1934

1934

By Rufus McClure

The first picture of the Color Guard. The building in the background is Grace Chapel, which most of the early boarders attended. Grace Chapel also generated our first service organization, the Chapel Wardens Association, a group of cadets who cleaned and prepared the church for services. Somewhat later Grace also provided the school with a chaplain.

Colonel and Mrs. Painter, the former Agnes Cain, as they appeared at the founding of the school in 1933. They headed the school during these formative years when Bolles became The Bolles School. They oversaw the creation of most of our most cherished traditions.

Their footprints are everywhere. Most boarding students will recall their friendly relationships with the student body in this nascent and growing school.

As far as we know, Dr. Lewis was the first person to sign a contract with The Bolles School.

As the academic head, he would have been responsible for recruiting and hiring the first faculty, ten, we think. Today that faculty has expanded to one hundred fifty-six, including 26 Alumni/teachers and thirteen part-time alumni, of whom nine hold doctorates covering every discipline. Lewis was also responsible for designing a nascent academic program which is now among the most highly regarded in the nation.

As one of many iconic pictures of the school, this picture of the north tower is probably the most universal. Still today, the tower is photographed, sketched, painted, and otherwise represented more than any other entity on campus. Many cadets will recall pranks committed there, and a few may recall the open balcony at the top as a great place to sneak a smoke.

The very first faculty, a total of ten, only two of whom are in uniform.

Stevens will become a legend; Summers will never be heard from again.

As one would anticipate, the first yearbook contains many photos that over time have become icons. This one is probably the first demonstrable example of a military icon.

Today it appears on the masthead of the Bugle, still the school newspaper.

It’s a little hard to believe, but the reality of an orchestra the first year together with the next picture clearly suggests that Bolles wasted no time creating a social scene.

Most cadets will recall embracing their sweethearts in the elegant Bolles Lobby, which, thanks to the TLC of Mrs. John Trainer, wife of current president, Dr. John Trainer, has recently been restored to its former elegance.

Obviously, as this picture clearly suggests, the school very quickly evolved into a striking, smart military unit. Over time Bolles would become the only school in the nation that could boast honor designation in both army and naval units.

As this picture clearly demonstrates, it did not take long to create a governing body, thereby creating a lasting Bolles tradition for developing leaders .

Many of the names above became distinguished community leaders.

These seven young men gave us our first yearbook, The Eagle, which, thankfully, provides us with most of the early history that this scrapbook is intended to preserve for all time.

Wow! These young cadets were actually sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. These youngsters would rapidly mature into the cadet corps which we now proudly salute.

Let’s all salute these distinguished young men who were responsible for the success of these early years which laid the foundation for The Bolles School honor military history.

Not quite “Anchors Aweigh” but they are surely on their way.

Valedictorian.

The first group of swimmers of a program that is now a world renowned swimming program that has produced ten swimmers who have won a collective total of thirteen Olympic medals.

As indicated previously, Captain Register was the lone graduate of that first year, 1933. The following year he was named the first director of the Bolles Alumni Association.

Today, his name lives on as the Sidney Register Alumni Award presented at each graduation to a particularly distinguished alumnus.

Recipients include Harry M. deMontmollin Class of 1956, who would become the first and only alumnus ever to head the school, 1976-2000.

The Sidney Register Alumni recipient for 2010 is the legendary Joe Kittinger, celebrated globally as the first human to enter space when he soared to over 102,000 feet above the Arizona desert in 1959.

Like several organizations cited previously, the band quickly materialized. After all, how can you have a parade without a band? Interestingly, Harry deMontmollin, cited above, was the “Leader of the Band� when he graduated in 1956.

Not exactly a power house at this early date, but this scraggly bunch would mature into the legendary football tradition that is today the proud owner of ten state championships, including the current one last Saturday in the Citrus Bowl on December 12, 2009, three days ago as I write this.

Pictured here is the same Coach Summers responsible for the commencement speech quoted in the next frame.

This text is apparently the commencement address for the first graduates. Although he could not know it, Coach Summers was setting the bar for all time. Few people are now aware of the speech, but its eloquence reverberates through every dimension of school life now as it must have then. Coach Summers never appears again, and there is no mention of him later, so he apparently remained for only one year.

Bolles basketball teams have brought home three state championships since these lads posed for this photo in 1934.

See the love-letter telegram for Christmas in the Companion Text

Most boarding students will recall hanging out at Cohen Brothers on Hemming Plaza, where they waited for the bus to transport them back to school after Saturday leave. This magnificent building, which today is on the National Register, has now been converted into City Hall.