Class of 1970 turns forty

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At the beginning of the 1965-66 school year (the first fall at the Irving campus), the Class of 1970 entered Fourth Form. While the Hungarians initially believed they could steer the boys towards futbol, the draw of American football was too strong.

A football team was formed and a mascot selected. (The school colors were not a subject for discussion.)

Twenty-four out of approximately 40 Third and Fourth Formers joined the squad. In addition to the many fine athletes that would graduate with the Classes of 1970 and 1971, the team included a number of star athletes who would go elsewhere to play their high school football.

This group included four members of the Class of 1971: Mike Wunderlick and Paul Galvin, who would play at Jesuit, Sebastian Larreta, who played at a Chicago high school, and Larry Higgins who went on to a stellar career at Bishop Lynch.

The team went 5-2, quite a successful campaign for the school’s first foray into seventh-eighth grade football.

Nominations for the school mascot included (according to best recollections) the Hawks, Stingrays, Monks, and Monkeys (Fr. Damian’s pet name for the students).

The Hawks, of course, would prevail. Suspicions are that Fr. Damian had long believed a bird represented the school well (see the first student newspaper called The Nest, left).

“Our position as the upper classmen became more meaningful as the years went by,” acknowledged Johnston. “We were in a position to leave our mark on such things as the naming of the mascot, the first student council, creating the first senior lounge, and free dress Fridays.”