History 1940-1971

'39-40
On October 8, Ed Serwan brought home the state singles championship by defeating the junior champion of Kansas City, 6-0 and 6-2. The tennis squad grabbed the Prep League championship for the fourth straight year.

On Press Day, February 10, The Colonnade, was judged second-best all-around high school paper by the Midwest Catholic High School Press Association. Of 12 awards given, McBride received 3.

The greatest basketball team in the first twenty-five years of the history of McBride took in its stride the Prep League, Normandy tournament, district and state championships with an outstanding record of 25 victories and only 3 defeats. To gain the title, the team defeated Paseo of Kansas City 28-24, Carthage 30-28, and Springfield 30-28. In the Springfield game on March 16, the champs, with a two-point lead, carried out a beautiful stall during the last one and a half minutes. The stars and mainstays of the Micks were: Ray Obie, Johnny Haug, Jim Nichols, Ed Serwan, Franny Haug, Danny Miller and Wally Cady. Ray Obie was selected to the all-district, all-regional, and all-state first teams.

Telegram from St. Louis U. High: "When better basketball is played, John Haug, Francis Haug, Miller, Nichols, Obie, Serwan and Cady will play it. Congratulations to the Normandy, Prep League, District, Regional and State Basketball Champions of 1940."

James Shanahan, sophomore, was awarded fourth place in a nationwide essay contest sponsored by the Everyday Reading Magazine. Dick Ryan's essay took first place in the district in a contest sponsored by the Women's Auxiliary Missouri Pacific Unit 141 of the American Legion.

The camera club, begun in 1937, had its most active and successful year. Most of the photography in the beautiful 72-page yearbook was the work of the club.

Carl "Toddy" Kamp resigned from the position which he had magnificently filled for fifteen years.

'40-41
Following the completion of a full term by Brother Julius Kreshel, Brother Ambrose Loosbrock was named principal of McBride.

Due to the record enrollment of 884, four freshmen classes were placed on special shifts. Two of the classes attended from 8:15 to 12:00, and the other two from 12:00 to 3:45.

The tennis squad brought home the fifth straight Prep League championship.

Although McBride ended the Prep League basketball season in third place, the team registered the fifth district championship. As a result of his great play in this district tournament, Danny Miller, guard, rated all-district.

Captain William T. Ryder '31 was the first paratrooper in the United States Army. His story -appeared in the February issue of American and in the April issue of Reader's Digest.

On May 17, the spelling team, coached by Brother Schuster, captured the city championship in the tournament sponsored by KSD.

Father Blasen formed a new spiritual organization, the "Mick" Club. The name is an anagram of "Mary Immaculate's Christian Knights."

'41-42
The Student Council was born on September 22 when five students were appointed to make plans for its adoption. Brother Clarence Saunders was the organizer and first moderator. James Webb, the first president, was elected on November 6.


The tennis team earned its sixth consecutive prep championship by defeating St. Louis U. High in the season finale.

A large innovation was introduced on December 19 when the Student Council passed a bill, with faculty approval, permitting seniors to smoke during the cafeteria period.

With "Baldy" Klevorn and Tom O'Sullivan playing outstanding basketball, the team captured its third consecutive district championship.

April 23 marked the first time that the annual senior play was presented with a mixed cast. Seniors from Rosati-Kain participated.

During the latter part of April, the spelling team continued undefeated, to retain the city championship.

Jim Bloss took first place in the pole vault event at the state meet in Columbia.

Brother Louis Schuster introduced a new form of entertainment at McBride, the program known as "Kornzappoppin," featuring modern music at its best. The program became an annual affair.

'42-43
William Noonan, a senior, was nominated to the presidency of the St. Louis C.S.M.C. Inter-Unit.

The debate squad closed the most successful season in six years by tieing for the city championship of the Missouri Debating League.
On March 1, McBride launched its first big War-bond drive. The goal was $75,000 in bonds for the purchase of a pursuit plane, and was easily surpassed by the end of the year.

William Geary, a junior, took first place in the annual Marianist oratory contest, sponsored by the Western Catholic Union on April 28.

In the state meet on May 8, Bill Smith took first place in the 440 in the flashy time of 52 seconds.

By winning its last three games, the softball team gained a co-championship with Central Catholic in the Prep League. Baseball was being replaced by softball for the duration of the war.

