On Saturday, September 19, the Central graduating class of 1965 celebrated their 50th class reunion at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club. Among the 375 students who graduated with the class, roughly 100 of those attended this year’s distinctive reunion. Chairperson Patti Gross, Assistant Chairperson Ron Tucker, Treasurer Treva Schlosshan, and other reunion committee members dedicated their time to planning and successfully executing this year’s reunion.

“The 50th is pretty special. The class told the committee members five years ago that they wanted to do the same thing for the 50th. We already had everything in place to do just that. We were fortunate to have a classmate, Carol Franklin McCamish, who has a membership at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club and generously allowed us to use it,” explained Gross.

An informal gathering of classmates was held at a fellow classmate’s home on Friday, September 18, before the formal gathering the next day at the Golf and Country Club. The formal reunion consisted of a social hour from 6:00-7:00, dinner from 7:00-8:00, and 60’s music and dancing from 8:00-12:00.

“[The] Friday and Saturday night events went well with lots of reconnecting, reminiscing, and fun,” expressed Bob Johnson, class of ’65 Mr. Central. He and his wife, Kathi, traveled from Puyallup, Washington, to attend the reunion.

“It had been 50 years since I had seen my good friend, Gary Pease. I enjoyed every minute of both events. Just hanging out with classmates and reminiscing is special,” he added.

“Everything ran smoothly and on schedule. Mostly, everyone socialized – getting to know one another again and talking about old times. Everything was special because of the people involved. I loved the laughter, the conversation, and especially the hugs,” shared Gross.

“We were – and still are – a very close group even though we were an extremely large class. We can see someone after 20 years, and it feels as if we are able to pick up a conversation that we left off last week rather than all of those years ago. We started ‘mini reunions’ after the 40th and would get groups together when someone came to town or, for instance, for our 60th birthdays,” continued Gross.

What was special about Central 50 years ago still resonates with the Class of ’65, and the fondness for their school has remained strong to this day.

“[There are] so many things [that are] special to me about Central, you could probably do another article on the topic! A super qualified and totally dedicated faculty, great coaches and a winning tradition in sports, unparalleled school spirit, the history of academic excellence, and the Rotunda [are] a few,” stated Johnson.

“There was a spirit at Central that came from the important three – faculty, administration, and students,” explained Gross. “We deeply loved our school and all it stood for, and we cared – and still care – about each other. We were the Class of ’65 family. Like most families, we became scattered and lost touch. The reunions bring all of that spirit back into the room, and it is a comfort to know that it still feels the same, only deeper and richer. Our motto is, ‘We’re the best there is alive. We’re the Class of ’65.’  We believed it then, and we believe it now.”

The Class of ’65 was happy to have a successful reunion. With an exceptional record regarding reunions past, there is no doubt that they will continue to come together and keep the Central spirit alive for years to come.