ELECTION DAYS • • • • •   The senior class of Richwood High School chose its class president on September 25, 1964, and its other officers on October 1. After posting that story (written in 1965) to my website, I found original notes from several speeches from those two election days.  They point out a minor error in the story:  Roxye Carter was not a candidate for class secretary but merely gave a nominating speech for Mary Sue Livingston. For history and posterity, here are those notes.   THE SEPTEMBER 25 ADDRESSES FOR CLASS PRESIDENT   MY SPEECH ON BEHALF OF ED FIRST VERSION Today we are seeing something new for Richwood High School:  a class election conducted the way it should be, with the merits of the candidates being honestly debated and discussed. It may interest you to know that this idea was brought up in Student Council last year by Ed Olson, along with Terry Rockhold, Kelly Drake, and Dean Lindsay.  It was referred to committee, but the committee never reported, and nothing came of the idea.  It remained for Mr. Cochran to take the initiative himself and institute the system which Ed proposed.  But, of course, this wasn't announced to the school until last Monday. Ed and Terry Rockhold thought that the elections this year would be the same as they had been in the past.  They feared that in a mere popularity contest, someone who had no real desire to serve — who had no plans for progress — would be elected. The president of the senior class almost invariably becomes president of the Student Council, the group that is supposed to represent the entire student body of this high school.  There are many things the Student Council could do and should be doing, and Ed and Terry wanted to see these things done.  So they took the initiative. In the two weeks prior to Labor Day they spoke to nearly 50 seniors, explaining what they would like to do if they were elected.  The response was overwhelming. You, the seniors, have demonstrated that you want progress.  Ed Olson has shown that he wants it too — that he is willing to work, on his own if necessary, to improve Richwood High School.   MY SPEECH ON BEHALF OF ED SECOND VERSION During the past three years, Ed Olson has noticed several things about the leadership of the classes of Richwood High School.  One of these is the fact that the leaders usually have been elected, not because they really want to be president or secretary or what have you, not even always because they would do a good job, but often simply because they are popular.  Many of these leaders don't have any definite ideas of what they want to do for their school when they get on the Student Council — and therefore the Student Council, as a whole, doesn't do very much. Ed has many ideas of what the Council could do and should be doing, and if he were president of the Council he would see that it adopted those ideas which the students it represents want. But of course, to do this he would have to be elected senior class president. The existing election system (before last Monday, when Mr. Cochran announced the change) provided no means for a candidate to tell the voters that he wanted to be elected and why he wanted to be elected.  So Ed and Terry Rockhold decided they would have to do this themselves. In the two weeks before Labor Day they personally spoke to nearly 50 seniors, explaining to them the seven-point program that was outlined in the letter we received last weekend. The response was overwhelming.  We seniors have demonstrated that we want progress. Ed Olson has shown that he wants it too — that he is willing to work, on his own if necessary, to make this a better high school. Let us give him the chance to do it.  Thank you. The Olson program includes something for almost every student.  Peggy Swartz and Dianne Steele will tell us about two parts of it.   THE LOST PERORATION WRITTEN BY ED OLSON SEPTEMBER 23, 1964, BUT NOT INCLUDED IN HIS SEPTEMBER 25 ADDRESS TO THE CLASS This fight will call for the best leadership we can find. And just what is a good leader?  Is he the Douglas Fairbanks type that arrives on the scene and with a few sharp, curt orders has the situation solved?  This is for Hollywood. A leader does not stand before you pulling you, dragging you towards success.  He does not stand behind you, goading you towards your goal.  But rather, he stands beside you, helping you, saying, "Here, give me some of that load."  He leads by working with you. I think, if you'll remember, that last year none of you were ever asked to do something that I myself wouldn't have done.  In fact, I did do many things myself, rather than cast the burden to your shoulders.  And the important fact is that through that kind of leadership, we put on the best Junior-Senior in the history of this school. The time has come.  The decision is yours.  What will your legacy be?  Conformity to tradition and the past?  Or bold progress for the future through individualism?     THE OCTOBER 1 ADDRESSES FOR OTHER OFFICERS MY NOTES ON THE SPEECHES   JoAnn Prichard for Class Secretary   Who would make best secretary?  Qualified, experience, best job.  Sec & Treas before; experience should be an asset, not a liability (e.g., LBJ).  Ed Olson's platform good;  I want to help attain these goals.  A chance to leave a legacy.  Vote for those with ambition who could get job done.   Roxye Carter on behalf of Mary Sue Livingston   Secretary as important as president.  Mary Sue qualified; has been Sec of other organizations.  Conscientious for Student Council.  Don't be contrary; vote for Livingston for secretary.   Mary Sue Livingston for Class Secretary   Have known you a while.  Secretary for Brownies, Girl Scouts, Methodist Youth Fellowship, camp.  Thanks for all who signed my petition.   Criss Somerlot for Class Treasurer   Skill in math, like it.  Never had chance to serve; will do best if elected.   Dianne Steele for Class Treasurer   Elections are here; we want to be elected.  "I'm honest"?  What do I say?  —  Well, you have shown you want progress.  Our mark on this school is what we want.  We don't have much of one yet.  Let's be remembered as progressive, not marking time.  —  Nothing I can say can change your minds, but:  if elected, will work with other class officers to make a program.   Terry Rockhold for Student Council Representative   Why do I want to be on Student Council?  (1)  Help get program passed (working on newspaper, other platform planks already).  (2)  Make Student Council a real student government; give it powers it should have.

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