| Goldbug
Features |
| Jackie Robinson Maloney has written a memory-evoking article describing what it was like growing up in the 40's surrounded by Hodgen and McKinley classmates. | |
| Linda Wheat O'Connell has written a great article describing the area where she grew up. We think this article will bring back memories of a similar time in your childhood... | |
| Work | Tom Kiske has been a contributing writer to this website for some time now. He has currently penned a great article on the “work” performed by McKinley Goldbugs during their high school years. We think you will enjoy this trip back in time |
| Radio Days, Radio Nights | Spiro Athanas graduated from McKinley in 1960, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. Spiro has written numerous articles for this web site. Spiro now lives in Bloomington, Indiana. |
| EULOGY TO LOU LEWIS - by Les Goodman | |
| Sex education, which is sometimes called sexuality education, is the process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. Tom Kiske has written his interpretation of Dr. Bert Glassberg's sex education. It is also about developing young people's skills so that they make informed choices about their behavior, and feel confident and competent about acting on these choices. | |
| Frank Windegger '53, former director of athletics at Texas Christian University, was once again honored for great service in college athletics. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame has already announced that the TCU gallery in its new Southwest Conference wing will be named in honor of former Horned Frog athletics director, and notable Goldbug, Frank Windegger. | |
| Throughout our high school careers, there have been several educators that have had considerable impact on all of us. He wanted to his students to make a difference in the world, not just pass the class. His peers described him as compassionate, caring, and committed to his students. The article on Mr. Shewman is primarily my personal experiences with "Chas." A great teacher. | |
| Luigi's Pizza was one of the first pizzas in St. Louis to be served on a rectangular tray cut into squares, made in the old fashioned St. Louis Style. Luigi's recipe of Italian sausage and sauce simmered for hours the way things were made many years ago. Read this nostalgic article by Spiro Athanas to learn about the most fantastic pizza pie ever made. | |
| Paul Oakley has compiled some very interesting recollections about a unique period of football history at McKinley. The football teams he played on from ‘58 through ‘60 never lost a conference game, which continues to be the longest undefeated string in football in the city of St. Louis. This period of time was a period of glory and heart. | |
| Montgomery Clift had an aura that was seldom experienced in other actors. His presence on the screen was electrifying and he got much more out of the part than was written. Although he only made 17 films, he was nominated for an Oscar in the role of Best Actor in four of those films. He typified the emergence of a new breed of Hollywood star: Prodigiously talented, intense, and defiantly non-conformist. | |
| Tom Kiske writes about a very important date back when he was 18. We have all gone through these emotions; guys and gals. This article looks back at a date many years ago and recalls the feelings and emotions of that date. This article will make you want to hang on to the recollection of this date as long as you can. | |
| Spiro Athanas has written an interesting article about the change in economical perspective from 1950 until today. The average major league baseball player in 1950 made less than three times that of the median American Family. Today, the average major leaguer makes over 20 times as much as the median family. | |
| This is a true story that conveys the degree of personal reflections from the days at McKinley. I was in Rome on a business/pleasure trip when a guy walking along the street asked me if I knew where Trevi Fountain was. During the walk it became clear that this guy was going to test my McKinley street sense. | |
| Tom Kiske writes his personal reflections on a relationship from his days at McKinley. Tom writes about his thoughts and feelings after encountering some letters written back when he was attending McKinley and the closure that was achieved after 40 years. | Linda Wheat O'Connell recently found a treasure chest from a different era in her life. She wrote a very interesting article of this highly unusual hope chest experience which occurred a few weeks before graduating from McKinley. |
| John Wooden was not only an outstanding college basketball coach, but he is truly an outstanding person. He coached his UCLA teams to accomplishments that will probably never be equaled. More importantly, he taught his players about life; to think, to develop skills, to make decisions and to dream. | |
| Spiro Athanas grew up in South St. Louis as did nearly all of us that attended McKinley. He has written an article about the impact the old neighborhoods had on our development as we grew up in a totally different environment than the neighborhoods of today. | |
| Tom Kiske attended that special day in the life of all Goldbugs; the McKinley Centennial celebration, October 16, 2004. Tom has written his personal reflections of that special day. | |
