* WHY "WOW"? *

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=110 BGCOLOR="#666699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04900840erlcjm.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>63wow</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="63wow"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id25.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" LETS STAY IN TOUCH "><U>* LET'S STAY IN TOUCH *</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" IN REMEMBRANCE "><U>* IN REMEMBRANCE *</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Missing Classmates"><U>Missing Classmates</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id61.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FEATURED PHOTO"><U>FEATURED PHOTO</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Message Board"><U>Message Board</U></A>   |   <B>* WHY "WOW"? *</B>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Who We Are"><U>Who We Are</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id49.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Artesian Fight Song"><U>Artesian Fight Song</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id272.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10Year Reunion Photo"><U>10-Year Reunion Photo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="40Year Reunion Photo"><U>40-Year Reunion Photo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id269.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="45Year Reunion Photo"><U>45-Year Reunion Photo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id273.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="50Year Reunion Photo"><U>50-Year Reunion Photo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id308.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="55Year Reunion Photo"><U>55-Year Reunion Photo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id312.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="56Year MiniReunion Photo"><U>56-Year Mini-Reunion Photo</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id59.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="HONORING OUR VETS"><U>HONORING OUR VETS</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id50.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Graduation Songs"><U>Graduation Songs</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Other MHS Related Websites"><U>Other MHS Related Websites</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Artesian Herald May 19, 1963"><U>Artesian Herald May 19, 1963</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id92.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Group Photos Elementary"><U>Group Photos - Elementary</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id93.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Group Photos Jr Hi"><U>Group Photos - Jr Hi</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id126.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Senior Album"><U>Senior Album</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id332.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2023 Reunion Committee"><U>2023 Reunion Committee</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04311c00egdysm.png"> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="18da3710.jpg" border=0 width="163" height="113" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>    </B><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>View of a section of the west lawn from the high school rooftop (Spring '63)</B></FONT></div> <div> <B> Photo courtesy of Evelyn (Maxwell) Crowe</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Note: The person walking along the sidewalk in the photo is believed to be Mark Kendall.</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=370 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> * WHY "WOW"? *</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>63 WOW  -  THE STORY BEHIND THE LEGEND</B></div> <div> <I>by Evelyn (Maxwell) Crowe</I></div> <div>      How many of you classmates remember arriving at school on Monday, March 25, 1963 and seeing a big old “63” fastened to the school's smokestack?  (Probably not many, because at our age we are lucky to remember what we saw YESTERDAY.)  Anyway, back to our story.  The school administrators were quite upset (liability, you know) and decided that this kind of foolishness had to be nipped in the bud.  An emergency senior meeting was called and our senior class president was asked to make an impassioned speech to quell the shenanigans.  He gave just the kind of speech the administration had hoped for.  It stressed how childish the people who put the sign up were.  He ended his speech with the now-famous and very sarcastic utterance, “Class of 63, Wow!”</div> <bR> <div>      The school administrators were happy of course, but we were appalled that the guy we had elected in September had become “one-of-them.”  However, his popularity rebounded considerably when, a few days later, he announced that he was one of the “childish people” who had put up the sign.  He was immediately and unceremoniously impeached by the administration (As far as is known, he is the only class president in Martinsville's storied history to be impeached.).  Things quieted down for a while, although we were all quite proud to be members of the “Class of 63, Wow”.</div> <bR> <div>      Then one spring morning in May, just when the administrators thought we were going to slip out without causing many more problems, we arrived at school to find that the grass in the front yard had “63 WO” across it.  