Plaque Rededication for Three Wellesley WWI Soldiers

Tomorrow, a plaque commemorating three Wellesley men who fought in The Great War (World War I) is getting pride of place at the High School--again.

Selectmen confirmed at their meeting last Monday that the plaque would be rededicated at the High School. The ceremony is slated for 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday. 

The three names on the plaque are Karl Cushing McKenney, class of 1907; Franklin Temple Ingraham, class of 1909; and Francis Wellington Whitney, class of 1909, who was also a resident of Needham. All three fought and died in WWI.

According to YourTown Wellesley, the plaque originally hung in the 1907 High School building, but was lost for a while--likely during the 1938 move to a newer building. It turned up about 20 years ago, and was on display in a history classroom until November, was lost again, and resurfaced in April. 

Tory DeFazio, an honorary director at the Wellesley Historical Society told YourTown Wellesley, that “It belongs in the high school.”

The plaque was hung in a place of honor the 1938 room at the new High School within the last month, via a Boston.com brief.

See the full story, and short biographies of the three soldiers, on YourTown Wellesley.

Until May of last year, another lost Wellesley artifact turned up: a 300-pound bell which belonged to the Sprague School had sat in the Fiske School basement for years. It was later returned to its home at Sprague when Principal Steve Goodwin drove it back.

The bell in the Sprague clock tower came from the Shaw School, which was torn down in 1924, according to the Wellesley Historical Society.