Ray Tincher
Lapel High School 1973 track team, pictured (from row, from left) Greg Tarvin, Jerry McClintock and Jeff Passwater; (second row) coach Dallas Hunter, Mike Willoughby, Jerry Mills, Row Howell and Donnie Teeters.
By Ray Tincher | For The Times-Post
News-wise, the year 1973 was a remarkably busy year. Vietnam War, Watergate, and many other events dominated the news.
President Richard Nixon is sworn in for a second term and announces suspension of offensive action in North Vietnam.
A few days later, Nixon announces that a peace accord was reached with Vietnam. On Feb. 11, the first American prisoners of war are released from the torture prisons of Vietnam. On March 29, the last American soldier leaves Vietnam.
In March of ‘73, Watergate burglar James W. McCord Jr. admits that he and other defendants have been pressured to remain silent about Watergate. In April ‘73, Nixon announces that White House Council John Dean has been fired and that Attorney General Kleindienst has resigned along with other staffers H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman.
Later in the year, Spiro T. Agnew resigns as Vice President of the United States and in Baltimore federal court, pleads “no contest” to charges of income tax evasion, while he was governor of Maryland. He was fined $10,000 and given three years’ probation. A few weeks later, the U.S. Senate votes 92-3 to confirm Gerald Ford as the next vice president.
The Summer Jam of Watkins Glen — a giant rock festival featuring the Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers and The Band — drews an estimated crowd of more than 600,000 music fans.
The Australian “Sydney Opera House” opened by Queen Elizabeth II, after 14 years of construction.
Elvis Pressley held a concert in Hawaii. It was the first worldwide telecast by an entertainer. More people supposedly watched it than the Apollo moon landing. And in Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court overturned states’ bans on abortion.
In July ’73, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) was founded.
George Forman defeated Joe Frazier to win the world Heavyweight boxing championship. In football, the Miami Dolphins won their second consecutive Superbowl. One of the greatest racehorses of history, Secretariat. won the Kentucky Derby, setting a new track record of 1:59 2/5th. Then wins the Preakness by 2 ½ lengths, and then wins Belmont Stakes, shattering a record by an unbelievable 2 3/5 seconds, becoming the only “Triple Crown winner of thoroughbred racing since 1948.
Baseball great Willie Mays retires, as Major League Baseball implements the first designated hitter. The New York Knicks defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 102-93 in game five of the NBA Finals.
(For my wife), the TV soap opera, The Young and Restless debuted. At the 45th Academy Awards, “The Godfather” wins Best Picture, as well as Best Actor (Marlon Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Mario Puzo).
The last episode of original Laugh-In airs on NBC. The animated film, “Charlotte’s Web” is released. The first hand-held “mobile phone,” made by Motorola, makes a call. FedEx officially begins business operations. Do you remember the media bash with Bobby Riggs challenging Billie Jean King? Billie Jean King won the tennis match. And on May 30, in Indianapolis, Gordon Johncock wins the 500. However, only 133 laps were completed because of rain. “Lite Beer” is introduced in the United States by the Miller Brewing Co.
In the Lapel/Fishersburg area, Brooke JoAnn Jensen, who graduated from Lapel High School the previous year, became the first female to join the Indiana National Guard. Three soloists represented LHS at Ball State University to compete in the Solo and Ensemble contest. Becky Sears played a piano solo. Cheryl Gaus sang a soprano selection and George Paulsel sang a tenor selection.
An installation of officers took place at Ford Street United Methodist Church on Jan. 7, with the Rev. Harry Smith installing the new officers. Serving as a Lay Member is Riley Davis with Robert Fields. Leta Snyder was Lay Leader, with Assistant Phyllis Newton. Church Superintendent for 1973 was Dennis Kinnaman. Kenneth Bodenhorn served as chairman of the administrative board.
Dick Blake came to Lapel High School and directed a group of scenes regarding the life of Abraham Lincoln for the students. Blake took the students through Lincoln’s life as a young lawyer, storyteller, politician and weary president.
