The Park School Song
History
(From the book 100, published on the occasion of Park’s Centennial)
Isaac A. Oppenheim, one of Park’s founders, composed “Park School” in 1913, with lyrics by Eugene Randolph Smith. In 1914, at the conclusion of the banquet at the Emerson Hotel following Park’s first graduation, the assembled celebrants sang the song. The last verse was “…repeated by the Seniors alone as the final farewell of the graduating class.”
In what is surely Park’s oldest tradition, “Park School” is sung only at graduations – by the fifth graders at May Day, by the eighth graders at their closing ceremony, and by seniors at graduation – and only they and alumni sing the last verse. But an exception was made on September 28, 2012. At the all-school Centennial kick-off assembly, everyone sang the last verse.
Lyrics
Park School, Park School, Hear thy sons and daughters greet thee,
We a loyal band and true come singing, To our Alma Mater our praise bringing
Park School, Park School, High we’ll raise our flag and long cheer,
As we’re marching on to vict’ry ‘neath the Brown and White.Park School, Park School All our lessons hard we learn there,
Algebra and Latin lie in wait and History and English keeps us late in
Park School, Park School, But our motto still is “Strive on,”
As we’re marching on to vict’ry ‘neath the Brown and White.(Verse 3 only sung by Alumni)
Park School, Park School, When our course is done we leave thee,
Still thy mem’ry lingers in each heart With thoughts of happy days before we part from
Park School, Park School, When we’re old and gray we’ll still cheer,
As we’re marching on to vict’ry ‘neath the Brown and White.
RECORDING
In 2009, a recording was made by Eightnotes.
Play to listen.
