March - Tourtellotte Memorial High School Alumni Association

hilltopper
Tourtellotte Memorial High School Alumni Association Newsletter
Volume 4 , Issue 3
EXPANDED EDITION
Ghosts of Tourtellotte Memorial
Left: The TMHS
clock located on the
1909 Tourtellotte
building. In 1909 the
hill on which the
school is located
was, for the most
part void of trees,
making the clock
visible to much of
North
Grosvenordale,
Connecticut.
BY: Staff Writer
Tourtellotte Memorial High School ghost stories
have existed since the school first opened its doors in
1909. The school was named in memory of Hattie and
Lucy Tourtellotte, Dr. and Mrs. Tourtellotte‘s
predeceased daughters. Lucy was born in August 1869
and passed away in July 1870. Hattie, born in 1873,
three years after the death of her sister, passed away
before the age of 12 in 1884.
More than 30 years later the Tourtellottes
decided to build a high school in their home town to
memorialize their children. In 1912, only two short years
after the opening of the school, Dr. Tourtellotte passed
away and Mrs. Tourtellotte suddenly found herself alone.
She concluded her business in Minnesota and returned
to Thompson, some suggest bringing the spirits of her
family with her.
Nonexistent children heard running the TMHS
halls at night or voices heard behind the locked Memorial
March 2011
ALUMNI BANQUET and HALL
OF FAME INDUCTIONS Set for
June 18th, 2011
The TMHSAA Banquet and the Hall of Fame
Committee have been working diligently to make this
year‘s events a memorable experience for all who
participate. Both events are set for June 18, 2011. The
Alumni Banquet will be held at the Thompson
Speedway, Thompson, Connecticut and will begin at
5:00 p.m. The Athletic Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony will start at 2:00 p.m. at the Thompson
Public School Auditorium.
The Alumni Association will open the
Tourtellotte Memorial Room upon the conclusion of the
Induction Ceremony for anyone wishing to visit.
th
The Alumni Banquet will feature the 50
reunion of the Class of 1961. Also, we are encouraging
classes who wish to have a reunion to use the banquet
as a means to get this done. Using the annual banquet
makes the task of organizing your class, finding a place
to meet, and developing a program much easier.
Come join us for a day of fun and celebration!
Note: Class of 1961 members contact
Henrietta (Groh) Panu at 860-923-2400
ALUMNI BANQUET TICKETS
continued on page 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Page 1 – Ghosts of Tourtellotte High School
Page 2 - Senior Day
Page 3 - 5 Things You May Not Know
Page 4 - Old Bible Re-Found
Page 4 - TMHS Winter 2011
Page 5 - Mr. Jerome Ryscavage Continued
Page 6 - 1968 Hilltopper
5:00 – 6:30 p.m. Cocktails
6:30 – 7:30 Dinner
8:00 – 8:30 Guest Speaker
8:30 – 11:00 Dance and Fun
Music by Romeo Mush Blain ‗72
Photos by Atlantic Expressions - Geoff Bolte '01
For tickets contact:
JOYCE (BARBOUR) MEZZONI
joycemezzoni@aol.com
Phone: 860-923-2233
2011 Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony
CLASS of 1961
Contact Henrietta Panu at: 860-923-2400
Or Email at: henriettapanu@att.net
Hilltopper 1
Admission - Free of Charge
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. June 18, 2011
Thompson Public School Auditorium
2011 Basketball and Senior Day
Above: The boys 2011 basketball team. Standing L-R: Coach
Tom Driscoll, Andrew Trudo, Evan Touchette, Greg Biron,
Keith Ducharme, Eddie Kopacz, Evan Majercik, Nick Authier,
Coach Tony Falzarano, Kneeling L-R:Manager Mike Adams,
Sean Houle, Don Scanlon, Shane Gleim, John Ruoppo, Tony
Mantelli.
Above: Coach Carla Faucher with this year‟s girls‟ basketball
seniors. Seniors L-R: Stefanie Faucher, Rachel Kopacz, Marissa
Tennant. Alyssa Bond. Bottom: The senior girls with their
parents.
