1955 - 56

Class Leaders

Student Body Officers: Leo Walz, president; Dorothy Ann Roser, vice president; Kathleen Rosier, secretary; Anton Eilers, treasurer.

Senior Class Officers: Beatrice Hurtado, president; John Muir, vice president; Joan Windle, secretary; Larry Banchero, treasurer.

Junior Class Officers: Homeroom 306 – Bob Branch, president; Betty Crowder, vice president; Judy Rogers, secretary; George Fedor, treasurer; Patrick Pickford, student council representative. Homeroom 312 – John Banchero, president; Toni Rappold, vice president; Joyce Windle, secretary; Dick Boyer, treasurer; Tony Smith, student council representative.

Sophomore Class Officers: Homeroom 310 – Doug Hunsaker, president; Joe Winterer, vice president; Louise Keiser, secretary; Roberta Coletti, treasurer; Kathleen Durning, student council representative; Homeroom 301 – Pat Brennan, president; Fred Pinkerton, vice president; Patricia Friedley, secretary; Mike Leatham, treasurer; Bonny Soult, student council representative.

Freshman Class Officers: Homeroom 207 – Michael Callahan, president; Wayne Anderson, vice president; Catherine Chanson, secretary; James Caputo, treasurer; Jack DeGovia, student council representative; Homeroom 210 – Mike Bullett, president; Jack Gallivan, vice president; John Olds, secretary; Patricia Allam, treasurer; Mary Kaye Carlquist, student council representative. 

During the Summer

On July 22, Frank Klekas, a 1942 graduate of Cyprus high, was hired to coach the basketball team and help Frank Callen with the football team following the departure of George Melinkovich, who had coached both sports. Klekas would remain at the school for 12 years, coaching football, basketball, baseball, track, tennis and wrestling. He taught physical education at the high school and to upper grades in the elementary school. After graduating from Cyprus, Klekas had served in the U.S. Maritime Service before returning to Salt Lake City and graduating from Westminster in 1952. Klekas then was an assistant football coach at Cyprus High for two years before teaching and coaching at Swayne High School in Owyhee, Nev. for a year.  Over his Judge career, he had a record in football of 63 wins against 14 losses, and won two state championships along with six region titles. In basketball, he took Judge to the state tournament for the first time in 1958, made five straight trips after that and collected three region titles. His baseball teams won three state or region championships.

Senior-to-be Fred Perry was one of the winners in the Service Star Legion essay contest. He received a cash award from Salt Lake City Mayor Earl Glade in a ceremony in Memory Grove.

Classmate Mary Vitzthum was awarded a $500 college scholarship by Quill and Scroll, the international honor society for high school journalists.

Mary Vitzthum represented Judge at Girls State.

Judge had three representatives at Boys State – John Coletti, Fred Perry and Bob Servatius.

Sr. Agnetis departed after six years as principal of Judge elementary school and superior of the Sisters of the Holy Cross convent. Before that, she spent eight years in Park City, six years as superior at St. Ann’s Orphanage and three years as stewardess at St. Mary-of-the-Wasatch Academy.

The Year

National Merit Semifinalist: Mary Vitzthum.

Sr. Leo Anthony took over as principal from Sr. Claire Antoine. They switched positions, Sr. Leo Anthony coming south from St. Joseph’s while Sr. Claire Antoine headed north to the Ogden school.

New faculty: Sr. Giovanni, senior and junior English (replacing Sr. Judith Therese, who went to Texas); Sr. Corinne, religion and freshman English (Sr. Eva Marie went to Las Vegas); Sr. Eugene, Glee Club (Sr. Miriam Rose left for Las Angeles); Frank Klekas, history and physical education; Frances Nohejl, girls PE.

