“This little book of poetry aims at nothing but to give to its limited number of readers a glimpse of a new phase of the development of the High School students of today.” So begins the preface of A Book of Verse, a collection of poems written by Westinghouse students published in 1920. The book features 92 poems written by 15 poets. Find the book online here.
The poems cover a myriad of themes including the natural world, human emotion, and the first world war. Most of the poets are women, such as Lois Halderman, who penned 40 of the poems. Women’s poetry has historically been seen as a lesser form of literature. The Westinghouse students that contributed to A Book of Verse prove otherwise. The preface reminds readers that the poets whose poems make up the book “felt the call to express their embryo philosophy of life.”
Modernism
The 1910s and 1920s were key decades in the modernist movement. Modernist literature came from a self-conscious break away from traditional ways of writing. Notable American Modernist poets include T.S. Elliot and Walt Mason, whose voice Lois Halderman imitates in a handful of her poems.
The First World War greatly impacted literature; during and after the war, dominant beliefs about society had to be reassessed. Modernist writers strove to express the new sentiments of the era. The students at Westinghouse wrote about the war and their feelings surrounding it. “A million staunch and fighting men, | A million birds and beasts across the sea, | Are side by side upon the battlefield” wrote Lois Halderman in a poem dedicated to America’s allies. Months before the States’ entered the Great War, Ruth McFarland wrote a poem titled “A Prayer From the U.S.A” in which she expresses gratitude for her country being spared from the war. In a poem titled “My Son,” writer Irene Scrine takes on the voice of the American mothers whose sons were sent to fight in Europe.
“Take up this book then at intervals and read it. It is offered in the humble hope that it may be a stimulus to other students, and a source of pride as the first literary triumph of the students of the Westinghouse High School”
Poetry’s Impact
Poetry lets writers express emotion and describe the world in ways no other form of literature can. The students whose work appears in A Book of Verse mastered this art form. Mary Brown, with 20 poems in the book, covered a vast array of topics from the natural world to love to death. She is not the only Westinghouse poet to do so.
The book’s preface explains the students’ intent in publishing their poems. The students as Westinghouse High School felt the need to prove the integrity of youth in the early 20th century. “This book is proof,” the preface reads, “that youth is not all-absorbing, not selfish, that it often touches the infinite more closely than most people suspect.” Every generation of teenagers struggles to prove its worth to the elder generations and A Book of Verse‘s preface expresses the very feeling: “It is the desire of all young people to express themselves in some way…”
Selma Derry, a student with three poems in A Book of Verse, later published some poetry in the March 1925 of Poetry: A Magazine of Verse, the oldest monthly journal dedicated to verse in the English-speaking world. Those poems can be found at the Poetry Foundation website.
Under the direction of Mrs. Birdie Nichols, the Westinghouse Choir thrived. Former students remember their teacher, nicknamed “Aunt Birdie,” fondly. 1970s alumni shared their memories of the choir and their teacher with us.
Leadership and Structure
“That lady requires all of the credit in the world,” one of Nichols’ former students, Kent DeHonney, told us of Nichols. He believes that his former teacher deserves a plaque in front of Westinghouse High School commemorating her time spent directing the choir. Alumni remember the expectations “Aunt Birdie” held for her students. “She expected excellence in every aspect.” DeHonney, who served in the US Air Force, claims to have learned structure and stability from Nichols. “Since graduating from high school and specifically leaving the choir,” he told us, “I have applied what she had given me throughout my life.”
Another former student, Eve Michele Howard, called Nichols a strong leader and a strong woman with high expectations. The teacher “knew what you were capable of,” according to Howard, and “would do what it took to help you reach that goal.” These expectations went beyond her students’ musical talents; Birdie Nichols wanted her students to work to their “highest level in all things.”
Nichols established a president and sergeant at arms of the choir and DeHonney served as president. He sang solo at his 1978 graduation. “I’m grateful for her,” he told us, “parts of who I became as a human being and as a man are because of her.” She taught her students more than how to sing; DeHonney remembers that the taught them how to me entrepreneurs. “She showed us how to build things and make profit from them,” he said. This entrepreneurship afforded the choir a trip from Pittsburgh to California with hotel, meals, and extracurricular activities paid for by the students.
“Parts of who I became as a human being and as a man are because of her.”
Going on the Road
“Mrs. Birdie Nichols was ahead of her time,” DeHonney told us. He remembers that just before the trip to California, the Westinghouse Choir performed at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. “That concert was led by none other than Mary Lou Williams.”
Howard remembers another performance that she shared with us. The Westinghouse Choir was invited to sing at the State House of Representatives in Harrisburg. “That was another proud moment.” The choir also sang on television. Howard remembers the choir practicing on the back of a bus and, while they were singing, “somebody from Channel 4 was on the bus” and booked them for a segment on the show.
Reunion
In 2012, about 45 Westinghouse alumni surprised “Aunt Birdie” with a performance for her birthday. In 1980, Nichols formed the Glorious Rebirth Performance Troupe with some former students. An article from the Pittsburgh Courier covered the story, noting that the troupe’s “goal in to share an uplifting message of hope, joy, and love.” Videos of the performance can be found on YouTube here.
Birdie Nichols stands as a testament to the impact teachers make on their students. The love and respect Nichols’ students had for her during her time at Westinghouse prevails today.
