Monday, November 14, 2005

BusterStronghart@Gmail.com

The Horace Mann class of 1956 was composed of 106 mostly Jewish boys. Thirty-six were admitted to Harvard, Princeton and Yale. Twenty went to Columbia. A sizable contingent went to Williams, Amherst and Wesleyan. Five went to Cornell. One brave soul found his way West to Stamford. A few went to MIT. The remainder went to colleges of lessor distinction. Buster Stronghart, your faithful correspondent, was 105th in this class of 106 and was sent up the river, away, to Ohio Wesleyan.

Many of us became doctors and lawyers. Several became college professors. A few went into their parent's businesses. Two of us may have worked for the CIA. One may still. We have no accountants. We have several self-made millionaires and several more who are caretakers of inherited wealth. We have a few who are dead busted.

One of my classmates, the one who was graduated 106, has written a textbook about neurology and still teaches out West. He also holds patents for some surgical instruments which I cannot explain to you. One boy, from Finland, is the equivalent of Surgeon General of Saudi Arabia. The highest number of wives is four and that honor belongs to a lawyer. A few have made their living in magazine and book publishing. Another, a left leaning student at HM and Harvard became CEO of a Fortune 200 corporation and is one of those responsible for the development of genetically modified foods.

Did I say that we had a few suicides and several deaths by accident besides the first two who died the summer of graduation in a convertible in Arizona? Yes, two of the best of us were killed in an auto accident the summer that we were graduated.

Most of us have had more than one wife. The highest number of wives is four, and that honor belongs to a lawyer. As far as I know, and my information is incomplete, few of us have been totally faithful.

Not too many joined the armed forces after college. One who did was killed in action. I guess that the part of the class that did serve joined the reserves--but my information is incomplete here too.
.
Today's classes do not do as well in college admissions, and the percentage who become doctors and lawyers is much smaller. Today the most popular careers seem to be in the entertainment, business and financial areas.

HMhas the highest percentage of full scholarships in the New York prep schools. This year's tuition at the high school level is more than twenty-five thousand dollars. Kindergarten through third grade is twenty-thousand. When I went to HM from 1951 through 1956 the tuition was $900. We had a dormitory. That was another $900.

The dormitory was about two miles from the school. Everyone was required to walk with all books in all weather. Except my friend, J. who was often seen getting a lift in an old Ford. Innocent that we were then, we now surmisethat he may have been having a special, peculiar relationship with Mr. X, a teacher of ancient Greek and owner of that old Ford.

The rest of us trudged bravely along, through snow and sleet, practicing to become mailmen in case nothing else worked out.

The school now accepts girls and no longer has a dress code. Chapeland Tuesday Morning Sings have been eliminated. Many of our parents were assimilated or assimilating Jewish couples,and during the 1950's it was said that our parents eagerly acquiesced to a subtext of the mission of Horace Mann which was to oversee what we cameto understand was the bizarre transmogrification* of us Little Jewish Boys into tweed jacket wearing WASPs.

*Apologies to Professor Baruth who would not have approved of my use of a two dollar word when a fifty cent word would have sufficed. But I couldn't resist.

HM has the highest percentage of full scholarships in the New York prep school world. This year's tuition at the high school level is more than twenty-five thousand dollars. Kindergarten through third grade is twenty-thousand. When I went to HM from 1951 through 1956 the tuition was $900. We had a dormitory. That was another $900.

The dormitory was about two miles from the school. Everyone walked with all books in all weather. Except my friend, J. who was often seen getting a lift in an old Ford. Innocent that we were then, we now surmise that he may have been having a special, peculiar relationship with Mr. X, a teacher of ancient Greek and owner of that old Ford. The rest of us trudged bravely along, through snow and sleet, practicing to become mailmen in case nothing else worked out.

The school now accepts girls and no longer has a dress code. Chapel and Tuesday Morning Sings have been eliminated.

Many of our parents were assimilated or assimilating Jewish couples, and during the 1950's it was said that our parents eagerly acquiesced to a subtext of the mission of Horace Mann which was to oversee what we came to understand was the bizarre transmogrification* of us Little Jewish Boys into tweed jacket wearing WASPs.

mek

*Apologies to Professor Baruth who would not have approved of my use of a two dollar word when a fifty cent word would have worked. But I couldn't resist.
BusterStronghart@Gmail.com


The phone has rung too many times this morning
No one’s been on the line though.
The de-humidifier the construction men left is way too loud.
They'll remove it tonight.

My porridge is just right.
BusterStronghart@Gmail.com

My wife, my woman, that is, found a new haircutter,
He gave her bangs, and she looks so much
Younger. But I like women of my own age.
I leave the younger ones for cruder men.

We have more than four decades
Of memories, and two boys too, and a granddaughter
Who has diabetes and a wonderful smile.
She is very brave.
More than me, I think.
And, too, I think she’s smart.

We live in a big building
With no interesting neighbors. I’d
Like to pick their brains, but

there’s nothing to pick.

Am I too late for them? Have
They already been picked over? Or
Have they always been non-bearing?


mek November 14, 2005