I Didn't Know This About Mom

I was going through some old boxes and came across my mom’s yearbook. It was from 1939 and Betty Jane Ranney attended Hyde Park High School in Chicago, Illinois. It is located on Stoney Island on the south side of Chicago not far from Lake Michigan. The Hyde Park area claims the Museum of Science and Industry and the University of Chicago.

The book has an icon on it that sort of looks like the Wimpy Burgers character and the word AITCHPE which, for some reason, I can't find what that means. I've searched high and low. If anyone knows, please enlighten me.

Hyde Park is now a Career Academy school. I was excited to find this hidden treasure. I have never seen this book before and I found out that my mom was on the swim team. Wait, what? I didn’t know that! I know she did love the water though, but she never mentioned this. And G.A.A. is also listed by her name. After some digging, I found out that it means Girls Athletic Association. Students who participated had to collect 1000 points to be listed in the G.A.A. program. It is an Interscholastic Sports Program where you letter for your athletic prowess. Her yearbook said, ”a girl fortunate enough to have acquired one of these (a letter) for her wardrobe should be an example of glowing health.” She had to participate in basketball, badminton, ping pong, stunt bars, and volleyball among other sports. Wow Betty (aka mom), you were badass! I think the cutest thing mentioned was that they also had to swim like mermaids. I wish I could have seen this live and in person!

Besides my amazing mom, Hyde Park apparently had a bunch of notables who attended Hyde Park High School. Here are just a few of them. I handpicked a few of the ones I knew from the long list.

·  Steve Allen – comedian, songwriter, actor, original host of NBC's The Tonight Show ·  The Chi-Lites – recording artists, members of Vocal Group Hall of Fame ·  Frances Dee (1927) – actress ·  Melinda Dillon (1957) – Oscar-nominated actress, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, A Christmas Story (she was the mom) ·  Amelia Earhart (1915) – iconic aviator ·  Herbie Hancock (1958) – Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist, fusion keyboardist ·  Donny Hathaway - Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, musician ·  Arnie Morton, restauranteur (Morton's Steakhouse) ·  Minnie Riperton (1964) – R&B & soul singer, mother of actress Maya Rudolph ·  Mel Torme (1944) – singer, composer, 1999 recipient of Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

Cool, huh? Who knew? Pretty impressed with my mom right about now. It’s the quiet, soft-spoken ones you never know about. I am smiling as I am picturing her in one of those bloomer gym suits. Oh wait. I had to wear a version of that when I was in gym class. Those were not cool at all. Like, not at all. But back to Betty Ranney, my mom. You rocked mom. You were even more special than I thought you were. Thanks for putting yourself out there and lettering!