebra), Miss Phillips (English) who had SO many bad tricks pulled on her. Here is the worst: She
left the room, a boy went out the window, down the fire escape, and laid himself out on the lawn. She came back into the room, the
cohort of the kid on the lawn screamed "He fell out the window!", "He fell out the window!" And the poor soul in her long black dress
with her black laced-up stack heels went scurrying to the windows - looked out - saw the "dead kid", screamed her poor head off and
ran hysterically out of the room. Of course the "cohort" ran to the window, let down the fire escape ladder, and the "dead kid"
scrambled up through the window and into his seat. WELLLLLL, you KNOW we were all dying laughing and at the same time we
were DYING of fear!!!! I t ell you the truth, I felt so sorry for her - I don't know how she didn't have a heart attack right there! Well, she
returned alright, BUT, Mr. Goldberg, Asst. Principal, was with her and she was totally babbling about the dead kid!!!!! He hastily
walked to the window, looked down, turned, looked at her, looked at us "innocents", looked back at her and softly said "Miss Phillps,
there is no child on the grass." She looked at the lawn, looked at us, looked at Mr. Goldberg. SILENCE. Then Mr. Goldberg left, and
she continued to teach. When the bell rang, laughter rang out like you have NEVER heard. Poor thing. Bet she was never the same.

Mr. Clark taught me Geometry - correction - he thought he taught me Geometry - I never understood ANYTHING in that class. And,
Mr. Clark AND Miss Bond (my home room teacher) taught both my Mom and Dad at Bowen. And I will NEVER forget Don Brokop in
Public Speaking with Miss Byrne. He heckled her all day, every day and she never even knew it. She just went on and on and on.
We were all hysterical from the beginning of the class to the end of the class. FUNNY guy.

I had the same sweet locker partner for all four years - Olivia Aleman and I hope to see her at this Reunion.

Judy (Tekiela) Devanovich, Joyce (Anicich) Skoog, Pat (Keegan) Sivertson and myself were in a "club" during our child-bearing,
child-raising years.

Jim and I booked a vacation with Vicky Guch through her Travel Agency until she sold the business.

Lost touch with my "Kuma" Fran Klasna and hope to see her again at the Reunion.

This reunion brought another good Bowen friend back into my life - Diane (Schneider) Gerdes. We were great friends at Bowen, but
did not live close to each other and in "those days" you didn't stay in touch due to lack of transportation. I bought my first car in 1958
- a 1954 four door Chevy!

Grew up with Joan Vlaisavljevich and hope to see her also. In 1954, she had a pajama party on a Friday night. our church (St.
George) had an all-day bus trip to Wicker Park on Saturday, and I was standing in the pool with a friend and saw a good-looking guy
on the high-dive doing every kind of dive (very well) and asked who he was. My friend Sandy said "Oh, that's Jimmy Gagliano" and
guess who sat next to me on the way home and the rest is history. We married in 1960 - had five children and now ten grandchildren.
And that week-end all started with Joanie's PJ party.

Nancy Andjelic Gagliano, Vice President, June '57 Class
Tamarac, FL

OUR MEMORIES OF BOWEN HIGH SCHOOL

I entered Bowen in January 1953, and graduated in January 1957, serving as VP of our class. At Bowen, I spent my music activities
in the Mixed Chorus, Mens Octet, and Acapella Choir as I loved to sing. I studied classical piano and learned popular music, but was
never in the band. However, many of my classmates spent one or more years of their lives in the band under the direction of Ms.
Mildred Caldwell.

I remember her quite well; I can still imagine her on the school stage in the green terracotta walled auditorium. Bespectacled, she
always had her hair up in a bun, as the Victorian-era women wore, and offered a warm smile to the students. She and the band
produced some beautiful, challenging music during the winter and spring concerts, football games at the various stadiums, and on
the roof over the entrance of school during school rallies. She knew how to draw the best sounds from the students and their
instruments, especially from the advanced players.

Incidentally, I was in Chicago on April 4, 1992, when I stopped at Bowen. I met Leona Cresap that day. Her legacy will be
remembered now that she retired in 2004. We talked about Bowen's music program. She informed me that it was practically deleted
from the curriculum. She was kind enough to give me an old copy of "Homing," for three-part womens voices, by T. Del Riego, saying
that at least I could put this piece of music to good use. We used to sing this piece in four-part mixed choir, under the direction of
Mr. Clayton Fox, then Mr. Melvin Widman, in the Little Theater on the first floor, near the center stairwell. Another wonderful music
teacher, Ms. Irene Collins, was known for directing the womens music programs.

