wh school 1983

The Seventies
As time marched forward into
the seventies, so did the troops in
Viet Nam. The war was continued,
although opposition increased. Finally,
when the war did not end, and
President Nixon lied about bombing
Cambodia, American faith in government,
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 problems.
Release was found in a strong
woman’s movement, discos, jogging,
and tennis. During the Bicentennial,
people rediscovered a patriotism
that had been lost during
the Viet Nam era. When election
time rolled around Americans saw a
new patriotic comfort in the unheard-of
dark horse, Governor
James (Jimmy) Carter. When he
was elected President, Carter started
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 students
took forty-four American diplomats
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. campus
housed the upper grades, while
the Hartridge campus was the home
of the lower grades, kindergarten
through seventh. Thus, the Wardlaw-Hartridge
School was formed,
and the campus arrangement remain.
Initial difficulties were soon
worked out, and soon sports, academics,
and social life were thriving.
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.
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