Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home High School has had several facelifts and remodels over the 50 years the Class of 1954 has been out of high school, but what they saw Saturday bore little resemblance to their school.
All that remains now are the auditorium, the wood shop and the pool, which wasn?t covered at the time. Last year, School District 55 knocked most of the main high school building and built a mostly new facility.
The Class of 1954 toured the new high school Saturday morning with Athletic Director Steve Emmert.
?It?s great,? Geraldine (Guthary) Gardner of Sweet Home said. ?It?s like a college campus.?
Gardner has watched it change through the 1950s when she was in school and the remodel in the 1970s when her children attended school there.
?There?s no comparison,? Sharon (Burnett) Care said.
?What I like best is the ability of the students to mingle together,? Carol (Krogh) Lindstedt of Portland said. She doesn?t think students will even want to leave campus ?because the picnic area outside?s going to be wonderful.?
When they were in school, they didn?t have a cafeteria or much space to mingle with each other.
The Class of 1954 also had two teachers at the reunion this year, Leroy Schroeder, 1949-55, and Mike Fiasca. Fiasca missed the tour but had planned to be at the barbecue that afternoon.
?Fabulous,? Schroeder said of the new building. ?It?s fabulous.?
He taught math in a classroom still in use behind the auditorium. It is now used for band.
When this class was in its freshman year, ?they were full of devilment,? Schroeder said. ?By the time they were seniors, they were ladies and gentlemen.?
Of course, Schroeder wasn?t so far ahead of this class. He was only 10 years old than that class, he said. ?I remember throwing erasers at them when they?d talk. I?d be careful not to hit them.?
Now splitting his time between California and Waldport, Schroeder has ?fond memories of being here.?
?I think it?s a statement for people moving here with school-age children,? Lindstedt said. ?I think they?ll be happy to send their children to a facility like this.?
?I?m impressed how parts of the building constructed in the 1970s were preserved,? Bob Lindstedt said. ?I think it was a remarkable job of planning and architecture (to combine them).?
Through the years, Mrs. Lindstedt has watched Sweet Home change.
?I think things are in better repair now than five to 10 years ago,? Mrs. Lindstedt said. ?It seems like people are actually living here and fewer homes are in disrepair.?
A few notes about the Class of 1954
By Alex Paul
Publisher
– William C. Jones, professor of business administration at the University of Oregon and executive director of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, was the commencement keynote speaker.
– Beverly Landon delivered the valedictory address for the class of 109 students, the largest class in school history to that date. Jay Carpenter gave the salutatory address.
– Seniors earning letters in football were Phil Sturholm, Mike Thometz, Ted Owens, Bruce Banke, Jerry Reiler, Larry Ridley, Bob Hunter, Jim Porter and Edwin Gigstad. Senior wrestling letter winners were Jerry Reller and Dean Knutson.
For the female athletes, fourth year awards went to Arla Roberts, Donna Smith, Luella Daniels, Francine Jackson, Jackie Holten, Carol Layton, Beverly Landon, Joan Saubert and Anna Mae Murden.
– Class officers were: Bob Hunter, president; Lee Birdsall, vice-president; Carol Smith, secretary; Sandra Jones, treasurer and Linda Ellis, Sergeant-at-Arms.
– Playing at the Rio theatre graduation week was “Yankee Pasha” starring Jeff Chandler and Rhonda Fleming.
– A near-capacity crowd of 1,900 attended commencement program at the high school gymnasium. Class president Bob Hunter presented a $100 check, as a gift from the class, to the school for a tennis court fund. The McCarthy Sportsmanship Trophy was presented to Pete Musgrave, a four-year letter winner in track. Dr. J.J. McCarthy made the presentation.
– Scholarship winners included: Ted Owens and Barbara Menear, University of Oregon; Arla Roberts, Oregon State College; Anna Mae Munden, Eugene Beauty College and Velma Anderson, winner of the “Most Valuable Student” scholarship presented by the Lebanon Elks Lodge.
– Class member Jackie Holton, 17, was to represent Sweet Home at the 67th annual Linn County Pioneer Picnic to be held June 17-19 at Brownsville.
– In other graduation programs the same week: 125 students graduated from the Sweet Home Junior High, 12 graduated from Sunnyside grade school and 23 from Crawfordsville school.