George Beloz, Vice president, January 1957 Class
Ruth Beloz (1960 graduate)
Corona, CA

Regarding Robert W. Estin, who attended the 1967 January Class Reunion. I had him as a Physics teacher at Bowen and then
again at IIT. He was a very popular instructor and a practical joker. Robert (Bob) W. Estin taught Physics at Bowen in 1956 and/or
1957. He was an iinspiring teacher and had a great sense of humor. Mr. Estin was a gymnast as I recall and he occasionally used
his athletic skills in our Physics class. The class had a giant (about six feet long) model slide rule. While teaching a lesson on
mechanics and the notion of a center of gravity, Mr. Estin did a handstand on the lab table in the front of the class room and used
the model slide rule somewhat like a balancing pole for a tightrope walker. At this moment the assistant principal, Mr. Goldberg,
decided to come into the class room to observe Mr. Estin's teaching. This was definitely a memorable moment for teacher, students
and Mr. Goldberg.

Mr. Estin made physics so lively that I followed a Physics and Math program at IIT. Mr. Estin went on to IIT as a graduate student
and I had the pleasure of having him as the instructor for a course on Thermodynamics. Mr. Estin was ill at the start of the course
and Dr. Bennett substituted for him and gave the first two lectures. Bob Estin and Dr. Bennett both appeared for the third class
session. Mr. Estin thanked Dr. Bennett for his assistance and then told the class that he thought we were a little behind the
schedule for the course so he and Dr. Bennett would both lecture until we caught up. Mr. Estin drew a vertical chalk line down the
center of the blackboard. Dr. Bennett stood on the left of the chalk line and began to lecture on chapter three of our text. At the
same time, Bob Estin stood to the right of the chalk dividing line and began to lecture on chapter four. The front row students drew
vertical lines on their note pads and tried to copy the lecture drawings on each side of the chalk line. This went on for about three
minutes while I had to exercise great control to avoid breaking out laughing at Mr. Estin's elaborate practical joke.

I did not follow the proscribed Math curriculum at IIT because I took Atomic Physics rather than Classical Mechanics as an elective.
In order to graduate, I switched from the Math Department to the Psychology and Education Department. Consequently I was
required to spend part of a semester as a student teacher in a Chicago High School. Naturally I asked for Bowen and my request
was granted. I taught one class each in Math and Physics at Bowen High School in the Fall of 1959.

In an attempt to carry on in the fine tradition of Mr. Estin at Bowen, I relate the following incident from one of my Physics lessons. I
was teaching a section on basic electricity and we were demonstrating the build up of static electricity by using a Van De Graaff
generator. A student would stand on small step stool with a rubber top step and put his/her hand on the generator. As the electric
charge built up the student's hair would stand out due to the accumulation of static electricity.

I had a very talkative boy in my class and he was a disruption by acting as the class clown. I invited him up to demonstrate the
power of static electricity and once he was on the stool and touching the generator his hair began to stand out. I warned him to
keep his mouth closed to avoid having a giant spark leap between his upper and lower teeth in the discharge of the built up static
electricity. He remained quiet for the remainder of the class.

I gave a particularly long exam one Friday afternoon in the Physics class. The students were not able to complete the exam within
the period. Just before the bell was to ring, I told the class that they could take the exam home with them and finish it over the
weekend. I said that I would collect their test papers on Monday. My intent was to have them look up formulas and problem solving
examples in the text book over the weekend. This way they would be exposed to solution techniques and research.

The following week featured a Parent-Teacher night at Bowen and I was required to participate. A mother of one my Physics
students came up to me and said her son was a senior in my class and in his four years at Bowen he had never brought a book
home to study except for the prior weekend. He was using his text to complete the test I gave on Friday. She thanked me profusely
for motivating her son to open a text and study at home.

Hal Barnett, Alexandria, VA

Hal Barnett comments: Nancy, I was in a Math class taught by Miss Craven. The substitute for Miss Craven had a difficult time
calling out the names on the class roll. Whenever she got to Joan Vlaisavljevich she would stumble on saying her last name and end
up with calling out Joan V. I remember the incident with the student going out the window as well. Thanks for recalling it.

