Class of 1956
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1956 Class Annual

Marilee (Sylskar) Thomas, class of 1956, provided access to the annual.

The item below presents a view of Godwin and the surrounding area in the mid 1950s and before. Almost any Godwin alumni from the 1960s yet would recognize much of the what is mentioned.

Godwin in the 1950s.

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Some of the class of 1956 as 3rd graders ??

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Maybe a photograph of some of the members of the class of 1956 as 3rd graders. It is not certain this is the case. Perhaps someone in the class will know. The names are not available at this time.

Just what the event was in the photo is not clear. Each student seems to have something in their mouth, perhaps to blow on.

Some of the class of 1956 as 4th graders.

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A photograph of some of the members of the class of 1956 as 4th graders. The names are not available at this time. The bottom photo is not labeled, and it's just assumed here that it is also 4th graders.

Some of the class of 1956 as 5th graders.

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A photograph of some of the members of the class of 1956 as 5th graders. The names are not available at this time. The bottom two photos are not labeled, and it's just assumed here that they are also 5th graders.

Some of the class of 1956 as 6th graders ??

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Maybe a photograph of some of the members of the class of 1956 as 6th graders. It is not certain this is the case. Perhaps someone in the class will know. The names are not available at this time.

Class of 1956 safety squad, 1949, and the Godwin band.

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Safeties performed a valuable function over the decades. Do they still exist in year 2006, or have insurance concerns eliminated them too?

Material passed out during the 2006 Golden G luncheon.

Another look at the world of 1956.

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Thunderbirds and Corvettes were mostly things for the typical highschool student to aspire to, not actually own. Annette drove a pink one. But the cars were at least symbolic of the 1950s, when gasoline was cheap, and a meaningful Friday or Saturday night was to drive around downtown Grand Rapids. With the demise of Grand Rapids in and around 1960, the fad died out, and sooner or later did in just about every other city. A look at the movie "American Grafitti" probably gets one as close to those days as one can any more. In the movie one can see a white Thunderbird.

Convertables, or "rag tops" as they were commonly called, were very popular in the 1950s, and the dream of every high school male fantasizing about being a free wheeling woman magent. In a day when seat belts mosly didn't exist, and without anything like a roll bar, the cars were not particularly safe, but that would not have bothered any highschool student. And the cloth top was particularly vulnerable to vandalism, and of course would need replacement now and then just because of wear and tear from the eleements. The retracting mechanisms were not particularly reliable, adding yet another ongoing expense. But of course the kids loved them.

For whatever reason, covnertables died out in the 1960s, and never really made much of a comeback. Perhaps the safety realities caught up with them, in the form of insurance costs. And without the metal roof, the chasis on a convertable had to be stronger than other models, making them more expensive to build, and something of a specialty item. Perhaps the auto companies decided that they were no longer worth the bother. Air conditioning, which started to appear more commonly in the early 1960s, might have been a factor too. Having the roof down a few days of the year could be pleasant, but it could also mean sunburns, and getting covered with road grime. In year 2006, most people apparently prefer to seal up their cars and keep cool in the summer.

1956 Ford convertable.

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Being in highschool, perhaps a jock, and owning or having access to a new Ford convertable, must have been close to as good as it got in 1956. The wide whitewalls were very fashionable in the 1950s. In year 2006 few remember that they ever existed. Fashion is like that. The owners of the car in this impressive night shot are not identified at this time.

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In the 1950s and 1960s Merit Scholarships were very difficult to win, and showed extreme talent. In addition to providing money for four years of college, a Merit Scholarship also opened doors to many colleges.

The X team.

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Does anyone recognize the team above, and/or who is in it?

Richard Giaimo at work.

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Homecoming King and Queen

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The photo above appears to be a homecoming event. The names and faces of the king and queen, and their court.

Homecoming - the king gets adjusted.

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Some kind of last minute straightening seems to be going on in the photo above.

Homecoming - the king and queen shake a leg

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Homecoming queen's court.

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The photo above is of the homecoming queen's court.

Senior class play: Ghost Wanted.

Ghost wanted.

A look at jobs - kicking the tires.

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Class of 1956 seniors get a look at the job scene, in preparation for the kind of jobs some will soon be seeking. Michigan Bell was a wonderful choice at the time, but as of year 2006 no longer exists. GM is an example of how the mighty have fallen, never really understanding the threat that high quality Japanese cars posed to the US auto industry.