BK Media Digitizes 1960s’ Yearbooks

Article By: D’Lee Pollock and Prudence Nieder

Digitizing By: Prudence Nieder

Contributions By: Randall Sauceman

Photographs By: Jayden Keefer and Eli Neas

Videos By: D’Lee Pollock and Korbin Shriner

Chuckey-Doak High School began in 1959 in the building that is currently Chuckey-Doak Middle School. In 1957, the Greene County Schools Board of Education realized that Chuckey and Doak Schools were too small to house the future needs for our high school students. The board decided to combine the two high schools, bought property in Afton for the new school, and set plans in order in 1958 for the building. The consolidated Chuckey-Doak High School began classes on November 5, 1959. During this inaugural year, the student bodies from Chuckey and Doak were united in establishing a new school culture for CDHS, including branding their mascot in black and gold as the Black Knights. You can check out more from our oral histories in our 2024 video documentary titled Our High School Story.

The 1960 yearbook was christened The Accolade, reminiscent of the prizes won by knights during the middle ages. The inaugural book was dedicated to School Superintendent Howard McNeese as well as the Greene County Board of Education members: W.N. Williamson, James Ailshie, Ralph Stephens, W.W. Hartman, William C. Bible, John Blake, and C.H. McNeese. The dedication served as a reminder that these men had the forethought to plan this new school and unite these students towards this cause. The first accolade staff was advised by Librarian Joe Anne Lintz and Coach Bobby Broyles, and it was edited by student Brenda Thompson.

During the 1959-1960 school year, Mr. Claude Justis served as the first principal of the new CDHS, and he had 11 faculty members including: Nebraska Broyles (English and Speech Teacher), Bobby Broyles (Athletics Coach), Claudine Dixon (Home Economics Teacher), Kathleen Harold (History and English Teacher), Marilou Humphreys (Business Instructor), Joe Anne Lintz (Librarian), James Love (Agriculture Teacher), Mildred Masengill (Science and Spanish Teacher), T. Cloyd Neas (English Teacher and Student Guidance Counselor), James Slone (Math and Science Teacher), and Callie Waddell (Math and Science Teacher). This annual yearbook also records the first class officers, senior superlatives, hot lunches, clubs, fall festival, yearbook staff, and sports (basketball and cheerleading). The CDHS Charger (school newspaper) was also established the first year. The Accolade yearbook staff and the FFA (previously Future Farmers of America) club were established the first school year, making them the longest-running student organizations at CDHS. Although The Charger was created in 1959, it had a period of print interruption.

Mr. Claude Justis continued to serve as the CDHS principal through 1967, where additional faculty members, clubs, and events were added. Librarian Joe Anne Lintz advised the staff of The Accolade until 1983. School bus transportation was made available to all students in 1962-1963; Track was also added as the third sport the same year. The 1964 Accolade features some color photography as compared to the previous black and white print only annuals, and the staff of The Charger was the largest in school history up to that point. In 1965, the official CDHS seal was created. The Accolade from 1967 was recorded as the 7th edition, but it was historically the 8th edition.

1967 was noted as a year of growth for Chuckey-Doak for “building spirit-filled lives and disciplined minds;” it is also marked as a year of increased enrollment and more academic opportunities for students, such as the first on-campus analog computer. Drivers Education was also added in 1967. In 1968, John S. Waddle took over as principal for CDHS, and his tenure continued until 1972. The CDHS baseball program started at the end of the decade in 1969. This decade not only marked a historical decade for CDHS (founded in 1959-1960), but it also marked the beginnings of our modern sister high schools North Greene High School (1963), South Greene High School (1965), and West Greene High School (1966).

Our BK Media staff is proud to present these digitizations of our 1960s’ era Accolade yearbooks for our community to peruse and enjoy. It is our hope that the pride of Lower Afton is evident in these historical annuals, and we want to share this important history with our local Greene County Community. Please click the links below to view each of The Accolade editions from our digitized archive.

1959-1960 Accolade Yearbook, Inaugural Edition