Editors Note: Many thanks to Kevin Goodwin's Mother who preserved this article from the
Newport Daily News since our graduation.
De La Salle Graduates 51; Bishop Is Not Represented
Sen. Claiborne Pell urged 51 graduates of De La Salle Academy to have a
vision but especially to play a civic role and to vote, in his speech at the 45th
graduation ceremony last night in the school’s auditorium.
He deplored that hundreds of young people had come to his office after Cambodia
and told him how active they would be, but that only a few voted six months
later.
Young people, he said earlier, are asking questions about the pollution of our
environment and why it is allowed to continue “even here in our lovely
Narragansett bay,” about national priorities, about the existence of poverty
and hunger in a prosperous, affluent society, about the morality of
participation in the war in Southeast Asia, the safety of automobiles, the
adequacy of health care system, the fairness of tax laws.
Saying questions are being asked “about a selective service system that poses
awful moral dilemmas for our young men,” he told the graduates he was a few
minutes late for the start of the ceremony because he had been held up in
Washington by the Senate vote on the continuation of the draft. He said the war
must be brought to a halt.
Sen. Pell said it was a good thing such questions were being asked and that much
of the question is based on moral and spiritual concerns. “I believe we are
seeing in our country today, thanks to the young people, a resurgence of moral
concerns and a growing disenchantment with the illusory goals of wealth, social
status and power. The young men and women of today are asking, ‘How can I help
make life better.’”
It was the next to the last graduation ceremony at De La Salle Academy. The
school will be closed at the end of the next school year, and only seniors will
attend next year. Pell said the graduation was a “sad occasion” that since
boyhood he had seen the school in operation, “and now the school is
leaving.” Neil Galvin, class salutatorian, said, “When we leave,
we’ll be carrying on a tradition soon to be no more.” No other references to
the closing were made.
It was believed to be the first graduation in the history of De La Salle Academy
that the bishop or one of his representatives did not attend.
The De La Salle Glee Club, directed by Mrs. Alice Fitzgerald, sang “Men
of De La Salle,” the national anthem, the theme from “Love Story,” the
Negro spiritual “Jericho,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
The rt. Rev. Msgr. John T. Shea gave the invocation. The valedictorian was Anthony
J. White. Brother Joseph McGann, vice principal, presented the
class and Brother Anthony Scotto, principal, presented diplomas and
awards.
White received nine medals for honors. He received the Gold Medal for
Christian Doctrine, for English, and for the highest average in his
senior.
Neil Galvin was next in merit for all three. White the Gold Medal
for Biology, with Galvin and George Beaulieu next in merit. He
received the Gold Medal for mathematics, for science and for general excellence,
with Beaulieu next in merit for the three, and he received the Pell Medal
for U. S. History.
The Gold Medal for French was awarded to Beaulieu with White next
in merit. The St. Germain Medal of Merit was awarded to George B.
Coggeshall with Galvin next in merit. Galvin received the Gold
Medal as outstanding athlete.
The principal’s awards for loyalty and service went to Coggeshall and Galvin.
Galvin received a grant for scholarship aid donated by the Knights of
Columbus, General Rosecrans Assembly.
White received scholarship aid for mathematics and science, donated by
the Court Newport, Catholic Daughters of America, and scholarship aid for
excellence in Christian doctrine, donated by the Ancient Order of Hibernians and
Ladies Auxiliary.
Coggeshall received scholarship aid, donated by Joseph N. Behan in memory
of Capt. Joseph N. Behan Jr. of the class of 1935. Graduates were:
Bruce A. Allen,
George Noel Beaulieu III,
Michael Joseph Behan Jr.,
Robert Anthony Bouffard,
Lawrence Joseph Brouillette,
George Benjamin Coggeshall Jr.,
William J. Conheeny,
Richard Dennis Costa,
Michael Jay E. Crandall,
Barry Stephen Crowley,
Alfred Francis DeCotis Jr.,
Salvatore Richard DePasquale,
John Stephen DiSano,
Dennis John Dougherty,
Paul Brendan Edes,
Neil Patrick Galvin,
Lawrence Joseph Gomes,
Kevin Patrick Goodwin,
Robert Joseph Griffin Jr.,
Bartholomew Leo Grimes,
Peter Howard Hartmann,
Gerald Michael Huppee,
Thomas Andrew Jemo,
John Henry Johnson Jr.,
Stephen Francis Kelly,
Andrew Anthony Kenny Jr.,
William F. Kluth,
William Lawrence Leahy Jr.,
John Thomas MacKinnon,
Thomas Henry Magnan,
Francis Xavier Martin Jr.,
Stephen Paul Massed,
Michael K. McCarthy,
Richard T. Morrison,
Stephen Albert Mrozowski Jr.,
Lawrence O’Donnell,
John O’Neil,
George Stephen Pascoe, Jr.,
Paul Michael Primiano,
Christopher James Quinn,
Lawrence Donald Quinn,
James Raymond Ritchie,
James Edward Schuster,
Bruce Leon Shrake,
Joseph Paul Smith Jr.,
Timothy Francis Sullivan II,
Patrick Henry Walsh,
Paul Frederick Watterson,
Anthony Joseph White,
William Anthony Winthrop Jr.,
and Walter Clint Wright Jr.
Beaulieu, Coggeshall, DePasquale, Galvin, Goodwin, Grimes, Shrake, Watterson
and White are members of both the National and Rhode Island Honor
Societies.
Bouffard, Crandall, Martin, and Morrison are members of the R. I.
Honor Society.
