One more photo from the class of June 1940 --- from the Silver Streak yearbook!!

Steinmetz's 75th Anniversary Open House Celebration - Saturday - October 17, 2009

Steinmetz
3030 N. Mobile Av
Chicago, IL 60634

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Open House
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Sock Hop

go to www.steinmetzalumni.com for details and updates.

ROTC Awards ceremony in front of Steinmetz High School, still being done today.

Photo 1: 

The Steinmetz Alumni Association founded in 1946, celebrated the 50 year of the school at a homecoming game.
4 decades of students were represented that day.

Photo 1: 

We are celebrating 75 years of the opening of Steinmetz High School in October, 2009.
The alumni association is currently looking for old photos, class "notables" and memorabilia that will be on display.

Photo 1: 

Silver Streak Yearbook 1940

CSK

These are my mom's memories--she graduated Steinmetz in 1940.  

Then, the cover of the "Silver Streak" yearbook.

My favorite pages are from the "Water Pageant" -- diving, precision swimming, comedy skits -- I think it was a different time and place.  

Water Pageant

Water Pageant --

Hugh Hefner sent the following photos to us, we thank him for sharing his memories with CPSalumni.org

Photo 1: 

Photo 2: 

Photo 3: 

Photo 4: 

Photo 5: 

Photo 6: 

These great hairdos are compliments of the 1965 Steinmetz Yearbook!

Photo 1: 

Photo 2: 

Photo 3: 

Photo 4: 

Photo 5: 

Photo 6: 

Photo 7: 

Photo 8: 

Diversy & Pulaski

Remember the street cars?

Maurice Lenell on Harlm Ave.

Fresh hot bags of broken cookies....yum

I remember riding our bikes, from Cumberland and Irving, to the Harlem Irving Plaza...we just called it the Plaza. If we had enough money in our pockets, we would put something down on lay-away, at Lerners.

Debbie Wattenbarger

Steinmetz 1974

My mom was a graduate in June 1940.  I have her yearbook and the program/bulletin from the Commencement ceremony. The family lived in Elmwood Park, she attended Elmwood Park Elementary School.  But at that time, there was no high school so students went to Sayre Branch of Steinmetz and Steinmetz High School.  I think some freshman went to Sayre.  The photos are covers of the graduation program and the Silver Streak Yearbook.

Back in the early 1970's there was a sport in which kids, mostly guys, would try to flip a fork up and get it to stick in the ceiling tiles, of the lunchroom.  For those that weren't as nimble, there were the people that would try to throw a pat of butter up and try to get it to stick to the ceiling.  Of course, if you got caught....you paid the price.  I guess boredom will create unique challenges.

In 1953 or possibly 52, a young student lady, very dedicated to her office messenger position, walked into the boy's gym, down to the office and stated that she had a message for coach Lakin. After being told that he was in the swimming pool, she asked where it was located and was told downstairs.

She then went down the stairs, through the locker room and into the pool area. Needless to tell those reading this that the boys always swam naked and were certainly doing so at that moment. She walked right up to Lakin, who was busy at the moment reading a magazine, and said she had a message while handing him the paper. He looked up quickly, took the paper, looked down and then in an instant jumped out of his seat. If he had had any hair it would have been standing straight up!

At the same moment, a student, whose initials were C.C.(I won't divulge the name) jumped out of the pool, arms outstretched and said "Hey, baby". Lakin yelled; "Get the hell back in the water" and rushed the young thing out of the pool with blinding speed.

That is one of the funniest scenes I remember from my 4 years.

Jack Fitzgerald
June of 53'

In 1977, I was a sophomore and had Mr. Laske for Algebra. Every Monday we would talk about the Monty Python
episode that was on channel 11 on Sunday night. It was so much fun. It put us in a good mood and ready to learn - and I still
love Monty Python!

Ellen Loebe

class of 1979

"Traffic was always a problem especially Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, and
the weekend in between the holidays.  We usually had trouble parking if we
came home after 6 pm.  Traffic would go to about 11 pm on week days and to
1:00 AM on the weekend.  Christmas Eve and New Years Eve could go as late
as 2:00 to 3:00 AM.  Most of the houses kept their lights on to accommodate
the people.    Living on the corner I went through  alley East to Noridca
and back on to Belmont Ave.  But sometimes even the alley was back up.  It
was a nightmare.

We purchased the canes together from one dealer and we always helped each
other put them up.  All the able bodied men on the block got together on a
Saturday and put all the canes up at one time.  This why they all were so
uniform just like solider standing at attention.  Never any squabbles.
Decorations above the cane was up the individual resident, that where the
competion came in, but very friendly.

I remember the cane being under $100.00, but can't remember the exact price.
I can remember where we purchased them.  I do remember that the place the
canes were orginally purchased could not get the orginial canes anymore and new
neighbors had to pruchase all plastic canes that looked a little defferent.
The orginal canes were indistructable except for the plastic tops.

The first time any complaints  about the cost of electric was around
1965 when I came home from the service.  Some people where shutting there
light earlier.  Some as early as 10 pm.  Cost of electric was going up and
neighbor on fix income were feeling the pinch.

