Brick & Stone

Since my post on May 2 about the site of our old schoolhouse, I have been intrigued by the prospect of obtaining one or more of the two million bricks from the old building. To that end, I indulged in some historical research and detective work over the past two months.

I discovered that the old building was demolished by Vilbig Materials Company, owned by John (Buddy) Vilbig III, a third generation Texan. The business was located on Singleton Blvd. in West Dallas, and a street there is named for the family. Mr. Vilbig’s father attended school when it was Holy Trinity College, a forerunner of the first University of Dallas, long before the Jesuits acquired it, and graduated in 1911 or 1912. As noted previously, it was torn down brick by brick, and a good many of the bricks and other materials were salvaged.

Mr. Vilbig died in 2003. I located his widow Mollye, who now lives in North Dallas in the same neighborhood as former President Bush. Mrs. Vilbig lives with her also widowed daughter Madie Vilbig-King and her grandson, Jacob King, who just graduated from Bishop Lynch. Mrs. Vilbig informed me that some of the bricks were used for a patio and an addition to their former home on Hollow Way, also in the Preston Hollow area. She does not presently have any bricks, but she has several capitals and bases from the columns that stood at the three front entrances, including the Senior Steps. She has generously donated one capital and one base to our school. I have visited with Alumni Director Kevin Mullan regarding how and where to display these items. That is pending, and I am sure input from our class members will be welcomed.

In the meantime, I have continued my search for the bricks. As luck would have it, the old Vilbig residence on Hollow Way was demolished last August. I contacted the current owner, and was informed that there was a stack of bricks left there on site, and we could have them if they were the ones. Madie went to take a look at them, as she was familiar with the bricks, and even had weighed them. Unfortunately, the ones left at the site were not ours. Madie did, however, ascertain that the demolition company may have disposed of them in a landfill. At this writing, further inquires are being made.

As for the column capital and base, Dennis Calander, a friend of mine who happens to own Metro Brick & Stone Company (a supplier of brick for the George W. Bush Presidential Center), and I picked up one capital and base. Dennis is now keeping it for us to be delivered to the school when the display location is decided. As for the brick, Dennis, who knows his business, tells me that it is what is known as Corsicana Cherry-red, and is really good brick. He knows of the demo company that razed the old Vilbig house and will assist me in following up. I hope we are able to find some. Are there any volunteers to root around in landfills, if necessary?

The First Day of the Rest

Tuesday, May 28 is The Day when, 50 years ago, we received our high school diplomas, certifying that we could at least read and write. Actually, in the years forward, it became apparent that we knew a good deal more than just that. Too many of today’s college graduates are not as prepared for functioning as adults as we were. Most importantly, so far as I know, we all turned out to be good citizens. I might add that the Jesuits brought to us much of the best of Christian tradition.

In the local theaters that week were the "world premiere" of Peter Fonda and Sandra Dee in Tammy and the Doctor. Another first run downtown featured, Paul Newman and Patricia Neal in Hud, "A Story of Modern Texas," which was a screen adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s novel Horseman, Pass By. McMurtry achieved even greater fame with the Last Picture Show and Lonesome Dove. Recent news has it that the author had a sale of the contents of his bookstore in Archer City, the setting for the fictional Anarene. A re-run of Giant, first released in 1956, played at the Delman on Kings Road at Lemmon. For real class, there were 12 drive-in theaters operating, many of which featured The Naked Witch that week. For exceptional class (and nowadays exceptional political incorrectness), the Coronet on Fitzhugh ("adults only") featured Free, White and 21.

John Cuellar’s family’s El Chico restaurants featured an enchilada dinner for ½ price at 65¢ at the Lochwood location. Rival El Fenix did the same. Who was first? For other fare, you could have a combination seafood plate at the Zuider Zee Oyster Bar on Denton Drive for 95¢.

On another note: A previous post mentioned the demolition of the old school building, and asked if anyone knew the present whereabouts of any of the bricks. I’m continuing to look. More as it develops.

