By Bob Vickrey

April 25, 2022

(The 60th anniversary of the Galena Park High School Graduating Class of 1962 is just around the corner, so I decided to share several of my favorite memories of our senior year.)
 
I heard one single car-horn beep coming from the street in front of my house, and that meant it was exactly 7:45, and time to slide into the backseat of Geren’s shiny black ‘54 Ford Coupe for our morning ride to school with a couple of other friends.
 
My house was his third stop after picking up our pals Gary and Johnny. Despite all of us living within walking distance of school, we enjoyed the routine of riding there together during our senior year in high school. Geren usually drove slowly toward the school campus so we’d have some time to catch up before entering the double-doors of the student lounge. There, we would meet up with dozens of our classmates who gathered before the first-period bell sounded.
 
Over in the corner by the trophy case, I spotted Gayla, Annette and Nancy O’ with Pirtle and Risner chatting away while flashing their devilish grins. Oh my! I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall listening in on that animated conversation. Sitting on a couch nearby were Connie K., Flusche and Bundick, who appeared to be sharing a private joke.
 
And right on cue, through the doors walked Smith and Twilley, who lived down the street from one another, along with two other members of their carpool gang—Armin and Powledge. Shortly afterward, Jimmy, Wayne and Charlie arrived from the school bus entry ramp with at least five minutes to spare before the bell rang.
 
The pre-school camaraderie was a favorite ritual during our final year at Galena Park High School, and we found it a great way to start each day. During that fall football season, there was plenty to talk about, since our team was highly ranked in the preseason state polls. The local press was giving us a chance of living out the ultimate “Friday Night Lights” dream and fielding one of the best teams in school history.



A talented senior line fueled optimism for the 1961 season

Geren was co-captain of that team, and predictably always seemed to be surrounded by friends and well-wishers. I would often catch him peering across the room at some student who was standing by himself just before the bell rang. Geren would often excuse himself and cordially greet the person who appeared to be in serious need of someone to talk to. (That might have been one of the reasons he was later voted “Mr. Galena Park High School.”) 

I made my way up the hallway toward first-period English class where I was sure to be entertained by fellow classmates Tommy Moore and Jerry Weisinger, who were known for their wisecracking humor during class. On the way there, I spotted Neil Mangham and his girlfriend Gail in a quiet moment in front of their lockers just outside Mr. Banks’ debate class, where they had first met. Since they were two of our brightest seniors, I began to wonder if intellectual people had some natural magnetic attraction to one another.
   
Of course, fall weekends back then meant high school football games. Civic pride in our small blue-collar town soared on Friday nights when Dement Field was traditionally filled to capacity as our Yellow Jacket team squared off with Gulf Coast rivals. Neighborhood squabbles and political differences were put aside for one night as the whole town rallied around our team’s games. Retail shops closed early, and signs went up on front doors that read: “See you at the game!”

The Jacketeer Drill Squad performed during game halftimes while accompanied by the Galena Park marching band. The Jacketeers twirled their ropes and their batons, while the whip section did their best “Lash LaRue” imitations. During halftime performances, the band played the school fight song “In the Mood,” while the Jacketeers danced their high-kick routine. The group was often invited to perform at other Houston area venues, and two years earlier had been chosen to greet President Dwight Eisenhower upon his arrival in town at the Shamrock Hilton Hotel.

Galena Park Jacketeers Drill Team-1961

 
By that November, there was genuine excitement mounting about our team’s chances to make a strong push into the state finals. We had already won the district title and had beaten Port Neches and Milby in bi-district and quarterfinal rounds, and were getting set to host a highly ranked Corpus Christi Ray team at our own stadium.
 
For many students, the Galena Park–Corpus Ray game was perhaps the most memorable event of our senior year. The game was already a sellout, and additional grandstands had been set up in the end zones to accommodate the overflow crowd of 16,000 expected for the Division 4-A semi-final game. The game was scheduled to be aired statewide and legendary Southwest Conference radio announcer Kern Tips would be on-hand to call the play-by-play.  
 
