Forty eight members of the Pacolet High School
Class of 1955 graduated on the night of May 24, of that year. However,
our journey had started many years earlier during the depths of World War
II in the fall of 1943. That year, most of us had started the first grade.
It was not at all sure, in those dark times, that the United States could
win the War. Fortunately, our country did win and we went on to eventually
graduate.
A few of us started the first grade in the same Pacolet School
where we would graduate years later. These were destined to have such grammar
school teachers as Mrs. Wells, Mrs. Cromer, Mrs. Trowell, Mrs. Parrish and
Miss Garrison among others.
A number of us started in the first grade at the old school
in Glendale where Mrs. Murray was Principal. Mrs. Cox and Miss Kinard were
among our teachers.
The majority of us began our first grade journey at the Pacolet Mills Elementary school overlooking
the mill village. This school was under the serious and watchful eye of
our Principal, Miss Venable. (Does anybody else remember the big round tables
with the hole in the middle that we had in the first grade classroom?)
Along the way, those of us from these three
schools were joined by others. The newcomers had started at schools with
strange names like North Charleston Elementary and Fremont Elementary. We
had new students join our class every year until we graduated.
By the time we started the eighth grade in 1950, we had joined
together at Pacolet and were well on the way to becoming the Class of 1955.
Click on this link for a list of our class
members along with addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. We want
to thank Nettie Rothrock Gentry for furnishing us this information.
This information was current as of our 50th reunion in 2005. If your information
needs updating please email us with the corrections.
Forty eight of us stayed the course and went
on to graduate in the gymnasium on that long ago night in 1955. However,
along the way, we lost many classmates and dear friends. Some moved to other
schools, others dropped out of school for a variety of reasons. Some few
passed away, including Harold Strange of Glendale, who had contracted Polio,
the Terrorist disease of our youth. Many of our classmates left in the summer
of 1950 between the 8th and 9th grades. Even though they did not graduate
with us, these former classmates left us many memories.
Class has 53rd Reunion
The class had its 53rd reunion on Saturday, August 16, 2008
in the friendship hall of the Pacolet Methodist Church. The reunion was
planned and organized by Nettie Rothrock Gentry and her husband Scott.
We would like to thank Nettie and Scott and the others involved for all
the hard work and time involved. Plans were made to have the next reunion
in 2010.
Miss Bishop's Annual
At the recent reunion, I told the story of how I had acquired
Miss Bishop's 1955 Tomahawk annual from eBay. I don't think I explained
it very well. A clearer explanation is at this link - 1955 Tomahawk.
(Believe it or not, the same thing has happened again with the 1952 Tomahawk
belonging to and dedicated to Jack Corn. Read the details on the same page
about Miss Bishop.)
In Memory
A number of our classmates have passed away. Click on this link for for a list of the names and
information about them.
Alma Mater
For the words to the Alma Mater and thoughts on the closing
of the school, click on this link.
