The Class of 1935 is one of the largest to have graduated from Ritzville with 67 members; 33 women and 34 men. There are currently 17 living members, 49 deceased, and 1 that we are unable to locate.

Radio was the major form of electronic communication in 1935. Here are a few of the highlights:

Mar. 4 The inauguration of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt was broadcast worldwide; the sound of sleet striking the microphone could be heard as he proclaimed, "Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." On Mar. 12, he adopted a quieter approach in the first of his "Fireside Chats."

July 24 The Romance of Helen Trent first went on the air in Chicago. It was the forerunner of many daily, 15-minute soap operas. The program lasted until June 24, 1960. During its 27-year run, three actresses played Helen--Virginia Clark and Betty Ruth Smith in Chicago, and later Julie Stevens in New York. Helen was melodramatic even by soap opera standards. So intense was its following that at the height of its popularity Helen (not the actresses who played her) received 1,000 letters a week offering advice on her many problems.

As unemployment climbed to 24.9%, people relied more and more upon radio's "free" entertainment. Debuts this year included The Lone Ranger, Ma Perkins, The Breakfast Club, Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, and The Jack Pearl Show, an overnight sensation.

Fibber McGee and Molly made its NBC debut. Unlikely candidates for stardom, the two small-time vaudevillians from Peoria who played Fibber and Molly (Jim and Marian Jordan) had knocked around the B-circuit for years, often returning to their hometown in between gigs to take on a variety of odd jobs. Eventually, they drifted into Chicago radio, where in 1931 they met Don Quinn, who created the characters which made them famous.

A couple of more serious efforts also debuted this year-the prestigious Cavalcade of America and the spooky Lights Out.

G-man Melvin Purvis raised eyebrows when, during the course of a radio interview, he let out a loud belch. The program's sponsor, Fleischmann's Yeast, was not amused.

No other program on the air ran as long with so many complete changes of format, character, and personnel as Your Hit Parade. It began in April, 1935, and ended in April, 1959. America's Saturday night mania during its heyday, the early 1940s, was to discover which song was Number One on the Hit Parade, and wagers were often made on the outcome. Your Hit Parade later made a successful transition to TV.

You can click on the picture for a slide show of the class. Be aware that because of the size of the class, it make take a while to load up on your computer.