Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: April 1989 Volume 27 Number 2, Pages 78–80

Notes and Comments

• School Superintendent to Retire
• A Bit of Nostalgia
• The Berwyn Post
• Tredyffrin Recycling Center
• Loose Change -- Literally

Page 78

School Superintendent to Retire

Dr. George F. Garwood, Superintendent of Schools for the Tredyffrin Easttown School District, will retire on June 30. Succeeding Dr. J. Maurice Stratton, Dr. Garwood came to this area in the summer of 1968 from the Whitesboro, N.Y. school district, where he had been assistant supervising principal for curriculum and instruction. At that time, Tredyffrin and Easttown were separate school districts but operated as a two-district jointure for the elemental school program and in a six-district jointure (also including Willistown, East Whiteland and Chariestown townships and Malvern Borough) in the secondary school program. It was in 1969, as part of a statewide reorganization of school districts, that the Tredyffrin Easttown School District was officially established.

At the time of the announcement last fall of his plan to retire, the School Board noted, "For the past 20 years, Dr. Garwood's performance has been exemplary, with the district achieving nationally recognized levels of educational excellence under his leadership. Dr. Garwood has exhibited the highest level of professionalism, competence and personal integrity throughout his terms as Superintendent. For his dedication, commitment, long hours and sacrifice, the District and Board of School Directors express their sincere appreciation."

Under Dr. Garwood1s leadership three schools in the district -- Conestoga Senior High School, the Tredyffrin Easttown Junior High School, and the New Eagle Elementary School -- received national recognition from the U.S. Secretary of Education for "Excellence in Education". During his superintendency the concept of homogenous grouping and team-teaching in the elementary schools was strengthened to foster each individual pupil's progress, and identifiable curriculum goals and objectives were established in all subject areas, for kindergarten through twelfth grade, to provide a consistency of program in the schools throughout the district.

Page 79

At the high school level, a program of broad elective courses was introduced, with a variety of courses in each subject area designed to meet not only the needs but also the interests of the students, while the extra-curricular program was expanded, especially for the girls, to effect gender fairness in the program.

One of his major concerns was a continuing search for tests that would measure the performance of students and effectiveness of programs in a, more meaningful manner.

He also streamlined the organization of the administrative offices, and was a strong advocate of the use of computer-technology, both in the classroom and in the business operations of the district.

As a tribute to his accomplishments in the district a scholarship fund is being established in his name.

A Bit of Nostalgia

An "earlier era" of the Quarterly was recalled in a letter we recently received from Tony Morelli, who now lives on South Leopard Road in Berwyn.

"It hardly seems possible," he wrote, "that close to fifty years have elapsed since, as a high school student, I was asked by Mr. S. Paul Teamer to work on the Quarterly. If memory serves me correctly, the years that I was involved would encompass parts of the years 1939, 1940 and 1941. ...

"I recall with fond memories receiving hand-written articles by the members of the club of that era, and in some instances they were somewhat difficult to decipher. After a period of time Mr. Teamer, who had been my History teacher and golf coach, gave me the license of editing and changing some of the sentence structure as I deemed fitting and necessary. It was my job to type the stencils, run off copies on the hand-run mimeograph machine in Miss Bertha Neiman's office -- she being the school secretary -- lay out all the printed sheets, put the pages in order, and at the end stapling everything together.... The articles ... were most informative, original in content, and exceedingly interesting. The members of that time were indeed devoted lovers of the history associated with our area. .. .

"If you will permit me some poetic license, pleae allow me to borrow from Bob Hope's theme song, and close by saying, 'Thanks for the Memories'."

Page 80

The Berwyn Post

Through the courtesy of Dan Vallese, of Devon, we have been able to make reproductions of the second and third issues of The Berwyn Post, and now have a complete file of this wartime publication.

The Berwyn Post was started in April 1943 by Bob Goebel, a 1933 graduate of Tredyffrin Easttown High School, unable to serve in the armed forces or defense work because of an old football injury that kept him confined to his bed. The purpose of the paper was to provide local information for and about T-E alumni and students in the military service. The first issue was mailed to 130 servicemen, but by the end of the first year the circulation of the monthly publication included some 500 people in the service -- and about 800 local residents interested in the letters, news, and comments from local servicemen then in all parts of the world. By the summer of 1945 more than 2500 copies were printed each month.

On September 22, 1944, Goebel was presented an American Legion Citation by the Dalton-Wanzel Post, No. 646, of Paoli in recognition of his work as founder and editor of the paper.

Goebel died in the hospital in June 1945 during an operation. Publication of the Post by the staff, however, continued until May 1946, fifty issues in all.

Tredyffrin Recycling Center

On April 30, 1989 the Tredyffrin Township Recycling Center, located behind the Township Building at 973 Old Lancaster Road in Berwyn, will be one year old. The Center processes newspapers (tied or in bags), clear or colored glass jars and bottles, and aluminum (non-magnetic) cans.

It has been estimated that the average Pennsylvanian throws out about three and a half pounds of trash each day. In the course of a year, this amounts to more than two tons of trash for a family of four.

Loose Change -- Literally

Some 5000 pennies and 2000 quarters were strewn over a section of U. S. Route 202 in Tredyffrin Township last winter when two bags of coins fell from a Brock's armored truck. The "windfall" occurred when the back door of the truck apparently flew open as the truck was traveling down the southbound lane of the highway. The roadway was quickly blocked off by pylons while the police and embarrassed guards recovered the scattered coins.