The Class of 1917

Mildred Alberts, Bordner Ascher, Roscoe Askey,

Mildred Backus, John Baumgartner, Emily Becker, Morris Beddoes, Herbert Biersach, Raymond Billerbeck, Donald Billig, John Britt, Nina Brown, Maelyn Burchell, Edward Burwell,

Rose Cohen, Isabel Colvin,,

Earle De Voe, Ruth Dinderman-Terry, Francis Doyle,

Roman Edler,

Vena Frederick, Paul Frisbie, Herman Furen,

Lucile Gibler, Mildred Graham, Helen Gray,

Marion Haren, Marion Hilmer, Elmer Hodel, Mildred Holmes, Letha Howe,

Stanley Kahl, Harold Keister, Elizabeth Kelly, Delbert Kerchner, Myrtle Knauff, Katherine Knecht,

Chester Langenstein, Wilma Larimore, Alvin Lenz, Leferne Ley, Catherine Lichtenberger, Harold Liebenstein, Russell Liebenstein, George Lipscomb, Ruth Littlefield,

Clarence Mayer, Emma McMillen-Kincannon, Gladys Mellot, Edna Mideke, Beulah Miller, Katherine Molter, Russell Mulnix, Harry Myers,

Eunice Nagle, Charles Neuberger, Margaret Noble,

Paul Offenheiser, Royal Offenheiser,

Marion Patterson, Warner Paul, Grace Peck, Ralph Phillips,

Kenneth Ridgway, Harry Ritzman, Neva Ritzman, Leo Rowen, Ralph Rummelhagen,

Eleanor Sanford, Clarence Scanlan, Leonard Schaefer, Gertrude Schlegel, Dorothea Schmidt, Orville Schoeffel, Paul Schoeffel, Lucille Schroeder, Harry Seachrist, Joseph Singer, Ethel Smith, Roy Snyder, Oscar Speaker, Evelyn Staver, Harlan Stoller, Corall Strohm,

Mildred Taylor, Marguerite Tempelmayr, Clara Thoren, Josephine Thro,

Joseph Vaughn, Clyde Vipond,

Elsa Wagner, William Wilkinson, Harry Wilson, Barbara Winchell, Edith Wise, Olive Wolfe, Frances Wright, Blanche Wyler,

Henry Young,

Delbert Zimmerman.

World War I Veterans from the Class of 1917

Morris Beddoes, S.A.T.C., Navy.

Donald Billig, S.A.T.C., Beloit.

Herbert Biersach, S.A.T.C., Beloit. Died of Influenza.

Raymond Billerbeck, S.A.T.C., University of Illinois.

Edward Burwell, S.A.T.C., Northwestern University.

Earle DeVoe, U.S. Naval Reserve.

Roman Edler, Infantry, Overseas.

Paul Frisbie, Navy.

Stanley Kahl, Cavalry, France.

Chester Langenstein, Musician, Great Lakes Naval Training Station.

George Lipscomb, S.A.T.C., Northwestern University.

Harry Myers, S.A.T.C., Lake Forest.

Charles Neuberger, S.A.T.C.

Leo Rowen, Navy. Engineer's Department on Battleship "Georgia."

Clarence Scanlan, S.A.T.C., University of Illinois.

Oscar Speaker, S.A.T.C.

Harlan Stoller, S.A.T.C., Knox College.

Clyde Vipond, S.A.T.C., "Y" College, Chicago.

Delbert Zimmerman, S.A.T.C., University of Illinois.

George Dewey Lipscomb was probably the first black person to graduate from Freeport High School. He is the only non-white in the 1919 Polaris from any graduation class. Black Abe was the first black to attend Freeport schools in 1846, but I cannot find a record that he graduated.

In 1915, during Freeport's 80th birthday party, there was a pageant celebrating historical events in Freeport, including the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debate. Lipscomb played the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. (FHS principal Luther Fulwider played John Addams, father of Jane Addams; Frank Furst, founder of Furst-McNess played Abraham Lincoln; and Roscoe Carnahan played Stephen A. Douglas.)

Lipscomb won the State Oratorical championship while at FHS. He went on to Northwestern University, where he won other oratorical honors.

He taught at Wiley College, West Virginia State College, and at Howard University in Washington, D. C. His play, "Frances" won the National Opportunity Prize.

Lipscomb became a published author:

Bobby on Safari in the Elephant Country by George Lipscomb and Elton C. Fax (1938)

Dr. George Washington Carver, Scientist by Shirley Graham, George Dewey Lipscomb, and Elton C. Fax (1944)

Handbook for Students of Speech

Tales From the Land of Simba (A Wonderful World Book) by George Dewey Lipscomb (1961), written for the New York City Board of Education.

Lipscomb's co-authors are of note.

Elton Fax was one of America's best black artists. Over a 60-year career, he illustrated more than 30 books and drew a weekly cartoon strip, "Susabelle."

Shirley Graham was an early black American author, playwright, composer, and activist. She married W.E.B. DuBois.

His book about Carver has been translated into seven languages and is used by the State Department in information centers.

Freeport General Hospital in 1917.