HIGH SCHOOL

 

I worked my way through high school [Central & Southwest] at many interesting jobs: Hallmark Cards order filler/Rodeo Meatpacking house loading docks/Construction laborer/Tree removal/Septic cleaner/Window washer etc.

 

I was accepted into an underprivileged Rotary Club boys camp one summer and talked them into keeping me the entire summer as a dishwasher. That is when I took up boxing.

 

One summer Mr. Lucky was working scaffolding on the 10 story water tower at 75^th & Homes when I had one of my many near death experiences. Straight scaffolding was suspended against a circular water tower. The black coworker & I used 40 lb. jackhammers horizontally against the wall removing bad concrete to be replaced with Gunite. About every hour we would complete a "drop" & lower the scaffold about 4 feet. We tied off each end by drilling into the concrete, driving a spike & tying off to each end of the scaffold. I would then take a smoke by sitting on the rail closest to the tower, leaning against the tower with my feet on the opposite rail. My pal would warn me that this was very dangerous to which I replied, "When Welch makes a tie in, it never fails."

 

One morning, when we were very close to the top it did. The scaffold swung out, I pitched over backwards & as luck would have it, a foot tangled in a rope & I fell only a dozen feet or so. He lowered us to the ground & after I puked my guts out we took a break until lunchtime. He talked me into going back up, by saying that I would always be afraid of heights if I did not. I finished out the summer on that job, but needless to say, I never again sat on the railing.

 

Central High School: One of the problems with taking IQ tests, and learning that you are a genius, is that it encourages you to choose not to study. When that is coupled with disciplinary problems, a four-year high school program can easily turn into a five-year program.

 

Don Owens and I became skillful pool players and used to hustle bets at Kling & Allen's at 12^th & Main. This was a hangout of "Fast Eddie", Willie Mosconi and other great players who came through Kansas City. We did pretty well for a while because of our obvious youth, but the streak ran out as we became known.

 

My goal in life, while attending Central high school, was to simply graduate, get a job at the Leeds Chevrolet plant and buy a car. I had no thoughts of going to college.

 

K.C. Star/Times Mailroom: One of my more interesting jobs in high school was working Friday & Saturday nights at the mailroom as have other famous luminaries, e.g., Woodrow Wilson & Harry S. Truman.

 

Youngsters from the toughest high schools in the area worked this job, e.g., Central, Manual, & Ward on the Kansas side. Hiring was straight out of "On the Waterfront" with Marlon Brando. Late Friday night a gang of 20/30 would circle around a short tough ex-boxer named Major Fox. His baldhead, face covered with a green eyeshade would stare out as he pointed to those who would get to work until early the following morning. We would then show up Saturday night for more of the same. That is how the multi-sectioned Sunday paper was assembled.

 

Southwest High School: In 1951, as Luck would have it, my parents moved to 63^rd Terr. and Holmes which put me in the Southwest high school district. I had no desire to attend this "Rich Kids" high school and so I attempted to get permission to transfer back to Central high school.

 

Some of my early behavior came back to haunt me. The rule at Central was that one person was assigned per locker, but several of us jocks did not want to pay for separate locks and thus, three of us shared one locker. We were apprehended by the Vice Principal, Mr. Marshall, and while he was reprimanding us, I told him to "Stuff it" and started to walk away. He made the mistake of grabbing my arm, and in a reflex reaction, I started to punch him out. He fell back against a row of lockers, which tumbled over.

 

Guess who I had to see about getting permission to transfer back to Central high school. Mr. Marshall just grinned at me and said, "We're rid of you Welch, and you're not coming back." (There will be more about Mr. Marshall later in the story).

 

A short story will clearly demonstrate the differences in students at the two high schools: While walking down the second-floor hallway at Southwest High in front of "Study Hall" I picked up one of those large metal waste cans and drop kicked it through an open doorway clear to the back of the room. I was apprehended by the Vice Principal within about 15 minutes and when I asked him who ratted me out. He said, "This isn't Central high school Welch. Over a dozen students gave me your name." This was the beginning of my new attitude.

 

SOCIAL LIFE: Southwest H.S. had fraternities & sororities. The best fraternity was the "Delts". Since I could never make my grades they made me an Honorary Member. This worked out well since the Christmas Dances were the highlight of the year. Each frat. gave out one Guest Invite & I got them all. Also, I was always invited by a desirable sorority girl of each sorority, so I attended ALL the dances.

 

Under the rules, I was not eligible to play football my first year at Southwest high school. The football coach, Louis House, was known as the Vince Lombardi of the Interscholastic High School football league. His football practices were tougher than the league games. My first year at Southwest, 1951, should have been my senior year. However, it took me five years to complete the four-year program, and I graduated in 1952 at age 20.

 

Back to football in 1952: Coach House was giving out equipment and studiously ignoring me. When that process was completed, I approached Coach House, jabbed him in the gut with my thumb and said, "How about some equipment for me?" To which he replied, "You're that tough kid from Central aren't you?" To which I readily responded, "That's me coach." He then said, "Well tough kid, we'll see how tough you really are."

He then had me issued cleats, pants and jersey, but no protective padding. It should be noted at this point, that Coach House is the only coach in the history of high school football in Kansas City to have fielded three teams in a row that won the city championship: 1950, 1951 & 1952.

 

Many would say that enviable record was a direct result of the leadership of Coach House. I happen to believe that it was because he had the good fortune of coaching a quarterback named Carl "Cool" Ade, who was one of the greatest natural athletes I have ever met. Carl was an All City: football player; basketball player; baseball player and a scratch golfer. In fact, when Tom Watson played in his last amateur tournament, Carl had him down by one stroke until the end of the match. Years later, when I was one of the better racquetball players in the state, Carl beat me 20-2 and 20-1. It took me almost one year of weekly play against him before I could play him even.

 

THE CHAMP! "Cool" Ade

 

Our teams' best running back was John Handley, winner of the Nigro Football Trophy as the best football player in Kansas City. John was an absolute mass of muscle and ran over opposing lineman the way that Eddie Podolak did for the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

We scrimmaged and I was playing defensive left guard. The opposing lineman pulled and Handley ran over me on three consecutive plays. The fourth time I was able to get under him and he tumbled through the air a few times and landed on his back. Coach House no doubt realized that he was gambling with his star player simply to take care of a smart mouth. I was issued protective pads and played out the championship season.

 

 

 

 

Carl Ade back row left. LW front row, 3^rd from left.