Hal Barnett, Alexandria, VA

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From the December 21, 1956 issue of The Bowen Arrow:

"Senior Spotlight"
The beams of today's spotlight focus on a 5' 4" red-haired miss known as Sharon Hockmuth. Sharon entered Bowen in February 1953
from the Gallistel Elementary School and has since been active in many school organizations such as Honor Club, Future Teachers of
America, Mixed Chorus, A Capella Choir, and past Treasurer of the Catalyzers. She is also Treasurer of the senior class. Outside of
Bowen she finds time to work at the IGA Food Store, sing in the Church Choir, and belong to the Teen Age Christian Club.

Some of Sharon's friends are Phyllis Hinrichsen, Sally Grimes, Marlene McDillon, Arlene Jagla, Helen Moskwa, Fran Terringer, Bev
Wittmer, and Ray Cherney. She enjoys dancing to "True Love" and "Honky Tonk", and also plays the piano. Her favorite teachers are
Miss Mitchell and Miss Freestrom, and her favorite subjects are Civics and Gym. After graduation Sharon plans to go to Northern Illinois
at DeKalb and become a teacher.

Todays spotlight also shines on the Senior Class Vice President, Lupe (George) Beloz. The 5' 8" Bowenite has black hair, brown eyes,
and was born in Chicago on May 13, 1938. He was graduated from Sheridan Elementary School in February 1953. Lupe is President of
Bowen's A Capella Choir and also the organist and Choir Director of the El Salvador Baptist Church.

Among Lupe's favorite pastimes: playing piano at home and at parties, and going to all of Bowen's football games and cheering with
Erwin Bogs rate first. Afew of Lupe's favorite subjects are Biology and Stenography. His favorite teachers are Miss Freestrom, Mr.
Podemski, and Miss Byrne. In the future Lupe plans to attend Wilson Junior College and study Business Administration for two years,
and then he will probably join the Navy,

"Girls Chorus Sing at Christmas Program"
The Bowen Girls Chorus will sing at the Christmas program this year as they usually do every year. Two of the songs they will sing are
"Lo, the Messiah" and "Lift Thine Eyes to the Mountains". The girls will also sing for the PTA at their next meeting. A few of the girls the
chorus will lose after graduation are: Merle Berkovsky, Arlene Brodzinski, Cathie Campbell, Sandy Ford, Sally Grimes, Chris Johnson,
Marlene McDillon, Helen Moskwa, Melanie Pakaski, Joan Prigge, Eleanor Puoci, Edie Ratner, Georgia Seleagyi, Lee Shellberg, Joan
Kristovic, Donna Drobac, Ray McCleary, and Roz Kroopkin.

Remembering Harry Pritikin: Although I never played a sport at Bowen, but attended many games, Coach Pritikin and I became
good friends. When I started my college career at the University of Illinois Chicago Undergraduate Division (Navy Pier), I had an 8:00
AM PE class. The CTA ride to the Pier from Jeffrey Manor took about 90 minutes and not being a morning person, I was having trouble
making it there on time. My Instructor was Les Miller, who also was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Hall of
Fame. Les, who died earlier this year, coached baseball at UIC for 30 years and their field is named after him. Les needed a Student
Manager for the 1957 baseball season and when he found out that I had gone to Bowen, he asked if I knew Coach Pritikin. I said I did,
and said if I would be the team's Student Manager, I didn't have to attend the PE class and he would give me an "A" for the course. In
addition, he told me that he lived in Merrionette Manor so he could give me a ride home after practice and after games. Well, this was
an offer I couldn't refuse. What I didn't realize was that practice usually ran until 6:00 PM and I would not get home until nearly 7:00.
Also, it was a cold and wet Spring. Many of our early season games were postponed and had to be made-up in May. Since I also had
a part-time weekend job, this was not good for my grades that Semester.

I also remember the 1954 State Baseball Championship season. We played Taft at Wrigley Field for the right to participate in the State
Tournament in Peoria. Our Principal, Mr. Willam P. Hearn let students out of class to attend the game and even provided chartered
CTA buses. Someone on the Bowen team hit an inside the park home run to win the game. Several weeks later, we played Taft again,
this time at Comiskey Park, for the Public League Championship. Stars of that team were John "Bevo" Bozich and Jim Chengary. We
lost that game, but once again many bus loads of Bowen students were there to cheer on the team.