Returning teachers: Fr. James Kenny, superintendent of schools and business administrator; Fr. Lawrence Spellen, religion and social science; Fr. John Sullivan, science; Sr. Jose Maria, commercial department and Pep Club; Sr. Faith, languages and math; Sr. Agnes Eugenie, religion and math; Sr. Stephanie, librarian; Sr. Geraldine, study prefect; Frank Callen, languages and science, boys coach; Vesta Seidel, sewing; Claudia Sampson, health; Helen Eugster, office manager.

“We Need One Another” was the theme for the school year.

At the first faculty meeting on Aug. 29, the “activity period” was divided up into Glee Club, Monday through Wednesday, with choral practice on Thursday and Sodality on Friday. Students also were directed to park their cars in back of Lourdes Church until the parking lot was ready.  The Faculty Bulletin for Sept. 22 urged teachers to require students to be polite. “Training in courtesy is your business. Insist on ‘Good Morning’ and ‘Good Afternoon’ with your title, please. We must eliminate ‘Huh’ and ‘What?’” On Oct. 3, the bulletin exhorted teachers to “please leave the window shades at the half way length on all windows at dismissal time. This uniformity will improve the general appearance of the building.” By Oct. 27, the message had shifted to “The order in the school is the responsibility of every one of the faculty members. Please be alert to the disorders and correct them. To list a few flagrant ones: Shouting, Running, Using the wrong stairs, Slamming locker doors, Blocking traffic, Leaving papers behind. Better order will mean more efficiency, less nervous strain and less fatigue for all of us.”

In the Girls Sodality, senior officers were Mary Vitzthum, prefect; Barbara Howes, vice prefect; Marie Bennett, secretary; and Therese Conner, treasurer. Among the juniors, officers were Marie Roser, prefect; Robert Coletti, vice prefect and treasurer; Rita Carroll, secretary. Members included Patti Niland, Kathleen Rosier, Joan Windle, Dorothy Roser, Grace Mary Gallivan, Lorena Jacobson, Elizabeth Crowder, Anna Marie Keiser, Donna Cordova, Joanne Dent, Helen Welsh, Bernice Hurtado and Judith Rogers. Sodality members performed the play “And Some Fell on Good Ground” to promote vocations.

Heading the 52-member Glee Club, under the direction of Sr. Marie, were president Joseph Brusatto, vice president Donna Cordova, secretary Rose Marie Eugster, secretary and librarian Patricia Niland. It performed at a late-October High Mass. Singers included Anna Marie Keiser, Mary Vitzthum, Clifford Dyer, John Zucca, Louise Keiser, Kristeen Malouf, Paul Keck, Jack Moore, Margaret Moran, Judith O’Hair, Sarah Harris, Barbara Howes, Josephine Keiser, Marjorie Vitzthum, Lea Rae Nichols, Judith Rogers, Arthur Kimball, Elizabeth Loretto, Mary Ann Royer, Maxine Hopf, Fredrick Gamble, William Mackin, Bertram Theil, Constance Cunningham, Sharon Garrett, Rosalie Dooley, Rosalie Stephens, Marie Bennett, Catherine Chanson, Dorothy Roser, Benjamin Hanley, Glen Roser, William Keene, Patrick Cunningham, Sarah Pratt, Patricia Milano, Dorothy Kreidler, Bonnie Royer, Audrey Jellesma, Neva McElhatten, Patrick Brennan, Mary Ellen Brennan and Margaret Niland.

The Cheerleaders were seniors Yvonne Bell, Maxine Hopf, Donna Murray and Jeanne Zaelit and juniors Yvonne Rasmussen, Betty Crowder and Mary Roser.

