An article in the June 8, 1961, edition of the Herald Argus and Baltimore Countian recognized a record-breaking graduating class at a local high school.
A all-time record high of 658 seniors will be graduated by Catonsville Senior High School in two commencements this coming Sunday, June 11, at 3 P.M. and 8 P.M. in the school auditorium. This will be the 57th annual graduation exercises for the school.
Ernest E. Wooden, president of the county Board of Education, will present the diplomas and Taylor F. Johnston, principal of the school will announce the awards.
"The American Purpose" is the theme of the dual program which was written and will be presented by the students. It traces the development of Americanism through trial and triumph from Colonial times to the present day.
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Fast as the Catonsville ambulance is, it could not beat the stork in a race to Bon Secours hospital at 1.25 A.M. this past Tuesday, June 6. The local ambulance with Eugene Swann and Maurice Ditman on duty stopped the vehicle on Frederick avenue near Catherine street, Baltimore long enough for Mrs. Betty Will of Wilson avenue to give birth to a girl and then continued on with mother and daughter to Bon Secours hospital.
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While Mrs. George W. Whip of Woodlaw avenue was away in North Carolina making arrangements for her husband's funeral, an intruder ransacked her entire dwelling. A five-piece silver service was stolen and police found a claw hammer and a pry bar on a table on the second floor.
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The principal of the Arbutus Elementary School, Miss Edna M. Merson, will be awarded by the University of Maryland on June 10 the degree of doctor of education in elementary education and human development.
Dr. Merson is the first woman in Baltimore county public elementary schools to receive a doctoral degree.
A lifelong resident of Baltimore county and a graduate of county public schools, she resides on Elizabeth avenue, Lansdowne.
75 Years Ago
An article in the June 5, 1936 edition of The Catonsville Herald and Baltimore Countian reported on a tragic accident involving a local couple.
On Thursday morning at 4 o'clock, while returning home from Laurel, Md., Mr. and Mrs. Harry A. Allan met with an accident when their car ran into the bridge on Washington Boulevard at the Pennsylvania R.R.. The car was completely demolished. Mr. and Mrs. Allan were taken to St. Agnes' Hospital by the Violetville ambulance. Upon their arrival, Mrs. Allan was dead.
After receiving treatment at the hospital, Mr. Allan returned to his home. He is the proprietor of a prominent tourist camp on the Washington Boulevard.
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Scoring a total of 207 points, 82 more than its nearest rival, Sparrows Point, Catonsville High School easily won the annual Baltimore County Class A track and field championship at Patterson Park on Memorial Day, May 30.
Third place honors went to Kenwood, which scored 112 points.
The other schools participating, Towson, Sparks, and Franklin, made 74, 49 and 32 points, respectively.
The meet was conducted by the Playground Athletic League.
Catonsville boys won two events in the 80 pound class, three in the 95 pound class, and four in the senior unlimited class. The Catonsville girls won the run and catch relay and were second in the obstacle relay.
Fifty-two schools participated in all, divided in classes from A to E. Randallstown won the class B competition; Arbutus, the class C; Perry Hall, the class D; and Back River, the class E.
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Friends of Miss Laurens Jones, the former Miss Nancy Bowers, of Halethorpe, were surprised to hear that she underwent an emergency appendix operation at a hospital in Winchester, Va., last week. At this writing, Mrs. Jones is doing as well as can be expected.
100 Years Ago
An article in the June 10, 1911 edition of The Argus contained some critical comments on a local holiday tradition.
If a fair part of the money spent by individuals in Catonsville for fireworks on the Fourth of July were turned into a fund for a public celebration along the approved "safe and sane" lines, the town would have an observance which it would be proud of, which would be enjoyed by everyone and which would be attended by no accidents.
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Fifty-five Catonsville boys passed the "tenderfoot" examination Thursday night and took the Scout oath which was administrated by Scout Commissioner Eddy and provision was made for the uniforms. Several troops of Scouts from Baltimore will unite with the Catonsville troop in maneuvers in and near Catonsville Saturday afternoon and evening. The visitors will march from Irvington and be joined by the local Scouts at Paradise. They will continue their march through Catonsville and camp in a neighboring woods. In the evening, a camp-fire council will be held and the new recruits will get their first taste of life as a Scout.
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An interscholastic field day was held at Sparrows Point Saturday afternoon to determine the championship among the high schools of Baltimore county.
Sparrows Point won the banner for the team making the greatest number of points, having 29 to its credit, with Franklin High School a close second with 26 points. Catonsville High School made 21 points and Towson 13.
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During the heavy rain storms of last week, the filters of the Baltimore County Water and Electric Company at Avalon, on the Patapsco river, became clogged with mud, which caused a cloudy condition of the local water supply for several days.
Material from archives courtesy of Catonsville Historical Society.