Hal Dvorin
Palatine, IL

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From the September 22, 1955 issue of the Southeast Economist:

"Cogratulations and best wishes to two of the (Jeffrey) Manor's finest young men who walked off with First Prize Sunday, August 28 on
the Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour. Kenneth Levinson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Levinson of 10055 S. Paxton Ave. plays the clarinet
and saxophone, is a Junior at Bowen Hight School, and recently played solos at the (school's) annual concerts. Ken has a fine musical
background. His dad plays the violin and saxophone, and sings in his own band. Ken's younger brother Robert plays the trumpet, and
his younger sister Cheryl plays the piano...

Newton Friedman (Class of 1956) pianist, who lives at 10124 Van Vilissengen Rd. plays viola in the (Bowen) school orchestra....Newton
has accompanied Ken in the school concerts and on the Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour. They both enjoy making their own
arrangements. September 18 is the day Ken and Newton are going to compete for the Grand Prize, which is a new Ford."

Alas they did not win the big one. The musical duo performed a clarinet and piano arrangement of "Rhapsody in Blue" and a movement
from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. The Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour started on radio in 1935 and moved to television (Channel 7) in
1950. It was broadcast on Sunday afternoons from 12:30 to 1:30. Frankie Laine, Mel Torme, and the Harmonicats were winners in the
past.

Don Brokop's response to this story: Blasphemy! I was a model student. How could any true Bowenite spread such lies?

Memories are wonderful, especially if you remember them as if they were just yesterday. It’s hard to believe 50 years have gone by,
because I can still remember sitting in Mrs. Goode’s home room class where most of the time I thought she was somewhere in space.
George Beloz, Bebe Browning, etc were all with me and it was a blast. Mrs. Goode always asked me what I washed my socks with. I
thought she might be opening a laundry! Who knows, maybe she did. I worked with Mr. Hurd for three years at South Shore Day Camp. I
was a counselor and he was in charge of athletics. I probably got an S in Geometry because of that.

RE: The photo of our 8th Grade class at Luella School. My grandchildren thought that the girls in the class were having a bad hair day.
They are probably right.

Merle Berkovsky Lask
Highland Park, IL

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Remembering A Bowen Principal: Hildegarde M. Romberg

I just wish to share some brief thoughts about three principals we had during our years at Bowen, and especially about one in
particular. Remember when we first entered Bowen, whether in January or June 1953, Mr. Willi am P. Hearn was our Principal. We
were just beginning to know him when it was announced that he was leaving. I think he was with us for two years. After Mr. Hearn left,
Mr. Eli J. Goldberg, the Assistant Principal, became our interim Principal. The campus belief was that he would be our next Principal,
but this did not happen. Instead, we learned that Dr. Hildegarde M. Romberg was appointed by the Chicago Board of Education to lead
our school.

I remember her as an interesting educator and manager. As her obituary above states, she was independent, courageous and spirited.
Her daily wardrobe was always professional: A dark business suit, expensive shoes, and with a stride of confidence to complement her
central control management style. Her personality was slightly distant from students, yet cordial. I always believed she wanted
students to experience the highest level of learning that the faculty brought to our classrooms and extramural activities. During our
senior year, the class officers, of which I was one, had to meet with her several times as she had to be fully apprised of what we were
planning to do in our events. She maintained an open-door policy to her office for all students…the good ones and those needing her
special attention.

I was in Chicago in late August 1999 to attend the funeral service of my wonderful mother-in-law who lived in Hegewisch. On September
3, 1999, to compound my grief, I found the obituary for Dr. Romberg, who died in Irvine, CA. I guess I was right about her belief in and
support for superior teaching and learning: She left it all for the cause.

George Beloz
Corona, CA

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I remember playing volleyball at the Calumet Park Field House on a team with Nancy Andjelic and Joan Vlaisavljevich. I still have a
trophy from those days. Another memory is walking to Bowen just about every day for four years with Janet Bacon, Dorothy Parker,
Phyllis Wetherton and Virginia Horn. Janet, Phyllis and I lived on “the Hill”, Dorothy lived half way down and Ginnie lived on Kingston Ave.
at the bottom. Sometimes we would hook up with Judy Carr who lived a few blocks away from Ginnie.

