Jay and the Americans Appeared at Warde 59 Years Ago

Which were the top rock 'n' roll music groups when you attended high school? Now, imagine if one of them appeared in concert at Warde when you were a student? 

That's exactly what happened 59 years ago when Jay and the Americans performed at Andrew Warde High School early in 1966.

According to a story which appeared in the Bridgeport Sunday Post March 27, 1966, as the immortal lyrics of 'Coca Cola' blasted out loud and clear in the Warde auditorium, the audience shrieked and school council members breathed sighs of relief and pride.

They had accomplished the incredible feat of bringing Jay and the Americans to school. The famous rock 'n' roll band gave two performances.

Plans for the event were initiated in December of 1965 in answer to a request by senior Bob Kaplan. Martha Whiteman was appointed chair of the project, which became known as Martha's Folly.

Through the work of agent Bud Filippo, the school's first choice group, The Lovin' Spoonful, was booked. However, they received an offer of a West coast tour which made it impossible for them to appear on the scheduled date.

Council president Rich Sloan and Miss Whiteman, who is recording secretary, spent a frantic week in conference with Mr. Filippo. Luckily, they were able to get Jay and the Americans who were also high on the priority list.

The program combined such hits as "Let's Lock the Door," "Cara Mia," and "In a Little Cafe," with comic numbers. In homage to television, they sang a medley of commercials. No video, to my knowledge, exists of their visit, but I'm sure it must have looked and sounded like this.

Also performing was a well-known Warde rock 'n' roll group known as the Valiants. The members of the band, all seniors, were Ron and Allen Kaplan, Jason Eisenberg, and Jonnie Rich. Jay and the Americans were impressed by the group's performance and expressed interest in helping the boys in their recording attempts.

The profits from the concert were donated by the school council to the exchange commission.

Paul

Warde Students Took Advantage of Snow Day to Build Snow Bunny 58 Years Ago Today

One of the snowiest March days on record in Fairfield happened 58 years ago today, Wednesday, March 22, 1967, when 11.1" of snow fell. Two students at Andrew Warde High School took advantage of the unusual March Winter weather by making a snow bunny.

This photograph graced the second page of The Bridgeport Post, Friday, March 24, 1967. Click the photo for a larger view.

According to the caption, "The Easter bunny, usually soft and cuddly, gets a new twist here from two Andrew Warde High School students who took advantage of the abundant snow to make a sculpture which is expected to slide, not hop, down the bunny trail Sunday.

"Gail and Robert Contolini, a senior and junior at the Fairfield school, designed the snowy mass, which is on display on the Warde grounds. The artists and their sister, Nancy, who helped in the project, live at 114 Rosedale Street, Fairfield."

Although I'm not certain, the Nancy Contolini mentioned in the article may have been my homeroom teacher in WS-11 in the 1970s. Here is the front page of The Bridgeport Post from Wednesday, March 22, 1967:

Paul

Warde Boys Dropped Heartbeaker to SCHS in CIAC Class L Tourney 58 Years Ago Today

Andrew Warde High School's boys' basketball team dropped a 59-57 decision to Stamford Catholic in the CIAC Class L basketball tournament at Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk 58 years ago today.

Mark Kluytenaar, with ice water in his veins, converted all six of his free throws in the last three minutes to give the Crusaders the spine-tingling two-point victory over the Crimson Eagles. It was the third straight win for SCHS over its fellow FCIAC rivals.

Warde trailed, 47-40, early in the fourth quarter before Jim Howard canned nine of his team's next 11 points during an 11-4 run to pull the Eagles into a 51-51 tie before Kluytenaar's heroics on Wednesday evening, March 8, 1967.

Faced with a pressure-packed one-and-one situation at the foul line, the calm Kluytenaar, who averaged only 5.8 points per game during the regular season, sank both charity tosses to give the winners a 53-51 advantage.

