Archives 1961-1962
1961-62 School Year
Introduction: 16th year of the school’s existence
The 1961-62 school year was a tense one both in the United States and in Germany. In December of 1961 the Vietnam War officially began. In 1962, the Supreme Court ruled against segregation on public transportation and in June declared mandatory prayer in public schools unconstitutional. In Germany a standoff between Soviet and American tanks in Berlin heightened Cold War tensions and construction of the Berlin Wall continued.
Not surprisingly, enrollment at Nürnberg Amrican High School shot up, but for the most part students and faculty seemed unfazed. In 1961 NHS opened its doors to 859 students, a 27% increase over the previous year. The number of graduating seniors also increased from 60 in spring 1961 to 79 in 1962.
1961-62 was a banner year in sports. The football team won 7 games and lost none to win the Class B championship, the first 11-man football championship in school history. The school was also successful in basketball, tying Frankfurt for 1st place in the regular season and finishing 2nd in the end-of-the-season tournament. The wrestling team won 2nd place in its first season, and Greg Picard was the USAREUR golf champion.
The traditions of the creative writing magazines, the Powder Puff game, and the Faculty-Varsity basketball game continued. The “Trichter” published two special editions: A Fasching issue satirized typical school news. A Civil War Centennial issue had interviews with faculty members from both North and South. The school newspaper was entered in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s nationwide contest, in which it received a First Place Rating.
You can read more about the history of this school year by clicking on the documents below. For easier reading, right click and then select “open link in a new window.”