Mary Vitzthum and Robert Servatius were co-editors of the Judgeonian, aided by associate editors Sharon Garrett and Jack Moore, page editors Dorothy Roser and Rose Marie Eugster, sports editor William Snarr, business manager Conrad Nokes, art editor Valerie Stockham and subscriptions editor Anna Marie Keiser. Staff members included Joseph Brusatto, Barbara Howes, Patricia Niland, Beatrice Hurtado, Gay Gallivan, Toni Rappold, Mary Ellen Beesley, Ann Held, John Zucca, Robert Branch, Margaret Moran, Jack Moore, Kristeen Malouf, Jeanne Zaelit, Paul Keck and Judith Maher. Sr. Giovanni was the adviser.  The newspaper’s Oct. 28 edition contained an editorial by Joseph Bai, an exchange student from Belgium, decrying “the bonds of segregation which are still hindering our efforts toward true brotherhood. …. It is important, then, as is advised in St. Peter’s Epistle, that we ‘live as freemen, yet not using our freedom as a cloak for malice, but as servants of God.’” The other exchange student was Alex Thoneick from the Ruhr district of northern Germany.

Dorothy Roser was crowned queen and Gil Cordova was “Mr. Football” during Homecoming festivities. Roser’s attendants were Yvonne Bell and Betty Crowder. Cordova’s attendants were William Snarr and Robert Sullivan. The halftime show included a performance by Patti Snarr’s Pepsters, 25 marching majorettes taught by the Judge graduate. The skit’s theme was about Davey Crockett and the Indians.

Sr. Jose Maria offered a new course in “office practice.” Students learned how to use two full-keyboard adding machines, listing machines, a key-driven calculator and a dictaphone machine, with training provided by representatives of Remington Rand, IBM and Comptometer. The commercial department headed by Sr. Jose Maria did well in a regional competition in the spring involving Judge, Bingham, Dugway, Park City and South Summit high schools. Marie Bennett won the bookkeeping competition, with Pat Cunningham and Laurie Winterer finishing in the top 10. Adrienne Aberton was the first-year typing champion, with Betty Crowder second. Donna Cordova was the runner-up among second-year typists. Helen Frances Walsh compiled a 98% accuracy mark to win the shorthand contest. Joan Anderson was second and Joyce Windle was fourth.

The school issued a directive to girls: You must travel to all football and basketball games on Pep Club buses, not in private cars. “Let us all observe the rule,” the four-paragraph letter said, “be ladies in our conduct, be safe from harm. Happy Ball Games to You and Lots of Wholesome Fun!”

Pep Club members included Mary Roser, Maxine Hopf, Elizabeth Crowder, Jeanne Zaelit, Yvonne Rasmussen, Donna Murray, Sarah Pratt, Patricia Ann Amott, Sandra Soltis, Kathleen King, Judith Maher, Mary Ellen Brennan, Patricia Gardner, Suecarol Connole, Patricia Vargas, Nancy Sullivan, Anna Marie Keiser, Neva McElhatten, Louise Keiser, Margo Palmer, Toni Rappold, Marcia Romero, Joan Windle, Constance Cunningham, Jeanne Dent, Kathleen Rosier, Lorena Jacobsen, Therese Conner, Patricia Niland, Dorothy Roser, Donna Cordova, Beatrice Hurtado, Joyce Windle, Kristeen Malouf, Catherine Bai, Josephine Keiser, Judith O’Hair, Mary Ellen Beesly, Helen Welsh, Mary Dugan, Rozalie Dooley, Adrienne Aberton, Mary Jo Cain, Florence Bannon, Judith Rogers, Grace Mary Gallivan, Mary Vitzthum, Judith Walker, Karen DeAngelis, Patricia Phelan, Maria Zupo, Margaret O’Carroll, Ann Gannuscia, Marleen Moeller, Ann Price, Patricia Friedley, Cynthia Bannon, Mary Goddard, Mary Arentz, Kathleen Durning, Bonnie Soult, Judith Imhoff, Rita Carroll, Roberta Coletti, Ann Purcell, Rosalie Neria, Patricia McElhatten, Patricia Allam, Rose Marie Singleton, Lorraine Waser, Carollee Powell, Sarah Harris, Mary Ann Stracke, Elizabeth Ann Miner, Barbara Costello, Katherine Story and Marion Raleigh.

