What was Chicago Like when You Were Born?

Chicago in the mid-1940s

When we were born in the mid-1940s, the world, and in particular Chicago, was a very different place than it is today. Our "skyscrapers" were the Chicago Tribune Tower and the Wrigley Building.  The 44-story Prudential Building, once the tallest building in Chicago, wouldn't be completed until 1955.

Many cultural venues which we enjoy today were already in place: The Field Museum of Natural History, Museum of Science and Industry, Civic Opera House and the Adler Planetarium.  At the time, Chicago had many "superlatives" including

• Largest Building of its kind in the world --The Merchandise Mart -- with 4 million square feet of floor space
• Largest transportation center in the world, with about 40 railroads and 1,500 passenger trains arriving at or departing from Chicago every day
• Largest hotel in the world -- The Stevens Hotel on south Michigan Avenue, now The Hilton -- with 3,000 rooms
• Tallest hotel in the world -- The Morrison Hotel -- demolished in 1965 to make room for the the First National Bank Building, now Chase Tower.  (A bit of trivia - when the Morrison Hotel was razed, it was the tallest building EVER demolished anywhere in the world!)

In addition, we had Soldier Field, the old Chicago Public Library building (now the the Cultural Center) with 800,000 volumes (and not one computer!), the Water Tower, Marshall Field's (now Macy's) and Buckingham Fountain.

Join us at the Reunion and see how much the city has changed since you were a toddler. 

Source: James A. Fitzpatrick's Traveltalks 1948 Chicago the Beautiful

St. Thomas Aquinas School History

From the Sisters of Mercy Archives

"St. Thomas Aquinas School was opened in 1910, by the Sisters of Mercy from St. Patrick Academy of the West Side, at the request of Rev. Daniel Luttrell. Sister Mary Xavier McKee was placed in charge with Sisters Mary Immaculata Henry, to teach the approximately 200 pupils in the 8 grades.
The Pastor, Rev. Daniel Luttrell, later Monsignor, was a close friend of Sister Mary Xavier, and also of Sister Mary Camilla Mulhern, who had resided in Saint Genevieve's Parish when he was a curate there. When Father Luttrell was given the newly established parish of St. Thomas Aquinas to build up, Sister Mary Camilla, with Sisters Mary Clotilde and Mary Immaculata, taught the public school children Sunday after Sunday, regardless of weather or poor transportation conditions.

"Although the school was opened in 1910, the Sisters commuted from St. Patrick Academy nearly eight years. Many are the tales told of transportation difficulties, walking several blocks in the snow, rain, slush or hot sun, as the case might be, both before and after taking the uncomfortable Madison Street cars of those days. It was necessary to transfer at 40th (the Crawford, or Pulaski Road of today) to the "Hinky-Din" car, as it was called, for the balance of the distance. One incident all remembered was the day the suitcase in which the food to be prepared for their dinner sprung open and the onions, apples, potatoes and eggs rolled down the center of the car (which had length-wise seats, at that) to the great amusement of the other passengers, and the equally great embarrassment of the poor sisters.

"In 1917 or 1918, a building at the corner of Laramie Street and Washington Boulevard was purchased and remodeled for the use of the sisters. Sister Mary Callista Coyle was the first resident Superior. With her were Sisters Mary Clotilde Cyr, Barbara Broderick, Camilla Mulhern, Peter Leander, Bernardine Murray, Urban Coughlin, and Juliana O'Brien.

"When the house was ready for occupancy, there was a heart-warming "house-warming," for the sisters had made many friends with their friendly manners, even among their non-Catholic neighbors. Many families had moved westward from St. Malachy's parish, where Father Luttrell and the Sisters of Mercy had served many years, and were glad to send their children to their "own" Sisters of Mercy, and soon the school was filled to over-flowing.

...and there is more

"The staff at the present time - 1951 - consists of Sister Mary Giovanni Quinn, Superior; Sister Mary Immaculata Henry, First Councilor; Sister Mary Mechtilde Whalen, Second Councilor; and Sisters Mary Cyprian Johnson, Bernard Oakley, Jerome Maloney, Annette Gordon, Genevieve Rimmer, Willilam Steinhauer, Albert Schueneman, Eunice Madden, Avellino Lang, Ellenita Murphy, Tharsilla Finucane, Gilbert Boleskey, Cecile Cassidy, Francesca Manley, Agneda Lamb and Rosa Ridley.