I don't  remember and gifts being left at our doors, but I remember
Christmas Caroler always being song at our front door.  It was great. 

My mom always had hot cocoa ready to go
in paper cups. Christmas Eve she gave out her great homemade Italian
cookies to the carolers.  How I miss those cookies.

The competition among the blocks was problem started by Candy cane Lane.
Before 3200 block of Nottingham became Candy Cane Lane at Christmas, the
6900 bock of School St  was organized with the Merry Christmas and Happy New

Year in huge letters.  That was really the start of blocks getting together
and decorating according to a theme.

I love Christmas because of it, as a kid I felt special living on Candy Cane Lane.  I was sure all the other kids envied me.  -Mario"

Photo 1:  Tony Canadeo (1919-2003); Photo 2:  Hugh Hefner in 1944; Photo 3:  Fred Marsh Topps Baseball Card 1952

I just wanted to say that Miss Farr was my favorite teacher. She was both my music teacher and my home room teacher as well. She had a great sense of humor. Once, on Student Day, she dressed up like a typical trashy teen with a Bubushka tied under her chin and loudly chewing bubble gum and sat in the back of the class talking while the student who was supposed to be the teacher tried to hold forth. She always was kind to me and gave me lots of encouragement which I needed sorely.

Years later, at Steinmentz's 60th Anniversary I ran into her and thanked her. She thought I was my older brother who also went to Steinmenz 4 years earlier, but that was OK. She was horrified at how the school's piano, which she played, was in such disrepair. She's gone now, but not forgotten.

I wish I had a picture of her, but I do not.

They even had a record!  I am still looking for a MP3 recording from the Campus Crew and an original record for the Alumni Association archives! 

Finding the fourth floor wasn't easy that first week of school!   There really is a freight elevator but it only goes to the 3rd floor-- just ask every band and orchestra teacher that ever worked at Steinmetz!

Hugh Hefner was a cartoonist at SHS.  Here are just three of his cartoons.

STEINMETZ VICTORY SONG

Fight, Fight, Fight, for Steinmetz High.
She's a great school, worth fighting for
Win, Win, Win, for Steinmetz High
Let's bring victory to her door
Cheer, Cheer, Cheer, for Steinmetz
HighRaise your voices and shout it to the sky
She's the best in the West
And she'll beat all the rest
So fight for Steinmetz High!
Yea Steinmetz!, Yea Steinmetz!
S-T-E-I-N-M-E-T-Z
Yea Steinmetz!!!

When I started at Steinmetz in 1982, I wasn't the best of students and had no ambition to be one. Robert Duffy changed that for me. He was a passionate teacher of Early World History and he became my mentor/father figure. After taking his class freshman year I became his student aide. Mr. Duffy would encourage me to be the best person I could become and he was the first person that thought it was possible for me to go to college. Ultimately, nine years later when I graduated from DePaul, I found Mr. Duffy and invited him to my college graduation. If he had not given me that support and understanding, I would not be the person I am today. I now teach English to middle school and high school students. It is one of the joys of my life. Thank you Mr. Duffy for believing in me. Susan (Kelly) Gabrysiak c/o 1986

Carlos Mendoza is the current Director of Bands at Steinmetz Academic Centre. I've seen him work with the students and he has a genuine gift. His passion is inspiring and his spirit is contageous. He works relentlessly to give the students the best instrumental music education and experience possible on extremely limited resources. His students absolutely love him.

Oh, and he'e one AMAZING drummer!

Mr. Lason was a gifted musician in his own right. His instrument was the Saxaphone. Louis attended Harrison H.S. with bassonist and friend, Lincoln Metcalf, and went on to become the first Band Director of the Chicago Fire Department Band which he in led in three Presidential innaugural parades, directed at the University of Chicago, and finally Steinmetz High School until he retired in 1985. Mr. Lason was demanding and alternated from being frustrated with and very proud of us. He was a freind to many of us who needed one. Steinmetz Band alumni honored Mr. Louis Lason at a fundraising event called Steinmetz Palooza on March 24, 2007. A bronze plaque honors him near the school office. Mr. Lason solicited a very generous donation from alumni Hugh Hefner in 1977/78 which, along with a raffle for a Continental Marc IV, and band members selling really ugly candles, got us amazing new uniforms-- concert tuxes and marching band all in one! We marched from Steinmetz H.S. to Hanson Park Stadium in our homecoming parade the following fall. Mr. Lason was pretty proud that day.

Mr. Lason's favorite symphony was Kolinikov's Symphony #1 in G minor, finale. The SHS Concert Band of 1980 performed this peice at both the Spring Concert and the Class of 1980 graduation. I will never forget the smile on his face at the Spring Concert when we pulled it off for the first time with the Lane brass section joining us from the balcony for one powerful movement as adramatic surprise for the audience. Magical!

Lason continued to direct the Arlington Heights Community Band for many years and many of his students from Steinmetz followed him there. Louis Lason passed away in 2002 but is alive in the hearts of the many people he touched during his lifetime. Thanks for helping me, Mr. Lason, when I desperately needed an caring adult in my life! I have never forgotten.