The East High Alumni Page
presents


Pictures, memories, memorabilia of specific interest to
the Class of 1968

Please see our Memories page for items of interest to a wider range of alumni.

Class Members: Your contributions to this page are needed!

This section last updated May 24, 2013

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September, 2012 — It was 50 years ago, September, 1962, we first entered Junior High. What a time!

The Annex, changing classes every hour, Phys.Ed, Tennessee History, Pep Rally's. It was the year of Telstar, the Cuban Missile Crisis, new TV shows The Virginian,The Jetsons, The Beverly Hillbillies; Sept. 4, The Beatles recorded "Love Me Do," which became a top hit in the USA 20 months later.


East Elementary School, Miss Stovall's Class, 1961-62 - 6th Grade


East Elementary School, Mrs. James's Class, 1961-62 - 6th Grade
Mrs. James 6th grade class, 1961-62


A small group from our 7th grade class on an outing. The question is, after the trip to the zoo
did the girls think the guys were gentlemen or just animals?

Perhaps foreshadowing the popularity of the top ten song "Spooky" in February, 1968,
many of the Class of 1968 are seen here at the beginning of their academic careers.
Mrs. Trenor's Kindergarten, 1955
Class of 1968 in kindergarten (afternoon sessions).


Mrs. Trenor's Kindergarten, held in southeast portion of the East High School building for several years, had both morning and afternoon sessions. We believe the picture above is of the afternoon sessions.
Below, are the students who were in the morning sessions.
Class of 1968 in kindergarten (morning sessions).


At the 35-year reunion in 2003, we were shocked to see the following picture. We thought with a photo of the morning kindergarten session and one of an afternoon kindergarten session, we had them all. We were badly mistaken. This picture was brought to the reunion and it probably has more of our classmates in it than both of the other pictures above combined.
Class of 1968 in another kindergarten section (whether morning or afternoon session is yet to be determined.


It's late October (2006), another halloween approaches and another kindergarten halloween picture surfaces! The picture below is an entirely different section of kindergarten with future members of the 1968 graduating class. It makes sense that there were 4 sections of kindergarten classes. There were two large rooms for kindergarten classes and a morning and afternoon session.

One of Mrs. Trenor's kindergarden classes, 1955-56, with members of the Class of 1968


Before the twist, there was the hula. Can you identify these girls in the picture below? We think we have 5 of them identified, but for fun, can you name all of them? Send us your suggestions even if you can't name them all because you may have identified one of those that we couldn't. Class of 1968 in a kindergarten program on the stage of the East High  auditorium.
. Class of 1968 kindergarten hula


Here are some more pictures of our class in kindergarten putting on performances. We think these feature members of the morning classes of Ms. Trenor's kindergarten.
Members of the Class of 1968 in kindergarten play



The following image appears to be from the same or similar production, though it is not known if this is the morning or afternoon sessions of kindergarten, or maybe even if all sections of kindergarten might have been combined into a single performance. If you know, clue us in!




Oh, how cute. Of course, they got a lot cuter, if you have a yearbook just check out their senior class pictures taken 12 years later.
Class of 1968 in kindergarten play



More pictures of "our girls" performing on the East High stage. This is believed to be a group from the afternoon session(s) of Mrs. Trenor's kindergarten appearing in a performance of  "Susie Snowflake."
Class of '68 girls in kindergarten performance



True entertainers are apparently oblivious to the dangers of hanging upside down over the concrete floor of the East High stage. Here we see acrobatics from some of the girls of the Class of '68. Since it difficult to see the faces in this wide shot, a somewhat larger version of this image is available by clicking on the picture below.
Acrobatics in kindergarten



We don't know that the girls were ever more dressed up than this, including proms and weddings. Except for the shoes, maybe the girls did find more fashion oriented footware.
members of the Class of '68 in Mrs. Trenor's kindergarten performance



Lots of smiles. Lots of leg. This looks like fun.
more kindergarten performances by members of the Class of '68



Line up children, boy, girl, boy, girl..." Presumably another kindergarten play but one observer has suggested the children might be first grade because they look older than kindergarten kids. Were there any plays like this after kindergarten?
Class of '68 members Kindergarden/elementary photo



Ahead of Hugh Heffner, our East '68 beauties were bunnies a few years before Playboy opened its first club. (The first Playboy Club opened in 1960.) Presumably, this is another kindergarten play.
Class of '68 members in Kindergarten play.



