Babe Asselin was Warren High School’s janitor from 1926 to 1958.  Usually working alone, he shoveled coal into the school’s furnace, cleaned the entire building each school night, refinished the school’s floors and desks during the summer, and let numerous athletes use the gym when it was not otherwise in use.

A fixture at every school athletic event, he was beloved by entire student bodies.  And he was a special friend of those students who skipped a study hall or two and came to the boiler room to discuss the world’s problems with him.

Almost every high school yearbook contained a tribute to Babe.  Among the heartfelt words that were dedicated to him were the following:  

“Last but no means least is our cheerful and obliging janitor, Babe.  He is as much a part of the school and as ardent a sports fan as any student could be.  His hard faithful work and willing co-operation merit our deepest appreciation, and we take this opportunity to express it.”

“Babe is always ready to help everyone whether it’s part of his work or not.  On the field Babe is just one of the boys.  He gets out to every game and cheers just as if he were a member of the student body.”

“As long as we remember Warren High School, we’ll remember Babe.  He was here when we came in as freshmen, and in each succeeding year, we’ve grown to depend on him more and more.  Oh, he growls at us when we get in his way – and although that scared us when we were freshmen, we know him too well now.  He’s as ardent a sports fan as any student, and don’t           talk against Warren High School in his presence; it isn’t too healthy.”

For many years one of the features of Senior Class Day was a presentation of pipe tobacco to Babe in appreciation for all that he had done for the graduating class.  And one of the toppers of his career came when the Class of 1957 dedicated its yearbook to him, stating “Proud that in this great land of ours anyone may earn the respect and admiration of all, we dedicate this yearbook to the only janitor this school (building) has ever had, Babe Asselin.”

Following his retirement in 1958, the Warren Alumni and Booster Club further honored him, noting that “the greatest guy in the world, the greatest janitor, friend, and sport that Warren ever produced was returning to the bench after thirty-two years of pitching for Warren High.”

Picture from Hall of Fame archives