On further inspection, we realized that the grass had been killed (we later found out stunned by too much fertilizer) in 6-foot high numbers/letters.  Now THAT was really serious, and we knew consequences would be paid.  Of course, we were kind of proud too that our class was leaving our mark (literally) at old MHS.  From then on everything we signed ended with the infamous “63wo or wow”.  And, it was with a great deal of relief that Mr. Gunn and Mr. Kennedy handed us our diplomas on May 23rd.  They were truly glad to send us on our way.  (And weren't we all a little glad to go?)</div> <bR> <div>      Now, all we need is for Chuck Bidwell, Bill Lester and anyone else who helped put the sign on the smokestack to write in and tell how they got it up there.  Also, we need for Ronnie Maxwell, Fred Morgan, or Bob Bolin, who "wrote" the “63 WO” on the grass to tell the story behind the over-fertilized school lawn and the missing W.  They are the only ones who can fill in the blanks in the 63 WOW story.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><I>     If there are any inaccuracies or mistakes in this story, please feel free to write in and have them corrected.  After all it's been 40 years, and as I said earlier, the memory is not what it used to be.  - Evelyn (Comments should be addressed to </I></FONT><A HREF="mailto:mhs63@63wow.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:mhs63@63wow.org"><U><B><U>Website Administrator</U></B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> ******************************************************************************************</div> <div> <B>24 March 2004 - Bill Lester</B></div> <div> 63 wow classmates: I've waited patiently for Chuck to describe our 63 sign on the chimney. He hasn't replied so I will. Chuck and I planned for sometime how and when we would put the 63 on the chimney. The numbers were made of plywood. We did this because if we were found out the clean up would be simple. I borrowed my dad's pickup truck. We went to the lumber yard and rented an extension ladder. Later on that night we drove behind the high school and pulled the truck close to the roof. We then climbed onto the roof, hoisted up the ladder and extended to its full length. While this was happening the police did drive by, but evidently the slueth gods were with us. We thoroughly enjoyed the next day at school. EVERYONE was taking credit for the sign. We just laughed and enjoyed the fun. Somehow we found out Mr. Kennedy was upset....for some reason. We went to the cafeteria and admitted our crime. We both were excluded from the class picnic and Chuck was not able to give the class speech at graduation. As best as I can remember Julie Gunn at the afternoon get together in the auditorium started out with, "63 Wow". I've never forgotten it. Oh yes, when Kennedy asked us to take the sign down I suddenly developed a case of the flu. Joe Miller helped Chuck take the sign down. By the way Chuck, what ever happened to the numbers?</div> <div> <B>16 May 2005 - Jim Adkins</B></div> <div> Clearer cloudy thoughts: The 63 sign on the smoke stack was cool and no big deal to anyone but the administration. As I remember the class play, all involved had worked so hard and it started out ok but as it progressed the audience response became more and more out of control. I remember being a little embarrased for the cast but mob mentality carried me right along with the mob. In retrospect Chuck's speech was very good and appropriate for our behavior. We were childlish, but it was spring and we were young and dumb and soon to be on our own away from the mob. There was no 63 wow till after the speech that I know of.</div> <div> <B>16 May 2005 - Delbert Davis</B></div> <div> Jim, I think you're right about the whole 63wow thing being in response to an auditorium incident. You have jogged at least one memory (mine). If I remember correctly, the occasion was either the senior or junior class play.  In those days the seniors (smallest class) and freshmen (largest class) attended auditorium events together - and the juniors/sophomores did the same - in order to balance out the audience size so we could fit into the auditorium. At the end of the performance the seniors began "rhythm clapping" starting with a small section in the balcony. The freshmen sat in awe and/or disbelief as the systematic clapping spread throughout the entire senior class, drowning out the "normal" clappers. I don't know if the rhythm clapping was Doug Johnston(e)'s idea, but I do remember him quipping "I don't know what the big deal is - that's the way they always do it in Europe."</div> <div> <B>25 September 2004 - Julie (Gunn) Pramanik</B></div> <div> Dear All:  I haven't been on the site for a few months and just noticed Bill Lester's story about the numbers on the smoke stack. The numbers lived in the closet in my bedroom, tucked away behind piles of clothes and boxes for some time. My folks (bless them) never did find out that they were there. I'm not sure what happened to them after I left Martinsville but it could well be that they were still in the house when it was sold after my mother's death. My dad didn't say anything about having found them when preparing the house for sale but then the whole episode was the focus of so much angst with my parents maybe he just couldn't bear to raise the thing to life again!! In any case, you'll all be happy to know - especially you Bill - that I looked after those numbers - at great danger to my personal safety!!! How ironic??      (Julie is the daughter of then school superintendent Cyrus Gunn.  -webmaster).</div> <div> ******************************************************************************************</div> </td> </tr></table></body>