Humes High, Class of 1953 -> Elvis Remembered!

Thanks to E-Cat's posting Maywood Beach - Spring '53 for inspiring this topic.

Below are some choice vignettes from the Humes High, Class of 1953 web site.

Twenty-one classmates offer some interesting, first-hand observations.

Read carefully, you'll get a real feel for what those years at Humes were like for our hero. Overall, Elvis is remembered with a real warmth, and his musical ambitions were not a secret to those who knew him.

-----

Carole Kimbrell



Relda Alpuente, Georgia Avgeris, Frank Simonton, Virginia Eddleman and Elvis Presley were some neighbors I remember well. At school I made friends quickly with Rose Howell and Barbara McKenzie who became my closest buddies. My favorite teacher was Miss Thompson. She taught me to love books. I still love reading. I also liked speech and acting. I guess I've always been a ham.

I was very shy and afraid of boys my own age. But, I remember having crushes on Frank Simonton and George Blancett. Virginia Eddleman's family had beautiful voices and sang gospel music. She took me to hear them once when Elvis was singing on the same program. Soon after that my sister June and I ran into Elvis at the Suzore #1. He sat down beside me and after a while I felt his arm slide across my shoulder. I was so scared that we moved to another row. One night he was singing at the Humes Talent Show. My friend Rose left me to watch the white elephant booth while she went up and checked out the talent. Elvis sang while I was taking care of the booth so I never did hear him sing at Humes.

I worked at St. Joseph Hospital after school as a nurse's aide to save money to go to nursing school. Elvis' mother Gladys usually worked on the floor above me. Sometimes we worked together. She was a pretty lady who talked about her son a lot. She wanted me to come to dinner, but it never worked out. She taught me how to care for patients in a kind and gentle way. She was a great role model.


Betty Jean Moore-Munson



Whenever Elvis Presley walked by we would look at each other and laugh and giggle. (We both had a crush on him.) One day he walked up to Dorothy and asked her why we laughed when he walked by. She was so dumbfounded that she blurted out "It's because we think you are so good-looking." I guess he was surprised also; he just broke into a grin and walked away. I was just sitting there with the reddest face that a girl could ever have. Whenever I'm embarrassed, I blush so badly that I feel as though my face will ignite. My face didn't ignite but from then on whenever I would see Elvis coming down the hall, I would stick my face into a book and not look up.

Elvis and I were in Miss Alexander's homeroom in the 11th grade. She taught music, so the classroom was a music room. She divided our class into an "L" shape with boys on one side and girls on the other side. Elvis sat in the front row next to a guy sporting a Mohawk haircut. I sat in the second row of girls so I could see him very well and I often stared at him because there was something about him that I really liked. He didn't dress or act like the rest of the boys. He always had a lock of hair hanging to the side of his face.

He had a serious expression most of the time during the beginning of the school year. But, later in the year, he surprised us by playing his guitar before school several mornings. He didn't sing; he just played. He was accompanied on the grand piano by another student, Warren Gregory. We really enjoyed the impromptu jam sessions, but we kept our eyes peeled for Miss Alexander because we weren't real sure how she would react to our choice of music. We never found out because she never showed up while they were playing.

Elvis was very polite and respectful to all the teachers. He always addressed them as "Ma'am" and "Sir". He seemed very shy and I identified with him since I was shy, too. It was a very special year for me.

I remember him driving a maroon convertible; I believe it was a Lincoln.

Sometimes he wore dark colored pants with a stripe down the sides. I found out later that they were part of his movie usher uniform.


Carolyn Woodward-Cobb



I was in Miss Mildred Scrivener's 12th grade home room with Elvis. He never had any school supplies. He borrowed paper from someone every day. He looked so different from the other boys who had crew cuts and blue jeans. He wore black pants and his hair always hung down in his face. He was always very polite.


Ann Duncan Hearn



I worked at the National Bank of Commerce in Memphis. During the time he was recording at Sun Studios, Elvis Presley came into the bank quite often with Bob Neal, his first manager. He was always very friendly to me. He came in about a year after he was discharged from the Army. We had been talking for about five minutes when 10 or 15 screaming women came running up. He gave me a hug and left quickly. I never saw him again in person.