Sad Tidings

From John Cuellar:

Kevin J. Clancy '64 

Kevin Joseph Clancy passed away peacefully and surrounded by family at Medical City Hospital in Dallas, Texas on May 14, 2013. Kevin is survived by his loving, strong, and very funny wife, Ann Clancy; his children Danny Clancy and his wife Julie Clancy and their children, Dylan, Ryan, and Kylie; Kristin Ciccarelli and her husband Max Ciccarelli, and their children Cooper, Parker, and Wyatt; Tim Clancy, and his wife Traci Clancy, and their children McKenzie and Jack; Tripper Clancy, and his wife Maggie Clancy, and their child Olive; his mother, Irene Clancy; his sisters Kathy McDonald and Maureen Richoux; and an unquantifiable amount of extended family and friends whose lives Kevin touched over the years. Kevin was born in New York City, New York on September 5, 1946. After moving to Dallas, Kevin graduated from Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas in 1964, and went on to earn a B.A. and J.D. from Southern Methodist University, graduating in 1970. While establishing himself as one of the top criminal defense attorneys in Dallas over the past 40 years, Kevin cherished most of all the time he spent with his wife, children, grandchildren, and friends, leaving behind countless indelible memories of Cowboy games, annual trips to South Padre, St. Patty’s Day parades, golf outings and Sunday evening family barbecues in all of their minds. Services celebrating Kevin’s life will be held at St. Monica Catholic Church, 9933 Midway Road, Dallas, Texas 75220 on Friday, May 17, 2013 at 10:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made online to the Andrew W. Bark ’98 Memorial Scholarship Fund at www.jesuitcp.org/artforandy


Last Friday, 5/10/2013, the Dallas Morning News reported that Ruth Hartnett, wife for 45 years of our classmate Tommy Hartnett, passed away.

Ruth Hartnett

Ruth Roland Hartnett, 67. A celebration of Ruth's life was held Thursday, May 9, 2013. A family ceremony and burial was held at Grove Hill Memorial Park with Dr. Pete Deison of Park Cities Presbyterian Church officiating. Ruth was born in Dallas, TX to Robert and Becky Roland, where she grew up with two sisters, Jo Fox (deceased) and Libby Boggess. She is survived by her infinitely loving and extra caring husband of 45 years, Tommy Hartnett; the best children in the world, son Hiram Hartnett and his wife Kara, and daughter Hilary Pirkle and her husband Bill. She is also survived by her devoted sister Libby Boggess and her husband Holly, Jo's husband James (Foxy), step-sisters Judy Ray and Cindy Kemp, step-brothers Mike and Glen Morrow, sister-in-law Jeanine Hartnett, brothers-in-law Glenn and Dennis Hartnett, Michelle Wand and many nieces and nephews. She was blessed to have many grandchildren whom she adored: Will, Laurie Grace, Chase, Shaelyn, Kylie, Zoey, and Addison. Family has been a special blessing to her these last few years. She also cherished her three dogs and two cats, and all the pets who came before them. A special thank you to the doctors and nurses at Texas Oncology at Baylor Hospital and the wonderful staff at VNA Hospice, especially her nurse Chris. Special music at the graveside was provided by her son-in-law Bill Pirkle. A very special thank you to all the people who prayed for her. Ruth will always be remembered for her love of her family and animals, her sense of humor and her tendency to always be right! Memorials can be made with a donation to Straydog, a no-kill dog sanctuary: Starydog, Inc., P.O. Box 1465, Gun Barrel City, TX 75147.

The Old Renews Again

A six-story building on a site at Oak lawn and Blackburn in Dallas is set to be demolished.

No. This is not 1963, but 2013. The doomed structure is an office building located roughly where the east end of the upper practice field was on the old Jesuit campus. For the past 45 years or so this location has been known as Turtle Creek Village.

