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Greetings, all. Francis here again. We have a guest column this week from Dick Klus, a member of the faculty whom we all remember well. Enjoy ….

In the fall of 1972, the Class of 1976 entered St. Xavier High School. As a group, they showed great promise, but I’m sure many if not all were apprehensive of the high school experience ahead of them.

I was serving in the role of Assistant Principal for Discipline/Student Affairs. During the next two years, I would get to know the members of the Class of ’76 well. Some of the ‘76ers I would get to know VERY WELL!

As I recall some 50+ years later, they were a well-behaved group. There were no major infractions of good order, but there were the usual misdeeds such as tardiness and violations of the dress code, typical actions of immature young men wanting to test the limits of good behavior. Then, near the end of the ‘76ers sophomore year, there was “The Bus Incident.”

A certain enterprising ‘76er sophomore, deciding he wanted the east side bus to detour from its prescribed route and drop him off at the front door of his residence, told the bus driver he would get him a better job with his father’s company if the driver would take the bus to his front door rather than stopping at the assigned stop at the street corner. Unfortunately, the driver swallowed the bait.

After some period (days/weeks/months?), the driver pulled to a stop at the ‘76ers residence; and, before letting the ‘76er depart the bus, asked about his prospects for a job with the father’s company. The ‘76er laughed and sneeringly commented that it was all a hoax!

The driver then refused to open the bus door…the strong-willed ‘76er attempted to bull his way out…the driver left his seat and grabbed the ‘76er…and they wrestled to the floor! As another student on the bus later described the situation to me, “Mr. Klus, all hell broke loose!”

Fortunately, the bus did not cause an accident and no students were injured. When I called the yellow bus company (not Queen City Metro) and reported the incident, the owner, a nice guy named Lou, with a crusty, gruff manner replied, “That S.O.B. is fired! You will have a new driver tomorrow!” Now I had to deal with the ‘76er, the other wrestling participant.

I do remember banning the ‘76er from riding the east side bus for the remainder of the school year. This was a punishment/inconvenience for the parents as the ‘76er’s father reminded me on the phone when he said, “Now I have to transport him to and from St. X.”

I can’t remember the additional discipline, but I didn’t like suspensions for several reasons. Rather, I probably enacted my favorite method of discipline: INDEFINITE JUG! Yes, that’s it!

EPILOGUE

In August of 1974, the School president, Fr. Schuler, asked me to become the Director of Alumni, Development and Public Relations, and Tom Meyer succeeded me as AP. I wish Tom was still with us to relate some tales about the ‘76ers’ junior and senior years. Tom was a great guy! RIP!

I do remember well the commencement exercises for the illustrious Class of ’76. The guest speaker was Fr. William J. O’Malley, S.J. Fr. O’Malley was a long-time AP English teacher at McQuaid Jesuit in upstate New York. He also played the role of a priest in the movie The Exorcist. Fr. O’Malley’s speech was one of the best commencements talks I’ve ever heard in my 50+ years of commencement talks.

It was so well received that Paul Zook and I printed it in the ST. X BULLETIN, the black and white publication circulated quarterly to alumni, parents and other friends. I believe it was in the 1976 summer or fall issue. Contact Nick Kemper, the capable and willing St. X archivist, for a copy of Fr. O’Malley’s speech.

In closing, I am pleased to maintain contact with the members of the Class of 1976 though reunions, Brewer Open Colf Outings, and monthly STOTM gatherings. Thanks for including me!

Dick Klus

Brothers, it is I, Francis, back again. No, I have not been aimlessly wandering in the desert,

nor have I been on a mountain hiking trip with Jesus.

I must sheepishly admit that even a saint can get writer’s block. To remedy this situation, I sought help from our friends on the reunion committee. They have told me that these events listed below occurred during our time together at Saint Xavier. However, I think these guys may be pulling my leg. I am not sure all this stuff actually occurred.

Please respond to my email or to the class blog, ST. XAVIER CLASS OF 1976 – A space for all things St X ’76, to let me know whether each of these events are true or false. After I receive all of your advice and am able to crowd source (isn’t that the term they use today) the correct answers, I will report back those answers along with the name of the most helpful classmate(s) (highest number of correct answers). That classmate will qualify for some serious swag for pick-up at the reunion.

Here is the list …..

1. The class of 1976 50^th reunion starts on May 28 with the ‘76ers escorting the Class of 2026 into the Cintas center graduation ceremony. Shortly thereafter, the class of 1976 will immediately be convened at a nearby local establishment.
   • True ____ or False ____
2. Senior year Mike Osterfeld led the football team in tackles.
   • True ____ or False ____
3. A certain chemistry teacher who shall remain nameless had a rare eye disease that caused his eyes to water and who would often visibly rub the eyes to relieve the discomfort.
   • True ____ or False ____
4. St. Xavier Chess Club reigned victorious over the city of Cincinnati and the state of Ohio our senior year.
   • True ____ or False ____
5. Before the nautilus machines arrived (I think sophomore year), young aspiring athletes lifted with free weights. Dick Piening made these available.
   • True ____ or False ____
6. From many a classmate’s perspective Justice Under God  was meted out liberally and somewhat capriciously. Mr. Meyer, who in a compassionate attempt to rectify this injustice, assigned JUG for those arriving late to school based upon the creativity of the tardiness excuse.
   • True ____ or False ____   
7. Tom Balaban was a true sportsman. In addition to serving as our head football coach, during the off-season, Bal was a Big 10 basketball referee and worked summers at River Downs.
   • True ____ or False ____
8. It is an urban legend of the 1970’s that high school boys were streaking the high school girls’ schools. Ursuline Academy purportedly was paid visit by a group of young naturalists. The girls, who quickly ran out of the school building to greet the lads, identified them as Men of Moeller because one of the visitors wore only a football helmet.
   • True ____ or False ____
9. Mr. Emmett, aka Latin Jack, helped bring back the yearbook, The X-Ray, after a two-year hiatus by serving as the X-Ray moderator during our Senior year.
   • True ____ or False ____
10. Before cross county highway became a highway that actually crossed the county, Caldwell Road was the chosen path for many classmates from the northeastern metropolis. While driving the family station wagon back home after school, a classmate played chicken with an oncoming driver. That driver lost and ditched into Hartwell Country Club.
    • True ____ or False ____
11. The ‘Harry Buffaloes’, who originated from the Class of ’76, were bound together in a passionate solidarity to save the America buffalo from the fate of the dodo bird. They conducted many fundraisers during our junior and senior year to save the American treasure from extinction.
    • True ____ or False ____ 
12. Every first Tuesday of the month, a member of the class of 76 hosts a happy hour for all classmates at a local Cincinnati watering hole. All classmates are welcome.
    • True ____ or False ____ 
13. Rich O’Connell was announced as ‘king’ during Homecoming game in 1976.
    • True ____ or False ____ 
14. During summer practice junior year, one of the  football coaches stopped all activity in its tracks as players and coaches alike listened to some smart, articulate manscaping advice for a senior running back.
    • True ____ or False ____
15. The Reds, aka the Big Red Machine, won the first of its two back-to-back NL pennants and subsequent World Series by defeating the New York Yankees in the 1976 World Series.
    • True ____ or False ____

Please help me sort out these event by responding to our blog, ST. XAVIER CLASS OF 1976 – A space for all things St X ’76.

Godspeed, Francis