Hawley High School Grads Gather To Remember

And Honor Two Newtown Athletic Pioneers

By Kaaren Valenta

The dedication of the athletic complex at Newtown High School in the names of the two individuals long revered as the founders of athletic programs in Newtown took place at the high school last Sunday as the culmination of the Hawley High School reunion.

All students that graduated from Newtown High School when it was located in the Hawley School were invited to attend the weekend reunion. More than 120 people — graduates and their spouses — attended.

The Harold S. DeGroat and Ann M. Anderson Athletic Complex honored the two high school teachers. Mr DeGroat coached boys’ soccer, football, basketball, and baseball while Ms Anderson coached field hockey, girls’ basketball and softball.

Both were inaugural members of the Newtown Sports Hall of Fame.

Inscribed on the memorial is, “In 1944 they established programs for youth and adults, including varsity sports, daily physical education and townwide recreational activities with emphasis on humor, effort, and sportsmanship. They retired in 1962 and 1964 respectively, leaving the town with a spirit for the importance of a strong mind and body.”

Coach DeGroat was the town’s first director of recreation, health, and athletics.

The Newtown High School Reunion Committee, formed a few years ago to plan the 50th reunion for the classes of 1949, 1950, and 1951, remained together to begin planning for the dedication of the back fields. Ken Pelletier, Joan Glover Crick, John Lorenzo, Mary Star “Skippy” Adams, Mary Elizabeth Buxton, Paul and Delores Allen, Stretch Forbell, Jack Cochran, Ralph Berkman, and Gene Buermeyer were among those who continued to work.

Three years ago, Mr Pelletier, Ms Crick, and Mr Lorenzo met with NHS athletic director Gregg Simon and former principal Bill Manfredonia to outline the committee’s desire to dedicate the complex to Mr DeGroat and Miss Anderson.

“We each told them of our memories of the days when they were our coaches,” Ms Crick said. “We got an enthusiastic response.”

The earliest class represented at the reunion was 1935. Eric Person of Fairfield and Grace Murphy Rooke of Bedford Corners, N.Y., came, as did Mr Person’s brother, Ray, who graduated in 1945 and lives on Toddy Hill Road.

“We only had 21 in our graduating class,” Eric Person said.

Hawley School was built in 1922 and graduated students until the high school (now the middle school) was built on Queen Street in 1954.