WESTWOOD—Deck the halls of Westwood High School: it was time for the social event of the season.
The gymnasium was teeming with tinsel, stars, and evergreen garland when the photographs on this page [PDF] were snapped on the evening of Dec. 22, 1954. It was the annual Christmas Dance, co-sponsored by two student groups, Hi-Y and Tri-B. Unlike today’s school dances, when DJs furnish digital music, this annual event would typically feature a live, five-piece band.
Popular songs in 1954 were “Mr. Sandman” by the Chordettes, “Secret Love” by Doris Day, “Sh-Boom” by The Crew-Cuts, and “Little Things Mean a Lot” by Kitty Kallen. The biggest movie was “White Christmas,” the musical with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen.
In those days, it was not uncommon to get married right after high school. We wonder whether any of the couples in these photos ended up tying the knot. Certainly a few of them did not hurry home after the dance, and they might even have ended up parked in some romantic spot. When they finally said their goodnights at the front door, maybe Mom or Dad flashed the porch light.
Westwood High School at the time had students from not just Westwood and the Township of Washington, but also from Emerson, River Vale, Oradell, and farther afield. Westwood and Park Ridge were the region’s only high schools at the time. Pascack Valley High School was built the following year, opening in 1955.
Kristin Beuscher is president of Pascack Historical Society.