"The school now has an enrollment of approximately seven hundred pupils, taught by sixteen sisters. When the new church was built, the first floor of the school, which had been used as a church, was remodeled into new classrooms, all of which are in use. Many pupils are second-generation St. Thomas children whose parents were taught by Sister Mary Immaculata, and who insist that she, and she only, must teach their little ones as she taught them in their first school experience. Two sisters have full-time schedules in the teaching of music and present a program each year that is a credit to them and to their pupils.

"Father Edward F. Dondanville was the successor of Monsignor Luttrell, who died shortly after the completion of the beautiful church. To Father Dondanville goes the credit and thanks for the lovely convent now occupied by the sisters on Leamington Street, just back of the church. Upon the death of Father "Don," as he was affectionately called, Monsignor Long was assigned to the parish. He has done much to build up the parish work, and, both the school and the convent have been put into excellent condition as becomes necessary from the wear and tear on buildings require it. All in all, the Sisters of Mercy have fared well at St. Thomas Aquinas, at the hands of the priests and people."
(Signed)
Sister Mary Cyprian Johnson, RSM
Archivist
Sister Mary Margaret Murphy, RSM
1951
 
Source: Sisters of Mercy Archives/St. Thomas Aquinas School - Class of 1955
The Webmaster of the 1955 STA Reunion Class graciously encourage placement of this information on our site.  She hoped some of us would know of 1955 STA graduates and direct them to their site.

Sr. Mary Immaculata, Jubilee, 1960

A JUBILEE!!

"When Sister Mary Immaculata Henry, RSM, celebrated her Golden Jubilee on August 22nd, the entire parish of Saint Thomas Aquinas united in a tribute unique in its history. This was as it should be, for Sister had spent all but two years of her teaching career in the parish school.

"In the words of the parish bulletin of August 21, "Sister is as much a part of Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish as the bricks and stones of the edifice she called home for more than forty-five years." The Solemn High Mass was celebrated by the pastor, Father Laurence Fitzpatrick, assisted by Father Patrick Rabbit, a curate at Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Father William White, a former curate. The church was so crowded and the communicants so numerous, that it seemed to be Sunday rather than Monday.

"After Mass, the many Sisters of Mercy joined the relatives and friends of the Jubilarian in the Parish Hall, where a delicious dinner was provided by the pastor. In the afternoon, many other Sisters came to pay their respects, and the reception in the convent was indeed a festive affair."

Taken from Sisters of Mercy Archives, August 22, 1960

Source: Sisters of Mercy Archives/St. Thomas Aquinas School - Class of 1955
The Webmaster of the 1955 STA Reunion Class graciously encourage placement of this information on our site.  She hoped some of us would know of 1955 STA graduates and direct them to their site.

Do You Recognize Anyone?

At first I thought I recognized one of our classmates, but, alas, it is NOT Diane Hallinan sitting in the front row!  This 1915 photo does help us to appreciate the improved state of our St. Thomas Aquinas classrooms by the time we attended in the 1950s.  If you look closely at this photo and then at the later images in this blog which show classroom photos, you can tell the desks are the same.  They just don't build them like that anymore.

Source: Flickr

STA Church Mural

 Mural Behind STA Altar

Everyone of us probably remembers sitting in Church and staring at the magnificent mural painted on the wall behind the altar.  With the change, the wall behind the altar is now plain.  It is nice we have a photo of the mural.

Source: St. Thomas Aquinas School - Class of 1955 Website - Unfortunately, it appears the Class of 1955 has taken down its website as of February, 2011.

Gathering of STA Female Graduates at 1984 Siena Reunion

Photo courtesy: Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin

Many of the St. Thomas Aquinas female graduates attended St. Catherine of Siena High School.  In 1984, Siena had a 20th High School Reunion.   The women took the opportunity to have a St. Thomas Aquinas "Only" photo taken.

Back row:
Kathy Dobias, Sharon Rotchford, Kathleen Houlihan, Rita Flanagan, Elaine McIntyre (a Trinity H.S. interloper), Donna Falco, Diane Hallinan, Carole Keough, Carol Ruscik, Kathleen McClure

Seated:
Lucy Amore, Peggy Dernbach, Elizabeth Giangrego, Antoinette Malizia, Joan Laughlin, Mary Lynn McGuff, and Patricia Carroll.

