Volume 10 , Issue 12

John Marshall Grad of '50

"I graduated in 1950 (last class to graduate as a BHS student, and first class to graduate from the (then) new John Marshall. As a senior, I helped move much of the equipment and books, etc. to the 'new' school where we graduated in the gym later that year. My mom (R. Marian Lewis / Kendrick) graduated from BHS in 1930 and her uncle (J.L.Lewis) graduated from BHS in 1917.

In the mid-1940s my family purchased the house that the Lewis family (W. Orville, J. L., Herbert, and their dad Wm. Michael) had built at 1129 W. Britton Avenue and we lived there while my brothers Ray, Allan, and I were growing up. We added a business building to the front of the house and operated Kendrick Grocery there until the early '50s when the supermarkets began putting the small "family owned" stores out of business.

That location is now part of the Baptist Church parking lot. Our neighbors next door were the Howard Johnston family. The Johnston daughters, June and Mary Jo had graduated from BHS, and the younger boys, Steve and Stan graduated from JMHS.

Howard Johnston had merged his Britton Telephone Exchange (he'd created it in early days) with South-Western Bell, and had gone to work for them as a line-chief. His older telephones were scattered around our neighborhood and used by the youngsters as our personal communications network with the switchboard installed in Steve and Stan's bedroom.When Bell Telephone invented the transistor and used it to miniaturize a hearing aid, Howard Johnston was one of the first to receive one for testing (he was hard of hearing). At that time, the receiver was about the size of a transistor radio with a wire leading to the small speaker that was worn like a headphone over the ear.

Mom's sister (Margaret Lewis / Basey) also graduated from BHS and was later a librarian-teacher in the Britton area. One of my classmates (George Chapman) was high-school principal in later years." - Roy Kendrick - Email: roykendrick@oklahomahistory.net
  |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

---