STAFF

Teachers and staff

'MERET QUI LABORAT'
Beck school pin awarded in the 1950's
(much enlarged)

Mrs. Chafe worked in the office and Roger McCauley
taught English and coached

Mr Cropp

1946 Dr. Goldstick and student Betty Logsdon

Dr. Goldstick, was the French and German teacher at Beck during the same period
as Albert Bartley

Sept 1954 Albert Bartley Room 301

April 1955 Albert Bartley, W.M. Herron, Edna Durrant, Roger Lillie, H. Digges, W.F. Langford

"Look at the expression on Mr. Langford's face. Isn't he a sweetie? Every time I've looked at that today, I wanted to give him a hug. Miss Durrant looks quite happy surrounded by men and never objected to having her picture taken."

Mr. Bartley, Mr. Digges, Mr. Herron and Mr. Lillie are smiling for the camera on a Spring day long ago.

April 1955 John Askew and Carl Chapman

"My most outstanding memory was a trip the Glee Club took to Windsor. We sang at two high schools, one of which was Sandwich Collegiate. I'm not certain whether it was Sandwich or the other one at which the students and even the teachers continued talking part way through our first song. Mr. Chapman signaled for us to stop singing, turned around and told the assembly that either they stopped talking or we left. They stopped.

My other impression of that school was its similarity to the delinquent-filled one in the 1955 Glenn Ford movie, "Blackboard Jungle". I half-expected Sidney Portier to appear and/or Bill Haley and the Comets to burst into "Rock Around the Clock". A discombobulating experience at best but we all survived."

April 1955 Mrs. Chaffe

(Taken in the south end teachers' parking lot)

"How could the school have run half as smoothly without Evelyn Chaffe in the office?"

April 1955 Terry Ferris and Marsh Morris

Taken at the front west doors.

"As I recall, Mr. Ferris grew the beard to commemorate London's Centennial. My mother said Terry Ferris was a star athlete in his younger days and London's "Golden Boy". I wish I asked her more, but in my eyes in those days, teachers didn't have a life prior to Beck.

I had Marsh Morris for grade nine Guidance. His primary focus was Math and Phys Ed. Marsh was easy to talk to and seemed comfortable in front of a class. I wish I'd had him for Math."

April 1955 Art Pritchard

Taken behind the cafeteria with the football field as a backdrop.

April 1955 Harvey Stewart

(Taken on the east side of the west front doors.)

"Harvey Stewart was an excellent Geography teacher and had a deservedly formidable reputation. I can't imagine anyone deliberately "crossing" him."

May 1955 George Ramage

June 1955 Pop Adamson

Taken at east side doors, near the SE corner of the cafeteria.

"Pop Adamson was head of the Math department and retired two years after I started Beck. I never had him and wished I had. He had an excellent reputation."

Feb 1956 Edna Durrant, Fred Langford, Ottes Langford

May 1956 Fred Hickman

Taken at east side doors, near the SE corner of the cafeteria. "Quite amenable to having his picture taken right after lunch."

May 1956 Gladys Colwill

"A good, clear headed teacher. Quiet, soft spoken."

1957 Watching "the stars" make a grand entrance to the cafeteria after the school show.

W.T. Armstrong, Carl Chapman, Wilda Graber, Nancy Margaret Lewis,

Roger Lillie, Albert Bartley, George Ramage

May 1957 Wil Rice (at east side doors near SE corner of the cafeteria)

May 1957 Mr. Walker in the math room

1957 Mr. Ramage and Mr. Armstrong (detail from team photo)

1957 Roger Macaulay (detail from team photo)

1957 Cafeteria staff
Mrs. E. Worrall, Dietician, Beth Alexander and Marie Sterling

June 1957 Paul Alfred Cropp

Taken at the south end teachers' parking lot

"In 1955-56 and 1956-57, Mr. Cropp taught 11C and 12C English last period every day in Room 310. Among his many after-school activities, Paul was head of the ticket sales for the plays. How did he find the time when he had two young children and his wife was so ill, she required blood transfusions in 1958?"

