Page 26 - 1983 Wardlaw Hartridge

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The Seventies
A s time marched forward into the seventies, so did the troops in Viet Nam. The war was continued, although opposition increased. Fi­ nally, when the war did not end, and President Nixon lied about bombing Cambodia, American faith in gov­ ernment, traditional values, and
policies hit an all-time low.
Then the Watergate crisis was made public! President Nixon fought the charges, stating "I am innocent” to no avail. At last, he resigned his position and Gerald Ford took his office. This rookie President was faced with a small recession and then, an oil crisis, and
a larger recession.
Meanwhile, the American people
sought a refuge from these prob­ lems. Release was found in a strong woman’s movement, discos, jog­ ging, and tennis. During the Bicen­ tennial, people rediscovered a pa­ triotism that had been lost during the Viet Nam era. When election time rolled around Americans saw a new patriotic comfort in the un­ heard-of dark horse. Governor James (Jimmy) Carter. When he was elected President, Carter start­ ed by keeping the good feeling of American life and patriotism. He signed a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. He also imposed a wheat embargo against Russia when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. By the end of the decade, American patriotic spirit had peaked. The spirit remained high, but Americans became indignant when Iranian stu­ dents took forty-four American di­ plomats hostage and held them as the decade came to a close.
The recession and turmoil in the early I970’s affected the Wardlaw and Hartridge schools. In an effort to preserve their fine traditions, the two schools merged in 1976 not only as a means of survival but also to enhance the qualities of each. The Wardlaw School’s Inman Ave. cam­ pus housed the upper grades, while the Hartridge campus was the home of the lower grades, kindergarten through seventh. Thus, the Ward- law-Hartridge School was formed, and the campus arrangement re­ main. Initial difficulties were soon worked out, and soon sports, aca­ demics, and social life were thriv­ ing.
Chairpersons of the Merger Committees
CAMP DAVID ACCORDS FINALIZED 12-7-78. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel embrace and President Carter applauds following announcement of the historical peace initiative. The agreement represents a major breakthrough in the 30-year Middle East conflict.