Since back in those days, there was an abundance of daily newspapers in Houston, our coaches and players were receiving almost daily coverage by at least one of the papers. Geren, Calvin Enderli and Doyle Johnson were already being touted as all-state candidates, and our talented wide receiver Howard Twilley had made quite a name for himself with his circus catches during the season.

When the Ray team trotted onto the field decked out in all-white uniforms and red shoes, we noticed that their players appeared to be much bigger than any team we had faced all year. (We decided later that maybe it was the white uniforms—and those attention-getting red shoes that created the illusion.) Our team settled down when we scored our first touchdown after Johnny Cook’s sensational interception. Galena Park began to take control of the game in the second half as pandemonium erupted among our fans when we realized that we were headed to the state finals in Ft. Worth the following weekend.

 
There, we faced the Wichita Falls Coyotes in TCU’s Amon-Carter Stadium for the state championship, but ultimately ended up losing the hard-fought game by a touchdown to the perennial state power. Our team acquitted itself quite well that day despite coming up short of winning the outright title. In fact, the following week, Houston Chronicle sportswriter Bill McMurray wrote a story in which Coyote coaches, players and fans praised the Yellow Jacket team for their gallant performance. The headline read: “Wichita Falls Knows Where Galena Park is NOW!”
 
Many of the senior football players from that team still get together for an annual reunion for some old-fashioned revelry and camaraderie. I’ve heard they’ve also been known to serve adult beverages during those get-togethers. They call themselves the “Band of Brothers”—or the “B.O.B.’s”. They rekindle memories from their unforgettable season, and from what I’ve heard from my inside sources, occasionally have attempted to rewrite the ending of the championship game. 

Band of Brothers, Oct. 2015

But win or lose during that season, we always had the Friday night dances to fall back on at the Community Center. On nights when there were home football games, the center was packed with students (both past and present), often making it difficult to find a place to stand—much less dance. That particular fall, we danced to the music of rising local singing star Gene Thomas and his hit song “Sometime.” And we were occasionally treated to a live performance by Galena Park’s own “C.L. and the Pictures” singing their latest hit off Houston’s top-40 charts.   
 
But no song packed the dance floor like “In the Still of the Night,” and even some of us reluctant dancers were drawn to the floor by “The Five Satins” sentimental love song. Once while making my way to the floor with my partner, I remember warning her, “I don’t really dance, but I’ll be glad to hold onto you while you do.”
 
On weekends, we’d “cruise” the Dairy Mart and see who was hanging out there. Travis Clifton always seemed to have been a permanent fixture there while holding court at his favorite corner table. We might grab a cheeseburger and chocolate shake, or if feeling particularly brave—give our digestive tracts a thorough test by downing a sloppy Frito Pie (extra napkins please!) If things were too slow at our usual hangout, we might head through the tunnel and make the short drive over to the Corral, where you could pick up a hamburger and Coke for 35 cents. 

As spring rolled around and graduation neared, we attended socials and sporting events, and began preparing for the senior prom. As we counted down the days until graduation, many of us began to reflect on how fortunate we had been to have experienced our school years together with many of our favorite classmates—some of whom would remain friends for a lifetime.

A group of women from the senior class have continued their friendship for more than 60 years by holding an annual beach reunion in Galveston. Gayla, Nancy O’, Annette, Pirtle, Risner, Tyra, Mary Lou, Maxey, Martinson, Jeffy and Boo continue to share their memories of those fun, carefree times. There were also many others along the way who joined the group for visits during those years. After high school, they all went a hundred different directions, but for one special weekend each year, they were classmates and best friends once again. 

Looking back on our time at GPHS, I believe our perspective on life had been broadened and enhanced by the presence of a committed group of educators whose civics and history lessons were ingrained in us at an early age. Our teachers worked in strong partnership with our parents in their mission of helping us become functioning adults.