Coach Faucher and a Special Bond
Above: The senior cheerleaders with their parents on Senior
Day. Cheerleaders L-R: Amanda Quattrocelli, Cali Castaro,
Amanda Mauki, Heather Bruyere, Makenzie Padula. Photo
compliments of Justine (Bodreau) Gendreau ‟81.
Senior Day at TMHS
Senior Day is a long-standing tradition at
TMHS. It is a day that honors the team‘s seniors and is
typically held during the team‘s last scheduled home
game. This year the ceremonies were captured by
Justine (Bodreau) Gendreau ‘81. If you want to see
other Senior Day photos check out Justine‘s
―JustShootMe‖ Facebook page.
PRESERVING TMHS HISTORY A TOP
PRIORITY FOR TMHSAA
We are looking for pictures and stories from
your time at TMHS. They can be about anything
Tourtellotte and can include athletics, classmates,
plays, special events, etc. Each month we would like to
feature pictures from the past. Send them to:
TMHSAA@Charter.net or mail them to Tourtellotte
Memorial High School Alumni Office, 785 Riverside
Drive, North Grosvenordale, CT 06255. We‘ll scan
them and send them back.
Coach Carla Faucher, TMHS girls‘ head
basketball coach, has been around the game of
basketball for some time. She played the game at
Marianapolis where she distinguished herself as one of
that school‘s very best. She then attended and played
basketball at Becker College located in Worcester, MA.
After college she coached basketball at Becker,
Tourtellotte, and Thompson Middle School. She left
basketball for a short period of time to enjoy her family
and is now back at the helm of the Tourtellotte squad.
The Tigers‘ February 13, 2011 home game held
a special meaning for Coach Faucher. She had coached
the departing seniors since they were young girls, among
them, was daughter Stefanie. It was the last game the
two would share the same basketball bench.
Stefanie is a 2011 All-State soccer player. The
other seniors included Rachel Kopacz, Marissa Tennant
and Alyssa Bond.
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
Initial membership due at time of application, yearly renewals due January 1st
of each year
Hilltopper 2
Regular Membership………. $15.00
Senior Citizens (65 and older)………. $5.00
Graduating Class………. Free
Send Checks to: TMHSAA, PO Box 437
North Grosvenordale, CT 06255
PHOTOS FROM THE PAST
Visit the TMHS Website at:
www.thompsonpublicschools.org
5 things you may NOT know
about TMHS
1. According to Betty LeClair ‘47, gas rations during
World War II forced children to walk most
everywhere. TMHS students would walk from as
far away as Quinebaug to attend school or visit the
CPAC to watch the Tigers play basketball.
2. The portrait of Mrs. Mary (Donnelly) Fisher in the
MRFES is called a Brush Oil Painting done over a
black and white photo. The cost in 1990 was
approximately $1,400.00.
3. Former superintendent Dr. Hardy served as a nonth
commissioned officer with the 25 Infantry Division
during the Korean War.
4. The 1986 TMHS addition was dedicated on
Sunday October 16, 1988 in the new double
gymnasium, later to be called the Canty
Gymnasium. Long-time town historian and TMHS
Memorial Room curator Alice Ramsdell opened
the Memorial Room for all to see.
5. Dr. Donald Hardy was one of our last long-serving
superintendents. He served 1979-1995.
Above: A picture of Steve Bodreau „82 with his circa 1980
Toyota truck. The picture was taken in 1982. Photo
compliments of Justine (Bodreau) Gendreau „81.
Left: the 1980
Tourtellotte Memorial
High School senior
class officers recently
found on Face book.
Top L-R: Pat Boutin,
secretary, Darlene
DeJesus, treasurer.
Bottom L-R: Vivian
(Verdone) Kozey,
president, and Brian
Witkowski, vice
president.
Correction - In our last edition we
acknowledge the Santerre family for being the
first 2011 family to join the TMHSAA as a family.
We did omit however, daughter Michelle who
graduated in 2001. Sorry Michelle!
GHOSTS – CONT.
continued from page 1
Room doors are all part of the folklore of our school.
