Someone please tell me that I'm not hallucinating when I remember a "no bathing suit" policy for swim class during our Freshman year (1962). When I told my wife and daughters about this they gave me a look that words can't desccribe.

I believe that the policy was changed after a student's parents complained.

Time for others to chime in... :-) 

Best to all of you!

Steve

Yup.  That's how it worked.  The teacher (Mr Feller, I believe) was included in the graceful tableu; we must have looked like something off a Greek vase.  Nude swimming seems very much in the old British boys' school tradition; I imagine they did the same over at University School. 

Sure was invigorating in third period. 

M Kinsler

Needless to say, the girls don't remember that! But we did have to wear bathing suits provided by the school. They were pretty awful If you had swimming late in the day, you got the ones with the most holes. YUCK!

None of my adult friends believe me when I tell them that the boys took swimming in the nude in High School. Every time I must find a corroborating confrimation before I am believed.

Stevie, thanks for bringing up the topic and confirming the truth. What were they thinking..

David

I remember it well.  Senior year '64-'65 we had crappy swim trunks that were color coded by size.  I can't remember whether we had the trunks in '63-'64.   Definitely full Monty for sure in '62-63!

To clarify, I DID NOT bring up the topic. I cannot confirm as truth, only as what we were told back then!!!! :  )

In 10th grade ('62-'63) the nude swimming policy was in force; don't remember if it changed in '63 or '64, but there were, as noted previously, complaints frim parents about the nude swimming.  I had Mr. Vannorsdall (soon to retire as b-ball coach) for swimming class. Imagine these scenarios today.... if a boy was slouching on the pool deck, Vannorsdall would tell him to "stand up straight like a white boy" or he would routinely whack a misbehaving student on the kid's bare behind with his clipboard.

Yikes!  I do remember that the GIRLS may as well have been swimming nude with all the holes in the suits and only finding ones that were too big and hung down on your body!  A new memory from CHHS albeit, for the guys, a disturbing one!!!  Hi! to everyone here...

Men's swimming class were held in the "Nude", until parents at a PTA meeting complained, then BINGO color coded (by size swim trucks). 1962-63, in the buff, after that swim trucks covered us up, Oh what progress!!!

I just discovered this site and am truly enjoying the memories.   And yes, you are not losing your mind, the boys did in fact swim in the nude.

that memory was, and is , a little more lasting for me.  Our transferred to Heights in early 1963 as a result of my dad's company transfer.

i came from a small town in New Jersey of 3,000 people and I think there were two Jewish families in the whole community.  I then found myself in a high school of 3,300 kids and I am a distinct minority as an irish catholic kid with not friends.

And on my first day of school i find myself in gym class and am absolutely astonished that all of us are naked in an indoor swimming pool.

As it turned out, the experience was fine, but i truly have a difficult time telling present day teenagers what passed for normal in the 60's  lol.

Although we certainly wore suits for swim team practice (and, needless to add, for meets), I remember having Mr. Gail T. Vannorsdal (in his last year before his retirement) for a swimming class teacher in 10th grade - no swim suiits.  He would swat boys' wet, bare bottoms with his clipboard when felt the urge to do so, and I remember him saying to a guy who was slouching, "Stand up straight like a white boy." Very enlightened.