The glee club, under the direction of Brother Mueller, combined with that of Rosati-Kain to gain a superior rating at the Fontbonne music festival. The honor was repeated in the following year.

'43-44
Tom Toolen, Jr., was the first second-generation McBridean to enroll. His enrollment began a tradition which has lasted to date.

After a year of experimentation at McBride with the semi-micro method in chemistry, Brother Fred Weisbruch employed it in all the chemistry classes. The students used Brother Fred's laboratory manual in mimeographed form. Three years later, the Manual was published by D. C. Heath and Company.

Early in February, the school reached the goal of $450,000 in war bonds and thereby earned the right to name a flying fortress. McBride was the first school in Missouri to accomplish this feat.

In a tournament on February 22, the debating squad clinched first place in the Catholic Interscholastic Speech League. The team won fifteen debates while losing only five.

Bill Smith proved himself to be one of the most outstanding track-men in the school's history. In the Prep meet, he won the 100, 220, 440 and the broad jump. At the district he set a record of 50.4 in the 440.

McBride again tied for the championship in softball, but was defeated in the playoff.

44-45

This school year was marked with a Prep League championship in softball for the third consecutive year. In addition, Ed Morgenthaler and Dick Roth set several records in track, most notably in discus (137'), in shot (56' 9-1/4"), and in the high hurdles (15.7). The Mick runners also tied for second in the state track meet.

During the third week of March, the goal of $500,000 in bonds was reached, giving the school the privilege of naming a P.T. boat in honor of the city of St. Louis. A special evening on April 24 was held for the formal presentation to the Coast Guard of a plaque representing this purchase.

The two seniors with the highest number of points earned in activities during four years were James Callahan and Paul Hencke. As in the previous year, they received an award from the Alumni Association.

'45-46
Due to the large enrollment of over 1000, a triple shift was found necessary. The senior, junior, sophomore, and four freshman classes followed the ordinary schedule. Three freshman classes attended from 8:15 to 12:00, and the other three from 12:00 to 3:30.

Brother Dan Rabitt, the new athletic director, spent a tremendous amount of energy stepping up the athletic spirit of McBride. Among his achievements were: the "Colonnade Caravan," a large cheer squad; and an extensive intramural program of six-man football, freshman track, basketball and ten-man soccer.

McBride captured its first Prep League championship in ten years by defeating C.B.C. 19-13 before 8000 fans. The winning tally came with just 6 seconds left and the ball on the 35 yard line.

Gene Pepper was named on Star-Times all-district and Wally was chosen on the Post-Dispatch all-district team.

By the end of the year 1945, the school had collected the grand total of $2,193,389 in eight war loan bond drives.

The basketball team ended the season in a three-way tie for the Prep League championship.

In the boxing tournament, an all-time high of 150 boys participated.

'46-47
The enrollment set an all-time record of 1085. The school also accommodated 350 DeAndreis boys for a year while their school was being completed.

Early in February, Kenneth Jaas earned the distinction of being the first Mick to win the city championship in American Legion oratory.

For the second consecutive year, the basketball team ended the season in a three-way tie for the Prep championship.

At about the same time, the freshman closed the best "C" team season in McBride's history. They had an amazing record of 23 victories and 1 defeat.

Ken Jaas and Joe Bumbery were rated first and second for the year among the thirty-six debaters of the C.I.S.L. For the year, McBride placed third in this league among 17 schools.

After one and a half years of preparation, the band finally made its real debut in the form of a concert on May 18. The infant organization of over fifty members was marvelously well directed by Mr. Paul Strub.

'47-48
Art class was introduced into the upper-class curriculum by Brother Ralph Molnar.

The McBride War Dead were honored with the donation by the Alumni Association of an altar with plaques on each side containing the names of McBride students who had died during the war.

McBride captured the Prep basketball championship. Earlier, the team had captured the DeAndreis tournament trophy by defeating St. Louis U. High in the finals. Bob Murphy, a junior, was chosen on the all-district team.

In the second week of March, the third and last Alumni Association band drive ended. The success of the drive enabled the organization to finance a complete set of uniforms for the school band.

The Marianist Club completed another excellent year under Father Brand with the following assemblies: Mission, Living Rosary, McBride War Dead, Immaculate Conception, Christmas, Chaminade Day, Lent, Career and May.

'48-49
McBride won the DeAndreis basketball tourney for the second straight year. Junior, Dick Rosenthal, was named all-district by the three local papers.