June 1957 Dorothy Bere

1958 Roger Lillie (detail from cadets)

1958 Paul Cropp (detail from cadets)

1958 C.A. Pritchard (detail from cadets)

1959 Cap Rainsbury and Wilda Graber

1959 or 1960 The Staff of Sir Adam Beck

Don Dool, Bill Dunlop , Don Simpson, Bruce Tuck, Paul Cropp, Wil Rice, Harvey Stewart, Carl Chapman, Fred Hickman

Gladys Colwill, Edna Durrant, Hal Digges, Nancy Margaret Lewis, Nancy-Jane Holmes (Coups)

Dorothy Bere, Kathleen Dolan, Eileen Hutchinson, Margaret Bogue, Evelyn Chaffe, Barbara Graham, Wilda Graber, Bernice (Bent) Wallace, Bonnie Bell

Vern Franks, Geoff Milburn, W.F. Langford, Walter Heron, W.T. (Tom) Armstrong, Albert Bartley (Note the socks!), Dennis Groat, James C. Walker

1959? Cap Rainsbury Custodian Honored by Beck Students

Presentation of gifts by the student body Thursday afternoon marked the retirement this year of Ernest Rainsbury, 65, 1193 York Street, custodian of Sir Adam Beck Collegiate Institute since its beginning in 1926 and prior to that of the old London East Collegiate for six years.

1960 Carl Chapman (detail from glee club)

1962 Mr. W.T. Armstrong

1962 Fred Hickman teaching the interference of light waves

1962 Kathleen Dolan

1962 - 1963 The Staff of Sir Adam Beck

Fred Fletcher, Stephen Reid, Bill Gormley, Don Dool, Bill Dunlop, Bruce Tuck, Jack (Jake) Barclay, Dick Blosdale, Ray Hunt, Don Skelton, Jim Walker

Shirley Waite (m. Gladwell), Wilda Graber, Vivien Rittenberg, Thelma Hunter (m. Pittendreigh), Gail McLarty, Fred Hickman, Bob Gladwell, Larry Russel, Bob Hutchison, Bonnie Bell, Joe Pirak

Giselle Lavergne , Nancy Margaret Lewis, Doris Love, Dorothy Bere, Nancy-Jane Holmes (Coups), Janice Earl (m.Blosdale), Edna Durrant, Gladys Colwill, Barbara Graham, Bernice (Bent) Wallace, Ruth (Holyer) Huffman

Bruce Braund, Hal Digges, Kathleen Dolan, Margaret Bogue, Evelyn Chaffe, J. Glover (School Nurse), Alys Shaw, Eileen Hutchison, Don Simpson, Wil Rice

Geoff Milburn, Vern Franks, James Walker, Carl Chapman, W.T. (Tom) Armstrong, Harvey Stewart, Dennis Groat, Albert Bartley, Paul Cropp

1963? Mr. Armstrong Retires

The resignation of W.T. Armstrong, a teacher in London since 1928 and principal of Sir Adam Beck Secondary School since 1951, was accepted "with deep regrets" by the board of education yesterday. He was made principal emeritus of the school.

"It is with deep regret that we receive this communication." said Rt. Rev. W.T. Townshend, past chair. "Mr. Armstrong has given most faithful and devoted leadership, in fact outstanding leadership. He has inspired his staff and students and we have suffered a great loss with his resignation. However, we wish him much happiness."

Trustee Mrs. H. Dorothy Smith, also paid tribute to Mr. Armstrong, who has reached retirement age. "We are very proud and grateful for what Mr. Armstrong has done for Sir Adam Beck Secondary School", she said.

Mr. Armstrong came to London in 1928 when he joined the South Secondary School staff as a science specialist and was appointed vice-principal in 1947. Before coming to the city education system he taught in secondary schools in Almonte, near Ottawa, and at Beamsville in the Niagara Peninsula. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto.

1963 - 1964 Staff

1964 The Staff of Sir Adam Beck

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1967   Guidance Teachers:  Mr. Pirak,
Mr. Sheeler, Miss Graber and Miss Bell

1972? Mr. Bartley retires (London Free Press)

Paul and Margaret Cropp Wedding

Carl Chapman and singers.
Probably 1960-61 - possibly after a "Beck On Call" production. John Wainwright is playing the guitar.

11 June 1981 Paul Cropp retires (London Tribune)

"He turned out the light and locked the door to a room full of memories."

13 June 1981 Paul Cropp retires (London Free Press)

1982

Carl Chapman leading the Singing Auditorium at the Last Hurrah. The song was "The Whiffenpoof Song". London Free Press

1984 Roger Macaulay's retirement

1988

2001 Bonnie Bell and Wilda Graber

21 September, 2001 Miss Nancy Margaret Lewis

Miss Lewis was married after retiring. She is now Mrs. Linton.