Dedication
 
 
When Mr J Omar Walmsley left Port Hope High last spring, we began to realize, some of us for the first time, others for the millionth time, how much he had accomplished. Not many teachers, especially ones so new at the profession, have been able to gain so quickly the attention, the interest, and the devotion of the students, and to so cleverly mold them into proficient scholars, and searching individuals. To partially understand how Mr Walmsley was capable of this minor miracle during his short stay at PHHS, it is necessary to review his life.

Born in Chengtu, Szechwan, China on November 12, 1925, J Omar Walmsley lived with his teacher-missionary parents in West China for the first eighteen years of what seems to us, a most eventful life. With them, he made a round-the-world trip at age eleven touching Canada, South East Asia, India, Egypt, Italy, Germany, France, and England. In 1943, Mr Walmsley returned to Canada to attend Victoria College. A graduate in Art and Archaeology ('48) he went on to Emmanuel College, obtaining his BD in 1953. During his life on the U of T campus, he again took a world jaunt which culminated in a six week visit to China, one year after the revolution. In 1953, a year of extreme importance to him, he married Barbara, who, he says, 'has the indispensible quality of being absolutely indispensible to me in everything.' After three years as a United Church minister in Maidstone, Saskatchewan, he obtained leave of absence from the active ministry to pursue his interest in instrumental music. With Stephen, just two, the Walmsley family came to Port Hope. David was born soon after their arrival.

With as interesting and as varied a career as that, it is little wonder that our Mr Walmsley was out of the ordinary. However, one very important fact has been omitted; the rest of his success can be summed up in one rather broad word, his personality. This type of personality is difficult to explain, and even more difficult to attain. He has a profound conviction in the importance of young people, 'youth's excitement at discovery, youth's idealism, youth's confidence in the possibility of human perfectability'. To this, he has added the belief that religion must play a part in their growing lives. With ceaseless enthusiasm, over-bounding energy, uncanny foresight, and countless hours of the week set aside for personal discussions with troubled teen-agers, Mr Walmsley has, in our opinion, found the correct way to express his high principles.

Music in the school has risen to great heights under his direction. The junior orchestra, the intermediate and junior bands, and the effective point system owe their birth to his imagination and hard work. The senior orchestra, senior band, and Music Council, all just in the embryo stage when he came, were nurtured under his watchful eye. The May Musicale, high school music's one very important link with the town, has most favourably developed during his three years' stay.
Thus, to Mr J O Walmsley, to his ideals for education, to his work for music in Port Hope High, and to his sincere desire to help each student, we dedicate the 1959-'60 Blue 'n' White.