There were enrollment problems at McBride as far back as '48-'49 -- except in reverse. The plan to limit enrollment was carried out to success.

Toward the end of November, a soccer team was organized by Brother Egea. The sport had been reinstated in the Prep League.

The Sweetheart Prom on January 28 was the best organized student dance ever held at McBride. It was sponsored by the Alumni Association and the Student Council.

During March and April, the band toured the Archdiocesan high schools, entertaining each student body with a concert program.

During the early part of May, Donald Cudihee was awarded a four-year scholarship to Notre Dame. He was chosen from among the representatives of all the St. Louis Catholic High Schools for boys.

Something new was added in boxing - an interschool boxing tournament between McBride, St. Louis U. High, Central Catholic and DeAndreis.

'49-50
The basketball team put together one of its best seasons in many years. The Micks recorded twenty-two victories and five defeats. In the process the team captured the Prep League co-championship.

The gridders came up with a good year. The team rolled to a 6-2-1 season.

The Band, directed by Mr. James Strub, presented a winter and spring concert to the student body.

'50-51
On the gridiron, the Micks compiled a 6-2-1 record, which was good for the second spot in the Prep League. The loss to traditional rival, S.L.U.H., cost McBride the league crown.

The Student Council was not to be found with empty time on their hands. They sponsored the Harvest Hop, Varsity Dance, April Dance, and the Sweetheart Prom, and Junior-Senior Prom. Along with these projects, they took upon themselves the outfitting of the cheerleaders and the promotion and sale of the yearbook.

The Band held Christmas and Spring concerts, and the Choraleers organized a Christmas caroling group and contributed their talents to the Music Festival.

The bright spot of the basketball season was Gene Hine's selection to the All-Prep team. As all the starters from the previous year's championship team had graduated, the Micks were forced to struggle through a rebuilding campaign. Their efforts led only to a 6-15 record, but the many young players profited from a year's experience.

Career Night was held March 19. Nearly 500 students, their parents, and their friends turned out to listen to the advice of men who had become prominent in their professions.

Tie-cutting day was an annual ritual. Seniors manned the doors and cut in half the ties of all the students. This was a protest of the dress regulations which required the wearing of a tie.

'51-52
Student Council activity increased this year. The Council undertook a collection to purchase gifts for Christmas stockings which were to be distributed to the patients at the Veterans' Hospital. Student self-supervision became a new field of endeavor as the Council played a bigger hand in running assemblies and supervising bus loading. The Council also sponsored the usual three dances and the Sweetheart and Spring Proms.

The Sodality had a full program of monthly meetings and bi-weekly discussions of current problems. With the joint sponsorship of the Mothers' Club and the Fathers' Club, the Sodality presented the McBride Christian Culture Series.

For a third straight year, McBride was runner-up in the Prep League. The highlights of the 6-2 season were the Sumner game, in which McBride limited Sumner to a single first down, and the 33-0 whitewash of C.B.C.

Speech and Debate fared well, finishing .500 in the C.I.S.L. and .750 in the N.F.L. The teams were in attendance at the KXOK Junior Town Meeting. Sophomore, George Gitto, won 1st place for the second straight year in humorous interpretation.

The "Iron Men" were the talk of the basketball campaign. Moran, Koch, Swyza, Collins, and Massa were the iron men who played the entire game in the upset of S.L.U.H. and DeAndreis.

The baseball team claimed the Prep League championship. Mr. Willett put together a powerful track squad.

The Band and Chorus busied themselves presenting a Christmas concert, participating in the Spring Archdiocesan Music Festival and providing music at assemblies. Charles Garavaglia, playing the organ, represented McBride at the KWK High School Revue.

'52-53
The Sodality sponsored a Clean-up Day in which the seniors cleaned the school from top to bottom. They also organized a Christmas drive to aid poor families.

The Debate and Speech Club participated in the KXOK Junior Town Meeting and discussed the controversial issue of overemphasis of sports in high school.

"Murder at a Class Reunion" was the one-act play presented by the Drama Department.

Jim Wilson was the recipient of the Alumni Association's Favorite Football Player Award.

For the fourth successive year, the Micks were runners-up in Prep League football competition. A loss to S.L.U.H. was the only barrier to a perfect season.

The loss of the home court advantage and the five "Iron Men" was too much to overcome. The Micks dropped to 12-13 but managed to share third place.

