July 30, 2026 Submitted By Carol Britton Meyer
Imagine the surprise Roger Knight and his wife, Kelly, felt when they discovered a Hingham High School Class of 1946 ring during recent renovations at their Tower Road home. The ring is engraved with the initials “WLC” on the inside.
“After reviewing the HHS Class of 1946 yearbook to try to find information about the ring’s owner, we found a ‘Wallis Lee Chipman’ listed,” Knight told the Hingham Anchor. “We also learned that a Wallis Lee Chipman musical award/scholarship is still presented at HHS today.”
Interestingly, a neighbor recalled that a Chipman family lived at the Knights’ current address for several years and that the father served as a foreman at the Hingham Shipyard during its peak production.
Knight stopped by town hall on Wednesday to check whether the town clerk’s or other office had any information that might help in their search.
“The town treasurer confirmed that the scholarship is still active and that it is self-funded, like a trust, but no further information was available,” he noted.
While Googling the name “Wally Chipman” – her nickname, Knight found a photo of her in a glee club type of setting, noting that Wallis must have been very talented to have a scholarship fund named after her.
Her photo in the 1946 yearbook has the notation, “Your voice is a singer’s/In whose veins run songs” and also mentions that she was a member of the glee club and dramatic club, vice-president of the junior class, a Red Cross Representative, graduation usher, played hockey, softball, and basketball, and was a cheerleader during her time at HHS, among other activities.
“We would like to return the ring to the surviving family members, but our research has stalled,” said Knight, who also contacted the Hingham Historical Society to check if they have any related information.
“Any help any members of the community might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated,” he said. “We’re hoping to find a connection.” The Knights may be reached at knightr349@gmail.com.