Stockton School Pennant and Patches

One former 1950's Stockton student writes "I remember being a part of a large group of people, including our PE teacher back then, that debated the school colors...as I remember, the Brown and Gold won out over Royal and Sky Blue."

                                                                   Below:circa 1959

Mayor James W Kelly, Jr

James W Kelly, Jr. was the first mayor in the history of East Orange elected as a Democrat.

Mayor Kelly was born about 1908, and, according to one source, died in 1990.

While a student at Stockton School in 1959, I was one of a group of three students who interviewed Mayor Kelly for the Stockton School newspaper. 

Below: photo from Life magazine in 1961 article about the East Orange Library System

Mayor Kelly's Wikipedia article

Graham M Skea

Graham Skea was recreation director in East Orange during the late 1950's and until 1967 when he left to head recreation in Orange County, NY (Middletown area).

Mr. Skea became well-known in recreation circles around the country because of his 1958 project to bring a surplus Korean War jet to Soverel Field in East Orange.

[East Orange] "was THE first in the nation to secure surplus military equipment for its playgrounds. The present director, Graham M. Skea, asked the Navy for a surplus fighter plane. It was granted, if he could  remove it from the depot in Philadelphia. He secured a truck and, with the aid of some of the department’s maintenance men, brought the plane to Soverel Field, where it became the cynosure of eyes all over the United States." (From 1964 Centennial History of East Orange)

                                   Above: from East Orange's centennial celebration, 1963

Mr Skea was born on March 20, 1928 in Orange but both his parents and an older brother were born in Scotland. In 1940 the family lived at 513 Main St (south side of the block across from Muir's).

                                    Below: senior photo in 1946 East Orange High yearbook

His obituary