And, the baseball team captured the Prep League co-championship.

'53-54
McBride, rated as a darkhorse in the league, lived up to predictions. Despite many injuries, the Micks struggled to a 6-2 record, losing only one league game. Bob Szdlowski was selected to the All-State team and Carlo Merlo and Ed McGrew were All-Prep picks.

Basketball fortunes remained slim as the team completed another year below .500, 9-12. Two final season league victories were the highlights of the year.

Student Council and Student Court worked hand in hand together. The Council planned and organized many activities, while the Court fastened a spirit of cooperation. Some of the activities were supervision of bus-loading, assemblies, pep rallies, and the sponsorship of Red Cross Membership Drives.

Receiving a special mention in the bulletin each day, the Glee Club became the best-known activity at McBride. The Club entertained at the Christmas Concert and the Spring Festival.

The soccer crew pulled together and claimed the Prep League championship for McBride.

'54-55
Classes, books and homework were put aside for three days as the Micks focused their attention on the annual retreat. Mass opened the day, followed by lectures, conferences, discussions, and a closing Benediction.

The success of the De-bate team was attributed to "Irish know how and will to win." The team tallied first place finishes in the S.L.U.H. and McBride Invitational tourneys. The team had no less than an en-viable 29 victories.

The Colonnade published a supplement edition. The McBriefs offered coverage of important news and announced activities which did not appear in the regular Colonnade.

All-C.A.C. first stringer Rufus Davis paced the Mick gridders to a 4-4-1 season.

The basketball and soccer teams each managed a .500 season finishing 9-9 and 4-4-2 respectively.

Student Government took on a new area of responsibility: cafeteria supervision became a student-run project for the first time.

'55-56
The football team fared well. An opening day 20-7 victory over Central, the eventual city champ, was the highlight of the season. McBride finished as runner-up in the C.A.C. on the strength of 88 points. Co-captain Rufus Davis claimed a berth on the all-district team.

The Debate team boasted twenty-three victories and three defeats, along with an opening tournament first place and a first place season finish among Catholic schools. The speech team had finalists in Extemperaneous (2), Original (1), and Humorous (1) speech. In the C.I.S.L., McBride was the school to beat.

The Colonnade gave birth to an expanded edition. With the additional space, the writers were able to produce new features such as: Time Out, Platter Chatter, Honor Roll, and Meet Your Faculty.

In other sports, McBride had a respectable year. Basketball finished 11-7, soccer 14-6-2. In an interesting post-season contest, the highly successful C-team basketball defeated the equally successful B-team 42-38.

Daily Communion was the initiation for three days of prayer and meditation as the school held Retreat in late October.

McBride music talents did not go untapped. The Dance, Concert and Intermediate Band together with the Chorus and Glee Club thrived on the abilities of those so inclined.

And, that springtime gala, the "Sweet Heart Prom," was held in spite of a paralyzing 6" snow.

'56-57
McBride asserted its athletic prowess by capturing two league crowns and one city championship. During the course of an 8-2 season, the football team went undefeated in league play. With the C.A.C. under their belts, the Irish met the Public League champs McKinley in the City Championship game. They triumphed by a score of 18-0. Phil Allen and Ken Thornesberry were-chosen for the All-State team. Thornesberry went on to be chosen as McBride's first All-American football player.

Five Micks journeyed to Cleveland to represent McBride at a Sodality Convention. The Sodality also volunteered their assistance in preparation for a week of Retreat in October.

Music interests remained at a high level. Four groups were active, the Dance Band, the Concert Band, the Varsity Band, and the Men's Chorus. A pep band was formed to perform at games and spur the Micks on.

The Colonnade with a staff of forty printed six editions. A new feature, the Alumni Column, was initiated, so as not to forget former Micks. Seniors gave way to underclassmen in the publication of the final edition.

Debaters and Speakers of McBride continued to be dominant figures in the area competition . In a rare acknowledgement of ability, Seneca Nolan was awarded a college scholarship for his speaking achievements.

The basketball team brought home the other C.A.C. crown. McBride rolled to a 23-5 season, one of the best ever. Along the way the team claimed a 3rd place in the Christmas Tourney, 1st in the DeAndreis Tournament, and a 2nd place in the State Regionals.