Not knowing who was and who was not married at the time, only maiden names have been used to identify classmates.  Note: Image can be enlarged by double clicking on it.

Rosary Club, 1958

At our 25th STA Reunion, Barbara Bird asked:

"Does anyone remember the Rosary Club?" 

Although full membership is unknown, (does anyone out there know who all the members were?) this photo is from one of the Club's gatherings.  I seem to remember that it was also called Rho Chi - a bow to the Greek Sororities?

Photo courtesy: Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin

Front Row: Kathleen Hughes, Lucy Amore, Linda Kovach

Second Row: Mary Lynn McGuff, Peggy Dernbach, Elaine McIntyre

Back Row, Carole Broderick, Barbara Bird, Marion Riester

We are standing in front of Peggy Dernbach's home.

Msgr, William P. Long, 1880-1959

Chicago Tribune, April 7, 1959

Msgr. Long was the pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas most of the years we were members of the parish.  Many of the STA graduates from 1960 mentioned their memories of Msgr. Long.  Several noted that going to confession with Fr. Long was an experience, mostly because he was hard of hearing.  This evidently required the penitent to share his or her "sins" a tad more loudly than desired.

Msgr. Long died while we were in seventh grade.  Pastor Laurence Fitzpatrick replaced Msgr. Long.

Third Grade, Room 5, 1955, Class Photo

Click here for the other Third Grade Class room photo: Third Grade, Room 11, 1955

Note: All photos can be enlarged by double clicking on the image.

Who is in the photo?

1 Need Name; 2 Patti Ann Carroll; 3 Need Name; 4 Kathleen Hughes; 5 John Santoro; 6 Patricia Reithal; 7 John McGuinnis; 8 Margaret Dernbach; 9 Need Name; 10 Thomas O'Connor; 11 Barbara Bird; 12 Donald Rio; 13 Marion Reister; 14 Mary Lou Picard; 15 Mary Corsiglia; 16 Favin or Flavin twin?; 17 Joan Laughlin; 18 Michael McCloskey; 19 Joan Nallen; 20 Thomas McGrath; 21 Need Name; 22 Antoinette Malizia; 23 Mary Kinahan; 24 Francis Otto; 25 Favin or Flavin twin?; 26 Elaine McIntyre; 27 Need Name; 28 Arnold Carlstrom; 29 Diane Cullnan; 30 Need Name; 31 Need Name; 32 Need Name; 33 Need Name; 34 Need Name; 35 Need Name; 36 Need Name; 37 Patrick Arloff; 38 Need Name; 39 Need Name; 40 Need Name; 41 John Rigney (Sexton); 42 Irene Fuentes; 43 Linda Kovach; 44 Daniel Carr; 45 Alex Martini; 46 Need Name; 47 William Stocker; 48 Richard LaRose; 49 John Quinn; 50 Maureen Rigney (Sexton)

Please help us identify our classmates that are noted as "Need Name."  If you recognize anyone of them, please provide their name by clicking on "comments" below and sharing their name with us.

Photo courtesy: Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin

STA Memories

We all have many memories of St. Thomas Aquinas.  We thought you might enjoy seeing a list culled from the memories shared in 1985.  Do you have others?  If so, share them by adding them as comments to this posting.

Teachers

Sister Immaculata and candy bars in her pockets (First Grade)

The love of Sr. Mercy (Third Grade)

Miss Delaney and making bulletin boards (Sixth grade)

The day Mrs. Watts left, walking down the aisle of church at graduation (Seventh Grade teacher)

Miss Jones “dispersing” the mission bank across the room (Fourth Grade)

Sister Damien (Eighth grade – boys)

Sister Stella (Eighth grade - girls)

Piano lessons with Sr. Rosalie

Priests

Msgr. Long and confessions, especially our first confession, and learning Msgr. Long was “deaf”

Msgr. Long’s sermon on Sundays

Father Rabbitt

Father White

Religious Events/Experiences

First Holy Communion

Confirmation Day

Being an altar boy

Knees and back aching while saying the rosary on hardwood floors

Going to confession and not being able to think of anything to tell the priest

Mural behind the Church altar

Religious processions and rehearsing for them

Reciting from the Baltimore Catechism
Tom McGrath and his sacrificial lamb imitation

