A Guide to the Patricia F. Parthree Collection on Mount Vernon High School, 1950-2012, #MSS 06-95

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

None

Use Restrictions

Consult repository for information

Preferred Citation

Virginia Room, Fairfax County Public Library. Patricia F. Parthree Collection on Mount Vernon High School. Box #, Folder #.

Acquisition Information

Collection donated by Cindy Blass, daughter of Patricia Parthree on December 5, 2015.

Processing Information

Chris Barbuschak, December 2015
EAD generated by Ross Landis, 2024

Historical and Biographical Information

Patricia Faith Vines was born on March 20, 1937 in Washington D.C. and adopted by Homer H. and Myrtle P. Vines of Alabama. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Arlington, Virginia and later the Jefferson Manor neighborhood in Alexandria.

In 1950, Pat enrolled in Mount Vernon High School as an eighth grader. She partook in several extracurricular activities and school clubs including Junior Commercial Club, Barber Shop Quartet, and Patrol. She also participated in Glee Club during her entire academic career there.

As a sophomore in July 1953, Pat signed up to be a nurse aid for the summer at Alexandria Hospital. She took a two-week high school nurse aid course prior to spending her entire summer at the hospital.

After she graduated in 1955, Pat secured a secretarial job for the Department of the Army. On February 14, 1959 Pat married her high school sweetheart, Donald Cletus Parthree (MVHS Class of 1956). The couple moved to Baltimore, Maryland for a short period where Donald worked as a meatpacker for Esskay Meat Products. Feeling homesick, they moved back to Springfield, Virginia where Pat resumed her Pentagon job as a secretary for the Department of the Army.

In 1967, the Parthrees moved to Waldorf, Maryland where Pat stayed at home and raised their three children, Dawn, Cindy and Greg. When the youngest child reached school age, Pat went back to work as a secretary for the Charles County public schools system. After a period of years, she returned to the government as a secretary for the Department of the Navy at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Indian Head, Maryland. She retired in September 2003. Pat was also a charter member and pianist of the First Baptist Church of St. Charles. She passed away on November 4, 2012.

Scope and Content

Series 1: Personal, 1953-1966, Boxes 1 and 4

Contains personal materials of Patricia F. (Vines) Parthree including photographs of her Mount Vernon High School classmates, certificates, graduation invitations, a letter, newsletter, English class notebook, and her Mount Vernon High School Majors jacket. Certificates comprise of one AAA issued School Safety Patrol Award of Merit to Pat Vines and a Mount Vernon High School Stadium Lights stock certificate issued to Pat’s husband, Donald C. Parthree. Class photographs are portraits of Mount Vernon High School students from the 1953-1954 school year. The Progress Notes newsletter mentions Pat Vines signing up to be a nurse aid at Alexandria Hospital.

Series 2: Ephemera and Memorabilia, 1954-1955, Boxes 1 and 4

Contains Mount Vernon High School memorabilia including the Last Will and Testament from the Class of 1955, articles of proclamation, school songs and chants, code of ethics, letterhead, school patch, a pin, and a pennant. Also contained is a Pabst Blue Ribbon napkin printed with the beer company’s theme song. The Articles of Proclamation were written by students in the Mt. Vernon Majors calling for fellow classmates to not show up for class on Veterans Day 1954 since the school did not recognize it as a national holiday.

Series 3: Events, 1951-1972, Box 1

Contains materials from Mount Vernon High School sponsored events. Items mainly consist of programs and tickets from dances, graduations, sporting events, school clubs, and other school events. Items from non-school events held in the surrounding Mount Vernon area include a ticket from the S.S. Mt. Vernon and Mt. Vernon Drive-in theatre.

Series 4: School Publications, 1950-1955, Boxes 1 and 2

Contains Mount Vernon High School student publications including issues of the school newspaper Em Vee Hi, the student newsletter The Little Major, the student handbook Spyglass, the school’s literary magazine The Ink Blotch, and an undated student directory.

Series 5: Newspaper Clippings, 1955-2012, Box 2

Contains newspaper clippings relating to Mount Vernon High School. Subjects include mostly obituaries of former students but also a variety of 1950s clippings about the school‘s buildings and student activities.

Series 6: Reunion Materials, 1983-2006, Boxes 2, 3, and 4

Contains materials for reunions held for Mount Vernon High School alumni. Subjects include the Class of 1955, Class of 1956, and the 50th Anniversary of the school. Items include reunion papers, reunion books, correspondence, pins, tickets, notes, and alumni lists.