Galena Park-Class Representatives--1961-62

We have also been reminded in recent years that we’ve reached a sobering time in our lives when life has gotten significantly more complex as we’ve been forced to deal with various life-altering circumstances. Most of us would agree that this chapter arrived considerably sooner than we had expected, since it seems like just yesterday when we were racing down the hallways toward the exit doors when that long-awaited three o’clock bell sounded.
 
That’s what makes some of our classmates’ annual get-togethers and mini-reunions noteworthy, as old friends come together to share stories and memories, while offering support for those going through difficult times.
 
In hindsight, life seemed much simpler back then, although we’ve probably managed to conveniently overlook some of the daily burdens we faced back in those days. That’s the wonderful thing about selective memory that allows us to remember what we choose to—and forget all the rest.
 
And besides, that selective memory is what helps make these class reunions much more enjoyable. So, Hear! Hear! Let’s all lift our glasses to that splendid Galena Park High School Class of 1962!

FOOTNOTES:
 
That 1961 state finalist team produced a number of senior players who received football scholarships, and one who went on to have a spectacular college baseball career.
 
--Howard Twilley, whose sensational college and professional football career has no doubt singled him out as the greatest football player to ever come out of Galena Park High School. A huge ceiling-to-floor photo of Howard that still hangs in the GPHS student lounge stands as testament of his remarkable football legacy. (See bio below)

--Doyle Johnson had a great career at TCU and was named to the All-Southwest Conference team his senior year.

--Calvin Enderli played for the University of Houston and enjoyed a stellar career there.

--Ronnie Powledge also played for the Houston Cougars and set the record for the longest kickoff return in school history.

--Richard Mays and Armin Walter joined Calvin and Ronnie as scholarship players at the University of Houston.

--Johnny Cook followed in his brother Jerry’s footsteps and signed with the University of Texas. He later transferred to Lamar University where he finished his football career.

--Geren Graham and Mike Smith were both scholarship players at Southern Methodist University.

--Tony Cloud was a scholarship player at Tarleton State University.

--Carl Semler, Wayne Holden and Tommy Moore were all scholarship players at Tyler Junior College.

 --Henry Blanks was a member of the ’61 football team who was also on the GP baseball team. He went on to become an All-American pitcher for Trinity University.

“WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO?”

So here’s a little information I’ve been able to gather about what several of our classmates have done after high school graduation. (This is just a small sampling of a few classmates I’ve been in touch with in recent years.)
 
--Geren Graham, after his college days at SMU, became a founding partner and CEO of GT Energy Corporation, the parent company of several marine and energy related companies headquartered in Houston, which operated in the Western US Gulf region. Geren and his wife Judy are longtime residents of Houston.  
 
--Annette Prince became a flight attendant in 1968 for Trans Texas Airlines (which eventually became Texas International.) TI subsequently bought Continental, and then merged with United Airlines. She flew international flights during 20 of her 45-year career to places like London, Paris and Tokyo. She had always been based in Houston with the exception of a temporary base in Honolulu while she was flying to Australia. She enjoyed seeing the world during her extensive traveling career before retiring in 2013. Annette lives in Tomball.
 

--Mike Smith graduated from Southern Methodist University and entered the investment business in Dallas, and later in Los Angeles. He joined Merrill Lynch in the 1980s, and moved to Chicago where he lived for 30 years before returning to Dallas a few years ago.
Since giving up his day job, he has served on three different mutual fund boards, and also served on the Cox Business School board at SMU for 19 years. He now resides with his wife Eva in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of North Dallas—coincidentally, not far from his boyhood friend Howard. They are now neighbors again after more than 70 years.
 
--Nancy (O’Bryant) Puentes received a degree in journalism at the University of Texas/Austin and served as press secretary to two attorneys general of Texas and for the election of a chief justice to the Texas Supreme Court. As a fifth generation quilter, she switched gears and eventually became Executive Vice President of Quilts, Inc, which holds annual consumer and trade shows throughout the country, and previously in eight European countries. Her company’s Quilt Festival is usually Houston’s largest annual convention. She is also the author of five books on quilting. She cofounded nonprofit quilting organizations including the Quilt Alliance and the Texas Quilt Museum. Nancy has lived in Austin since her graduation from the University of Texas.