Later, when Judy DuBrownik transferred to Bowen from St. Francis, we became good friends. I would sometimes walk home from her
house on Colfax near 86th to my home near South Chicago Hospital on 92nd and Crandon late at night. In those days you could walk
around South Chicago late in the evening without fear of getting mugged. Those were the good old days.

I had some classes with Karl Wirsum and would seem him always doodling and drawing faces, people and what not. When I got elected
as editor-in-chief of the Bowenite for the June half of the 1957 yearbook, I asked Karl to be our artist. Later, when I moved to Hyde Park, I
rediscovered Karl again as one of the group called the Hairy Who. Little did I think back in 1957 that Karl would become so famous in
later years.So all you Bowenites, you have a book that shows another side of Karl Wirsum’s talent. Very different from the work that
made him famous. Hang on to those books.

Caroline Saric Magsaysay, Editor-in-Chief, June ’57 Bowenite
Chicago, IL

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From the archives of the Southeast Economist:

December 15, 1955 - Bowen Athlete Receives Popular Voting Award
"Al Olympia, 10025 S. Exchange Ave.. was recipient of a beautiful trophy last Saturday awarded to him for being voted "Most Popular
Bowen Athlete". Sponsor of the fan contest was Weinberg Bros., 9029 S. Commercial Ave. where the deluge of votes were cast. An
outstanding scholar and quarterback on the Bowen football team, Al was interviewed at the store Saturday and it was later carried over
Radio Station WJOB."

May 17, 1956 - Bowen PTA Year Ended
"Bowen High School students will entertain member of the Parent-Teacher Association at its final meeting of the season at 1:15 P. M.
today in the social room of the school, 2710 E. 89th St. Mrs. Mildred Caldwell, director of the band and orchestra has arranged the
program which includes a piano solo by Martha Covarrubias, selections by Ted Seabloom on the saxophone, David Nelson at the piano,
Kenneth Levinson on the clarinet, and Carol Donley at the harp."

1956 Football Banquet
"Michigan State Head Football Coach Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty will be the key speaker at the 10th Annual Bowen High School Football
Banquet to be held at Vogel's Restaurant in Whiting, IN. The banquet annually honors the current year's grid aggregation and is
sponsored by the Bowen High School Council, an organization of business, industrial, and professional people of the Southeast area.

The Bowen team had a record of three wins and three losses this season. Members of this year's team were John Burian, Jaird Chasten,
Ronald Eicke, Karl Flickinger, John Ivancevich, Donald Brokop, Ruddy Johnson, William Kira, Anthony Miresso, Al Olympia, Larry
Reynolds, Lester Simons, William Johnson, John Corwin, Charles Wilkinson, Richard Bucich, Joe Butler, Wayne Ritchie, Ronald
Nowracroj, Dave Kineta, Edward Donofrio, Bill Yacobozzi, Joe Perez, Joe Kirga, Henry Wolff, Larry Frisk, Anthony Lowery, and Larry
Johnson. Eight special Senior Awards were presented to the eight graduating members."

March 7, 1957 - VFW Essay Contest
"Three Bowen High School students were awarded first, second, and third prizes Monday for their essays entered in the contest
sponsored by the Veteran' of Foreign Wars Women's Auxilliary #8827, East 104th St. and South Ewing Ave. The essays, each 1,000
words (on the subject of) "America's Crusade for Free Men's Rights" will be entered in the state contest. Writer of the first prize essay is
Judith Ryant, 16, a senior who will graduate in June. She plans to enter Wilson Junior College branch at Chicago Vocational High School
after graduation to study law. Second prize winner was Rosalind Kroopkin, who graduated in January. She was editor-in-chief of the
Bowenite and served on the Bowen Arrow staff among other extra-curricular activities. (Rosalind) was eighth in her class of 137 and is
now employed with an insurance company. Third prize winner was Sheila Spiegel, 17, a senior who will graduate in June. Following
graduation she plans to attend Illinois Teachers College to become an elementary school teacher."

June 13, 1957 - Bowen High School Plans Music Festival
"The 18th annual Bowen High School Music Festival, featuring more than 400 students, will be held in the school auditorium today and
tomorrow at 8:00 P. M. The festival will open with an address by Dr. Hildegarde Romberg, school Principal. The participating groups will
be the a cappella choir, mixed chorus, girls' chorus, orchestra, and band. There also will be instrumental and vocal solos."