The 1967 "Oscar Mayer Wiener" graduation prank:
During the graduation ceremony of Huntington High School's Class of 1967, on June 25, 1967 in the HHS auditorium, there came a point at which the graduating seniors were to receive their diplomas on stage. The seniors had been instructed to clearly and legibly print their first, middle and last names on 3x5 cards, which they would furnish as they reached the podium, to avoid any confusion that might have been caused by a long line of graduates arriving out of order from a pre-written list of names.
Upon approaching the podium, each student handed his or her 3x5 card to the principal, Mr. Robert Cushman, who read each name into the microphone exactly as presented to him; the student then proceeded on to the superintendent of schools, Dr. Charles St. Clair, and the president of the board of education, Mr. Robert Maller, who handed out the still-empty diploma cases.
Hundreds of name-readings were read uneventfully, and the audience and Mr. Cushman were presumably becoming bleary-eyed with monotony. That is, until the card of one notoriously fun-loving young fellow was read aloud (slightly mangled) by Mr. Cushman, which brought the house down.
The student's diploma was reportedly withheld from him for a few days, but was eventually given to him. For years thereafter, teachers coordinating future graduation arrangements warned their seniors against "pulling another Oscar Mayer Wiener".*
Please give me appropriate credit as the source of the recording if you share it or play it publicly. At least one of the following download links should work for you. If not, email me, and I will email you an audio attachment of the 42-second recording. terryv123 @ yahoo.com (without spaces).
Terry Valentine, HHS '67
(*As related to me by Mr. Jack Abrams. Tape-recorded from the audience by the late Robert F. Valentine, and transferred to digital formats by Terry Valentine.)