T. Don Sage



Miss Scrivener was also my home room teacher. I was the class treasurer and collected dues of 25 cents a week from each student. Elvis Presley was in my homeroom, but he was never able to pay the first 25 cents.


Rose Howell Klimek



After church on Sunday night, my friends and I liked to go to Leonard's Barbeque on Bellevue and then to East Trigg Baptist Church to listen to the spirituals. The church had a special section for white visitors. Elvis Presley was often there and occasionally sang with the choir. I loved to watch the people who got the spirit dance and roll in the aisles. I guess that's where the term "holy rollers" came from.

He was in the study hall where I called the roll. As soon as I called his name he would get up and leave. Then I would go downstairs to cashier in the lunch room. He was usually my first customer and always bought the same thing - two ice cream sandwiches.

One night he showed up at a school event wearing black clothes and pink socks. Miss Richmond didn't recognize him and asked me who that rogue was.


George Grimes



I am an eye witness to the fact that Elvis would make those moves that only he could make when he was walking down the halls of dear old Humes. He complimented me on a solo I sang for the Honor Society. We were in a talent show together and I liked to brag that I shared the same stage with him and didn't have to pay to see him perform. Billy Wooley, Dwight Malone, Sydney McKinney and I were a quartet. Everyone in the talent show got to make a trip to the University of Mississippi. I saw a bunch of students hassling Elvis about his hair and odd clothes and I didn't take up for him. I always felt guilty about that.


Dwight Malone



Elvis was different. Most boys had crew cuts and wore tee shirts and blue jeans. Elvis would appear at school in a pink jacket and yellow pants and a duck tail haircut. He was quiet, very courteous and largely stayed to himself. I did play touch football with him on the triangle at Lauderdale Courts. He was not fast, but he had very quick movements. He had those swivel hips even then. When he caught the ball, he was difficult to tag. He could swivel out of reach in a moment. To tag him, a player had to grab him and hold on until he could apply the tag.

Elvis and Warren Gregory were close friends. Warren was musically gifted. He could play a piano beautifully, the guitar, the trumpet and any other available instrument. He never took a lesson. He could play any tune he heard and improvise the melody. During the summer months Elvis and Warren would sit on the street curb, strumming their guitars and singing country songs. Frankly, in their early attempts, they were not that good. I think they had a few shoes thrown at them by the neighbors.

It was at the Humes Talent Show in April, 1953 that I realized that Elvis could really sing. I remember our barbershop quartet singing. I remember Gloria Trout, a gorgeous little blond dancer who was also a cheerleader. But mostly, I remember Elvis. There were no swivel hips. His props were a chair, a guitar and a loud costume. He put one foot on the chair, strummed the guitar and sang his heart out. To me, that was when rock and roll was born. The ovation was thunderous and long.


Rachael Maddox Van Waggoner



Glee Club was a favorite class because I truly enjoyed singing. In April, 1953, I sang "Because of You" at the annual talent show. I heard Elvis play his guitar and sing and was surprised by how much talent he had. I think his performance was the reason I asked him to sign my yearbook.


Lillian Jenne Sommerfeld



When Elvis first started to Humes, he was really poor. The office sent a letter home about a classmate who couldn't come to school when the weather was bad because he had holes in his shoes, had no warm coat and needed a haircut. It didn't name him, but we all knew who it was. My mom gave me a whole dollar (WOW!) and a jacket she had bought for my brother Bill (she explained that she would get Bill another jacket when my dad got some overtime). I was so proud to take the jacket and the money to the office. My parents had hearts of gold.

The day we got our annuals, I asked Elvis to sign mine. I handed him my pen and he said he didn't do well with a pen so he signed it with a pencil. He wrote "To Lil, With Love, El".


Bobbie Horne Mitchell



We lived at Faxon and Stonewall. Elvis Presley and I were good friends and he liked to come over to my house because my mother would make him toasted cheese sandwiches and his beloved peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

After graduation, when Elvis was beginning to make a name for himself as a singer, I received a phone call from Miss Ginny Allensworth asking me to come over to Humes and help Elvis with his English because he had been invited to sing on the Ed Sullivan Show. I laughed and said, "Miss Ginny, Elvis wouldn't listen to me when we were in school and I doubt if he would listen to me now."

