By STAN STAPP

JACK KEENE, a 1932 graduate of Lincoln High School, was showing me his collection of eight Totem Annuals, from 1925 to 1932. The first four years, 1925-1928, were his brother Bob's Annuals, those from 1929-1932 were Jack's. I took them home and enjoyed going through them witnessing a slice of high school life in a period earlier than my own, as a member of Lincoln's class of 1936.

I soon noted I knew a fair number of students mentioned. Some were neighbors of mine, all living on the same block as I, some had taken piano lessons from my Dad, Orrill V. Stapp, and some were interested in journalism. Our home at 4203 Woodlawn Ave. N. also contained my Dad's music studio in the living room, and the office and printing plant for the Outlook (the community newspaper my family owned) in the basement. For some 50 years or so the Totem Weekly, the student paper for Lincoln, was printed by the Outlook, and many Totem staff members had occasion to bring us their news and ad copy to be set, and to check the paper when it was ready to go to press.

Lincoln's principal in those days was Leroy M. Higgins, and the vice-principal was Daniel J. Lothrop (both still there when I graduated). In 1925 there were 1,450 students; the school lunchroom was sponsored by the Boys and Girls Clubs, and if you didn't want to eat there, the Lincoln Sweets, a restaurant better known as the Beanery, was right next door on Woodlawn Avenue; the school's Senior Play was "Grumpy"; and there was a Radio Club for boys who were interested in the theory of radio and its new developments since tube sets had replaced crystal sets.

A COUPLE OF Lincoln students worked for the Outlook, Malcolm Groff, editor of the Totem Annual, as well as the Totem Weekly (who worked in our SHOP); and Florence Gamrath on the Weekly Staff, her pastime being, "Running 'em down and writing 'em up" (who worked in our NEWS department and office.)

The Totem Annual one year had an American Indian motif: with Lincoln students and faculty being one "Heap Big Family." The principle characters were: Grandpa Higgins, Papa Lothrop, Mama Vollmer, Brother Olson, Sister Blough, Aunt Harriet Johnstone, and Aunt Lulu. Lincoln girls put on a half-dozen dances each year, one year labeled: the Autumn Frolic, Turkish Tumble, Girls Christmas Party, Mid-Winter Matinee, Girls Mixer, and the Spring Frolic. There was dancing at each affair, generally to the music of Sam Crouch's Novelty Orchestra. The dances were held in the Girls' Gym, and the decorations were generally red and black streamers. There was much "merry-making," and occasionally a couple did the Charleston. Food was served: one time it was a large juicy apple, another time a cold glass of punch and a wafer, and another time just some potato chips.

As to football the Lincoln Lynx lost all of their six games, five of them without scoring a point. They finally scored one touchdown in their last game - but Broadway High won 38 to 7. In the Class Will, Miss Allie Blough, Lincoln's famous study hall teacher, was honored "for giving us the pleasure of sitting in the turndown seats when our conduct was faulty." She was awarded "All of Puget Sound."

TWO OF THE BUSIEST students were Eddie Carlson and Bob Keene. Eddie's activities included: Yell Leader for three years despite his size. (He was known as a "pint of dynamite,") Totem Octave (chorus), Class President, Hi-Y Club officer, Lynx Club officer, Boys Club Secretary-Treasurer, Motor Squad, Chief of Fire Squad, Lincolonial (an annual variety stage show), Board of Control, Totem Weekly. He graduated in 1928.

(Eddie continued his leadership roles after graduation and went on to become a UW regent, Chief Executive Officer of Westin Hotels and also United Airlines, and served on the boards of many community organizations. Perhaps he is best known as the fellow, who while dining in a restaurant in Stuttgart, Germany, sketched out a "doodle" on a postcard that eventually became the basis for Seattle's Space Needle.)

Bob Keene's area of interest revolved around: Stage Force, Totem Weekly Editor, Totem Octave (chorus), Hi-Y Club President, Lynx Club officer and one of the founders, Book Committee Chairman, Boys Club Vice President, Senior Play, minor Opera lead "Irene", Yell Leader, Fire Squad, Class Day statistician, Board of Control, Senior Matinee General Manager, and Freshman Officer. Bob graduated in 1927.

(Bob and his brother Jack, who graduated from Lincoln in 1932, later operated a successful advertising agency, Keene & Keene, best known for the advertising and theme song of the Three GIs, and was founder and first director of the City of Seattle Citizen's Bureau. He also started Totem II, the Lincoln Alumni paper, and edited it for years.)

ANOTHER BUSY LINCOLN student was a neighbor of mine, Beatrice Kauffman who may have taken piano lessons from my Dad. (I'm not sure.) Beatrice was Lincoln's 1928 salutatorian, Music Club president, Triple L secretary-treasurer, Annual art editor, and a member of Honor Society, Senior Play, Lincolonial, Usher Force, Senior Orchestra. (Later she worked her way through college by playing the piano and working at Paradise Lodge on Mount Rainier and Crescent Lake in Olympic National Park. An accomplished pianist, she also appeared in numerous concerts, and taught music.)

Other neighbors who also took piano lessons with my Dad were: Phyllis Bowen, Maurice Powers, Russell Bowen, and my older brothers, Art and Milton Stapp. Phyllis played in two recitals, "The Two Froggies" and "The Tally-Ho"; Maurice played "Hobgoblins." He was also feature editor of the Annual. And another neighbor was Douglas Callender, president of the Boys Club, and Class Day Speaker.

Maurice's mother Anna Powers, also played an important part in producing the Outlook, having learned to operate our big cylinder press - "a MAN'S job" in those days - hand-feeding thousands of sheets of newsprint through the monster every week.

Except at lunchtime when she hustled up the street to the Beanery to help serve the food. Then she'd return for awhile to continue hand-feeding our huge, hungry cylinder press which printed four pages at a time and netted 1,500 copies an hour. It took a lot of hours to print and fold the Outlook in the early days. I should know, I was feeding that press, too, even before I graduated from Lincoln. We also printed the Totem Weekly, a four-page paper, 1,200 copies, which cost the Totem $50. I was on the Outlook payroll, in 1927 earning 55 cents for the year, and $2.20 in 1928. I was on my way at the age of 10!

The subject matter for Lincoln's Debate Team surely would have been appropriate today: "Resolved, That the Washington State Direct Primary Law should be repealed."

The Class of 1925 had a lot of students who were late for class, for example: Ima Dolittle, Adum Belle, Osso Dumm, Al Ways Late, Robin Tyme, Adul Boye, Everett Wrest, Slowe Walker, and I. M. Tardie - all of whom had their Excuse Blanks stamped NOT EXCUSED.

At the Junior Dance during intermission Ivar Haglund, then a UW student, entertained by singing a group of popular songs and playing his ukelele and demonstrating some "clever" dance steps. Ivar earned his fame later with his guitar, and as owner of the Ivar's seafood restaurant chain, and a motto: "Keep Clam." (