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Monday, April 23, 2012

Butler Jr. High School ~

The Swimming Pool
 Photo: Barbara Bloom

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, is this still being used? Last time I "swam" there was 1951. Long time ago.

Anonymous said...

I was standing in the pool right where it deepens for the diving board. I jumped up and down to attract the attention of a friend and turned a cartwheel as I slipped on the slippery bottom. I sucked up a large quantity of water and nearly drowned. I remember the incident after 60 odd years.

R. Wertz ('52) said...

Ain't it funny how time (and a few other things) slip away?

Looking at the photo, I thought it was one of the hallways, most likely near the trophy case, but it did not look familiar. Barbara could have at least taken the pic when the pool was full of water, for heavenly sakes(and for the geezers amongst us.)

Then, on the other hand, maybe the pool is full of cool, clear water where Mixer dripped the burning adolescents with water....cool, clear water.

Anonymous said...

In 1958 or so, it was a tradition for swimming classes to throw phys-ed student teachers into the pool.Usually they didn't resist, but Bo Voelker did and there were 'bodies' floating in the water and he was still standing on the side.Also John Mixer did not abide the snapping of towells in the dressing room.

Anonymous said...

God I hated this pool and swimming class. I had suppressed the horror- now I'll have nightmares...

Anonymous said...

Ah, thanks for bring back the repressed memories of certain gym teachers toweling off naked in front of the boys locker room door while another teacher's swimming class was going on during the 1980s.

R. Wertz said...

Anonamoose said:"God I hated this pool and swimming class. I had suppressed the horror- now I'll have nightmares."

It was all about the hair, wasn't it Moose?

Anonymous said...

Retarded Citizens Association was allowed to use this pool on Saturday mornings---I remember teaching many of those young people who are now senior citizens--this was in the late 50's/60's. Back then they didn't have as many activities for these young people and they had the best time. Butler was ahead of its time thanks in large part to Mrs. Lackey. She was a very resourceful woman. We all appreciate her work.

Anonymous said...

Barbara took this picture during the summer, and the pool is emptied of water at the end of each school year. Hence, no water in the pool until the school year starts.

R. Wertz said...

''Anonymous said...
Barbara took this picture during the summer, and the pool is emptied of water...''

No excuse! It still looks like the hallway where the trophy display case is/was without the water.

Hey...does a fashion model go to a photo shoot without makeup? Barbara could have, at least, used Photoshop to add the water. And, I might add, while she was at it, added Ester Williams and Rudolf Valentino paddling about or some other Butler notables thrashing about. Who would know?

BTW....is this Bloom gal related to a Bloom guy I knew back last century?

This is all very confusing to the geezers 'mongst us. I'm going to take my meds now...and, yes, I know, I may have to increase the dosage. Pls...no snarky replies.

Anonymous said...

I learned to swim here in a summer long ago.That was before the Y had a pool. And as a teacher in the building, one night a week we could come here swimming w/Mrs. Butler as our lifeguard. When she retired, that was the end of that.

Anonymous said...

I remember back 1971 if you forgot your swimsuit you had to swim naked. In all the times I had swimming, I can only recall one kid have to go "o'natural." Can you imagine trying that policy today.

Anonymous said...

I remember back in 1973 if you had
long hair, you had to wear one of
those rubber swim caps that stuck
to your head afterwards and pulled
half your hair out trying to get
them off. Yuk!

Anonymous said...

In the mid-60s I saw Mr. Mellinger toss in a rotund kid who always brought an excuse to swim class when he got fed up with him.

Another quaint practice that has fortunately outlived it's usefulness.

Anonymous said...

The actual swimming is not bad, it's the changing back into your clothes and doing your hair that I hate

Anonymous said...

OH GOD!!!! Nothing good here!! Warts....Athletes feet..... stinky water.... tiny cramped bomb shelter of a pool.....over chlorination....wet hair rest of the day! What a nightmare!

Singularly Me said...

Looks like the room has been enlarged. I like the tile work.

Kathy said...

I HATED swimming class! That pool creeped me out. I was there 1977-79 and remember having to wear those swim caps, too. I have to agree with the above commen about the room being enlarged. Maybe the white just makes it look bigger. I remember it always being like a sauna.

Anonymous said...

The Butler Junior High locker rooms were where a lot of kids got planter warts which we all had to get them dug out of our feet. This went on for years. Seems the Butler School District couldn't be bothered to sanitize the area.

Morrissey said...

My memories of this place include someone with the initials AH. He wasnt an employee but ran the boys showers. Makes sense right?

Anonymous said...

I remember AH, naked gym teachers, and water polo that was basically a fist fight in the pool. This place was so gross.

Hope Schnell said...

Searching for information about my pap Jeffrey Troutman. He went to BHS and graduated in 1960. He played football. Any information or memories of him would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Hope Schnell
email schnell724@zoominternet.net

Unknown said...

I was in junior high from 61 through 64 and I remember that the boys had to swim nude. Funny nobody else mentioned-this. Both my boys went through there in the late 80s and early 90s and that practiced was no longer being used. I wonder when that finally came to an end.