I did meet Elvis at Humes and he agreed to let me coach him. After talking for a while, he said, "Well, if you are so intent on helping me, why don't you come to New York, too, to be sure I do it right." I ended up backstage at the Ed Sullivan Show and got to see Elvis perform.


Juanita Richardson-Mitchell



Before graduation we had a class picnic at Maywood. It was overcast and we went swimming and spent the entire day outdoors having a wonderful time. This was another one of those "lifetime learning experiences"- I learned that you can get seriously sunburned on a cloudy day! By the time graduation arrived, I had huge blisters, many the size of silver dollars or larger, all over my shoulders and back. The graduation gown was horribly heavy and hot - and I was really miserable. The moment the ceremony was over, I took my aching body home!

Since Elvis lived near by, I did see him quite a bit, but we weren’t close friends. We were in the same homeroom and had a class together in the 12th grade. I remember one funny story. We were invited to a weiner roast at Mattie’s house. I rode with Elvis and his friends because they didn’t know where she lived. When we arrived, Mattie’s dad was "supervising" the festivities. When Elvis got out of the car and started, well, being his usual nutty self by taking off a silly floppy hat and slapping it against his leg and dancing around to the music, Mattie‘s dad was not terribly amused. He was sure that Elvis was drunk. We convinced "Dad" that Elvis wasn’t under the influence; he was just "normally" that way!

After Elvis became well known, I saw him in Lowenstein’s Department Store. I didn’t want to bother him ( I figured that enough people were doing that already) so I walked on by. Then I heard him say "What! Aren’t you speaking these days?" I turned and said "Sure- I just figured you wouldn’t want to be spoken to!" He laughed and said "My friends will ALWAYS be my friends." We had a nice chat, right there in the middle of the store. It was nice to catch up.


Betty Yarbrough-Rotenberry



I remember Miss Morman’s class; guess it was because I didn’t know one musical note from another and still don’t. That was the only class I had with Elvis Presley. He brought his guitar to class and sang "Keep Those Cold Icy Fingers Off of Me". He probably never sang it again after the reception he got from her.


William Larry Curle



During his senior year Larry and I had Miss Moss’ 5th period American Problems class together with Elvis Presley. One day Miss Moss got so fed up with Larry and me she told us to take the rest of the day off and go to the athletic room. She allowed Elvis to tag along.

The three of us went riding in Larry’s red 1940 Studebaker that didn’t have a reverse gear. During our ride around town, we went somewhere to get Elvis’ guitar; he sat in the backseat playing and singing. Larry and I were both impressed with his songs, although I was more impressed, I think. Larry was also a talented singer. We talked about the upcoming talent show where Larry and I were appearing with several boys doing gymnastic things. Elvis said, "I’ll warm them up for you."

When that night came, he did warm them up! After a couple of his scheduled songs, the audience response demanded he sit on the apron and sing a few more. The show really finished when Elvis did, but we went on and performed our act without much distinction.


Marilyn Wade-Simpson



I remember him at the Annual Minstrel Show. I invited my boyfriend, Jim Simpson, who was pretty bored until Elvis walked out on the stage with a chair in one hand and his guitar in the other; then he got interested. Elvis put his foot on the chair and started playing. The PA system was poor and we couldn’t hear his voice very clearly, but we were impressed. Jim likes to claim that he made some comment like, "That boy will go far."


Mattie Rainey-Smith



Miss Mildred Scrivener was also a good friend of Aunt Yancie‘s ... Miss Scrivener and all of her sisters came to Yancie’s Beauty Shop. We fixed Miss Scrivener’s hair when she went to New York to accompany Elvis to the Ed Sullivan Show.

I never dated Elvis, but we were good friends. I helped him pass a couple of subjects. He came to my house once with some of my other friends and wound up being the life of the party. When I was riding the bus to school every morning, I would usually see Elvis sitting at the corner of Alabama and Poplar, listening to a black man in a chair playing a guitar.


