You wouldn’t believe the volume of mail generated by this column, the Alumni Association newsletter and various inquiries from some of the Woodrow’s 25,000 alumni. U.S. Postmaster General Marvin Runyon ’42 must be pleased.
I’m going to do my part to raise postal revenues by asking that readers of this space utilize the vanishing art of letter-writing, rather than employing the cordless creation of Ma Bell. It is my New Year’s resolution to reduce my time spent returning phone calls. I ask your indulgence. At a recent meeting at Woodrow, one lady was surprised to learn that writing this column and volunteering for the Association aren’t my sole pursuits. Folks, I have a full-time job and manage rental properties as well!
Do You Understand English?
Primary in the post is a letter from Paige English ’92, one of the winners of the Alumni Association’s scholarships. Paige is a freshman at Centenary College. Her sister, Lisa ’92, is an alumni scholarship winner who attends Southwestern University. Paige informed me that she and her sibling also are Woodrow legacies – third generation, in fact. Their dad, W. Allan English, and grandmother, Eloise McIntyre, also are Wildcats.
“My sister and I attended a public high school that in my mind has a better reputation than any private or public school,” writes Paige, who along with her sister has attended both public and private schools.
“Woodrow gave us a sense of what the real world is like. Woodrow prepared us for an education at top-rated colleges. We are proud of the success for which we were prepared in both our studies and our social lives.”
Naim-ing the Valedictorian
I recently reported that another scholarship winner, Kiecee Naim ’92, is the granddaughter of the late Wildcat coach Wade Thompson. I learned that her mother, Rosann Thompson Naim, was valedictorian of the Wildcat Class of ’57. But she is not the only valedictorian of Vickery Boulevard. My friend, Joe Sholden ’76, was the highest-raked student in our class. And he lived in the very same house!
Passing the Torch
It seems the torch got in the wrong hands in a recent column on Woodrow legacies at the homecoming game. Writes Cathey Monzingo: “We always enjoy your articles in the Advocate, but to set the record straight, Kim Monzingo is the daughter of two alums.
“Her father is Joe Monzingo ’65, and I am Cathey O’Dell Monzingo ’65. Stephanie Cagley is the daughter of Terry Tully Cagley ’63. Her father, John, did not go to Woodrow. Mitchell Hill (who plays freshman football) is the brother of Mandy and Mack.”
Thanks, Cathey. I really should have known about Mitchell, AKA “assistant coach” Hill. I’ve known his dad, Gregg Hill ’67, for years.
A Diva Devotee
“Your recent article about Fair Park brought back fond memories of long ago,” writes Isabel Crenshaw Buchanan.
“In 1923 or 1924, the Metropolitan Opera Company brought ‘Carmen’, featuring Mary Garden, to the old Dallas opera house…My date, Jerome Buchanan, sat with my sister Bess and her date. The back fell out of his seat, and he sat through two hours listening to the opera.
“In our 50 years of marriage, he would never take me to another opera. Our two sons, Jerry and Tom Buchanan, graduated from Woodrow in 1949 and 1950. I am 91 now and still interested in everything that takes place at Woodrow Wilson High School. Keep up the good work.”