Thomposonites of old went as far as to suggest the
Tourtellottes are, in some form, still there. Whether or
not we each believe in ghosts is a question we must
answer for ourselves, but before you do...
Bill Birch, Thompson Public Schools Facility
Director, while making his daily rounds on February 2,
2011, noticed the 1909 TMHS building façade clock
and soffit lights were not working. With severe snow
issues looming large, the clock and lights took a back
burner. A week later, while escorting workers to the
roof to remove snow and ice, Bill checked the clock
and lights and found they did not have any electrical
power, presumably a result of one of the many storms
experienced during the month of January; again the
issue took a back burner.
Then, on Saturday February 12, 2011, Bill
unexpectedly found the 1909 soffit lights under the
clock suddenly working and the clock hands moving
quickly as if being set. The problem was - there was
nobody in the building. Bill immediately went to the
attic to further investigate only to find that both the
soffit light timer and clock were perfectly set. They
have both operated flawlessly since.
There is probably a logical reason why both
devices suddenly and perfectly reset themselves.
There is probably a logical reason why the hands of the
clock where spinning on February 12 as if being set by
someone in the building. And there is probably a logical
reason why both have worked flawlessly since with no
interference from anyone at the school… But we can‘t
think of one.
Maybe, just maybe, Mrs. Tourtellotte and her
family still roam the halls of our school protecting and
caring for the gift they gave us so many years ago.
Above: An old tower clock mechanism found recently in the
attic of the 1909 TMHS building. The age of this particular
mechanism is unknown and is being investigated. The
mechanism did not escape the tradition of TMHS seniors
leaving their marks in the attic. Close examination of the clock
found signatures belonging to Bob Johnson and Patty
Bergeron, both of the Class of 1974.
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Winter 2011
Left: Snow from the TMHS
roof piled outside the new
TMHS school building. Right:
A crane used to remove the
snow from the roof outside
the new Thompson Public
School Auditorium. It was
estimated that more than
7,000 tons of snow were
removed from the roofs.
January 2011 set the all-time
record for most snow during
the month of January.
Thompson also has one of
the largest contiguous public
school
buildings
in
Connecticut with nearly 6.6
acres
of
roof.
Photos
compliments
of
Justine
(Bodreau) Gendreau ‟81.
Old TMHS Bible – Possibly the Tourtellotte’s – Resurfaces
TMHSAA SEEKING HELP IDENTIFYING THE BOOK
Left: The Reverend Alexander Fletcher Bible that was once
located in the 1909 TMHS library. Above: A picture of the
book‟s damaged spine. Photos compliments of the TMHSAA.
The Bible is now under the care of the TMHS school librarian.
A circa 1850 Bible titled the Devotional Family
Bible with Practical and Experimental Reflections on
Each Verse Volume II by Reverend Alexander Fletcher
D.D. was recently uncovered and shown to the Alumni
Association. The book was removed from the 1909
Tourtellotte library and carefully stored in a safe
location by TMHS librarian, Paul Ciandella during the
relocation of the high school library from the old 1909
building to its new addition.
The book is a 14.5‖ high, by 11‖ wide, by 6.5‖
thick leather-bound book with gold-leaf lettering. The
cover and binding is in need of repair, but the interior of
the book is intact and in good shape. Experts we have
contacted have all indicated the damage can be
repaired.
There is some speculation that the Bible once
belonged to the Tourtellotte family and was donated to
the school when Mrs. Tourtellotte returned to North
Grosvenordale in the early 1900‘s. Research of our
records and the TMHSAA archives is unable to prove
this.
Preliminary research shows that Bibles by Rev.
Fletcher were a popular item among wealthy families
during the early and middle 1800‘s. It would not have
been uncommon for a family like the Tourtellottes to
have a book of this nature. We contacted Julia Mahon,
long-time TMHS librarian, to see if she remembered the
book– unfortunately she did not.
We are asking all alumni members if they
remember the Bible or its story. It would have been
displayed in a prominent place during the school‘s early
years.