Athletics

Basketball games, especially Eighth grade

Football games

Playing baseball at lunch time near the “sign boards” on Washington Boulevard

Playing slap ball at lunch on the corner of Le Claire and West End

Playing ball on the blacktop
John Santoro attending the football homecoming party minus his front teeth

Eighth Grade Related Activities

Graduation Day

Eighth grade picnic

Eighth grade retreat

Eighth Grade Variety Show

Separation of boys and girls in the eighth grade

No caps and gowns for graduation

In Classroom Events

Lightening striking one of the empty desks at the rear of our fifth grade classroom

Acting out book reports

Fire drills

Warm milk for 2 cents a carton

Out of Classroom Events

Stint as a patrol boy

Being a hall guard

Walking younger students to the corner

Attending sock hops

Rosary Club
Being urinated on in the boys’ wash room (name withheld to protect both individuals - not sure 50 years is long enough!)

Best of All

Fun we had and Friends we made

Do you have some more memories?  Please add them as comments to this post.

I knew I was an adult when . . . Our Classmates' Answers from 1985

In 1985, our classmates were asked to complete the sentence “I knew I was an adult when….”

In alphabetical order, our responses were:

·        “I got call waiting.” Lucy Amore

·        “My first child was born.” Roger Anderson

·        “Still working on that.” Patrick Arloff

·        “Sometime in Viet Nam.” Erwin Bircher

·        “My first apartment, getting married, having a baby.” Barbara Bird

·        “I paid my first bill.” Carol Broderick

·        “I had to start working for a living.” Arnold Carlstrom

·        “Not yet an adult.” Robert Collins

·        “One summer evening at the drive-in . . .” Dennis Czechanski

·        “I have doubts about being an adult.” Kathy Dobias

·        “I realized that I was not defined by my job.” Thomas Donzelli

·        “I got this invitation and realized that youth has slipped by and it’s been 25 years since the good old days.  Also, it doesn’t help when your kids ask if they had airplanes when you were a kid.” Donna Falco

·        “I received this reunion notice.” James Finn

·        “I went to the draft board.” James Fitzgerald

·        “I had bills.” Rita Flanagan

·        “A 13-year old asked me if I knew that Paul McCartney was in a band before WINGS.” Elizabeth Giangrego

·        “I can’t tell the truth on this one, so . . . when one of my employees called me ‘mam’.” Diane Hallinan

·        “I’m still not positive all of the time, but then my oldest son left home to go to college and it’s pretty hard to deny it.”  Kathleen Hughes

·        “I started receiving reunion letters.” Janet Jankuski

·        “I had to get a job in order to live.” Carole Keough

·        “My child started school.” Mary Kinahan

·        “I was on my own in military duty.” John Kivlehan

·        “My mother complemented me on my apartment and cooking when I was about 28 and when I bought my first house as a single woman.” Linda Kovach

·        “Never came to any certain point with this sudden realization.  However, I am more like a child all the time, learning to obey my Heavenly Father.” Lynn Kryzak

·        “Has no intention of growing-up.” Joan Laughlin

·        “I could decide for myself that God really didn’t care if the host touched my teeth.” Antoinette Malizia

·        “I started to recognize my ‘child’ in my relationships, feelings, etc. . .” Kathleen McClure

·        “I was rudely awakened from a sound sleep in a military barracks in Texas by an ugly drill instructor.  He was yelling obscenities and telling me to get my lazy ass out of bed or he’d kick it back to Chicago.” Thomas McGrath

·        “I am a victim of the Peter Pan syndrome – I won’t grow up.  Divorce helped a lot.” Mary Lynn McGuff

·        “My hair turned gray.” John McGuiness

·        “I had to iron my own clothes.” Elaine McIntyre

·        “I reached five feet tall.” Walter McNeela

·        “I was married.” Joan Nallen

·        “I hope I never find out.” Thomas O’Halleran

·        “Uncle Sam said ‘I want YOU!’” Robert Parry

·        “I returned to St. Thomas to coach football in the late ‘60s.” Raymond Redding