Dick Redmond added a subsequent basket for the Crusaders to increase the lead to 55-51. Rich Fekete answered with a hoop for Warde to cut the deficit to two points. However, Kluytenaar, the six-foot junior, canned another pair of free throws to make it 57-53 before Fekete answered with another bucket for the Eagles.

Warde's Tom DeLuca picked up his fifth foul with 42 seconds left in the game. Kluytenarr buried two more shots from the foul line to increase the SCHS lead to 59-55. Warde's final basket came on a Howard layup as the final buzzer sounded.

Coach Wes Aldrich's Crimson Eagles finished with a 14-6 overall record, while Stamford Catholic improved to 13-8.

Kluytenaar led all scorers with 25 markers. Larry Jost (14 points) was the only other Crusader to finish in double figures for Coach Lenny Rivers. Fekete (21), Howard (18), and Danny Haines (11) paced the Crimson Eagles' attack.

Paul

Crimson Eagles Boys' Cagers Clinched FCIAC East Crown 60 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School boys basketball team clinched the FCIAC East Division championship 60 years ago today, February 22, 1965. Please click the story below from The Bridgeport Post the following day.

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Paul

AWHS Boys Defeated Bassick in State Basketball Playoff on 61 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team defeated neighboring Bassick High School in the state playoffs on this date in 1964. Please click the image below and enlarge to read the story as it appeared in The Bridgeport Telegram the following day.

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Paul

Computer Dating First Introduced at Warde and Ludlowe 58 Years Ago This Month

Today's high school students are computer savvy. They routinely use computers to connect with one another, meet new classmates, or even arrange dates. Teenagers communicate instantly through texting, social networking Web sites, or by cell phone. Obviously, things were much different for those of us who grew up a more than a half-century ago.

Believe it or not, computer technology was first introduced 58 years ago to match boys and girls who attended a fun-filled dance jointly organized by Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe highs schools. The "computer dating" service was a big hit with the students, according to a newspaper story which appeared Sunday, February 19, 1967.

The teens from both high schools filled out cards stating whether they thought they were beautiful or handsome, whether they most admired an all-American football player or a prize-winning novelist, or whether they preferred quiet or talkative dates.

The cards were processed by a computer in Boston, and teenagers were matched at the dance. According to the article, "The computer dance is the latest craze which is sweeping the country. American teenagers are using the computer to pick their ideal dates for a high school dance."


In addition to providing a high school dating service, Betty Tyler, author of the article in the Bridgeport Sunday Post, wrote, "Computers in the area are doing everything from preparing payrolls to printing report cards. Within a year, a bank teller will insert a card at her window and record the customer's acquired interest instantly. A computer in a hospital will schedule medication for a patient and ring a bell if it is not given at the proper time."

In fact, the author wrote that "within the very near future, every housewife and every office in the Bridgeport area will have access to a computer. The day is close at hand when the housewife will be able to insert a card in her telephone to order an item from a department store and the charge will be taken directly from her bank account."

Fast-forward 58 years. Betty Tyler's words were, indeed, prophetic. Now, we use computers for everything, including dating. In fact, you're reading this on the computer. But it must have been exciting for the Andrew Warde and Roger Ludlowe high school students who first used the computer to get matched with their dates in 1967. I'm sure they haven't forgotten about it, either.

Paul

Lady Eagles' Cagers Copped FCIAC Crown 49 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School's girls' basketball team captured the FCIAC championship 49 years ago today by defeating Westhill High School, 62-49, in Norwalk. Kathy Anderson, tournament MVP, led the Crimson Eagles to their 15th victory in 17 games by scoring 20 points, while Diane Dionis and Debbie Mendell had 12 points apiece to aid the Warde attack.

The Crimson Eagles led the entire way against the Western Division champions, marching to a 32-25 halftime lead. The Lady Vikings lost for only the third time in 17 outings. Warde advanced to the title game by defeating Western Division runner-up Stamford, courtesy of Anderson's 19 markers. Westhill moved into the finals by defeating Eastern Division runner-up Ludlowe.

