Bruce M. Stewart, Linfield College Class of 1949

Bruce Stewart Linfield 1949
Stadium High School, Tacoma, June 1945
(Bruce Merwin Stewart)

Black & white photos from 1945 Stadium High School  Tahoma yearbook. Page from 50plus Magazine, Greater Portland edition. Aug/Sept 2023. Text follows.

 

=Community Voices

Long ago career still bringing smiles

By Bruce Stewart,  50plus Magazine, Aug/Sept 2023

I started teaching mathematics in 1949 at Salem’s Parrish Junior High. I had graduated Linfield College earlier with enough credits to teach grades 9-12.

After an interesting interview, the principal and vice-principal recommended me to teach ninth-grade mathematics. Only two courses were offered then: General Math and First Year Algebra. My assignment was to teach six classes of General with 36 students in each class. Over the next 10 years I was privileged to teach many wonderful students.

I usually began classes with a joke. Many were “guffaws,” others were poems, one-liners and groaners. My intent was two-fold. First, to encourage students to be on time, and second, to help settle them to be ready to learn. Generally, it worked!

Occasionally — inadvertently, or on purpose — I missed telling joke for a bit. It didn’t take long for a student to say, “Hey, Mr. Stewart, where’s our joke?” I would promptly go to my vast collection to try to catch up. Eventually students began bringing jokes for my files. To this day I have four folders filled with jokes, stories, cartoons, poems and pictures.

One class, second-period 1959-1960, students tired of my same old jokes and gave me a book in hopes of hearing new ones. I still have 10,000 Jokes, Toasts & Stories, which was a lot of fun. The real treasure? The notes from the 27 students who signed the flyleaf.

Bruce Stewart retired in 1985. Now age 95, he lives with his wife Evy in McMinnville.

 

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Info from poster:

Bruce M. Stewart graduated from Linfield College in 1949 and from Tacoma's Stadium High School in 1945. 

 

Bruce Stewart, long-time Salem School District mathematics teacher, still gets laughs from book given to him in 1960 by students at Parish Junior High School in Salem, Oregon

Bruce Stewart, long-time Salem School District mathematics teacher, still gets laughs from book given to him in 1960 by students at Parish Junior High School in Salem, Oregon

By Bruce Stewart for Wildcatville 7/30/2023

I started my professional career as a teacher of mathematics at Salem’s Parrish Junior High School in September 1949. I attended Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, and was graduated in the spring of 1949, having completed enough credits to secure a secondary certificate to teach ninth through 12th grade.

Carl Aschenbrenner and Neil Brown were Parrish principal and vice-principal respectively and, after an interesting interview, recommended meto teach ninth grade mathematics. There were only two math courses being offered: Ninth grade General Math and First Year Algebra. My assignment was to be six classes of General Math with 36 students in each class. And so it was that for the next 10 years I was privileged to teach many wonderful students.

My classes usually began with a joke. Many were “guffaws”, some poems, lots of one-liners and many groaners. My intent was two-fold. First, to get the students to want be on time, and secondly, to get them to settle down and be ready for the day’s lesson. Generally it worked! 

There were days when, inadvertently, or on purpose, I would miss telling a joke. It wouldn’t be long until a student would say, “Hey Mr. Stewart, you haven’t told a joke for a while.” Then I would go to my file cabinet and pull out a few from my vast collection to try to catch up. 

It got to the point where students would bring jokes to add to my files. To this day, I have four manila folders at least one-inch thick filled with jokes, stories, cartoons, poems, and pictures. The 1969-1960 school year was my last year at Parrish. I was going to North Salem High School to expand my opportunities to teach geometry, second-year algebra, trigonometry and whatever else they wanted me to teach. 

I would miss the eager ninth graders but would also be challenged by older, more mature upper-class students. Many of the ninth graders would be moving on to North High also and might have me for their math classes.

One class in particular, the second-period 1959-1960 class, decided they wouldn’t be able to stand hearing the same old jokes so they gave me a book in hopes of hearing some new ones. That book, which I still have, is called “10,000 JOKES, TOASTS, & STORIES” edited by Lewis and Faye Copeland.
Twenty-seven students of that class signed their names on the flyleaf.

…………..
 

MORE ABOUT BRUCE STEWART

Bruce Stewart grew up in Tacoma, Wash. He graduated in 1945 from Tacoma's Stadium High School. After graduating in 1949 from Linfield College in McMinnville, he started that year with the Salem School District and retired in 1985. Now 95-years-old, he lives with his wife, Evy, in McMinnville

1949-1960 Parrish Junior High School math teacher
1960-1961 North Salem High School, math teacher
1961-1962 Boston College, student graduate study in math
1962-1965 North Salem High School, math teacher
1965-1970 McNary High School, math teacher
1970-1971 Leave of Absence to be president of Oregon Education Assn.
1971-1972 McNary High School, Keizer, math teacher
1972-1980 North Salem High School, Dean of Boys and Asst. Principal
1980-1985 Mathematics Coordinator for Salem Public Schools
1985- Retired !

Photos: Bruce Stewart with the joke book given to him in 1960 by Parish Junior High students, close up of student signatures on the book’s flyleaf, and the book’s title page. (Tim Marsh photos). Bruce Stewart, North Salem High School teacher in 1974 (NSHS Viking” yearbook). 