Container List

Series 1: Personal, 1953-1966

Box 4: Jacket. Mount Vernon High School Majors , c. 1950s
Box 1 Folder 1: Class Photographs, "My School Pals", 1953-1954
Box 1 Folder 2: Newsletter, Progress Notes. [Pat Vines mentioned], 1954 January
Box 1 Folder 3: Letter, Leah Van Scoyoc to Pat Vines, Re: Travel De Lux Party, 1954 February 8
Box 1 Folder 4: "English Notebook" , 1954 November 16
Box 1 Folder 5: Certificate, School Safety Patrol Award of Merit to Patricia Vines , 1955
Box 1 Folder 6: Graduation Announcements and receipt for Patricia Faith Vines , 1955
Box 1 Folder 7: Stock Certificate, Mount Vernon High School Stadium Lights, 1966

Series 3: Events, 1951-1972

Box 1 Folder 16: Program, Mount Vernon High School Glee Club Christmas Program , 1951 December 16
Box 1 Folder 17: Program, Commencement Exercises, 1952 June 10
Box 1 Folder 18: Program, Spring Concert, 1953 May 28
Box 1 Folder 19: Program, Dedication of Mount Vernon High School, 1953 October 18
Box 1 Folder 20: Program, Annual Christmas Program, 1954 December 19
Box 1 Folder 21: Program and ticket, Choral Music Festival District IV Virginia High Schools, 1955 March 12
Box 1 Folder 22: Program and ticket, "The Late Christopher Bean" Senior class play, 1955 May 6
Box 1 Folder 23: Ticket, Junior Senior Prom, 1955 May 27
Box 1 Folder 24: Program, Baccalaureate Service [3 programs], 1955 May 29
Box 1 Folder 25: Program, ticket, speech, and itinerary, Class Night Exercises, 1955 May 31
Box 1 Folder 26: Program and ticket, Senior Banquet, 1955 May 31
Box 1 Folder 27: Program, Commencement Exercises [2 programs], 1955 June 2
Box 1 Folder 28: Napkin and card, Sno-Ball Dance, 1955 December 21
Box 1 Folder 29: Program, "January Thaw" Senior Class play, 1956 February 1-2
Box 1 Folder 30: Program and memorabilia, Melvin B. Landes Appreciation Night, 1972 October 13
Box 1 Folder 31: Program, Talent Show, Undated
Box 1 Folder 32: Ticket, Washington-Lee High School Athletic Association, Undated
Box 1 Folder 33: Program cover and football schedule, Fairfax Rebels vs. Mount Vernon, Undated
Box 1 Folder 34: Scrapbook Page, Music Festival, Undated
Box 1 Folder 35: Ticket, S.S. Mt. Vernon, Undated
Box 1 Folder 36: Ticket, Mt. Vernon Drive-In Theatre, Undated

Series 4: School Publications, 1950-1955

Box 1 Folder 37: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1950 March
Box 1 Folder 38: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1950 October
Box 1 Folder 39: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1950 November
Box 1 Folder 40: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1950 December
Box 1 Folder 41: Student Newsletter, The Little Major, 1950 December 22
Box 1 Folder 42: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1951 March
Box 1 Folder 43: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1951 April
Box 1 Folder 44: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1951 May
Box 1 Folder 45: Student Newsletter, The Little Major, 1951 June 01
Box 1 Folder 46: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1951 October
Box 1 Folder 47: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1951 November
Box 1 Folder 48: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1951 December
Box 1 Folder 49: Student Handbook, Spyglass, 1952
Box 1 Folder 50: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1952 January
Box 1 Folder 51: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi [2 copies], 1952 February
Box 1 Folder 52: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1952 March
Box 1 Folder 53: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1952 April
Box 2 Folder 1: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1952 June
Box 2 Folder 2: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1954 October
Box 2 Folder 3: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1954 November
Box 2 Folder 4: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1954 December
Box 2 Folder 5: Student Handbook, Spyglass, 1954-1955
Box 2 Folder 6: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1955 January
Box 2 Folder 7: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1955 February
Box 2 Folder 8: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1955 March
Box 2 Folder 9: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1955 June
Box 2 Folder 10: Newspaper, Em Vee Hi, 1955 April
Box 2 Folder 11: Literary Magazine, The Ink Blotch, 1955 May
Box 2 Folder 12: Student Directory, Undated

Series 5: Newspaper Clippings, 1955-2012

Box 2 Folder 13: Miscellaneous Mount Vernon High School clippings, c. 1950s
Box 2 Folder 14: "Nelson Coe of Area is Killed", 1955 December
Box 2 Folder 15: Obituary for Joseph A. Jacobs, 1984 August 19
Box 2 Folder 16: Obituary for Gene Steinbach, 1993 August 10
Box 2 Folder 17: Obituary for Catherine P. Cooley, 1995 August 16
Box 2 Folder 18: Obituary for Melvin Bowman Landes, 2004 August 24
Box 2 Folder 19: Obituary for Frederick H. "Boom Boom" Cameron Sr., 2005 May 15
Box 2 Folder 20: Obituary for Gary Eugene Treon, 2008 March 30
Box 2 Folder 21: Obituary for Lucy Jane Lowman, 2012 January 31