·        “I realized that I was in charge of my own destiny.” Walter Renaghan

·        “Food turned me on more than girls.” Donald Rio

·        “I received this announcement.” Patrick Roche

·        “Life became more complex.” Sharon Rochford

·        “My son got his driver’s permit.” Carol Ruscik

·        “Does not yet know he is an adult.” John Santoro

·        “I could decide how I would live my life without worrying what other people would think.” Maureen Sexton (Rigney)

·        “Adult? Adult? Am I an adult?” Georgeann Stewart

·        “On July 20, 1969.” Lauretta Tantillo

·        “I had to start paying my own bills out of my own pocket with my own money – oh, owe!” James Tracey

·        “I started looking for an ‘oldie’ station on the radio and when my son started driving.” Janice White

What question would you like to hear our classmates answer in 2010?

Oh Those Pajama Parties!

Occasionally, on the weekends during sixth, seventh and eighth grade, the girls of STA enjoyed a pajama party.  We would sing while accompanied by a recording of the latest Broadway musical - Oklahoma was a favorite.  Sometimes we would tell ghost stories, holding flashlights under the blankets.  We would call up liquor stores and ask if they had Jim Beam in a bottle. When we were told "Yes" we would say "Let him out!"  And then start to laugh hysterically. We thought we were pretty funny.  And, of course, we talked about the boys.

Pictured here are: Jan Jankuski, Lucy Amore, Mary Lynn McGuff (laughing), Kathleen Hughes, Peggy Dernbach, Elizabeth Giangrego, Individual Unknown, and Antoinette Malizia (partial face).  Photo courtesy: Diane Hallinan

I'm sure the guys have many sport photos -- where are they?

What Does St. Thomas Aquinas/St. Martin de Porres Look Like Today?

The following photos were taken on July 12, 2010 -- 50 years and one month after we all said good-bye!

The Church still stands tall and looks stately on Washington Boulevard

The Church Rectory has flowers, a neatly groomed lawn and an invitation to participate in the Food Pantry and Resale Shop

 The School looks smaller than remembered

The "gymnasium" conveniently located off the alley!

And, the playlot where we all enjoyed daily recess at Leclaire and West End.  The asphalt is gone, but remnants of a parking lot remain.

Photos courtesy: Elaine McIntyre Beaudoin

Mary Lynn McGuff Dietsch shares a story about a visit to our alma mater in 2009

"I went on a tour of St. Thomas Aquinas School in January, 2009.  The Jesuits were using the building temporarily while their new school was being built at Jackson and Leamington.  They had a mass in the church followed by the school tour. 

The church is pretty much the way I remembered it.  It had been restored about ten years ago when St. Martin de Porres parish was formed from St. Thomas, Resurrection, and St. Mel.  It is beautiful.  The portraits of Msgr. Long were painted over.

The school is also the way I remembered it, but much smaller.  I cannot imagine how forty (or more) desks fit into each room.  We must have really been jammed in there.  The corridors are huge.  The students of Christ the King (the Jesuit school) were amused by the cloak rooms.  When I told the student leading the tour that I had been in one of the third floor rooms for eighth grade, she looked at me in disbelief.  

The Jesuits have moved into their new school and the building is empty again."

Mary Lynn

Tripping the Light Fantastic

Part of the parties during the fifties included dancing.  In this photo Walter McNeela and Diana Cullnan are dancing while Barbara Bird watches on.  Notice we always had our bottle of soda at the ever ready!

Photo courtesy: Diane Hallinan

Our Eighth Grade Report Cards

We were graded on our academic achievement in the following areas:

• Knowledge of Christian Doctrine
• Skill and Comprehension in Reading
• Knowledge and Use of English Grammar
• Expression of Ideas in Speech and Writing
• Correct Written Spelling
• Computation and Reasoning in Arithmetic
• Knowledge of History
• Knowledge of Geography
• Understanding of Government and Duties of Citizenship
• Understanding of Scientific Methods and Basic Scientific Facts

In addition we were graded on Effort, Conduct, Homework and School Spirit.

Do you remember bringing home these report cards for our parents to sign?  On the reverse of the card, there is an area where our teacher could place a "check."  If we had a check in the box for that grading period it meant that our parents had to "arrange to call at the school personally to talk with the principal or the teacher regarding the best interest of the child."