The East High Alumni Page presents:
| Reunion Plans and Reviews Class of 1955 East High School, Memphis, Tennessee |
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| 2005 Report | 2005 Photos | 2015 Reunion Photos | Class Quarterly Dinners | Ladies Monthly Luncheon | Periodic Dinner/Lunchen Photos |
The
East High Class of 1955 classmates, who live in the Memphis
area, and sometimes a classmate from out of town as pictured above for
the March, 2018 luncheon, have the opportunity to meet together with
their spouses for Mustang dinner gatherings four times a year at
various restaurants.
[last updated June 6, 2005]
East High School Class of 1955
celebrated their 50th Reunion the weekend of June 3-5th. More than 100
classmates and guests from twelve states, which included California,
Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and
Pennsylvania, returned to Memphis for the first reunion since 1975.
Sara Chumney and Allan Ledbetter worked for a year to locate classmates
and all but six members of the class were found. Some of the members of
the class had attended East High in sixth grade when it first opened in
1948.
The classmates met for the Friday night event at Jeanne and Henry
Varnell’s home overlooking the Mississippi River for BBQ and
enjoyed the magnificent view of the setting sun on the river as they
visited together and renewed their friendships.
Saturday morning was a golf game at Galloway Golf Course and East High
School was opened for a classmate tour of their Alma Mater. Sara and
Jim Chumney displayed colorful maroon and gray posters on school
library tables with school history memobilia, pictures and seven
Mustang Roundup school newspapers from the senior year. They provided a
competitive school fun quiz for the “Smartest in the Class
Award.” A guided tour to view classrooms, the old gym locker
room, school trophies, the nurse’s room where one classmate met
her husband, the cafeteria that was used recently in a movie, and a
peep through the auditorium doors (that is under renovation) to see
where they had been the first class to graduate on the auditorium stage
fifty years ago renewed fond memories for the classmates. As one
Mustang toured the school she recalled all the lost words of the
original East High School Fight Song of the 1950s. At the end of the
tour the group stepped out to see a classmate’s restored 1955 Bel
Air convertible.
Each classmate registered for the weekend was given a Welcome Packet
with Memphis brochures for afternoon and free time site seeing. On
Saturday evening The University of Memphis Holiday Inn Ballroom was the
scene of the Reunion Dinner Dance. Red roses and miniature toy Mustangs
decorated the dinner tables, banners and posters lined the walls and
side tables displaying pendants, teacher and students pictures. A
special poster recognized the 25 deceased members of the class with
their individual class photo.
The dinner event began with a program featuring a DVD presentation
created by Sara Chumney entitled “Memphis Memories 1954
-55” shown on a large screen. Many forgotten images of Memphis in
1955 and classmates’ pictures were viewed as they listened to the
music they all remembered. The production was enthusiastically received
and at special request it was shown several times more during dinner.
The 1955 faculty members were invited for the event. Special
recognition and gifts were presented by Pelda Stringer for the three
1955 faculty members present: George Toney (band teacher), Lilburne
Vollmer (Secretarial Science teacher), and Katherine Hinds Smythe
(English teacher). East High Foundation founder Charles McVean
presented a framed #43 Football Jersey for retirement to classmate Jim
Butler, who was “All Memphis Football Fullback in 1955.”
Tim Malkin announced humorous Award Certificates for classmates and
Rene Koopman’s Trio provided live dance music for the remainder
of the evening.
Jack Rice hosted a lovely Brunch Sunday at The Woodlands Clubhouse for
the classmates and guests before their departure from Memphis. Thanks
was given to the Reunion Planning Committee Members: Allan and Toni
Ledbetter, Jim and June Russell, Sara Chumney, Jeanne Varnell, Jack
Rice, Laura Patteson, Mickey English, Joe Shearer, Carol Ann Rockett,
Ethelda and Brant McKeever, and Tim Malkin for planning the weekend.
Many suggested another reunion in five years.
Reunion Review
by the editor, The East High Alumni Page
June 6, 2005 - The Class of 1955 completed a very successful, well
organized reunion yesterday with a well attended brunch. That followed
a full weekend of activities, including a Friday evening reception
overlooking the Mississippi River, a golf outing, tour of East High
School, and a Saturday night dinner and dance. The gathering also
included very interesting displays of memorabilia and a audio-video
presentation of class members and memories.
Final counts of attendees were not immediately available, but it
approximated the number who had registered in advance, 108 for the
Saturday night event. About sixty of those attending the reunion were
class members, out of a class of about 160. There are about 25 members
of the class who are known to have died.
Special guests attending the festivities included three teachers who
were members of the East High faculty during the tenure there of the
class: Mrs. Lilburn Vollmer (Commercial Work), Ms. Katherine Hinds
(English), and Mr. George Toney (Band).
Snapshots of the Friday night event were posted on The East High Alumni
Page on Saturday. Pictures of the school tour were posted on Sunday.
More photos are expected to be posted later in the week. Attendees with
pictures they'd like to share by having them posted on The East High
Alumni Page are encouraged to let us know at editor@EastHigh.org.
Our alumni page will also be happy to post reports of the reunion by
class memebers should they wish to submit them.
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