Evening star., 1923-06-17
Bound Together By Mag.
asine Issued EUery
Month.
Leaders in Many Fields
Among Old
Graduates.


unheralded.
1t is for that reason perhaps that
even the thousands who have gradu-
lated from the Central High School
in this city are unaware that their
school boasts the largest active
alumni association of any pubic
preparatory school in the country.
LOYALTY to alma mater of college
graduates is to be expected when the
close personal relationships or colleSe
life are considered but 1t Is eNcep-
tonal to witness loyalty as ierViu
among preparatory school Students
especially those OF public school.
There are many reasons perhaps
why the large Central High school
Alumni Association. including mali-
ing list to more than 5000 graduates
and a subscription membership TO the
notifications and other benefits OF ap-
proNimately l,S00 has been built up,
hut it is the opinion of the alumni
secretary that the answer lies III lne
peculiar nature of Washington resi-
deuCC.
Chance to Retain Ties.
For political and other reasons, II
is pointed out. life in Washington is
usually transitory, and SO limited are
the business opportunities that
larger percentage of its young people
seek their fortunes elsewhere thah
from any other city. Yet no city,
certainly none on this continent, pos
sesses the lasting charm 10 one VINO
has lived in it that Washington holds
and those who have gone to school
here are glad of the opportunity
which the Central Alumni Assocla-
tion presents to hold some ties to the
Capital city.
1t is also said that merely living for
while in Washington is a liberal
education. and possibly the truth OF
this is borne out in the number of
achieve distinction in their various
lines of endeavor. The number of
Central graduates in Who's Who in
America" was tabulated by the as
showing. but the list could not be
found when this article was being
written so that only a few names
We're supplied from memory.
The ranking Army alumnus is Maj.
Gen. G.. G. Williams, Sc, chief of ord
nance. while Rear Admiral william
+. Reynolds commandant of the
coast guard, must take naval prece-
dence in the absence of any officer of
that rank in the Regular Navy. The
list of authors is so numerous as to
preclude publication, while Frank B.
Noyes. president of the Associated
Press. leads the editors.
Leaders in All Fields.
Centrars educators are led by How
ard l.. Hodgkins. retiring president of
George Washington University, while
Assistant Superintendent Of Schools
Kramer heads a long list of public
school officials. In the business world
Central graduates have been as mark
edly successful as they have failed
in politics, which, in the latter in
stance. to a native-born Washington
nian seems the basis of congratula-
tions. There is hardly bank in the
city but has Central graduate as
one of it's high officers. while they
are to be found also taking a leading
part in law, real estate. newspaper
work and other lines of endeavor.
Because members of the diplomatic
Corps frequently send their children
to Central there are usually many
foreigners in the school classes. The
present Chinese minister, Sao-Ke Alfred
SEE. was a member of the class of 81,
and his cousin. T. Philip SEE, '0S, is Chi
nese vice consul at New York.
With so many of the prominent
graduates taking an active interest
in the affairs of the Alumni Associa-
tion the organization has found its
power in local civic affairs to be Not
insignificant. When the campaign
for the new building was started it
was largely engineered by the Alum
nj Association under the leadership
Of Fred L. FiShback. 'SS. and so sue
are now being made to enlist its sup
port in the campaign for additional
high school construction to relieve the
congestion which affects the city as
whole. That additional buildings
are needed is illustrated by the case
OF Central alone. which is now
crowded by 3.200 pupils in place of
its comfortable capacity of 1900.
For Teachers' Increase.
The Alumni Association has also
co operated in the teachers salary
campaign with it's widespreading
mailing list and has always stood
for cooperation among the various
Instrumental in the holding of a |
number of joint conferences of Off |
GERS of the several local alumni as !
sociatons to foster harmony in stu
dent and alumni relations.
The efficient management of so
large an organization as the Central |
Alumni association, which outnum- !
bers the average college association. !
involves a very large amount of work |
In handling records, answering cor |
respondence. editing the sixteen to
twenty page publication, etc. and the
emarkable feature is that outside |
of some clerical assistance, furnished |
by one or two student clerks, the |
whole work of management is con-
Quoted by alumni active in other af-
fairs. !
The president. who. by the way. is |
the first Madame President" of the |
association. Mrs. Selden NJ. Ely, in
addition to teaching in the public |
schools. has been taking collegiate
degree at the George Washington
University and is prominent in wom-
vice presidents include Mrs. William
+. Chamberlin. president of the
Woman's City Club. and ex-president
of College Women's Club; Walter r.
Stokes. holder of the worlds individ-
ual rifle championship for the past
two years, the first American ever to
win that honor and now a medical
student at George Washington Uni
versity: Miss Ruth H. Bennett, the
recipient of a NJ A. degree at the
Washington University; Miss Bessie
Whitford. teacher of English at Cen
trail High School and also graduated
this year from George Washington
University with NJ. A. degree. and
Alan w. Payne, in charge of the mail
and special feature service for the
Washington bureau of the Associated
Press. Mr.. Robert A. Maurer, prin-
cipal of the school. and Miss Helen
Coolidge, vice principal, are honorary
Vice presidents of the association.
Shaw IL Secretary.
Randolph G.. Shaw, assistant ex-
eoutive officer Of the Veterans Bureau
legal division. major judge advocate of
Officers Reserve Corps and a former
Washington correspondent for out-of-
town papers, is secretary. Halstead
p. Hoover, director Of music at Cen
trail, is treasurer.
Although he holds no present office,
George w. Hodgkins ex-president of |
the association, son of the retiring
president of George Washington Uni
yersity. and himself a member Of the
University, Is active in the work of
the organization. 1t is through the
persistent and painstaking work of |