Several ‘Night Owls’ identified
Although it has been more than 60 years since this group of Boy Scouts was photographed, alumni of Trinity High School were able to identify some of their classmates.
Three of the boys, according to Gary Johnson (THS Class of 1961), would eventually graduate from Trinity in 1959: Richard Linn, front center; Jack Swenderman, front right; and Sanford Pinsker, back right. Sam Work, front left, graduated in 1960.
Although these four were identified by several Observer-Reporter readers, no one could name the other two Scouts in the back row. Speculation is the photo was taken at Camp Anawanna, and the unidentified boys might have been from troops out of the immediate area.
The last address he has for Linn is in Tennessee, Johnson wrote in an email. “Back in the day, I was on the Trinity High School wrestling team and Dick was one of our equipment/gear managers. He attended one of our recent wrestling reunions two or three years ago.”
By far, the most recognized Scout was Pinsker, the boy holding the patrol flag reading “Night Owls.” He would go on to graduate from Washington & Jefferson College in 1963 and have a 37-year career as a professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster. He is the author of 19 books, including book-length studies of Philip Roth, Cynthia Ozick, Joseph Heller and J.D. Salinger. He also has published more than 800 articles, essays, editorials and book reviews.
Janice Lawrence, who guesses the picture was taken in 1952 or 1953, said Pinsker is now retired and living in Florida.
Judi Caplan remembers Pinsker “lived at Orchard Terrace. He was very tall for his age, so that may be why the other boys look so small.”
The Rev. Charles Brice, a retired Assemblies of God pastor, remembers Pinsker and Linn as members of Troop 10. “It was a year or two later, when we were in the troop led by Gordon Wilson, which met in the basement of the Church of the Covenant in Washington,” Brice said.
John Mark Scott, retired W&J professor, said Work, who graduated from the college in 1964, went on to a career in the military, retiring as a colonel.
“He was from Work’s Evergreen Nursery on Route 844,” Scott said. “He grew up in the North Buffalo Church, and he played trumpet.”
Swenderman, according to his classmates, is deceased.
We were not able to ascertain the whereabouts or to speak with any of the surviving members of the Night Owls. We’re certain our readers would have enjoyed hearing some of the tales they might tell of Boy Scouts camping so very long ago. Should they contact us at a later time, we’ll be happy to pass along their remembrances.
Look for another Mystery Photo in next Monday’s Observer-Reporter.