Have you ever wondered what Hampton Academy was like in the 1940's? Did you know that Hampton Academy was actually a high school then and was called Hampton Academy and High School?

Well, there is someone who works right next to our school who knows all about the history of Hampton Academy. John Holman, a local historian, who works at Lane Memorial Library, was a student at Hampton Academy from 1944 to 1947. Mr. Holman was also editor-in-chief of the school newspaper when it was called the HA Script.

Mr. Holman was visited in January by the Blue Beacon newspaper staff, and he told us what he remembered about our school and its newspaper back in the 1940s. He told us about how they had to use typewriters back then, and newspaper staff members were members of a typing class that Hampton Academy offered. In fact, the staff members were the only students in school who knew how to type.

Actually, learning to type may have helped Mr. Holman survive during the Korean War. In January of 1951 he was sent for Basic Training at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. Later, Mr. Holman was sent to Germany as part of the Army of Occupation, and he lucked out because he was held back from going to Korea because of his ability to type.

Mr. Holman told us that they didn't really think they were missing anything by not having computers, so they really didn't think anything of it. He also told us about how the staff would exchange news with other schools, and there was a gossip column, using only initials.

Currently, John Holman has a column in the Atlantic News every week on the history of Hampton. If you would like to read articles by John Holman, be sure to check out his website online:
http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/ history/holman/index.htm