The champions bolted out to a 12-9 lead after the first quarter before taking the seven point cushion into the intermission break. Warde outscored Westhill, 14-10, in the third quarter to increase its lead to 46-35 heading into the final frame. Warde won the final quarter, 16-14, to post the comfortable 13-point margin of victory.

With a new head coach, Miss Mary Beth McGirr, the girls got off to a slow start early in the season, but they staged a remarkable comeback to end up winning the league title. One of the reasons for the team's mid-season surge was the play of Anderson, a sophomore sensation. Her phenomenal improvement from the beginning of the season paralleled the improved play of the team as a whole.

By the end of the campaign, Anderson was habitually leading the team in points and rebounds every game. She earned All-FCIAC first-team honors, and she was named the MVP of the league tournament. But, Anderson wasn't the only reason the team won the coveted FCIAC championship.

The many other players who contributed much to the team's achievements included seniors Dionis, Mendell, who earned All-FCIAC second-team recognition, Gayle Johnson, and Marti Causey. The juniors included Kris Ness and Betsy Niesyn. The FCIAC championship game was played Friday evening, February 13, 1976, at Norwalk High School.

Paul

Warde Cagers Trounced Ludlowe 62 Years Ago Today to Sweep Season Series

The Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team trounced arch-rival Roger Ludlowe, 87-62, at the winners' gym 62 years ago today, Tuesday, February 5, 1963. It was the second game between the spirited Fairfield rivals that season. Warde also won the first contest, 71-48.

There were several highlights in the game. Warde co-captain Pete Jankovsky equaled Joe Magdon's school scoring record of 34 points; the Crimson Eagles climbed into a tie for second place with New Canaan in the FCIAC Eastern Division; Coach Don Feeley's cagers gained a berth in the CIAC tournament; Warde chalked up its tenth straight home court triumph; and the Eagles defeated the Tigers for the eighth time in a row.

Jankovsky and co-captain Bob Ryan combined for 12 points as Warde spurted into a 17-8 lead after the first period. Joel Blaskey topped the Tigers with six points.

The Crimson Eagles scored 21 points in the second quarter to take a commanding 38-25 halftime cushion. The second-quarter onslaught was led by Ryan (six points), Rusty Helgren (five), Jankovsky (four), Hank Gellert (four), and Wayne Gower (two), each having a hand in the scoring. Blaskey was the top scorer on offense for the Tigers with eight points, but he was limited to only two points in the second half.

Feeley's fast-breaking charges erupted for 45 points in the second half , netting 21 in the third period as Ryan hit for nine and Jankovsky added six. Ludlowe fought back gamely with 16 points, including six each by George Martin and Gary Klahr, but the Tigers trailed, 59-41, prior to the final eight-minute session.

The fourth quarter was all Jankovsky, as the senior tallied 16 points to equal the high mark established by Magdon in 1959 against Stamford Catholic.

Overall, Warde converted 21 of 27 foul shots, compared to 12 of 17 for Ludlowe.

The Crimson Eagles also won the junior varsity tilt, 46-44, as Jim Bodnar paced the winners with 19 points and Ray DeCormier tallied 18 for the Tigers.

Paul

AWHS Opened Sparkling New Gymnasium 68 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team played for the very first time in its new gymnasium 68 years ago today. Although the Crimson Eagles made a very good showing against Stratford's unbeaten and heavily-favored basketball team on Friday evening, January 25, 1957, the North Paraders gained their 12th straight victory by a 55-40 margin and swept the two-game series.

The visiting North Paraders pulled away to a six-point lead in the closing minutes of the first period and remained ahead by a fairly comfortable margin thereafter. However, the Eagles made it an interesting battle compared to Stratford's 71-42 runaway triumph in their previous contest.

Stratford scored only one more field goal than Warde, 17 to 16, but the North Paraders turned in an excellent performance on the foul line as they made 21 out of 28 free throw chances. The Eagles sank only eight free throws in 23 chances.

