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ARTICLE 1 OF 2
Bullwinkle.................................Earl Johnston
Truckface.......................................Carroll Bibolet
Brick..........................................Lawrence Lear
Chip...........................................Francis DeGruy
White Whale.............................Danny Bakewell
Disney.......................................Desmond Ables
Dap............................................Edgar Dapremont
Gump........................................Rawn Davis
Bozo..........................................Gerald Brown
Jughead....................................Henry Braden
Bumpy.......................................Elton Sigur
Goose........................................Lawrence Francis
Flap............................................Edgar Carrere
Googie.......................................Sidney St. Martin
Rooster......................................Ronald Legeaux
Touche'......................................Richard Williams
Chubby.......................................Wayne Newman
Ghost.........................................Claude Gasper
Bozilla........................................Wilbert Gelleaud
Squeak.......................................Earl Hamilton
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St. AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF '65
ARTICLE 2 0F 2
NICKNAMES FROM THE 60'S
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PURPLE KNIGHTS OF 1965 RELIVE
THE ST. AUG EXPERIENCE
They gathered five decades later to relive the Purple Knight experience. St. Augustine High School classmates of 1965 attended their alma mater’s graduation ceremony on May 20, 2015. The 1965 alumni welcomed St. Aug’s 2015 graduates to the Purple Nation by participating in the graduation processional at Xavier University’s Convocation Center.
1965 marks a significant year in the history of St. Aug. That year the school was the subject of a Time magazine article with a headline “Separate and Superior“. The article states that St. Augustine has “become the southern supply point of an intellectual underground railroad with branches to all parts of the nation.” The article goes on to praise how students overcame adversities by noting: “St. Augustine High school in New Orleans has neither a gymnasium nor an athletic field, but its Purple Knights are champions in football, basketball, and baseball. St. Aug lacks an auditorium, but its theatrical productions are among the liveliest in Louisiana. St. Aug’s academic facilities range from a 7,000 volume library down to a biology lab without running water, but its best graduates get into the most competitive colleges in the U.S. often with full scholarships.”
The Purple Knights Class of ’65 is one of St. Augustine’s most distinguished groups of graduates. It includes businessman Danny Bakewell, who owns New Orleans radio station WBOK and the Los Angeles Sentinel newspaper. Restauranteur Wayne Baquet owns the ever popular ‘Lil Dizzy’s, which was visited by then President George W. Bush. Furnell Chatman became the first African-American hired by a New Orleans television news station and the first black person to anchor a TV newscast in Louisiana. Rhaoul Guillaume founded the engineering firm GOTECH and worked on construction of the Superdome. Joseph Ortique served as Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department. Paul Valteau was elected Orleans Parish Civil Sheriff and held that post for more than twenty-five years. St. Aug’s alumni from 1965 include civic leaders, doctors, lawyers, educators, businessmen, and others who have carried their high school banner into success across the country.
A devoted group of 1965 Purple Knights has launched this website staugpurpleknights65.com to celebrate fifty years of friendships, memories and achievements. It is also an effective tool to connect classmates and chronicle our 50th year festivities.
The Purple Knights of ’65 joined 1965 graduates from St. Mary’s Academy and Xavier Prep, now known as St. Katherine Drexel High, for a special gathering called “MAX 65.” The event on June 6, 2015 offered a unique opportunity to remember rivalries, renew friendships and reminisce about the challenges of the 1960’s. The “MAX 65” banquet was held at the Xavier University Center. The golden anniversary celebration for St. Aug’s ’65 alumni included festivities during the October 2015 homecoming week as well.
More than half a century later, their looks may have changed, but their allegiance to St. Aug has not. Those who donned purple and gold have done well with the foundation provided by St. Augustine High School. They are determined to ensure the tradition lives on for future generations.