“Moments to Remember” was the theme of the Senior Ball in the new gymnasium. Neil Wright’s orchestra performed at the dance, organized by Barbara Howes, Kathleen Rosier, John Mur, Beatrice Hurtado, Patricia Gardner and Marie Bennett.

Two officials of Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Co. brought a giant telephone and switchboard to Judge, which was receiving a new dial system – prefixes were being added to people’s phone numbers. One company representative detailed the history of communication from Morse Code to the present, noting “the telephone was constantly being improved to meet the demands of a growing country.” His colleague reminded students of the “necessity of bringing the dial completely around to the finger stop and releasing it to return freely.”

Senior Sue Connole and junior Kathleen King were models in the Joyce Jantzen Jamboree at ZCMI.

Judge students who attended the National Council of Catholic Youth meeting in St. Louis were Bob Sullivan, Jack Moore, Joe Miller, Patricia Gardner, Margaret Moran, Marjorie Vitzthum and Joan Windle.

A Grail Honor Society was established by Sr. Leo Anthony to give added honor to students whose grades were among the top 5% of the student body. Society members were rewarded with day trips each semester to interesting places or institutions. The first trip, which included seniors Marie Bennett, John Coletti, Bob Servatius and Mary Vitzthum, was to the University of Utah’s Museum of Anthropology.

The Sophomore Strut had the theme “Heart of My Heart” for the mid-February dance organized by Patricia Brennan and Douglas Hunsaker, aided by Roberta Coletti, Michael Leatham, Patricia Friedley, Louise Keiser, Frederick Pinkerton, Joseph Winterer, Kathleen Durning, Bonnie Soult and David Engar.

Gay Gallivan took third place and Ned McDonough fourth in an essay contest sponsored by the Governor’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped. McDonough also won a Veterans of Foreign Wars essay contest on “America, Beacon of Hope.”

The Spring Recital featured piano performances by Patricia Milano, Sally Pratt, Dorothy Kriedler, Marjorie Vitzthum, Rosalie Stephens, Catherine Chanson, Marie Bennett and songs by the Glee Club, decked out in new gowns provided by the Home and School Association.

Juniors and seniors traveled to the University of Utah’s Kingsbury Hall to watch a performance of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

Assembling the Basilean yearbook were co-editors Dorothy Roser and John Coletti, along with Mary Vitzthum, Mary Ellen Brennan, Fred Gamble, Robert Servatius, Laurie Winterer, Marjorie Vitzthum, Barbara Howes, Pat Pickford, Marie Bennett, Helen Welsh, Conrad Nokes, Bob Branch, Don Sawaya, Tom Neuhausen, Tony Smith, Larry Banchero, Brian Gallagher, Jack DeGovia, Anna Marie Bessey and Frank Hines.

Cathy Bai and Fred Gamble were queen and king of the Junior Prom, held in the gym. The theme: “April in Paris.”

At a high school journalism clinic at the University of Utah, articles by Rose Marie Eugster and Sharon Garrett received “superior” ratings and were read aloud. Bill Snarr became eligible for a $50 scholarship with a high-quality sports report. Juniors Mary Ellen Beesley, Judi Maher and Don Sawaya participated.

John Coletti won one of 10 college scholarships given out by the Rotary Club of Salt Lake City.

On April 27, 1956, Bishop Hunt exhorted parents of high school-age girls to enroll them in St. Mary-of-the-Wasatch Academy because 100 freshmen were expected the next fall at Judge, threatening to overwhelm the school building’s capacity. “The possibility of Judge’s becoming an all-boy school in the next few years is not far fetched,” he said in a letter read from the pulpit of every parish in the Diocese during Sunday Mass. With 50 graduates entering from Judge elementary and another 50 from Cathedral, the Judge building “will be completely overwhelmed.” Fr. James Kenney said some applications to attend the high school in the 1955-56 school year were rejected, and that for this coming year, three metropolitan-area pastors would review new applications to see who was let in. By Aug. 17, the Diocese said it was turning away even Catholic kids because schools were too full. Besides Judge looking at 100 freshmen, the eighth-grade class at Cathedral was at capacity, as was its kindergarten. Open only through fourth grade up to then, St. Ann’s was adding fifth grade and kindergarten. A sixth grade was added at Bishop Glass, which had four Sisters of the Holy Cross and a lay teacher on the faculty.