Lincoln Property Co., a well-known Dallas developer and investor last year bought Turtle Creek Village, a 13 acre mixed use retail and office development since the late sixties. The property was once about three-quarters of the old Jesuit campus bounded by Oak Lawn, Blackburn, Turtle Creek Blvd. and Irving Ave. This April 24, the company announced places for a "huge makeover" that will include a gourmet grocer The Fresh Market.

During our senior year, construction was already taking place on four acres of the lower field of what became 21 Turtle Creek Square, a high-rise high-dollar apartment building to rival older similar locations along Turtle Creek Blvd.

The rest of the land was sold to investors, and the old school was demolished during 1964. Unlike newer old buildings that are often imploded, it was torn down brick by brick, and the demolition took over six months. The estimated number of bricks was 2 million, enough for one hundred houses. In 1966, Turtle Creek Village was conceived, and was about fully leased and operating by the end of the decade. Among the tenants was the well known Mario’s Restaurant, which moved from Lemmon and Wycliff.

Now it is having a re-do. Given the activity in the Oak Lawn area and across the creek in what is now know as Uptown, it should be a success.

As for the old school, all that is left is a commemorative plaque on a pilaster in a parking lot near Oak Lawn Avenue placed there in 1992.

Some articles in the Dallas Morning News and other news sources can be found here. And  many thanks to Chris Bird for bringing them to my attention.

 

 

Does anyone have a brick from the old school?



Old Timers

Bill Murphy has provided these links for the old times.

The 40s

The 50s

The 60s

The Cars We Drove

Do You Remember These?

and,
Remember Those Old Westerns?

April 26, 1963 - The Night the Devil Didn't Win

The Devils Bowl Speedway was opened in 1949 in Dallas on John West Road near the back of Buckner Blvd drive-in theater. The Bowl moved to its current location in Mesquite in 1968, but in 1963, that racetrack was still at its original location. It featured stock car and other auto races, and was a popular venue for hot rod buffs.

On Friday evening, April 26, 1963, Roy Carter, who with his wife operated the facility, was changing a butane tank for a hamburger grill when it sprung a leak. Escaping gas was ignited by a water heater pilot light. The flames engulfed an office under the stands, blowing Carter out the door.

Carter’s 10 year old daughter Sandra was trapped in the burning office sure to burn to death when Dallas Police Sergeant Donald F. Flusche, Sr. broke through a ticket window, crawled inside and hurled Sandra out the window before escaping himself. Carter, Sandra, and Sgt. Flusche suffered painful burns, but all recovered. For his heroism, Sgt. Flusche received the Dallas Police Medal of Honor, the highest award given for exceptional bravery in the line of duty.

Only 26 officers have been awarded the Police Medal of Honor in the history of the Dallas Police Department. More than ten thousand have served, at least since badge numbers were first assigned. In 1963, three men were recipients: Sgt. Flusche, J. D. Tippit, who was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, and Nick McDonald, who would have been had not the web of his hand caught the hammer of Oswald’s pistol as the assassin was being subdued in the Texas Theater.

Don Flusche went on to serve more than 30 years with the DPD. I had the honor of meeting Don, Sr. my first day on the job as a police officer. His oldest son, Don, Jr. was one of my classmates in the 1972 Police Academy Class #123. One evening after class, Don, Jr. told me about his dad’s rescue of Sandra over a beer at Club Schmitz. He told me that Don, Sr. never mentioned it, except when asked, and then only to say it was "part of the job."

Sadly, Don, Jr. died of injuries he received in a car crash on Greenville Avenue in 1992 while responding to assist another officer. In 2004, Sgt. Mike Flusche, another son who followed in his father’s footsteps – almost literally – was awarded the DPD Medal of Honor, along with two of his fellow officers.

Donald F. Flusche, Sr. died in 2008 at the age of 80. Not the least of his claims to fame in this world was that he was a member of the first graduating class of Dallas' Jesuit High School in 1945. R.I.P.

Housekeeping Note Comments

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