May 31, 1955 - Fifty years ago John Bellairs graduated from Marshall High School. According to the MHS yearbook, the
Dial, he spent two years in the Latin club and the Chess club for all four years of high school. Dubbed "Genius John," the yearbook says his future included attending Notre Dame and studying pre-law. Only half of that came true: Bellairs did live in South Bend for four years but focused his attention on English literature and, during his senior year, becoming a minor television celebrity.
Well, a very, very minor celebrity. You can read more about John’s escapades during the G.E. College Quiz Bowl in our South Bend section (or do a search for “college bowl” on our site’s front page) but it has to do with his ability to effortlessly quote from Chaucer’s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales on national television. It’s a good story.
ReplyDeleteAs to the yearbook, yes, we did see Yancy, a few members of the Thunder family and some other familiar names. The Bellairsia reference room consists of the 1951, 1953 and 1955 Dials, the last one being the only one with a photo of John that we can tell – and they all small like Bounce dryer sheets, probably in part that each came with a few tucked in the front and back covers. There’s another photo of John helping with the student newspaper from the 1955 edition that we might get around to sharing with others in time.
Thanks for writing.