The High School Years

Walsh began his time at De Smet like almost every other student, but at a time when the school had just begun.

“We still had to find our identity as a school,” Walsh said, “Once we started becoming successful in sports and in the classroom, we became who we are today.”

In the classroom, Walsh was not unlike many of the students he teaches today.

“I remember him sitting in the first row (by the door) second or third seat, in Far Eastern and Middle Eastern History,” former social studies teacher and De Smet Hall-of-Famer Chris Mess said. “He was studious, usually alert, and had a serious expression on his face, which could be due to a boring lecture on the Chinese Yuan dynasty from that day.”

While being a good student, Walsh would also get in a little trouble as well.

“He did well on his exams/tests and usually got As, If not an A he sought an explanation. Did he accept the explanation, probably not,” Mess said. “We/he had many detailed rules then: Hair length, belts had to be worn, leather shoes..tied (in case of fire evacuation) etcetera.”