Indianapolis 500 racecar driver Mel Kenyon was in Lapel to attend a party at the Jon Noggle resident. The Lapel Volunteer Fire Department played host to a banquet. Allen “Skip” Turner, George Shaw and Dale Brinker received a pin for their 15 years of service.
The T and H Service & Sales store was advertising 18-inch color TVs for only $268. In the fine print, the price was with a trade-in. Just yesterday, Wal-Mart had 55-inch color smart TV on sale for the same price! That’s inflation?
The LHS ’73 faculty staff was Gerald Roudebush, principal, with Marvin Pike as his assistant principal. Other faculty included Robert Adams, Mike Andrew, Price Brookfield, Larry Eckhardt, Robert Farrel, Bill French, Robert Gehlbach, Sue Hersberger, Dallas Hunter, Elizabeth Huntzinger, Jerry Kemerly, Terena Martin, Marian Noggle, John Rackow, Lucille Rockey, Elizabeth Shaul Jean Sigler, Shirley Slick, Steve Stickler, Fred St. John, Steve Telfer, Jeanine Terhune, Jon Trippeer, Donald Trisler, Margaret Trisler, Irma Wells and Anne Whalen. The ’73 LHS Senior Class sponsors were Lucille Rockey and Donald Trisler.
Their motto was “Live For Today; Dream For Tomorrow.”
The LHS senior class appears to have been well organized. They were led by their class president Michael Kincaid; vice president Sherry Diane Todd; Secretary Elizabeth Sue Lackey; and Treasurer Susan Irby. The other members of the class of ’73 are listed in alphabetical order: Dennis Allison, James Anderson, Gary Barker, Dannie Gene Bauer, Rebecca Benedict, Dennis Bond, Brad Bunnell, Donna Marie Carey, Robert Dean Chaney, Gary Cloud, Rose Marie Cole, Karen Sue Colip, Sharon Lynn Colip, Jeffery Coomer, Charles Thomas Davis, Clyde Dulworth, Steven Allen Flatford, Paul Fort, Michael Fountain, Tina Ruthann Galliher, Cheryl Jean Gaus, Steven Michael Grant, Joseph Lee Green, Candace Grimes, Floyd Conrad Hall Jr., Rick Hall, Patricia Ann Hart, Karen Leigh Hesson, James Hiday, Cynthia Lou Hopkins, Karen Ann Hudson, Debra Sue Husted, Jani Sue Jackson, Margret Etta Johns, Jerry Dean McClintock, Teresa Anne Millikan, Jerry Mills, Dennis James Muse, Harriett Anne O’Connor, Paul Pierce, Paula Gay Porter, Darrell Bruce Poston, Michael Rex Richardson, Richard Allen Schuyler, Michael Leonard Shaw, Susan Lynn Shupe, Joyce Ellen Smiley, Debbie Smith, William Douglas Snead, Charles Kerry Sylvester, Sherry Elaine Taylor, Donald Teeters, Gary Lynn Teeters, William Edward Thompson Jr., Thomas VanDuyn, Michael Ray Willoughby, James Edward Wilson and Lowell Yeryar.
This yearbook has a memorial page dedicated to “Deborah Sue Hersberger.” According to information received from a loyal reader, Miss Hersberger was killed in an automobile accident near Lapel on Oct. 10, 1970. She would have graduated with the ’73 Senior Class. The page reflects an oil painting of beautiful Deborah. I am sure she is truly missed.
The 1973 cross country team had an excellent year. Coach Hunter had the team ready for the season. LHS placed second in the White River Conference and fourth at the sectional. Mike Willoughby led the team. Mike ended the season placing 10th at the state meet.
The Bulldogs had a lackluster basketball season. The varsity team finished 10-9 and the reserve team finished 11-8. As the season developed, the young varsity team pulled things together. Junior player Mark Barnhizer began to make himself known, as the second highest scorer. He finished the season with an outstanding 33 points a game. Barnhizer also smashed the Madison County single season scoring record.
Robert Gehlbach was a very popular math teacher. The senior class presented him with a plaque upon his retirement after 21 years of teaching math. They reportedly claimed Mr. Gehlbach would be hard to replace.