Overcoming Apathy—The 509 Graduates of the Class of 1974-This Day in Norwood History-June 2, 1974

Under hazy spring skies, a massive crowd of parents, relatives, and friends packed the bleachers at H. Bennett Murray Field to witness 509 graduates receive their diplomas at Norwood High School’s commencement exercises. It was a milestone afternoon marked by soaring celebration, local musical favorites, and an incredibly pointed, timeless challenge from the class’s top academic scholar.

A Call for Personal Responsibility

Taking the podium as the Senior Scholar (Valedictorian) of the Class of 1974, Laura J. Ratte did not mince words. Standing before her peers on Murray Field, she issued a direct call for individual accountability and active civic engagement as the class transitioned out of the structured environment of high school.

“While we were in high school, many things were decided for us,” Miss Ratte noted. “Now we are approaching the time when we must decide for ourselves… We can’t expect life to come to us. We must decide what we want in life and set about getting it.”

Ratte specifically targeted social and political apathy as one of the defining problems facing the youth of the mid-1970s, forcefully urging her classmates to wield their voting power.

“Many people are uninformed and have no desire to find out,” she said. “Another group knows the situation but does nothing about it. Both are wrong. It’s all up to us to make our lives something to be proud of.”

Following her speech, Ratte was honored as the top scholar of the class with the Michele E. Adelson and Bernard Weisberg Scholarship of $100, alongside a major $1,000 scholarship awarded by the Norwood Physicians of 45 Walpole Street.

Local Honors, Scholarships, and a 50-Year Surprise

Before School Committee Chairman Charles C. Saraca and High School Principal Dr. John F. Monbouquette presented diplomas to the 509 eager seniors, Class Day featured a live musical performance. Class members Robin L. Roth and William J. Doucette took to the microphones to sing a rendition of the contemporary 1974 folk-pop hit “We May Never Pass This Way Again” by Seals and Crofts—a fittingly nostalgic anthem for the departing seniors.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Philip O. Coakley then announced a wave of major academic scholarships, including a special surprise resolution honoring long-time School Committee member Henry W. Diggs. The resolution recognized Mr. Diggs for his 18 years of continuous service on the school board and noted that he had graduated from Norwood High School exactly 50 years prior, in 1924.

Dr. Coakley also distributed the prestigious John Many Lane Medals to the top 78 students in academic class standing, followed by several marquee community awards:

• Patrick Kelliher: Received a $1,000 scholarship from American Legion Post 70.
• Lisa J. Giunchetto: Awarded the $1,000 Andrew B. Boch Memorial Scholarship (she also won the German language prize).
• Dawn M. Colleary: Recipient of the $1,000 Anthony B. Sansone Scholarship.
• James P. Hermann: Ranked third in the graduating class, receiving a $100 Kiwanis Club scholarship and the prestigious Berwick English Prize.
• Maryanna R. Williams: Awarded the Mary T. Reagan Memorial Scholarship, established by the family of Miss Reagan (a beloved member of the previous year’s Class of 1973 who had tragically passed away). Williams also shared a Canton Art Association scholarship with classmate Pamela M. Clifford.

The Traditional Cap Toss

Once the final names were read—ranging alphabetically from James M. Acker to Stephen S. Zinkowski—the ceremony concluded with a burst of pure 1970s exuberance. Breaking the formal protocol of the afternoon, the newly minted graduates simultaneously tossed their mortarboards high into the air over Murray Field, celebrating the end of their childhood and the beginning of their independent journeys.

Were you one of the 509 graduates on Murray Field in 1974, or do you have family who were? We want to preserve the memories, photographs, and personal stories of the Class of 1974. Help us catalog this era of Mustang history by connecting with us at info@norwoodhistoricalsociety.org.