| Frank Czapla was an incredible human being. He touched so many lives in such a positive manner during his lifetime. He followed in Coach Blanke's footsteps in more ways than one. This article is about Frank's life and the impact he had on many other's lives. | |
| Tom Kiske has written another very enjoyable article about every young boy's fascination with automobiles. This entertaining article brings back a lot of memories of high school days when your ride was everything. | |
| Paul Oakley played football among other sports while he was attending McKinley. While playing for extraordinary coaches, Paul gained a lot of confidence and learned a great deal that he has been able to incorporate into his life. | |
| Spiro Athanas attended the 100th anniversary of the opening of McKinley High School, which was held on October 16, 2004. After returning home from the Centennial celebration, he wrote his thoughts on how the celebration impacted him. | |
| While there are inherent risks in the attachments we develop throughout our lives, the pleasure we derive from these connections makes the risks bearable. To avoid all these wonderful relationships is to lead an empty life. This article looks at these attachments. | |
| Frank Windegger was awarded with Athletics Director Award, by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics for his outstanding service in college athletics. This article traces Frank's career at Texas Christian University. | |
| Tom Kiske and Mitch Kordonowy met at McKinley when they were freshmen and became best friends throughout their lives. Tom wrote a moving article of one of his experiences during his extraordinary relationship with his best friend. | |
| Tom Kiske wrote a couple of emails to this site reflecting his personal feelings about Coach. These messages summarized what many of us feel about Coach through Tom's personal words. Tom has agreed to allow us to publish these thoughts in this article. | |
| Spiro Athanas knew Leroy Glore as both mentor and coach. He relates a warm story about this wonderful Goldbug whose time was incredibly short, yet his accomplishments incredibly large. Leroy is a member of another well-represented McKinley family...the Glores. | |
| Both Carol Tockstein Gillam and Marge Disbennett Tockstein combined to write a touching article about the incredible Tockstein family. It is hard to imagine a Goldbug that didn't know one of the members of this McKinley family. Their lives have been living testimony to the values we learned while students at McKinley. | |
| Spiro Athanas tells the story of a letter of recommendation that Coach Blanke had written to Coach Puddington of Washington University and how it impacted his life. | |
| A pictorial tour of the interior of McKinley showing the changes that have taken place to the old school since we were all students at McKinley. It is now a middle school for gifted children. | |
| Tom Kiske writes of the origin of Rock & Roll music during his days at McKinley and the impact that it had on all our lives. To many, there is a higher degree of recollection of the music than of the material we studied while we were students at McKinley. | |
| Spiro Athanas writes of the athletic triumphs of his senior year at McKinley and the hardships and difficulties that had to be overcome in order to make it a championship year. This interesting and emotional article recalls the Goldbug spirit we all experienced. | |
| Pat Scott Adams reflects on the Girls Athletic Association which was the primary athletic outlet for female students of her era. Pat writes about her experiences in the GAA and how it impacted her adult life. | |
| Ruth McClain has written a thought provoking article that brings into question some very relevant factors of our lives during these troubled times. It also shows how a dedicated teacher, who had gone out of her way to share her love of language, can play such an important part in shaping the life of a student. | |
| Tom Kiske has spent some time looking thru his old Nuggets and has written his thoughts and feelings as he browsed those pages of his life at McKinley. You will recall your own treasured memories of those days when we asked our classmates to sign our yearbooks when we were students at McKinley. | |
| George Carlin, the controversial comedian, has created some very important tips on how to stay young. Plagued by substance abuse problems, he gained a reputation for unpredictable, often abusive onstage behavior. By the mid-80’s he resurfaced clean and sober and more introspective as this article reflects. | |
| A contemplative look back at our youthful expectations of the duration of friendships we made while we attended McKinley and how those perceptions of youth have been impacted by the reality of maturity. | |
| Ruth McClain has written a very interesting profile of Ms Klages. Say what you will about Ms Klages, I doubt if there is anyone that does not have a lesson learned from her indelibly etched in your brain. Whether you love her or hate her, I’m sure you will enjoy reading Ruth’s story of Theodora Klages. | |
| Tom Kiske's nostalgic morning walk to McKinley from the Soulard neighborhood where he grew up. It is a walk similar to the ones we have all made hundreds of times throughout our memorable years at McKinley. | |
| A brief accounting of a true story from a Christmas party that depicts how unique the Goldbug spirit is and how rare it is for those from other schools to experience that which we celebrate and enjoy. |