The North Paraders jumped out to a 15-9 lead after the first quarter as Dick Ross sank four free throws in the closing minutes, and they widened the gap to 30-17 at halftime. Warde made its best showing in the third period and cut its deficit to 43-32. However, the Fairfield team never got any closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Rich Marinaccio was a standout performer both offensively and defensively for Stratford, and he led all scorers with 16 points, including eight free throws. Captain Lou Horner, who started strong by scoring seven points in the first period, was closely guarded thereafter, but finished with a 13-point total. Ross contributed 10 points, while rangy Ted Robinson and Pete Greenwood tallied eight apiece for the North Paraders.

Lou Kochis was Warde's top scorer with 15 points, while six-foot-three Dick Dakai and Chris Costello registered seven points each for the hosts.

The Warde jayvees defeated the Stratford junior varsity team, 53-41, in the preliminary game. Laurie Taylor was high scorer for the winners with 11 points, while Dewey Amos led the guests with 16 points.

Paul

Crimson Eagles' Cagers Survived Cold Shooting Night to Defeat Danbury 62 Years Ago Today

The Andrew Warde High School boys' varsity basketball team survived cold shooting and the 19-point effort of Charles Bogusis to hand Danbury a 68-60 loss in the Hat City, Tuesday, January 8, 1963.

The win was the fifth in eight starts for the Crimson Eagles. Coach Don Feeley's cagers improved to 4-2 in conference play.

The teams were tied at 12-12 after the first quarter, but Bogusis, a six-foot-seven inch, 208-pounder, nicknamed 'Baby Huey,' tossed in 10 points in the second quarter to pace the Hatters to a 30-26 lead at the half. Bob Ryan and Marty Melson combined for 10 Warde points in the second period.

Warde began to roll in the third period, though. Pete Jankovsky found his scoring touch for 10 points, and the visitors assumed a 44-40 cushion heading into the final period.

The scoring tempo increased for both sides in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles had the better of it as Wayne Gower, Jankovsky, and Ryan accounted for 22 points. Bill Coffey, Elmer Harrison, and 'Baby Huey' combined for 18 Danbury points.

The Crimson Eagles ultimately won the game at the foul line by sinking 12-of-21 free throws, compared to four-of-12 for the Hatters. Bogusis had 10 of the Danbury charity tosses, but he converted only three as he was continually fouled by the smaller Eagles.

Warde won the junior varsity game as Rusty Helgren scored 19 points and George Amarant added 10 for the Crimson Eagles.

Paul

Crimson Eagles' Cagers Humbled Ludlowe at Mill Plain Gym 62 Years Ago Today

Coach Don Feeley's Andrew Warde High School boys' basketball team humbled winless arch-rival Roger Ludlowe, 71-48, before a standing-room only crowd at the Mill Plain Gym 62 years ago today, Friday, January 4, 1963.

The Crimson Eagles improved to 4-3 on the season, including three wins in five FCIAC contests, while Ludlowe lost its sixth, five of which were in league play.

Warde led throughout the contest, doubling the Tigers' first quarter production by taking a 20-10 lead at the break as Wayne Gower and Bob Ryan scored six points each. George Martin, Ludlowe's high scorer, tallied seven points for his team.

The Tigers gave their best account in the second stanza, but Warde still managed to increase its lead, assuming a 35-22 cushion at the intermission. Joel Blaskey and Marty Melson each scored six points to lead their respective clubs.

Gower found the range for 17 points in the second half as the Crimson Eagles had things pretty much their own way. Martin and Blaskey again topped Ludlowe in scoring after the intermission.

Ludlowe, which had an edge in rebounding, was able to convert only 14 of 32 foul shots, but Warde sank 21 of 33 free throw attempts.

Ludlowe used a zone defense throughout the game, but Warde came out of its zone in the second quarter and went the rest of the way with a man-to-man defense.

The Crimson Eagles also won the junior varsity contest, 56-47, as Jim Bodnar led all scorers with 18 points. Greg Madden netted 16 points for the Tigers.

Paul