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Photos from the past
Jerome Ryscavage Superintendent of Schools 1947-1969
Above-left: Mr. Jerome Ryscavage while teaching at Marianapolis College, Thompson, Connecticut - circa 1944. Son Jerry
(TMHS ‟55), approximately six years old, is seated on the step to the right of his dad, and son Paul (TMHS ‟58), approximately
three years old, is sitting on his dad‟s lap. Above-middle: A 1935 Jerome and Viola Ryscavage‟s wedding photo. Above-right:
Jerome Ryscavage while playing football at Mount St. Mary‟s College, Emmitsburg, Maryland - circa 1928. Photos compliments
of the Ryscavage family.
Jerome Ryscavage – Continued
One of the greatest challenges the TMHSAA
faces is gathering and recording 102 years of history.
Because of the close-knit nature of our community,
capturing the detail that made our school and town
unique was simply not necessary as first-hand
accounts were always readily available.
As our older TMHS generations pass on, they
unfortunately take with them a little piece of our history.
This makes documenting what we can while we can a
top priority.
The TMHSAA, with the help of the Thompson
Historical Society, is working on a program that will
eventually make what we uncover available to all our
members. Documenting these stories here in the
Hilltopper also places these stories in the E-World for
all to find. To see this in action simply go to any search
engine such as Google or Yahoo and search, as an
example, ―Mr. Jerome Ryscavage‖ and you will get a
number of hits that now include past editions of the
Hilltopper.
Gathering these TMHS stories, these moments
in time, is not possible without the help of our alumni
members. Each piece of information you send to our
office, be it an old newspaper article, school picture, or
just an anecdotal story of the past, adds to our overall
tale.
Past Hilltoppers have featured stories about Mr.
Ryscavage. He was a significant figure in our school‘s
development and an extraordinary educational
th
innovator. With his guidance, Thompson‘s 19 century
educational model was slowly dismantled and upgraded
th
to a more effective 20 century model.
Over the past few years we have gathered and
pieced together a great deal of information about Mr.
Ryscavage and his history at TMHS. This included a
1970‘s recorded interview conducted by the Thompson
Historical Society with Mr. Ryscavage. This information
helped the TMHSAA spearhead a movement that
eventually led to naming the 1909 TMHS Auditorium in
his honor.
We recently received a number of photographs
and a biography from the Ryscavage family. We
extended the size of this Hilltopper edition in order to
include the biography. Simply waiting another month
didn‘t seem right.
The biography was written by Mr. Ryscavage‘s
son Paul (TMHS ‘58) with help of his brother Jerry
(TMHS‘55). Through a twist of fate that few in our town
understand, the Ryscavages came here to Thompson
for an educational opportunity other than Tourtellotte
and Thompson Public Schools… but we‘ll let Paul tell
that story.
The biography can be found on pages 7, 8, and
nine. We are certain you will enjoy it! If you have any
TMHS stories of the past please send them to
TMHSAA@Charter.net.
Hilltopper 5
Past Hilltoppers – March 1968
Above: A copy of pages one and two of the March 1968 Hilltopper compliments of Barry Kitka „68. This edition examines the
question, “What is the ideal student-teacher relationship?” Page two gives a 1968 update of former Tigers. If you wish to view the
text and you are viewing this Hilltopper online simply use the “enlarge print‖ option found at the top of the document. If you desire a
hard copy of the above edition contact us at TMHSAA@Charter.net.
TMHSAA Archivists Hard at Work
Thanks to TMHSAA archivists Gladys
(Krigsman) Tucker ‘52 and Rita (Groh) Rohr ‘56 we
now have three binders capturing pictures, articles,
brochures, and stories about Mr. Ryscavage, Dr.
Hardy, and Mary Fisher. The binders will be located in
the alumni office and are available for viewing by
contacting us at TMHSAA@Charter.net. We hope to
use this work in future Hilltopper stories.
Found in Mrs. Fisher‘s binder is a poem
written 22 years ago by Deb Spinelli for Mrs. Fisher‘s
retirement in 1989. We thought we would share. It
speaks volumes about how much Mary touched those
who worked for her and those with whom she worked.
Oz is classical fairytale
And Ours, is what you are to us
The children, the teachers, the people in town
For what you have given to us.