Father Kenney informed the student body in a school bulletin that a female student, “because of civil marriage, would not be permitted to continue her studies at Judge Memorial.”

The Glee Club’s spring concert featured eight songs by the whole 46-member group, a “Negro Spiritual” by boy Glee Club members and three piano duos – featuring Dorothy Kreidler and Patricia Milano, Catherine Chanson and Rosalie Stephens, and Marjorie Vitzthum and Kriedler.

Tenor Christopher Lynch performed for a second straight year in the Judge auditorium, this time accompanied by Peruvian pianist Sonia Vargas and soprano Joan Thomas.

Senior Don Sawaya was elected president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Youth, a group representing the 16 CYO clubs in the Salt Lake Diocese.

“Moonlight and Roses” was the theme of the annual Fashion Show, which highlighted the creations of seniors Yvonne Bell and Joan Windle and juniors Cathy Bai, Cathy Caputo, Audrey Jellesma, Lea Rae Nichols, Avelina Salazar, Sandra Soltis and Joyce Windle. Vesta Seidel was the sewing teacher.

Junior Sandra Soltis was selected to be a “sweater girl” in ZCMI’s annual Joyce-Jantzen jamboree, beating out 21 other girls from 11 area high schools. Her prize was a week in Hawaii with her mother.

Sports

Frank Callen had an auspicious debut as football coach. In his first game, the Bulldogs eked out a 13-12 victory over Park City on a two-point conversion pass from Gil Cordova to Bob Sullivan late in the game. But with only five seniors – Bill Snarr, “a swivel-hipped speedster,” quarterback Gil Cordova, tackle Peter O’Connor, lineman Pat Cunningham and receiver Bob Sullivan – Judge managed just a 4-4 record. In its coverage of Judge’s 24-0 win over Grantsville, the Intermountain Register ran a picture of Bulldog defensive back Tom Vogrinec getting flagged for pass interference. Rounding out the squad were George Fedor, Dick Boyer, Tom Neuhausen, Paul Gini, Jerry Francone, Sam DeLuca, Fred Gamble, Art Hurtado, Fred Pinkerton and Mike Bullett, Ken Sullivan, Pete Pence, Mike Verdu, Tony Smith, Ned McDonough, Jack Moore, Joe Mansuy, Leve Salazar, John Olds, Joe Cannell, Jack Gallivan, Tony Strelich, Jack DeGovia, Ray Marino, Jim Caputo and Wayne Anderson.

With Frank Klekas running the basketball team and Frank Callen serving as his assistant, Judge went 9-6. The Bulldogs were led by co-captains Leo Walz and Gil Cordova. Also seeing considerable playing time were senior Fred Gamble and underclassmen Joe Mansuy, Jack Roberts, Tom Neuhausen, Fred Pinkerton, Ed Middendorf, Bob Sullivan, Ken Sullivan, Tom Vogrinec, John Pazell and freshman Mike Bullett.

Making up the baseball team were Jack Roberts, Pete O’Connor, Gilbert Cordova, Bill Snarr, Tom Vogrinec, Fred Gamble, Joe Mansuy, Mike Nester, Brent Bonny, Brian Gallagher, Ken Sullivan, Fred Pinkerton, Ed Middendorf, Jerry Francone, Dick Boyer, Joe Cannell, Wayne Scott, John Olds, Jerry Wood, Wayne Anderson, Glen Roser, Jim Caputo, Leve Salazar, Winston Snyder and Jack DeGovia.

