Cherry Valley witnessed a class reunion in 1954, the likes of which it will probably never see again. The Cherry Valley High School Class of 1904 "" all seven of them "" planned to attend their 50th reunion on Saturday, July 10.
One would think the reunion would be a low-key simple affair, but not for the Class of '04. Thousands of visitors descended upon Cherry Valley that day to honor one of the seven graduates. We're not sure if he was voted "most likely to succeed" in his class, but the thousands of area residents came to honor Harry A. Winne, a retired vice president of General Electric and considered one of the nation's foremost authorities on engineering and atomic power.
Winne was born in Cherry Valley on Oct. 27, 1888. His father was proprietor of a former hotel on Main Street, the Winne House. In his youth, Harry worked at various jobs and had little time for school activities. Yet he never experienced any trouble with keeping up with schoolwork and graduated before he was 16. Not yet eligible for college, Winne took another year of schooling, helped his father and worked at other jobs in the area.
It was Winne's old science professor who advised him to enter Syracuse University in the autumn of 1906. It was here Winne decided that he wanted to become an electrical engineer and graduated at the top of his class in 1910.
Because of his excellent record, Winne had a job within two weeks after graduation with General Electric in Schenectady, working his way onward for 43 years there, retiring in October 1953.
Winne began his work in the field of atomic energy during World War II with responsibility for GE's part in the overall program. After the war, he was one of the five-man board appointed by the U.S. Secretary of State to prepare a report on international control of atomic energy that became part of the United States Atomic Energy Proposal placed before the United Nations.
Harry A. Winne Day began on July 10 in Cherry Valley with the firing of an old cannon, using atomic energy. A high school senior, Edith Leneker, chosen as the Winne Day Queen, had the honor of touching off the cannon, using a device that had a clock pendulum energized in a lead cylinder filled with radioactive material, Geiger counter and a special relay motor.
That firing also kicked off a parade, with several hundred passing by a reviewing stand and thousands of spectators. Throughout the day there was a carnival with a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round.
During the afternoon a cherry tree was planted. While this may not sound unusual, even though this village of 700 had acquired its name around 300 years ago from the abundance of cherry trees, in 1954 it had not a single cherry tree. One was flown in from Richland, Wash.
Another unusual feature of the day was courtesy of Winne's employer, GE. It was a 75,000-watt incandescent bulb, made by GE to mark the 75th anniversary of Thomas A. Edison's invention of the first incandescent lamp in October 1879. The bulb was brought on tour with its own power plant, and observers were warned not to look directly at it when lit.
Winne was a guest of honor that evening at a testimonial dinner at the Tryon Inn. Speakers came from Syracuse University, GE and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. Dinner proceedings were broadcast live on WGY radio. A fireworks display later completed the days' events.
What did Harry A. Winne think of the day in his honor? It is likely he was flattered, but was not available for comment. Winne had intended to be present, but was suddenly called to Albuquerque, N.M., by the work of the National Defense Committee, of which he was an adviser on atomic energy.
On Monday: Another regional Hall of Fame is born from anglers on the Willowemoc and Beaverkill.
City Historian Mark Simonson's column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.
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