Each child will remember each verse that they sang
Their jitters, their costumes, the lights
All will remember how proud they all felt
On that great big Opening Night.
The staff will reminisce and sigh in the hall
About the rehearsals and schedule changes
But all will agree in spite of it all
The show helped self-image
The people in town will be looking around
For the Theatre they had in Thompson
The voices, the costumes, the precision and the style
In strict Mary Fisher fashion.
For me, I‟ll remember the work as great fun
As ideas transformed a big space
Into movement and song, color and warmth
Creativity all over the place.
As the fall of life encircles you
And you fearfully move toward retirement
Put your gift of theatre in prose with your wit
And write for us Children, Classical Scripts
All will remember OZ and the rest
For years and years to come
The part that they played or, the dress that they made
As the best thing that they‟d ever done.
Thanks, Deb Spinelli - 1989
Hilltopper 6
Jerome James Ryscavage, Sr.
EDUCATOR
BY: Paul Ryscavage ‘58 and Jerry Ryscavage ‗55
December 31, 2010
This brief biography is about an educator who
th
helped pull a town‘s educational system out of the 19
th,
century and place it in the 20 an educator in the
truest sense of the word, a leader of learning.
Any student who attended Tourtellotte
Memorial High School at some time between the late
1930s and late 1960s will remember Jerome James
Ryscavage - his dominating presence when he
entered the class room, his noontime talks in the high
school auditorium about studying and doing the right
thing, his watchfulness of the students outside his
office as they walked about the monitors.
His name today conjures up many memories
for the citizens of the Town of Thompson as well. His
determination to consolidate all the old village schools
into one big (and modern) elementary school - to sit
alongside Mr. and Mrs. Tourtellotte‘s gift to the town,
the high school - represents one of the most
significant ―resolves‖ of any school official in the
history of the Town of Thompson.
Rising Up from the Coal Fields
Jerome J. Ryscavage, a son of Lithuanian
immigrant parents, was born on November 16, 1908 in
the coal mining town of Plymouth, Pennsylvania. It
was down the Susquehanna River a mile or so from
Wilkes-Barre. This area of northeastern Pennsylvania,
lying between two mountain ranges, is called
Wyoming Valley. But it wasn‘t a pretty place. Collieries
were everywhere: mine shafts, breakers, coal cars,
tiny ―snorting‖ locomotives, and the ubiquitous heaps
of coal and its detritus were the prominent features of
the landscape.
Jerome‘s father was a miner. Together with
his father and mother and an older brother and sister,
they lived in a house on Shonk Street in Plymouth not
far from a colliery. The coal mines were the economic
―back bone‖ of the region. Plymouth was relatively
prosperous in those years, with a thriving Main Street
and crowded neighborhoods complete with churches,
stores, banks, saloons, and public schools.
From 1914 to 1927 Jerome attended the Vine
Street School and Plymouth High School, along with
other children of immigrant parents from Lithuania,
Poland, Russia, Wales, Ireland, and other European
countries. He distinguished himself in high school as
an athlete, especially as a football player. He played
center, both on offense and defense, and was the
captain of the team. Plymouth High School totted up
impressive victories over rivals from other coal mining
towns, and by the mid-1920s Jerome had become a
personage of the town. He excelled also in baseball,
basketball, and even track and field (in 1927 he
became Pennsylvania‘s champion javelin thrower).
Thanks to Jerome‘s athletic prowess this ―star‖ of
Plymouth High School received a football scholarship
to Mount St. Mary‘s College, near Emmittsburg,
Maryland. He was lucky; career-tracks for sons of
immigrants typically led to a coal mine.
From the Mount to Marianapolis
Mount St. Mary‘s College (now a university) is
the second oldest Catholic college in the country. The
grey stone, slate-roofed buildings sit pristinely on the
eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains overlooking
the Maryland farmland. Many of the students back then
were the privileged sons of successful businessmen,
doctors, and lawyers. Only a few students were offered
athletic or academic scholarships. It was at this time
Jerome began being called ―Jerry.‖
He chose the sciences and mathematics as his
field of study, however, it was [in] football and other
sports that he was expected to achieve great things.