The track team started by Klekas had immediate success. Led by Tom Vogrinec, who won the 100-yard dash, Judge took second place at region. The team’s 15 members included Mike Bullett, Robert Charles and Bill Overin, who had strong showings at the BYU Invitational, Bill Snarr, Gil Cordova, Art Hurtado, Jim Middendorf, George Fedor, Joe Cannell, Jack DeGovia, Tom Neuhausen, Ken Sullivan and Tony Strelich.

The Ski Club consisted of Mary Ellen Brennan, Maxine Hopf, Kristeen Malouf, Gay Gallivan, Jeanne Zaelit, Toni Rappold, Mary Arentz, Judy Imhoff, Neva Mae McElhatten, Marleen Moeller, Jim Caputo, Wayne Anderson, Wayne Scott, Sally Pratt, Betty Crowder, Ted Mika, Jim Middendorf, Glen Roser, Judy Maher and Judy Rogers.

Graduation

43 graduates (23 girls and 20 boys) on June 1 at the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

Cosgriff Award: Mary Vitzthum

McHugh Award for Religion: John Coletti

McGean Award: Patrick Cunningham. It was presented by Salt Lake Bees General Manager Herman Franks, a future manager of the San Francisco Giants, who also would be a Judge dad and granddad.

Moran Award: Bill Snarr

Outstanding Basketball Player: Gil Cordova

Best Baseball Player: Bob Sullivan

Cosgriff scholarship to St. Mary’s-of-the-Wasatch: Mary Vitzthum

Sr. Francis James Memorial Award: Marie Bennett

Grail Honor Scholarship Trophy for the highest scholastic average over four years: Mary Vitzthum and John Coletti

Academic Awards – Speech: Barbara Howes, Journalism: Mary Vitzthum, Bob Servatius and Bill Snarr; Latin: Linda Tavey; Spanish: Patti Niland; Bookkeeping: Marie Bennett; Shorthand: Helen Welsh; Typing: Adrienne Aberton; Mathematics: Leo Walz; Social Studies: John Coletti; Science: John Coletti; University of Utah Honor Scholarship: Laurie Winterer.

The graduates included Robert Servatius, who entered St. Joseph Seminary in Mountain View, Calif. the following September and was ordained a priest in 1964 by Bishop Joseph Lennox Federal at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. He became a monsignor. Teresa Ree, a native of South Korea, eventually received a doctorate in chemistry from the UofU after getting a degree in mathematics.

Alumni

John Gini received the garb of a Franciscan priest, after joining the order following his sophomore year at Judge; Margaret Eklund, a Judge grad, began novitiate training in the Sisters of the Holy Cross; former football coach Jim Powers (1943), was hired by Regis High School in Denver; alumnus Don Nelson, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marines, was shown in an Intermountain Register photograph receiving a trophy from a Third Marine Division officer for leading a championship drill team; Class of 1955 classmates Thomas Black and Celeste Gourley were married; Mary Gini was headed toward medical school at the University of Utah and was elected to the national pre-medical honor society, Alpha Epsilon Delta; Harry Shaw was elected secretary of his class at Dartmouth College.


Written by Mike Gorrell

Year by Year at Judge - Our Living History, was researched and written by Mike Gorrell, 1972 Judge Memorial alum and award-winning journalist who spent more than 44 years in the newspaper business, including the last 35 at The Salt Lake Tribune. A former teacher, John "Sonny" Tangaro, recruited Gorrell to help the Alumni Committee plan the school's Centennial Celebration. This project is his contribution, recapping what Judge Memorial's 12,000-plus graduates accomplished in their time as Bulldogs. 

Learn about the extensive process Gorrell used to produce the class summaries. If you look through a summary and know of details that are missing or have questions, please reach out to Gorrell. 

Learn about the process and contact Mike Gorrell »

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1954 - 55

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1956 - 57