ATL Thoughts: Harold Eugene Shields High School

Harold Eugene Shields

High School

Harold Eugene grew up near Toronto, Ohio and moved to Magna, Utah when he was a teenager. His family moved to Magna, Utah when his father, Amos Kenneth Shields was offered a job at Kennecott Copper Corporation in the Power Plant. In a newspaper article announcing Dorothea and Amos Shields 50th Wedding Anniversary it states they moved to Utah in 1943. On a job application Eugene filled out in 1973 he states under the heading of “Education” that he went to Roosevelt Grade School for 8 years, Toronto High School 2 ½ years and Cyprus High School for 1 ½ years. Eugene’s pictures are in the Toronto High School Year Book for 1943 and the Cyprus High School’s Year Books for 1944 and 1945.

I once heard dad tell a story about riding to Utah on the running boards of their car. He also told about the many flat tires they had in their trip.

I cannot imagine how hard it was for dad to leave his friends and family in Ohio to move to Utah and start in a new high school. In his Cyprus Year Book of 1944 a friend wrote:

5/18/44

Dear Gene,

We’ve had a lot of fun together these last four months and I hope it can go on. I know you don’t like Utah or the people in it, and I’m sorry, but maybe one of these day’s you can go back to the people you love.

I want to wish you all the luck in the world although I know you don’t need it either because you have what it takes.

As ever,

Barbara Harris

Sophomore “44”

Over the years dad learned to love Utah, especially the mountains. When I picture him he is either with a dog or fishing or sitting quietly watching birds in the trees.

Listed under Senior Accomplishments in the 1945 Cyprus High Yearbook:

Eugene Shields

Electricity Club, 45; Football, 45; Psychology Club, 45; A.B.S., 44-45

I think the 45 and 46 under Senior Accomplishments represent the year and not the page number.

Lorraine and Gene started dating in their Senior Year of High School. In the1945 Cyprus Yearbook Lorraine writes to Gene:

“Although we never started going together until the end of school you made my senior year the happiest to remember, and in you I have found what I expected and wanted of a boy. Honey there is no one I’d rather spend my time with, you’ve always something interesting stored up to do. I said interesting, even if I’m not very agreeable.”

Gene and Lorraine loved to hear the big bands play and dance at Saltair located on the Great Salt Lake.

Harold Eugene Shields graduated from Cyprus High School May 17, 1945. World War II was raging while he was in high school. The dates for World War II were 1939 – 1945. The United States became involved in 1941. In May of 1945 the war ended. This colored the activities that went on in high school. Dad’s high school year book reflects the war years.

The theme for the seniors was “Seniors, What is Your Contribution To God, To Country, and To Humanity?” In mid-year the class president left for the Navy and they had to replace the class president. The students sponsored fund raisers for War Bonds and Stamps. The students also collected dimes to aid in the fight against Polio.

1943 Toronto High School Yearbook