Jerry did not disappoint the Mount. Their teams played
against opponents like Georgetown, Holy Cross, and
Navy, and both his specific exploits and overall ability
were well-noted. One story is told about a baseball
game against Navy when he hit a home run - with a
broken finger! With respect to football, in 1930 The
Baltimore Sun selected him for their ―All Maryland
Eleven‖ - in his junior year! As a lasting tribute to this
athlete, in 1976 Mount St. Mary‘s inducted Jerry into
their Hall of Fame for his achievements in football,
baseball, and basketball.
But it was Jerry‘s academic success, of course,
that would launch him. Upon graduating in 1931 with a
Bachelor of Science degree, the Mount awarded him a
stipend to study for his Master of Arts degree while
teaching chemistry and biology in the Mount‘s high
school. In June of 1932 he received his Master‘s
degree in public school administration.
Jerry left the Mount in the heart of the Great
Depression and returned to Wyoming Valley. Teaching
jobs were hard to come by. To earn money, he
returned to the gridiron and baseball diamond as a
semi-professional. In early 1934 he found a job with the
state of Pennsylvania‘s Bureau of Vocational
Rehabilitation--but more importantly he found his future
wife, Viola Helen Kazlusky. She was an elementary
school teacher in Hanover Township, across the
Susquehanna River from Plymouth. Her parents were
also Lithuanian immigrants and her father was a coal
miner.
Both Jerry and Viola were very close to their
Lithuanian parish in Plymouth, St. Casimir‘s Catholic
Church, indeed, they met there. Their priest had heard
about a teaching position at a new Lithuanian college in
New England, Marianapolis, and told the young couple
about it. The ―key‖ to their future had been found. On
August 14, 1935 they were married at St. Casimir‘s and
in September they left the coal fields for the pastoral
village of Thompson Hill, Connecticut.
The Link between Marianapolis and Tourtellotte
Marianapolis College, located on the former
estate of financier Norman B. Ream, opened its door to
students in 1931. A Lithuanian order of priests, the
Marians of the Immaculate Conception, had purchased
Hilltopper 7
it with the purpose of educating young American men
of Lithuanian extraction.
The newlyweds fit right in. They lived in a
furnished apartment in a house across from the town
common and they socialized easily with the Lithuanian
faculty and students. Jerry was now being called ―Mr.
Ryscavage‖ by his students. For the next two years,
1935 to 1937, he taught mathematics in Ream‘s
former mansion and taught science in a little stone
building (his ―lab‖) down below Ream‘s water tower.
The Rector appointed the former football star assistant
coach of the Marianapolis College football team.
In September of 1937, because Viola was
expecting a child, the young teacher-coach took a
second job teaching at Tourtellotte Memorial High
School in North Grosvenordale. Mr. Ryscavage taught
mathematics there also. The young couple had their
first son, Jerome James, Jr. in February 1938 and by
this time they lived in an apartment in Mechanicsville.
Nevertheless, the young family spent much of their
leisure time at the college, roaming the grounds of the
former estate, attending Sunday Mass at the chapel in
the mansion, and visiting with the Lithuanian students,
some who came from the coal fields of Pennsylvania.
With the arrival of their second son, Paul, in early
1941, it was clear that the Ryscavage family had ―put
down roots‖ in the Town of Thompson.
Mr. Ryscavage‘s educational career before
and during World War II was like the proverbial candle,
burning at both ends! Shortly after he began teaching
at Tourtellotte, he was named Vice Principal of the
high school. His friendships with the teachers, such as
Gladys Mowry, James Canty, and Mary Donnelly,
were growing stronger. But his ties to Marianapolis
had tightened as well. Already, in 1937, the college
had named him head of its Science Program, and by
the fall of 1944 he was asked to coach Marianapolis‘
football, basketball, and baseball teams. Perhaps as
an inducement to stay at Marianapolis, the school
provided him and his family a residence in the stone
gate house just off route 200 in Thompson Hill. But
opportunities in school administration in Thompson‘s
public schools were too promising. So, in 1946, when
it became known the current superintendent of
schools would soon be leaving, Mr. Ryscavage
accepted the position of Acting Superintendent of
Thompson‘s schools and Principal of Tourtellotte
Memorial High School.