Virginia Eddleman-Blackford



I had study hall with Elvis Presley (the flirt). He would blow kisses across the room at me. Once I thumbed my nose at him and said some smart remark back.

Everyone knows how Elvis loved "GOSPEL MUSIC." At Ellis Auditorium, the Statesmen Quartet felt sorry for him because he couldn’t afford a ticket and let him in the back door. My brother Jerry, my sister Darlene and I were called "The Eddleman Trio". We started singing acappella at ages 7, 8 and 11. After Elvis became famous, it occurred to me that "we" were singing on the stage while Elvis was sneaking in the back door. He later sang on the same stage at benefit concerts.

I lived in Lauderdale Courts during part of high school. Starting at 16, I worked Thursday evenings and Saturdays at Kresge’s on Main Street. I will always remember my salary - $7.10 a week - which went for school supplies, etc.

We all went to Senior Day at Maywood and I got a really deep sunburn. Elvis had rubbed suntan lotion on my back, but it didn’t work. I didn’t get to go to my own graduation because I had to sit on pillows for 4 days. Elvis asked me to go out, but I had to say no because of my sunburn. Otherwise, I would have said yes.


Peggy Fiance-Henry



Tommy Young took me down to WHBQ to Dewey Phillips’ broadcast, "Red, Hot and Blue." Elvis was in one of the sound rooms; George Klein and Tommy were helping Dewey. I was just there. Tommy told Dewey I was a little church-going girl and to watch his language while I was there and he did. I understand that was not normal.


Billie Ann Banks-Pilalas



I thought of when the English class read Macbeth. Miss Jennie Allensworth assigned the part of Macbeth to Elvis Presley, who promptly said, "Aw, Miss Jenny, you know I can’t read." Of course you know who was assigned Lady MacBeth, not only was I embarrassed about the part, but the words I had to read. Nevertheless we both survived it. Apparently Elvis was much better in his role than I was.

There was another memory about Elvis about ten years after graduation. I had taken a group of junior cheerleaders, which included my sister Donna, to Graceland. Elvis came out on the porch and greeted us and the cheerleaders did their "Elvis shake" (the old Humes High shake) for him. I had my annual with me and he asked to borrow it for a while and when he returned it, he had written "To Billie Ann, Many Thanks, from Elvis Presley" I never tell what he was thanking me for when asked. I just smile coyly.


Betty Diepholz-Loveless



I was President of the History Club in Miss Scrivener’s 12th grade class. She assigned me the task of getting Elvis to sing at our class party at Overton Park. He did and we all enjoyed the party and the singing. A few of us, including Elvis, climbed into L.D. Ledbetter’s car and went downtown to enjoy the Cotton Carnival. We rode the rides and hung out on the steps of the downtown library to listen to Elvis sing again. This attracted a crowd - the police came along and dispersed the crowd and we went home. Later, when we were signing yearbooks, we laughed about that night. Elvis wrote in my book "Remember Me - Elvis." Ironic that we all remember Elvis.


Edwin Leek



I gave Elvis $4.00 to make his first Dub at Sam Phillip’s Sun Records. It took him two months to get up the courage to do it. My idea was to make the record and knock on radio station doors to get it played and hopefully find him a singing job. Elvis was very unsure of himself in the early days of his career. I had a good time traveling, double dating, etc. with him until he went into the Army. He would call me to “round up” the bunch (about 16 total) to come to where ever he was to perform. He was afraid there wouldn’t be anyone there if we didn’t come.

He is still the only singer I listen to. I own the original Dub along with the music rights to it. I have allowed RCA and Disney to publish the music mainly so the fans can hear the two songs, which I felt, were very good. The record has all the elements that later developed into his personal style. I also still have the first commercial disk out of the labeling machine at Plastic Products on Chelsea Ave. (That‘s All Right and Blue Moon), which Elvis signed for me after I pulled it out of the collection box. I sold my Humes year book; my class photo and the little pink business card Elvis gave me ( to get back stage after he began famous) some years back for unbelievable prices. I figured they would be well cared for by Elvis collectors. I am considering letting the commercial record and perhaps the Dub find new homes soon. I am 70 years old and have no family except my wife to give them to. I have enjoyed them for over 50 years, along with my memories of Elvis.

