Hazel M. Wood, 20, Becomes Youngest Legion Auxiliary President‑This Day In Norwood History‑May 28, 1948

Norwood proudly claimed a remarkable distinction in the spring of 1947 when Hazel M. Wood, just 20 years old, was elected president of the American Legion Auxiliary to Post No. 70. Her election made her not only the youngest Auxiliary president in Massachusetts but, according to national officials, likely the youngest in the entire United States.

Hazel, who had celebrated her twentieth birthday only days earlier on May 14, lived at 102 Walpole Street with her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Blasenak, and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall H. Wood. She had just completed her freshman year at the Massachusetts School of Art, where she was preparing for a career in the visual arts.

Although her formal installation would not take place until October, Hazel wasted no time stepping into her new responsibilities. She attended the State Convention in Swampscott as a delegate from the Norwood Auxiliary, participating in sessions at the Ocean House with the seriousness and poise of a seasoned leader. There she met Mrs. Ruth Hutton of Minnesota, national president of the American Legion Auxiliary and head of more than 12,000 Auxiliary posts nationwide. Mrs. Hutton expressed full confidence in Hazel’s abilities, noting that while Hazel was among the youngest presidents in the country, she possessed the maturity and experience needed for the role.

That confidence was well‑placed. Hazel’s involvement with the Auxiliary stretched back more than a decade. She joined the Junior Auxiliary in 1936, the very first year it was organized in Norwood — and just one year after her grandmother, Mrs. Blasenak, had served as Auxiliary president. Over the next ten years, Hazel advanced through every office in the Junior organization before becoming a full Auxiliary member at age 18.

Her first senior office was sergeant‑at‑arms, followed by a year as junior vice president, giving her a strong foundation in the traditions, responsibilities, and service expectations of the organization. Legion work was not merely a duty for Hazel — it was a family passion. Nearly every member of her household was active in Legion affairs, and Hazel embraced the work with enthusiasm.

But her talents extended far beyond the Auxiliary. Hazel was an accomplished young artist who, in her own words, would “rather paint than eat.” The living room of her home displayed numerous examples of her skill — oils, tapestries, and children’s portraits, many of which she had already sold. Among her early commissions were portraits of the children of Boston attorney Bernard Killion, as well as works exhibited at Memorial Hall during an Auxiliary apron sale. Neighborhood children such as Janice Crowley and Nancy Saunders often served as her models. Though she worked in many mediums, Hazel preferred oil painting, and she was currently completing a portrait of her grandmother, along with studies based on old photographs from Mrs. Blasenak’s days as Mabel Ferguson, a performer at Boston’s Castle Square Theatre.

Hazel’s artistic gifts came from her father’s side of the family, but her interests were wide‑ranging. She had resumed her childhood study of the piano, sang in the St. Catherine’s Choir, enjoyed bowling, and spent summer days kayaking on Willett Pond. She was also an avid horsewoman, often riding for hours. On one memorable afternoon, she paused at home to give her horse a drink of water — only to have the affectionate animal follow her up the steps and across the front porch, nibbling shrubbery along the way.

Her wartime service was equally notable. During World War II, Hazel was the youngest volunteer assigned to the local Report Center, and on her very first night of duty she found herself confronted with an air‑raid alert — an unforgettable introduction to civil‑defense work.

The only thing Hazel disliked, she admitted, was spare time. Everything else — art, music, riding, Legion service, community involvement — she embraced wholeheartedly. With her energy, talent, and dedication, Norwood’s American Legion Auxiliary looked forward to an exceptional year under the leadership of its youthful new president.

(Norwood Messenger)

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