The “Vision” of Jerome J. Ryscavage: 1947 to
1969
As acting superintendent in the 1946-47
school year, Mr. Ryscavage had the opportunity to
have an ―up-close‖ look at how the school system
operated. In the next full school year, 1947-48, he was
the Superintendent, and in August 1948 he wrote his
first annual report to the Board of Education and the
town.
He found the school in North Grosvenordale,
which accounted for 40 percent of the elementary
school children, in very poor condition. The little
schools in most of the other villages were also in need
of repair. Furthermore, these were multi-graded
schools, that is, one teacher teaching more than one
grade. On a number of other counts, he considered
these schools inadequate (e.g., lacking a kindergarten,
school lunch service, adequate play area, and fire
protection). His conclusion was that this part of the
school system was inefficient—its educational costs
outweighed its educational returns.
His recommendation to the Board and town
was straight-forward: Begin thinking about building a
single elementary school to accommodate all the
town‘s elementary school students in one place.
Clearly, this new superintendent, not yet 40 years of
age, had a vision.
He realized the town‘s citizens had lived with
this school system for decades. They were from many
ethnic groups, such as the French-Canadians, Swedes,
Greeks, Albanians, and those of Yankee stock. Many
of them were tied to the textile industry; some had long
agricultural traditions; and still others found their
livelihoods in thriving tertiary enterprises, such as
grocery stores, barber shops, bakeries, and gas
stations. Mr. Ryscavage now had to convince them to
change the way they educated their children.
Despite this challenge, it was a happy time for
him. His family had moved into Mrs. Jacob F.
Tourtellotte‘s former house on Main Street in North
Grosvenordale, the house she gave the town for use by
future school administrators [now the TEEG building] .
His sons were enrolled in the town‘s schools (even he
was enrolled in school, working on his doctorate from
1944 to 1950 at the University of Connecticut).
Marianapolis invited him to deliver the commencement
address at their 1948 graduation exercises.
Tourtellotte‘s graduating class of 1951 asked Mr.
Ryscavage and his wife to serve as chaperones on the
class‘s Washington trip. And, of course, he displayed a
former athlete‘s enthusiasm and admiration for the
Tourtellotte ―Tigers‖ when they won the state basketball
championships in 1949, 1950, and 1951.
By the mid-1950s, however, little progress had
been made on his vision. Mr. Ryscavage continued to
warn the Board and the town that the inadequate
village schools were showing more strain under the
growing school enrollment. He continued to make his
incremental improvements to the school system by
painting and repairing schools and adding modern
school desks and equipment. But a new elementary
school, of course, would cost lots of money. Absent a
―gift‖ from another Mr. and Mrs. Tourtellotte, the only
source of money for the project would be taxes, higher
taxes!
Finally, the town‘s officials decided to put this
issue to a vote, a referendum. The Superintendent and
others argued their case for a new school at town
meetings and other forums. The opposition, however,
had become entrenched because of the tax issue, and
they would win the referendum. During the mid-1950s,
the closing of the textile mill in North Grosvenordale
and the devastating flood of the town‘s villages had
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not put the taxpayers in a ―spending‖ frame of mind.
For Mr. Ryscavage, the defeat was probably
a ―harder hit‖ than he ever took playing football. But
he had also learned from those football games: When
you‘re down, you get up and get ready for the next
play. So he went back to running the school system.
He made his periodic visits to the village schools; he
took his innumerable rides on the school buses to
check their routes; he traipsed out on Main Street on
those dark, snowy mornings to see if the schools
should be closed that day; and he attended those
Board of Education meetings that lasted late into the
night. But his resolve never wavered; he was
determined to see his vision become a reality.
By the end of the 1950s, Mr. Ryscavage had
become a highly respected school administrator. He
was a member of the Connecticut Association of
School Superintendents, New England Association of
School Administrators, and American Association of
School Administrators, and chairman of the
Northeastern Connecticut School Superintendents
Group. He had also become a personage in the Town
of Thompson.