Here is the Humes High talent show lineup, April 9, 1953:



And their graduation day program, June 3, 1953:






The future was just a short walk away.

great memories...hope they will all be contacted for the new SUN book ...!

During the summer months Elvis and Warren would sit on the street curb, strumming their guitars and singing country songs. Frankly, in their early attempts, they were not that good. I think they had a few shoes thrown at them by the neighbors.

After graduation, when Elvis was beginning to make a name for himself as a singer, I received a phone call from Miss Ginny Allensworth asking me to come over to Humes and help Elvis with his English because he had been invited to sing on the Ed Sullivan Show.

I remember one funny story. We were invited to a weiner roast at Mattie’s house. I rode with Elvis and his friends because they didn’t know where she lived. When we arrived, Mattie’s dad was "supervising" the festivities. When Elvis got out of the car and started, well, being his usual nutty self by taking off a silly floppy hat and slapping it against his leg and dancing around to the music, Mattie‘s dad was not terribly amused. He was sure that Elvis was drunk. We convinced "Dad" that Elvis wasn’t under the influence; he was just "normally" that way!

After Elvis became well known, I saw him in Lowenstein’s Department Store. I didn’t want to bother him ( I figured that enough people were doing that already) so I walked on by. Then I heard him say "What! Aren’t you speaking these days?" I turned and said "Sure- I just figured you wouldn’t want to be spoken to!" He laughed and said "My friends will ALWAYS be my friends." We had a nice chat, right there in the middle of the store. It was nice to catch up.

I remember Miss Morman’s class; guess it was because I didn’t know one musical note from another and still don’t. That was the only class I had with Elvis Presley. He brought his guitar to class and sang "Keep Those Cold Icy Fingers Off of Me". He probably never sang it again after the reception he got from her.

I would usually see Elvis sitting at the corner of Alabama and Poplar, listening to a black man in a chair playing a guitar.

Elvis wrote in my book "Remember Me - Elvis

I gave Elvis $4.00 to make his first Dub at Sam Phillip’s Sun Records. It took him two months to get up the courage to do it.

Even though these memories pre-date the scope of the SUN book, they might serve nicely as background information. And Ed Leek's stories DO fit the time line.

It was also VERY interesting to read of Elvis' lesson in elocution before going to New York for his second Sullivan appearance in October 1956 -- with some Humes folks in tow!

Excellent stuff! Thanks Doc

Excellent stuff! Thanks Doc

Thank you so much, Greybeard, I hope all is well!

Hi,

amazing memories indeed, Doc !
Many thanks,

See You

Vince

Very interesting - thanks.

Absolute dynamite. It's great to see some first hand experiences of what school life was like for Elvis and his contempories.

It seems he was more liked and more popular than he believed - the impression given from himself and later accounts is that Elvis was somewhat of a loner or misfit. When in reality he seems to have been very much admired.

Andrew

Very nice information. Thanks, Doc.

As published on EIN back on December 21st -

'Dear Ole Humes - The Humes High Class of 1953' book published: EIN has received this delightful self-published book recalling stories and comments from Elvis' friends and school colleagues. Although this has been locally printed, mainly for Humes classmates, the 160-page book is well worth investigating for people interested in Elvis' very early years.

As the editor/author Rose Howell - Klimek notes in the inscription,"The idea of doing a book about the Humes Class of 1953 came to me when I was taking a creative writing class at the University of Memphis and became a goal after I took a statistics class at the University of Tennessee. Although our class is known for having Elvis as a member, it actually was full of special people. During the 50th Class Reunion in October 2003, we had fun talking about the good old days. But, we also realized that out of a class of about 200, more than 50 members were deceased and many more couldn't be located. It became apparent eye needed to rite down our memories soon, or they would be lost forever."

Of course while many students had little to do with Elvis a surprising number tell some wonderful tales. While they are all "small" high-school stories it is their innocence and honesty that makes them so delightful.

