The Norman Transcript
11/26/2000
Remembering Mr. Young: Vice principal kept order at NHS
By: Andy Rieger
Class of 1975
Dan Quinn's physical education class was among the easiest for a kid to miss at Norman High School. Back then, Mr. Quinn was a kindhearted soul who tended to believe your excuses if you were respectful. Besides, we never saw him take roll.
My biker buddies and I left the class often, heading downtown to Levi's for a hamburger and Velma's to share a day-old cake. It was on one of those days that I first met M. Ansel Young, the much-feared high school vice principal in charge of discipline.
"How was lunch?" he asked as we made out way back to campus late. His question was so warm it sounded as if he would have joined us had we invited him in time. He was as charming as a grandfather on your birthday.
"Fine, sir," I said.
"Great," he replied. "It's your last one for a while."
No Dairy Queen. No Sooner Dairy lunch. Just cafeteria food for a few weeks and a few stern words from the principal.
"Some day, you'll thank me for straightening you out," he said.
My chance will never come. Mr. Young died recently at age 80. Nicknamed "Rack," he was an institution in the Norman school system. Students would never have thought of being disrespectful to him.
He moved to Norman in 1938 and graduated from Norman High School in 1939. He was a member of the All-State football team. He joined the Marine Corps in 1943 and served until 1946. He coached football for a year and came to Norman in 1951 as the first vice principal of Norman High. He retired from the school system in 1984.
Mr. Young patrolled the parking lots. He knew every student by name, knew where you parked.
Up to a couple of years ago, he played golf three times a week and he was also an avid OU fan.
Although his health kept him home in the last year of his life, he would look over all of his yearbooks he had acquired over the years
and wondered if he had made a difference in the life of some of the young people he had as students all through his career.
A memorial service for him will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, November 27 at the Primrose Chapel.
Bert Corr was a principal for many of Mr. Young's years at Norman High. Corr would trail "Rack" in the halls. "there's Bert, back a Rack" students would say, almost childish humor relative to today's hall chatter.
Mr. Quinn, now principal at Norman High School North, fondly remembers his working days with Mr. Young.
"In my opinion, he was in that job longer than anyone should have been", Quinn said.
Students summoned to Mr. Young's office knew the drill. Punishment was the same, no matter the offense. Three days suspension or three licks.
Bend over and grab the seat of the chair. Case closed. Get back to class.
Mr. Young had a kind side, too.
He enjoyed seeing students graduate and return to campus, no matter how many times they had visited his office.
"When students came back to campus, he was always the first one they asked for"' Quinn said. "He was quite a guy."
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