On July 4, 2012, Van Thornhill ’41 posed with a photograph of himself taken in 1945. Van was awarded a Bronze Star medal for his heroic service with the 178th Engineer Combat Battalion of the U.S. Army in Luxembourg during World War II.
and I understand now that has been changed. At the time we were there, we went to class on Saturday and got every Monday off. Many of us, after walking off our demerits, would go in to Washington and usually see at least one movie and maybe two, plus get a good meal at O’Donnell’s with the famous rum buns. On this particular Monday, several of us went to a theater in Washington to see the Nat King Cole Trio perform. I always remember them coming out on the stage in their white suits and Nat King Cole singing all of the great songs. This was really a tremendous performance and a fond memory to me of our Mondays in Washington. These are the kinds of stories that I think about a lot when reminiscing about EHS and the times we had there. It was a great time for us.
1948
Hugh Richardson 1819 Peachtree Road, NE, #200 Atlanta, GA 30309-1850 (O) 404-351-0941 65th Reunion: June 7-8, 2013
It is doubtful that any other class in the first half of the 20th century can count
class
notes
Members of the 1947 football team enjoyed their 50th Reunion in 1998.
seven members of its 11 football starters (they played both offense and defense) who went on to compete in college. The photo above pictures our quarterback Rufus Barkley (University of Virginia); left halfback Phil Duckett (Navy); captain and fullback Tommy Birge (VMI); and right halfback Chris Holland (VMI) at our 50th Reunion in 1998. Not shown are linemen Weir Goodwin (captain at VMI his senior year); alternate captain Miles Gregory (University of North Carolina); and Dalt Ruffin (University of North Carolina). The Class of ’48 is planning to hold its 65th Reunion on June 7-8, 2013, on The Holy Hill. As far as is known, no other class this long out has had an official gathering. The organizer for the 65th Reunion is Episcopal’s energetic and enthusiastic Director of Alumni and Parent Programs Lyle Farrar ’04. As of January 2013, five members have signed up: Paul Barringer, Jack Clarkson, Will London, Gus Middleton, and Henry Schacht. Possibles are: Dick Cocke, Bill Dunn, Pete Eastwood, Henry Fair, Ben Moore (who has called to report that his grandson, Benjamin Allston Moore IV ’14, is at The High School and “enjoying it thoroughly”), Lockwood Rainhard, Hugh Richardson, and Dalt Ruffin. Bruce Ballenger, who died of multiple organ failure on July 28, 2012, was
one of the hardest workers on the track team for Coach A. R. Hoxton, Jr. ’35. He also worked hard in sending his progeny to EHS. A SAE at Davidson, Bruce majored in business and was a banker in New York City when he met a pretty Northerner, Nancy Lee, who had transferred from Vassar to Columbia. They married in 1953 at her Watertown, Conn., home. Later, following their move to Bruce’s hometown, Charlotte, Nancy decided to get her college diploma after their fourth child was born. She wound up receiving three degrees from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. Bruce was an ardent golfer and became interested in genealogy. Nancy says his travels took him as far as England for graveyard searches of descendants, and his treatise, “The Ballengers of Tryon (NC)” is in several historical libraries. Two of Bruce and Nancy’s sons, Bruce G. Ballenger, Jr. ’73 and Steven C. Ballenger ’81, and one grandson Jackson R. Ballenger ’10 are Old Boys. Another grandson, David E. Ballenger ’13, graduates this spring. Also surviving is Bruce’s older brother, Cass Ballenger ’44, who served as a member of Congress for North Carolina’s 10th District. From other classes: It’s been said that Charlotte sends the most students to Episcopal. During our time, it also sent two of the best athletes. One is
EHS The Magazine of Episcopal High School
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