For instance from classmate Ann Billie Banks,
- "I thought of when the English class read MacBeth. Miss Jennie Allensworth assigned the part of Macbeth to Elvis Presley, who promptly said, "Aw, Miss Jenny, you know I can't read." Of course, you know who was assigned Lady MacBeth. I was embarrassed about the part and the words I had to read. Nevertheless, we both survived it. Elvis was much better in his role than I was. There was another Elvis memory about 10 years after graduation. I took a group of junior cheerleaders, including my sister Donna, to Graceland. Elvis came out on the porch to greet us, and the cheerleaders did their "Elvis shake" (the old Humes High shake) for him. I had my annual, and he asked to borrow it. When he returned it, he wrote, "To Billie Ann, Many Thanks, from Elvis Presley." when asked, I coyly smile and never tell why he was thanking me."

Of course this book was compiled for the Humes High School families themselves and not for Elvis fans - but perhaps that is what makes it all the more honest and interesting to read.

EIN will publish a full review of this book in the New Year - however if any readers have an interest in getting a copy of the book, please Click Here. Note all monies received for the book will go toward the cost of printing and to charities only. Elvis would approve, in fact I could only think of what fun Elvis would have had reading all these little memories. Go here for more Elvis '53 stories and information (News, Source; EIN/Gansky)

http://www.elvisinfonet.com/index_dec07.html

It's a lovely little book full of delightful childhood memories and well-worth getting a copy if you like these early Elvis stories.

Cheers
Piers

Wonderful read doc ..thanks.....more Elvis history right there.

A very nice read Doc,thanks for taking the time to post
such great memories of his high school days.

EIN will publish a full review of this book in the New Year - however if any readers have an interest in getting a copy of the book, please Click Here

The full reviews (including the Billie Ann Banks Pilalas story) can be found on their website and is constantly being updated - it includes over 80 memories !
http://humeshighclassof53.com/looking_back.htm

Nice thread on an historic day, Doc. A few updated shots of the Humes (Elvis A. Presley Auditorium):





Our boy may have had this vantage point leading to the stage...





The "Red West/Elvis" bathroom...



The old gymnasium, adjacent to the stage...



Leaving the front entrance, facing Manassas...





GO TIGERS!!

great stuff, thx !

The full reviews (including the Billie Ann Banks Pilalas story) can be found on their website and is constantly being updated - it includes over 80 memories !
http://humeshighclassof53.com/looking_back.htm

Thanks again for the link -- the site's home page URL is at the very top.

Thanks everyone for the kind words -- it took a while to pull together. Not everything on that site is Elvis-related, but what you read here is the most interesting and relevant.

Great thread! Thank you for posting this Doc, your tops in my book! Great thread indeed!

JEFF d
EP fan

Great thread! Thank you for posting this Doc, your tops in my book! Great thread indeed!

Thanks for the nice words -- it's a cool way to think of Elvis on January 8.

Yes, it is a great way to remember him on today Doc! Thanks again!

JEFF d
EP fan

This topic is a breath of fresh air..

Thanks.

This topic is a breath of fresh air..

Thanks.

My pleasure!

While some members choose to troll, or constantly self-promote their websites on the forum -- we all know who they are -- I elevate the conversation wherever and whenever possible.

Great Stuff !!!!!!! ------Thanks,Doc
This is what we need here.

Great Stuff !!!!!!! ------Thanks,Doc
This is what we need here.

Mike - another fresh air - good to see you back !

My pleasure!
While some members choose to troll, or constantly self-promote their websites on the forum -- we all know who they are -- I elevate the conversation wherever and whenever possible.

DJC - I think you missed my point

Your post is indeed a fine post but i was noting..
a) I believe the images/words on the website are "Copyright 2004, Class of 1953, Humes High School" and so I do hope that you asked for permission to copy the "best bits". (you DO go on about copyright a lot.)
b) I was contacted by Rose the author who wanted to raise interest in her self publication (which you did too) but she would like to sell a few copies of her hard work rather than just having the majority of the best "Elvis bits" posted which might actually mean that less people buy it.
c) Rose worked for years over this "little" publication and as I noted (you didn't) Note all monies received for the book will go toward the cost of printing and to charities only. Elvis would approve,

I hope that people on this board do e-mail Rose to ask about a copy.
Rose Howell Klimek - humes53rose@aol.com

That's all,
Cheers
Piers