He was a Scoutmaster, Troop
Committee member, and Norwich Diocesan Lay
Chairman of Scouting, as well as a Trustee of the
Thompson Library Board, and member of the Knights
of Columbus and Community Fire Department.
Superintendent Ryscavage would continue to
argue for a consolidated elementary school building
whenever and wherever he could. With facts and
figures he would implore, ―…it is false economy to
maintain old and obsolete buildings which have
outlived their usefulness and do not meet the
standards in terms of today‘s needs.‖ By the 1958-59
school year, another referendum had been
scheduled—and this time the town‘s citizens voted for
a new school.
Mr. Ryscavage would watch the ―first shovelfull‖ of earth removed from the construction site of the
Thompson Memorial School, as well as carefully
oversee its construction. On October 2, 1960 he
witnessed the new school‘s dedication, and the
fulfillment of his vision. Not only did Thompson now
have a modern elementary school, but it also had a
kindergarten program, an industrial arts program, a
library service, a school cafeteria, and an improved
health and physical education program, all of it
together, at the top of the hill, in an ―educational park.‖
In the following years of the 1960s, the
Thompson school system would continue to grow in
size and improve in quality under its modern
consolidated program. The school curriculums, both
in the high school and elementary school, would be
revised and updated: art and music programs would
be expanded, a language laboratory would be
developed, and science laboratories and a business
education department would be constructed. Other
special education services for students would be
developed - a remedial reading program, a work study
program, guidance counseling, audio-visual aids, and
a teacher aide program.
Many advances were made to Thompson‘s
educational system during Mr. Ryscavage‘s tenure.
But when he retired in 1969, he acknowledged in his
last annual report that this progress could not have
been achieved without the very hard work of many
other people. He thanked all the various Boards of
Education he served under for their ―patience and
understanding.‖ He had only the highest regard for the
administrators, teachers, and supporting staff, for it
was they who actually made the system work. In
particular, he singled out Mary R. Fisher, Principal of
the Thompson Memorial School, and Lloyd Kelley and
Theodore Fatsi, Principals of Tourtellotte Memorial
High School.
Mr. Ryscavage was very proud of the
Thompson school system, but perhaps he reserved
his greatest pride for his students. He had counseled
so many of them, from selecting a college or course of
study to finding a job or a career path--or simply, to
just ―think!‖ Many, many followed his advice and went
on to become very successful and productive
members of society. Some turned out to become
teachers and administrators, coming back to
Thompson to be hired by him and to spend their entire
careers in the school system.
Retirement
Both Mr. and Mrs. Ryscavage began their
retirements in Quinebaug in 1969, after having moved
there in the early 1960s. For the first two years they
were very active, traveling, shopping, golfing, and
visiting their children and grandchildren in Maryland
and Washington, DC. But then, unexpectedly, Mrs.
Ryscavage passed away in August of 1971.
With faith and family at his side, Mr.
Ryscavage dealt with his loss and attempted to
resume his retirement. He played golf regularly at
Quinatesset Country Club; he visited his boys and
their families more frequently; and he became a daily
communicant at St. Joseph‘s Catholic Church in North
Grosvenordale. His occasional meetings with former
students and colleagues, friends and acquaintances,
sustained him as well.
Some people thought he had been a tough
―disciplinarian‖ during his years in the school system.
He didn‘t mind that though, because it was the positive
aspect of discipline that he realized was so important the need for a regimen, order, structure, and the need
to train, drill, and practice. He knew from his life
experience that education without this kind of
discipline was mere frivolity.
Mr. Ryscavage died in February of 1981 and
was buried back in Pennsylvania alongside his wife
and near many family relatives.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!
The Thompson Public Schools would like to replace
the lights in the Ryscavage Auditorium with age
appropriate lights. Unfortunately we are unable to find
a picture that shows the lights in the early years. We
need you to search your photos and memories. If
anyone has any recollection of the lights please call
Joe Lindley ‘74 at 860-928-5527.
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Tourtellotte Memorial High School Alumni Office
PO Box 437
North Grosvenordale, CT 06255
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
PLEASE SEND US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO:
TMHSAA@charter.net
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