 --Connie (Koepke) Nelson became an animal and human rights activist, as well as a successful film producer. Her screen credits include “Streetwise”, “Lovey: King of the Roadies” and “Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus.” Connie married legendary country singer Willie Nelson in 1971, and they had two daughters together during their 17-year marriage. Daughters Paula and Amy now have their own successful musical careers. At last report, Connie was living in Austin.

--Carolyn (Bundick) Hays completed her degree in Biological Science from Colorado State University and at one time had plans of attending medical school. Instead, she married, and raised three daughters in Colorado. She eventually became a flight attendant with TranStar Airlines before working for Delta Airlines for 19 years. Carolyn now lives in Pearland.
 
--Jerry Weisinger spent his life as an innovative entrepreneur and worked in numerous fields. He was a member of the Marine Corps Band and traveled extensively with the band while based in San Diego. He later secured the concessions rights at Garner State Park where he had spent many pleasant summer vacations. He also became the radio play-by-play announcer for the local Brackettville High School football team. He and his family lived for many years in Uvalde, where Jerry died in 2021.

 --Howard Twilley was a record-setting wide receiver at Tulsa University where he was a consensus All-American, and set an NCAA record for receptions for one season. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1965. He enjoyed an 11-year NFL career with the Miami Dolphins, and caught a touchdown pass in the Dolphins 1972 Super Bowl win against the Washington Redskins. While living in Tulsa, Howard founded the sporting goods company “The Athletes Foot,” which opened a chain of stores nationwide. He sold the business in 1990, and afterward, worked in an investment firm in Tulsa. Howard and his wife Julie now live in Dallas.

--Gary Burnett owned several restaurants during his long career in the food business. He once owned and operated PoJo’s Restaurant and (adjoining) Blue Marlin Bar in Odessa in the 1980s, during the era of Odessa Permian’s dominant high school football teams that inspired Buzz Bissinger’s best-selling book “Friday Night Lights.” Buzz was often spotted at PoJo’s, which was the town’s most popular meeting spot before and after Permian games. Gary and his wife Judy eventually returned to Houston where he bought and managed a T.J. Cinnamon’s franchise in Sugarland for many years before retiring in 2014. Gary died in 2017.
 
--Neal Mangham and Gail (Burroughs) Mangham met in Mr. Bankhead’s debate class at GPHS, and were eventually married during their senior year at the University of Texas. (Neal’s parents had met in that same debate class 20 years earlier.)
 

--Neal is a decorated Marine Corps Vietnam veteran who received the Purple Heart medal after sustaining injuries during the war. After his service, he went on to receive his Ph.D in history at Rice University. He spent many years in academia as a Dean and President of several institutions in the United States and in the United Arab Emirates. He was also Chief of Party for the Higher Education Project in Afghanistan.  
 
--Gail spent five years in Saudi Arabia before returning to the United States where she received a Master of Fine Arts degree in drama at the University of Oklahoma. She taught English, French and Theater in various secondary schools, colleges and universities, wherever Neal’s career took them. She formed a theater arts company in Prescott, Arizona where she has served alternately as playwright, director, producer and actress. She starred in the one-woman play “Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins” based on the life of the Texas writer and satirist. Gail and Neal live in Prescott.    
 

--Sharon Cornelius graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D in Geophysics. She also received a Masters in Physics and a Ph.D in Geology from Rice University. She spent most of her career in the oil and gas exploration business, while mostly based in Houston, but also spent time in Australia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Sharon lives in Houston.

Bob Vickrey is a proud member of the Galena Park High School Class of 1962. He studied journalism at Baylor University and spent the majority of his working life in the book publishing business. He resurrected his writing career after his retirement in 2008, and his columns have appeared in several Southwestern newspapers including the Houston Chronicle. He is a member of the Board of Contributors for the Waco Tribune-Herald. He was cited by the California Newspaper Publishing Association for column writing awards in 2016 and 2017.  He lives in Pacific Palisades, California.