'57-58
The Major Learning Program was officially launched at McBride when the first class of A-Track freshmen entered in September of 1957. The Major Learning Program was in fact gradually phased in as each year a new class of A-Track students were admitted. Consequently, the entire school did not come under the new program until 1960.

Even before the Archdiocese of St. Louis adopted the three-track curriculum for all high schools in 1957, the plan had been formed to set aside McBride and Rosati-Kain exclusively for A-Track students, the purpose being to provide the greatest possible educational challenge for some of the top students. The previous year, Brother Edwin Goerdt, principal of McBride, had visited high schools of this type all over the country. Working in consultation with the School Office, the faculty of McBride planned and created the features of the new Major Learning Program. Certainly two of the key figures in planning the program were Brothers Edwin Goerdt and Albert Stein.

The Program was judged to be an outstanding success in its first year of operation. Needless to say, the liberal framework and academic quality of such a program complemented not only the McBride tradition of distinguished student government, but also that of outstanding athletic prowess. That same year the Varsity track team picked up its third consecutive CAC crown.

'58-59
In 1958, Brother Robert Godfrey assumed the position of principal, beginning the first of his nine years of enlightened administration. That same year, Mr. Bill Williams assumed the position of band director, attempting to rejuvenate the band program and instill a true professional quality in the McBride Concert Band. He and his successor, Brother Glennon Mertens, are largely given credit for the beginning of the tradition of the McBride Concert Band being one of the best high school bands in the St. Louis area.

The successes of the new one-year academic program were somewhat overshadowed by the sports scene. The Micks picked up C.A.C. co-championships in both varsity football and basketball, as well as their fourth consecutive C.A.C. championship in track.

'59-60
The 1959-60 school year must rank as one of the best years both academically and sports wise in recent McBride history. Largely the concept of Brother Godfrey, the system of Honors and Advanced Placement college credit courses were incorporated into the Major Learning Program. Brother Godfrey did indeed give a different emphasis to the term "Major Learning." The Honors and AP courses represented on the high school level, the kind of specialized elective-type education present in colleges and universities. Originally, two out of the five entering freshmen homerooms were designated "Honor" classes. The AP program originally included instruction in English, European History, and Calculus. Chemistry was added the following year, American History two years after that, and in 1970 McBride began to offer instruction in AP Spanish and French.

Brother Godfrey's administration initiated another academic first with the awarding of academic letters in 1960. The awarding of academic letters was relatively unheard of in 1960, and the institution of this tradition at McBride won great notoriety in state, local and national publications (including an article in the New York Times). The academic letter established a reputation of academic excellence; McBride began to draw more and more academically-talented students from all over the St. Louis area. The system behind the awarding of the letters, as well as the letter itself (the Chenille M), again represented the work of Brother Albert Stein.

Following in the footsteps of Mr. Williams, Brother Glennon Mertens succeeded in generating great enthusiasm among the students for the freshman and varsity band programs. That same year, the Concert Band performed three times at school, once at Kiel Auditorium, and marched in two city parades.

Under the new leadership of Brother Bernard Lee, the McBride Drama Club established a reputation as being one of the best in the St. Louis area, with the performance of no less than five plays. Among them were: "Stalag 17," "Cox and Box," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Box of Bibles," and "Everyman."

In sports, the Micks took two C.A.C. championships late in the year in baseball and track.

'60-61
In 1961, the graduation of the first class of Major Learners marked the cementing of the Major Learning Program.  Striving to serve McBride in the best way possible, Brother Godfrey developed the idea of a Faculty Council to advise the Principal in all important policy decisions.

Another academic first which became part of the McBride tradition was the Fine Arts Week, planned and designed almost exclusively by Brother Albert Stein. Ten graduating seniors received scholarships, in contrast to only six the year before. As Band and Drama continued to reach new heights, 1960-61 saw the appearance of the McBride literary magazine "Foreshadow."

In sports, the Micks took C.A.C. championships in soccer and track. One individual must be mentioned, certainly one of the best athletes to come out of McBride, namely Gus Otto. In his senior year, he merited the distinction of being named to the all-C.A.C., all-district, and all-state football teams and accepted a scholarship to Missouri University.

'61-62
Dr. Caroll Hochwalt spoke at the Academic Honors Convocation; the number of scholarships reached a new high of fifteen.

Under the leadership of a gifted Mr. Stan Piekarski, the McBride Debate team began to achieve great prominence. Once again Drama, the Band, Fine Arts Week, Career Night, and the Literary Magazine proved to be highly successful.

