By Kaitlin Candelaria
Berry High School’s first graduating class swapped their tassels over in 1965. Now, they are gearing up for their 50th class reunion.
“Even though a lot of us live in the Birmingham and the Atlanta area, we don’t see a lot of each other,” said Jane Gore Graham, planning committee member. “It’s still a special treat. There is a specialness about our class – because we are the first class, we created the first traditions. We started everything.”
The original Buccaneers, which will include both the class of 1965 and 1966, will be hosting a two-day affair June 26 and 27 starting with a get-together at the Marriot Courtyard in Riverchase Friday night. On Saturday, members of the two classes will attend a graduates’ lunch at Margarita Grill in Pelham before the main event Saturday night at the Riverchase Country Club.
There will also be an area where mementos such as football programs and prom invitations will be displayed. Many former teachers and staff members will attend the event.
Graham said she is anticipating a good time.
“We have yet to fail to keep the band later than we’re supposed to,” she said. “We may be approaching our 70s, but we still like to have a good time and see each other.”
In addition to the band, attendees can enjoy a photo booth and food options such as a shrimp and grits bar, a stir-fry bar and a buffet.
This year’s reunion will be extra special in light of the Hoover City Council’s recent decision to purchase the old Berry High School campus. The facility served as a high school until 1994. Since then, it has been a middle school and now is a school for children in Hoover City Schools’ Crossroads program.
The council is still awaiting a decision from the Hoover Board of Education on whether or not it will sell the campus.
“We’ve always had our reunions and taken the money we can raise and donated it to organizations like the Finley Foundation,” Graham said. “This year, we are going to donate money towards saving the mural. It’s all we’ve got left.”
The mural is a tile mosaic designed by 1965 senior class president Kerry Buckley. It was completed in 1965 and shows five multi-colored figures. Each figure is holding aloft a symbol that correlates with a specific field of education. The mural also depicts a large torch, which Hoover City Schools later used as inspiration for its logo.
The torch isn’t the only thing from the first classes still in use. In fact, Graham said the first classes are responsible for most of the Hoover High School traditions still in place today.
“We picked out everything from the band uniforms and the cheerleading uniforms to the colors,” she said. “It makes us feel proud to see many of those things still in use today.”
Planning committee member Tommy Pearson agreed.
“We created the first traditions,” he said. “We were bonded. It made us closer.”
The first classes also are responsible for helping Berry High School earn accreditation.
“One thing about us gaining that accreditation was that we all wanted that advanced academic diploma, and the majority of our class got it and they used it,” Graham said. “We had a very high percentage that went to college and a high percentage that graduated from college, so that was a success. I think that’s the reason the Hoover school system finally did buy Berry and turn it into a Hoover school. It was already a very well-established academic and sport-oriented school. We created that Hoover mentality.”
Both Graham and Pearson said they are most looking forward to seeing everyone who attends the reunion.
“I love to hear everyone tell their stories — I never get tired of hearing them,” Graham said. “We have fun. We love each other. I feel like I could pick up the phone and call any of these guys, and they’d be there — that’s how close our class was.”
Those who are interested in attending the Berry High School 50th reunion can contact Graham at 668-2930 or send a letter to Berry High School Class Reunion, P.O. Box 1433 Pelham, AL 35124.
