Susie Smith, 1960
Susie passed away December 30, 2023 at the age of 81. We remember her as an active, involved student during her years at East, and of course her yellow convertible that was the envy of many.
“1960 Aces and Their Cars,” an introduction to the Class Cars Gallery on this website, leads off with Susie’s iconic car. “Remember that gorgeous yellow convertible that Susie Smith drove to school? We saw it on the streets, in the school parking lot, and in parades. It was a source of car envy! Cars were valuable to us, whether we drove new cars, old cars, or cars that broke down at inconvenient moments. Their importance extended far beyond high school, well into our advanced years.”
Susie’s 1949 Yellow Ford Convertible
As student body officers, these three acted as East High’s delegates to the Intra-City Student Council, composed of officers of all Wichita high schools. Susie joined Student Body President Calvin Ross in presiding at assemblies in East High’s auditorium. Susie as vice-president led the Student Senate as its president. Myrna Iddings ’61 was treasurer and Mary Jane Venning was the faculty sponsor.
Student Congress Cabinet. Susie joined 10 other representatives of the Senate, House, and Student Body Officers as part of the Student Congress Cabinet. This group met twice a month to coordinate Congress meetings, agendas, and special projects.
Front Row, left to right: Brenda Benjamin, Susie Smith, Judy Ashmore, Nancy Kline, Nancy Zinn, Myrna Iddings, Rickie Kline. Back Row, left to right: Calvin Ross, Jim Davidson, Gene Carter, Diane Rusch
Homecoming Court. Susie shivered but kept smiling through Homecoming Half-time ceremonies as an attendant in Football Sweetheart Kay Brinnon’s court. Other attendants were Dianne Pope, Vesta Patterson, and Dallas Crump.
Marilyn Tompkins Bellert
My recollection is that Susie was a very pretty girl who drove a snazzy little convertible. She always seemed to be in the middle of whatever fun was going on, but was also friendly and down to earth with everyone.
Calvin Ross
Glenna Stearman Park
I met Susie Smith in 7th grade at Roosevelt and had a good friendship with her until after graduation when college and marriage took us in different directions. At the reunions we could catch up and we often laughed over the fun we remembered! Of course Susie’s yellow convertible was the stage for drives to the new pizza hut after games and for Friday night mischief when nothing was organized. Driving into the nunnery parking lot on Lincoln at 11:00 at night with the top down, Vesta, Susie, and I screamed, rather than sang, the Leland Stanford Junior song, hoping to wake up the nuns: “Well it’s gin, gin, gin that makes you want to sin on the farm, on the farm…” A light came on, and then another, and still more as she sped out of the parking lot. We drove out east to end in a heap of giggles as we ordered our cokes.
What I really loved about Susie over the years was that she was clearly fond of almost everyone she met. She was not into gossip or jealousy, but genuinely a very kind and fun loving person. Larry Statham remembered that she was very petite and that she always wore really full skirts. Early in junior high and high school, girls were wearing enormous “cancans,” some with 30 yards of netting. Susie was a very cute girl. Jane Thompson added that everyone knew Susie for the yellow convertible. Gene Carter’s friendship flourished when she gave him rides to summer school. He felt she was delightful as she offered to be his transportation to school. Of course many people realized that Gene also had a love affair with cars.
Susie held office in student government, yet at the same time, she had a budding career as a model for Innes. Susie was instrumental in getting the Pep Club uniforms updated with the new short skirts. I made the drawing for the new uniform, and Susie knew the Bobby Brooks sales rep and made the contact to have them make the uniforms. Innes arranged the sale.
Glenna Stearman Park wrote about Susie’s role in creating the new Pep Club uniform in another story for this website, “My Brief Career in Fashion Design.”
“In late spring of junior year, Susie Smith and I decided that the East High Pep Club needed a new look. I showed her a drawing I had made of my idea, which she liked immediately. At that time Susie was a model for Innes Department Store, where she was acquainted with the buyer as well as the Bobbie Brooks sales representative. Innes and Bobbie Brooks all liked the new short skirt look and decided to make it for us, since we had a very large pep club, more than 500 members. Long white socks were part of the outfit with the sweater and skirt—which I adapted from Scottish kilts.”
Susie’s parents were very open about hosting parties in their home as well as at their farm. In the fall we had hay rides and ghost stories in the barn loft. At East she made a wide range of friends and she is warmly remembered.
- Glenna Stearman Park, “New Drivers and Car Envy“
- Dick Zinn, “Class of 1960 Women” remembers losing out in his efforts to date Susie and ride in her convertible.
Great job, Glenna. You “aced” it. Love you, LS.