In sports, the football team not only won a C.A.C. co-championship, but managed to place six players on the first all-C.A.C. team. The track team came through with its usual C.A.C. crown, this one being the seventh consecutive.

'62-63
The yearbook found it appropriate to acknowledge the devotion of Brother Albert Stein, S.M. in its dedication. Brother Al, who was one of the innovators of the "Major Learning" program, had died suddenly due to a heart attack. Within the realm of Student Government, Mike Duffy provided the leadership for the Student Council, while Mike Hagenhoff was President of the Student Court. On the gridiron, Jack Weinert achieved all-state recognition as the varsity football team compiled a 5-4 record. The McBride kickers, under the coaching of Ed Perniciaro, finished the season with a 12-4-5 slate, while a promising B-team with the assistance of Mr. Rupp finished 11-5-0. As spring concluded, the trackmen spotlighted the sporting scene as they garnered their eighth straight C.A.C. championship.

For McBride's theater-goers, "Cyrano de Bergerac" was presented for the first time staring Gene Brezany, now acting on Broadway. Frank Anzalone and Terry Modgen were the speech and debate standouts, and Carl Fields kept the photography club alive. Closing out the year were the Academic Honors Convocation and graduation, with Dan Devine and Father Sutter providing the final remarks.

'63-64
The yearbook was published in the memory of President Kennedy. This was the year Mr. Arkin awoke to an empty room as the students quietly removed all their desks. Rick Aubuchon was Student Council president, while Jim Juras was a popular football receiver. The "C" football team was undefeated. Windish, Lauman, Juras, and Harness along with several others combined to defeat Springfield Central at Sportsman's Park for the state baseball crown.

Mike Gray was great in "The Crucible," while Frank Anzalone again did well in speech and debate. The Fine Arts program was given in a French background; and there were many fine arts assemblies.

Brother Winkler got together a large camera club; Mr. Beatty made the school song into a march, a rally and a concert; and Brother Ron Tissier hypnotized students to help them study.

'64-65
Mike Brady, who went to Quincy and broke all records there, as a junior, lead the varsity basketballers to the state regionals and a 16-6 mark. The kickers captured a co-championship behind the leadership of Barry Tiernan. All-C.A.C. selections Lauman, Bischof, and Windish led the Micks to the district crown in baseball.
Den Shaughnessy was the driving force behind a hard working Student Council. Mike Gray and Carl Tisone were so good in "ZooStory" that they went to the State Capitol to stage it. Lieutenant Governor, Thomas Eagleton, ended the year with his address at the Academic Honors Convocation.

'65-66
Brother Winkler ended his reign as yearbook moderator, and it was justly dedicated to him this year. Brother Godfrey installed a closed-circuit TV to be used for educational purposes. Doug Roper, now a Brother of Mary, served as Student Council president. Brother Moerchen received a bushel of apples from a radio station as someone's most popular teacher. The Drama department collaborated to stage "Inherit the Wind." Jeff Zust continued the family dominance of the chess club.

Tony Bandle was state honorable mention in football, but the big sport was basketball. Brown, Brady, Ryan, Windish and Eresh led the team to McBride's best record ever, 26-3, and a first place in the Clayton Regional. "B-team" was C.A.C. champs also and "C-team" was 11-3. The fortunes of the teams were buoyed by the enthusiastic and well organized cheering.

Mr. Dick Rosenthal, former Mick and all-American at Notre Dame, spoke at the Academic Honors Convocation as the year ended.

'66-67
This year Brother Godfrey was appointed to be Assistant Superintendent of Schools to be effective at the end of the school session. Brother Davenport was named to take over as Principal. The yearbook was dedicated to Brother Ulsas and Brother Klapp, who celebrated their 50th and 25th anniversaries respectively. Mike Garanzini was the Student Council president and did a great job. During his term, the Council organized a St. Louis area-wide Student Council workshop which was a big success.

On the gridiron, the football team managed a third place finish. A predominantly junior basketball squad was spurred to a third-place finish by the zealous support of a hungry student body. The track team took second in the C.A.C. but the highlight was Paul Gremaud's 23'4" broad jump to win at State. The chess team was undefeated, and the band gave a great performance in "Stars over Broadway." The plays presented were "Twelve Angry Men," "Beyond the Fringe," and "The Imaginary Invalid."

