A reprise, originally posted in 2017, in honor of back-to-school time … 

Back-to-school time has arrived. Students have settled back into the hallowed halls of good ol’ RFH.

And with back-to-school thoughts come hopes of a good teacher or two and memories of the ones who we thought were the coolest. Then there were those administrators who weren’t just a Charlie Brown teacher voice cawing over the ol’ daydreaming student’s non-thought process. Some, or one in particular, are remembered as a real education innovators.

So, the Retro Pic of the (George) Day gives a look back at a candid shot of a popular RFH science teacher and a pretty well-received assistant superintendent who worked with the well-liked man in charge back in the 1970s, Dr. Kinney.

They are none other than Mr. James Parker and Assistant Superintendent Donald Trotter.

As this RFH grad recalls, pretty much everyone thought Mr. Parker was cool. The reality is that he probably wasn’t much older than the students back then. He typically stopped to chat with students in the hallways, was always calm and level-headed and, well, cool.

And he was always carrying a briefcase. A lot of the male teachers back then did that. But he always seemed to swing his around while he was chatting. Odd memory, perhaps, but vivid.

Here he is wearing his usual not-so-preppie, but cool-in-and-old-guy-way, sweater vest. Is that a Huckapoo shirt the collar of which he forgot to untuck from under that sweater vest? Hmmm.

And then there was the amenable administration under the reign of Dr. Kinney — a soft spoken, sweet intellect who had some great, groundbreaking administrative ways. Think mod, RFH folks.

Remember the “mod” system and “frees,” the senior and junior lounges? I wonder if they were on a “free” when George Day snapped this photo. What are they watching?

What do you remember about the days of Kinney? Who was your favorite teacher? And who’s the teacher in the background?

Thanks again, George Day, for this priceless RFH look back!

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