Cambridge High and Latin School

John Augustine Downes “Ponzi”

John Augustine Downes (“Ponzi”) is one of 462 graduates in the class of 1926 at Cambridge High and Latin School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The 1926 yearbook entry gives: came from Sacred Heart; lived at 125 Second Street; a motto.

Class of 1926

462 in the class of 1926 · 7 more named Downes

Full name: John Augustine Downes
Known as: Ponzi
Lived at: 125 Second Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts
School: Cambridge High and Latin School
Graduated: Class of 1926
Came from: Sacred Heart

Also searched as: Ponzi Downes; Jack Downes; John Downes; John A. Downes.

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Neighbours 10
Same surname 6
Classmates 461
Same schools 4

In context

In the alphabetical roll of 462 names from the Cambridge High and Latin School class of 1926, John stands 110th. John's portrait is on scan page 50, and this book's portraits on the site span pages 23 to 140. There are 24 people named John in the Cambridge High and Latin School class of 1926; the entry on this page is one of them. John is one of 17 in the Cambridge High and Latin School class of 1926 whose entry names Sacred Heart as the school they came from. Among first names, the class of 1926 favours Mary (29), John (24) and Margaret (19); the class of 1927 had Mary (26), John (22) and Ruth (14).

On the same scan page	Frances C. Donovan, Helen M. Donovan, Harold P. Dow
Same earlier school	Sacred Heart: 16 other classmates
Same first name	John: 23 other people in the class

At home, 125 Second Street

The 1930 city directory lists John Augustine Downes with the occupation “laborer” (page).

The 1926–27 Cambridge Directory (W. A. Greenough Co.) lists these people named Downes at this address. It gives occupations and wives' names, but does not say how these people were related.

Henry Downes, laborer householderpage
Joseph Downes, laborer lived herepage

The Downes household is listed here in 1925, 1928 and 1930 too.

What the yearbook said

Studious, ambitious, virile is he;

Ever successful may he be.

Also grew up on Second Street

The class of 1926

All 462 in this class →

Others named Downes

Same surname in Massachusetts. They may be relatives; the books do not say.

All 7 people named Downes →

Also came from Sacred Heart

Look for John Augustine Downes in other records

FamilySearch census, birth, marriage and death records (free account)
Internet Archive other yearbooks, city directories and town reports that mention the name
Chronicling America digitized newspapers at the Library of Congress

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Source

Cambridge High and Latin School yearbook, 1926, page 50. View the original scan at the Internet Archive (item cambridgehighlat1926unse).

Published 1926, and therefore in the public domain in the United States. Scan courtesy of Malden Public Library / Boston Public Library via the Internet Archive.

How this page was made: the name, portrait and printed details were read from the scan by software and checked against the page; a few in every hundred details are still wrong. How it works · Report an error · Standards