Fashion statements? A lot of girls were wearing brown. Remember Brownie Troops? The Girls Scouts apparently still have the "Brownie Girl Scouts" program for girls "ages 6-8 or are in grades 1-3." In this photo from November, 1959, some of the girls below are identified as (seated, left to right): Pam ('68), Fontaine ('68), Dana ('68), Diane ('68), Linda ('68), Susan, Judy ('68), unidentified; (standing): unidentified, Nancy ('68), Carol ('68), unidentified, unidentified.
A Brownie Troop with several Class of '68 members.

Top Rated Music of Our High School Years*
1968 Through June, 1968
Love Is Blue
Honey
The Dock of the Bay
This Guy's In Love With You
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Mrs. Robinson
Tighten Up
Mony Mony
Young Girl
Cry Like a Baby
1967
To Sir with Love
The Letter
Ode to Billie Joe
Wendy
I'm a Believer
Light My Fire
Somethin' Stupid
Happy Together
Groovin'
Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
1966
The Ballad of the Green Berets
Cherish
Soul and Inspiration
Reach Out I'll Be There
96 Tears
Last Train to Clarkville
Monday Monday
You Can't Hurry Love
Poor Side of Town
California Dreamin'

*We find it strange not a single song from The Beatles was listed as a top record during these years.
We believe this list is from Cashbox, which would indicate record sales, not radio air play.
From the Memphis Press Scimitar, February 29, 1968:
READYING FOR GRADUATION — Shopping for "Easter bonnets" is momentarily forgotten by these East High seniors who, with hundreds of other seniors in city and county schools, are being measured for graduation caps and gowns. Lucy Lathram, 17, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. M. W. Lathram of 5402 S. Angela Road, takes the head measurement of Janis Floyd, 17, daughter of Mrs. Ruth Floyd of 3570 Poplar.
Press Scimitar Staff Photo by Jack E. Cantrell

You were there! (We presume.)

Commencement Program, cover page
Commencement Program, order of service

A few of us are separately still attending the church of our childhood and our baccalaureate, "2nd Pres." If any of you would like to attend a worship service at 2nd, you'd be welcome. In fact, Ken Welch says he thinks it might be rewarding if several of us attended together occasionally. Ken says if interested in attending with a member, you may contact him at the address at the end of his profile.

Faculty "Graduating" with us Among the faculty, those completing their service at East along with the Class of 1968 included Miss Elsie Stone, Mrs. Iola Headstream, and Mrs. Alice Reimers. These three women retired with the end of the 1968 school year. Miss Stone began at East six weeks after the school opened in 1948. She taught English and mathematics initially but later it was exclusively math. Mrs. Headstream joined the faculty in 1950 and taught senior English for the most part. Mrs. Reimers had been at East for 13 years.

Excerpt from the Mustang Roundup May, 17, 1968
Survey Indicates School's Wealth
By Ralph Noyes
Recent samplings of several homerooms have revealed some noteworthy facts about the financial habits of East students. The survey showed several basic trends at East in earning money and in spending it.
Although few junior high pupils and freshmen hold jobs, roughly 35% of all sophomores, juniors, and seniors are currently employed. Boys are twice as likely to be working as are girls, although both have the same average income of between $4 and $8 per week. Older students have more cash to spend. Their greater expenses, however, consume most of their extra income.
Surprisingly, East students spend less on entertainment than is generally believed. By a wide margin, those polled claimed to spend less than $2 per week on amusements and associated expenses. A sizable minority, though, devotes over $8 weekly to entertainment.
The transition from junior high to senior high brings a considerable growth in spending for food and personal items. Most students spend less than $5 per week in this category. Close to 20% of the senior high students polled spend more than $10 per week on food and personal items.

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