'67-68
Joe Rupp and Pete Renda were the big men in Student Council. Jeff Zust was the top man in chess, while Rich Venverloh and Pat Clear were the "Odd Couple." Brother Noonan celebrated 25 years as a religious, and Mr. McCarthy was the speaker at the Honors Convocation.  Joe Bosse and Tom Zygmunt were named to the All-Conference Football team in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Basketball fever ran high as the team climbed to No. 4 in the polls. Seven hundred fans watched the televised action of the heartbreaking loss to DeAndreis. The team took first in the Fox Tourney and second in league play. However, Mercy held a hex over the Micks and ousted them in the Christmas tournament and the state regionals. "B-team" were C.A.C. champs with a 12-2 record.

The Colonnade expanded to a tri-media operation. Besides the printed edition, the Colonnade took full advantage of the glass-enclosed bulletin boards and produced a weekly TV news broadcast.

Roger Yanko put on a unique Student Council campaign. In a highly publicized campaign gimmick, Roger raced a rabbit in Sherman Park. Rog's loss to the hare was surely an omen of the future.

Baseball was highlighted by Dan Overmann's no-hitter.

'68-69
Coach Bob Goodwin announced his resignation capping off an outstanding career coaching at McBride. For the first time women were included among the faculty at McBride. Carl Bergman and Dan Freeserneier each were president of the Student Council for one semester. Steve Schwartz was cited for his dedicated service to the school. Pat Clear brought his theatrical career at McBride to a climax with a fine performance in a "Man for All Seasons." Seventy-Two Hours became McBride's cultural innovation. The three days of cultural events served as a breather from the drudgery of the classroom routine.

In athletics, we find Roger Yanko gaining All-Metro acclaim in football and receiving a scholarship to Mizzou. Al Harte dazzled the C.A.C. in basketball, but then fouled up everyone as he gained All-American honors in soccer at Quincy College two years later. The spring sports provided the highlights of the year as Bill Genova set the C.A.C. shot put record with a heave of 51' 10". Baseball posted its best record at McBride of 19-3. Ray Finke continued the no-hitter tradition and the team won the C.A.C.

Academically, several Micks received generous scholarship offers.

'69-70
The fall of '69 began somewhat unheralded, but concluded with a roar of victory, as McBride posted its best gridiron record ever. Dan Bantle and Jerry Lampe led the way on offense, while team efforts on defense made it tough for the opponent to score. Highlights of the team include: Jerry Lampe's 1000 yards plus, and the 5th ranking in the city and the 8th ranking in the state. Not to be outdone, the baseball team won its 2nd straight C.A.C. crown, and Orville Culton broke the shot put record set the previous year. His toss was 56'1/2".

Den Newport along with Mike Torretti provided the driving force in the Student Council. With Newport also acting in his spare time, Denny teamed successfully with Steve Crawford in the fall production of the "Star-Spangled Girl." The Spring play witnessed the successful debut of Denny Ganahl in "Don't Drink the Water." Seventy-Two Hours was reduced to Forty-Eight Hours, yet was still quite successful in bringing culture to McBride. Highlighting the two days were the McBride stage band, a ballet demonstration and a judo exhibition. Danny Boll, Dan Bantle, and Denny Newport were cited as the year's tops in academics, athletics and activities respectively.

'70-71
Father Ryan entered his second and, eventually, last year as Principal. It seemed to start out bad as football floundered and the TV show was ended. But "Ten Little Indians" with Bob Carpenter and Bill Klutho went over very well, and basketball seemed promising. But then it came. With only three days remaining before the 8th graders took the entrance tests, the announcement was made that McBride would close at the end of the year. Instead of dejection, it provided a fantastic uplift that carried the basketball team to the Rosary Tournament championship. Soccer, behind all-state goalie, Rich Kobylinski, took the C.A.C. with a 16-4-3 record.

Presentations by the New York Theatre Company took the place of Forty-Eight Hours. The last months were preoccupied with rounding things out and doing the last of everything. The prom was at the Sheraton-Jefferson with the theme "Where Do I Begin?" Baseball has a shot at C.A.C. with Mark Helbig continuing the practice of throwing no-hitters each year. The ending of McBride was highlighted by the open House on May 23rd, and the dinner on June 7th.

McBride, the best high school in its time, exists now only in the spirit of its Alumni.