1968: Ad Rutschman, Paul Durham, Henry Lever

Linfield College football head coaches (left to right) Ad Rutschman (coached 1968-1991), Paul Durham (coached 1948-1967) and Henry Lever (coached 1930-1938, 1940-1942). This photo may be the only existing photo -- or one of the few -- showing the three coaches together. It appeared in the May 22, 1968, McMinnville, Oregon, News-Register. The occasion was a May 18 farewell banquet -- in the college’s Dillin Hall -- for Durham. He was leaving Linfield to become University of Hawaii athletic director. Wildcatville photo
 

Linfield College 1969 Commencement inside Riley Gym not a disappointing venue for graduates who played Linfield men’s basketball

Linfield College 1969 Commencement inside Riley Gym not a disappointing venue for graduates who played Linfield men’s basketball

It’s always a backup plan for Linfield Commencement. It’ll be held outside in the Oak Grove unless rain requires moving it inside.

For Commencement on Sunday, May 18, 1969, it did rain. The ceremony was moved into Riley Gym.

Were members of the Class of 1969 disappointed about the venue? Probably.

But, those who played Linfield men’s basketball (there was not a women’s intercollegiate team at the time) likely were smiling about it.

Linfield basketball players who graduated during the ceremony included Loren Bruner, Dale Carpenter, Mike Conklin, Don Huld, Tom Leatherwood, John Puryear, Tom Rohlffs and Larry Sapp.

Riley Gym was where, led by Coach Ted Wilson, they played and won home basketball games before packed crowds. “It was our Boston Garden,” said Tom.

While it was not a game, Commencement was an event in Riley Gym in which they once again soaked up the applause and good feelings for a job well done.

 

DON'T FORGET THE 'L'

 

Think back to Riley Gym in 1969 (and other years). During home basketball games, one end was home of the famous “South Forty,” cheering on Linfield teams and chanting (and other things) versus Linfield opponents.

Facing the north end of the gym you see two double-door exists. Take the doors on the far right and look above you. Do you recall what you’d see? A giant purple painted “L” with an American flag blowing in the breeze created by an electric fan.

Thanks to these two photos by Tom your memory can be refreshed. You see:

• all of the "L" in the upper right hand of the photo taken by Tom as he sat in chairs on the Riley Gym floor with classmates.

• part of the "L" in the other photo. After the ceremony Tom took this photo of classmate/teammate John Puryear with (most likely) his mother and a sister.

 

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Headlines from June 15, 1966, McMinnville N-R/News-Register:Linfield wins nat'l baseball title

Headlines from June 15, 1966, McMinnville N-R/News-Register:Linfield wins nat'l baseball title

 

 

LINFIELDER JOHN PURYEAR, 1942-2023, Rest in Peace

LINFIELDER JOHN PURYEAR, Rest in Peace

FACEBOOK POSTINGS below about the death on May 25, 2023, in Sacramento, Calif., at age 81 of Linfielder John B. Puryear of Elk Grove, Calif.

He graduated from Linfield in 1969, and went on to teach and coach boys’ basketball at Pacifica High School (West Pittsburg, Calif.) and Mt. Diablo High School (Concord, Calif.)

Born 1/24/1942 (apparently) in Fayetteville, Fayette County, Tennessee, and died 5/25/2023 in South Sacramento, Calif. He was a 1964 graduate of Jefferson High School in Portland, Ore.

Nolan Mendoza on May 26, 2023, via Facebook
Bidding a sad farewell to a great man at MOUNT DIABLO HIGH SCHOOL AND PACIFICA HIGH SCHOOL.. teacher and coach, John Puryear ("J.P.").....R.I.P. MR.PURYEAR HE PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING

 

(Linfielder) Dale Newhouse on May 26, 2023, via Facebook
Proud to have been a friend and college (Linfield) partner. Excellent example of what Linfield expects of their graduates. God bless and rest in peace

Larry Hicks on May 26, 2023, via Facebook
Sad news. John Puryear, teacher and basketball coach at Pacifica and Mt. Diablo died Thursday night at Kaiser Hospital-South Sacramento. He was 81. John was even tempered and a terrific role model. He showed great patience to knuckleheads like me and along with other teacher/coaches such as Bill Matson, Charles Anderson, Sal Sino and Ron Remington were central in helping me grow as a person and athlete. He will be missed. RIP. Please share this on the Mt. Diablo page if you are a member there, too. — with Larry Estes and 15 others

Terrillynn Kopitar Costa on June 20, 2023, via Facebook
Mr Puryear's Celebration of Life 6/17/23 @ La Plazuela w Pacifica Spartans. Beautiful music, beautiful people, for a great Coach & Teacher. You are missed by many, bless your precious soul. — with Mike Costa and 2 others

 

Cheryl Seymour Gerber on June 19, 2023, via Facebook
More pictures from Saturday night at La Plazuela Restaurant for Celebration of life of John Puryear, teacher and coach at Pacifica High School, West Pittsburg, Ca. 1955-1976 and Mt Diablo High Schools! — with Mike Costa and 6 others

 

Larry Hicks on June 19, 2023, via Facebook
Nice gathering in Antioch Saturday evening to celebrate the life of John Puryear, teacher and coach at Pacifica High School, West Pittsburg, Ca. 1955-1976 and Mt. Diablo HS. Fond memories of the coach and good vibes seeing former classmates. — with Alex Dongallo and 3 others

 

NOTE: The 1950 US Census shows John B. Puryear (listed as “Johnny B. Peryear”) at age 8 in Fayette County, Tennessee, with his parents and siblings. Census says he was born in Tennessee. His father’s name was Rehobath Puryear. His mother was Betty M. Puryear. Both also born in Tennessee as were John’s siblings at the time. It’s a guess John was born in Fayetteville, Fayette County, Tennessee. Still have not figured out when the Puryears apparently moved from Tennessee to Portland, Oregon. During WWII a lot of people/families moved to Portland, Ore., and, across the Columbia River, to Vancouver, Wash. A major employment need was work in in the shipyards. However, the Puryears were in Tennessee in 1950, after the war was over. Perhaps they moved to Oregon because other family members moved there before them?