WMS 1970 Alumni Newsletter
In March 1970 the first [only?] WMS Alumni Newsletter (click here for PDF) was published following a survey mailing in 1969 to over 700 alums by William Terry, Development Director covering a span of 1941 to 1969. At the time of printing 281 alums (40%) had responded answering such questions as marital status, college, occupation, # Children, etc. Page 7 lists the results of these “Statistics” by class beginning with 1956 (prior years are exempt as class size was too small). Given that WMS was a college prep-school, it is not surprising that an average of 88% grads went to college, with many attaining Master degrees, along with a few Doctorates. As to Occupations, most grads went into “Business,” and of those, many became self-employed. Surprising was that only 11% WMS grads 11% went into teaching and 8% into medicine.
Pages 2-6 are very brief Alum updates “Class Notes” by year. Some examples … 1954: Eleanor Edwards is a music teacher at Crotched Mountain school for the deaf … 1958: Cara Shubin is a teacher of costume design … 1959: Roger Thurston III engaged in legal work for Ford … 1960: William Kadel teacher at WMS … 1961: Andrew Meyer film maker whose “Match Girl” wins 1969 National Student Film Award … 1962: Joseph Perkins product manager at Colgate … 1963: Jack Shapiro is a baker of bagels … 1964: Merritt Lucas stationed in Fort Lewis US Army … 1965: Douglas Rosenstein studying Eastern Religions in India … 1966: Anthony Kandel was an extra in movie “Catch 22” … 1967: Eileen Finkel worked in Nigeria “Operations Crossroads Africa” 1968: David Marsh is manager of Adler Shoe Co … 1969: Barbara Chalfaunt is a nurse’s aide at West Hill Convalescence Center.
It is unclear if there were subsequent surveys or alumni newsletters. 1970 marked a period of growth for WMS as progressive schools became popular until the economic downturn in 1974. Parents/alums then began receiving letters urging financial help to save WMS (note – do not have copies of these and would welcome them). The Bondy/Windsor Experiment went through 3 phases: Euro-Progressive [1920-1938], American Marienau [1940-1955], and American Bondy Progressive [1956-1975]. L’allegro started as a newsletter-like mimeographed publication pre-1955, then was used as a title for annual yearbooks up to 1968.
Finally what was interesting about this 1970 Newsletter was that it was printed professionally (likely Quality Printing in Pittsfield) and not mimeographed at WMS. The type is set with hot-metal (Linotype), 3 columns, justified, then proofed, pasted-up and offset printed. It would be another 5 to 6 years until print shops would be using computerized phototypesetters, the precursor to lasers/digital copiers.
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