The Class Roster and pictures are as represented in the Woodrow Wilson High School, Portsmouth, Virginia yearbook or annual of the year indicated on the page. The Roster may not be complete and pictures and names may have been removed by request of the person involved. Also, it does not officially indicate the year of graduation and/or that the party in question graduated. If you are not represented in your class, you will be added to the last page of the year and you may submit a photo to be added. All information on these pages came from the yearbook represented and alumni who have passed on information and may not be accurate.
Frightened! Everything strange! Where's room 214? Upperclassmen giving wrong directions! Assembly! Name tags! Doubts! Lockers that don't open. Reprimands for class tardiness! Finding out that room numbers are arranged systematically after all (why did they seem so mixed up before)!
We really were confused in a strange and large building. After all, we were just freshmen. Bill Smith was S.C.A. president, and Audrey Cherry was the Homecoming Queen for 1957. Wilson students had their first bomb scare and school was dismissed early for those who had their books with them. Remember the girl who wanted to walk home in her gym suit? It was also the year of the first lunchroom boycott, which fortunately did not prove to be serious. Our freshmen boys supplied the material for junior varsity sports.
Gosh! How do they get so confused? Were we like that when we were freshmen? We chased butterflies to use for mounting in Biology I classes, and joined all the clubs that we could. We were now sophomores.
Our own Mr. Robert L. Sweeney retired. We were instrumental in organizing the freshmen and sophomore classes. The privilege of selecting our own dasses was begun. The Modern Dance Club presents the first Fantastic Intrigue. We were excelling athletically, and our junior varsity was undefeated in ever sport. 1958 was the year the varsity defeated Newport News twice, and the year of the "bleacher collapse". We won the Eastern District basketball championship. Jimmy Sanderlin was president of the S.C.A., ani Diane Carlo reigned as Homecoming Queen.
September, 1959, found us returning as upperclassmen. We couldn't believe we were finally juniors. We followed the usual routine; changed schedules hoping to get classes we liked; made up our minds work toward making the honor roll. Our classmates won in intramurals and literary activities. Election came along for senior officers, followed by the excitement of working on the Junior-Senior. Next year we would be the honored guests.
Our boys were now varsity players, and their names were being mentioned prominently instead names we didn't recognize. Fellow classmates took honors in Forensics, and were elected to the National Honor Society. Class rings at last! Were we proud! We couldn't wait to make the freshmen shine. Then little by little we were climbing the ladder to the top. Marty Brennaman was president of the S.C.A., Jackie Drake, Homecoming Queen, and our own Blanche Moore was chosen Maid-of-Honor. Each month brought new activities and more responsibility. We took more offices, worked diligently on Homecoming floats, and supplied candidates for S.C.A. offices.
We finally reached the top rung in the ladder, becoming seniors at last. It was difficult to act dignifed, but the effort was worth it. Many changes took place during the year. We were the first class to completely progress through Harry Hunt and the new Wilson High School. Another innovation was the in morning devotions broadcast over the public address system. No longer was gym a requirement for us. Our class dominated S.C.A. offices with Dickie Lasting serving as president, and Arthur Henderson, vice-president.
We uncovered a "swingin' band," and new singing groups-Melody-Anus, the Triple Trio, the Coraliers -were formed. We also had the closest "Mock Election" in Wilson history. There was the constant rush of being seniors. Such things as calling cards, class dues, last wills to be turned in, and floats to be built claimed our attention. Pat O'Brien was our Homecoming Queen, and Faye Harrell, Maid-of-Honor. Also, rained for the first time during a Homecoming parade.
Four of our girls were cheerleaders, discovering "uncontrollable school spirit" deep in our souls. That spirit spurred us to victory over St. John's in the football upset of the season. Later in the year our thoughts turned to Baby Day, that one day when we could cavort around school. Our advisor, Miss Margaret Hinton urged us to get our senior portraits made, our class dues paid, and cards ordered. Way back in our minds stirred thoughts of graduation. Would it ever come?
Caps and gowns finally arrived, followed by Baccalaureate. Before we knew it, diplomas were handed out and we were graduated. How did four years go so quickly? For some, school days were finished; others, they were beginning again. Once more they would be at the bottom of the ladder, striving for the heights, working toward their goal in life.
