Lanier class of 1970 recalls days spent at 'The Castle'
When members of Sidney Lanier High School's class of 1970 began high school in 1967, many were following in the footsteps of their parents, siblings and extended family members.
Lanier was the size of a small college then, and the sophomore class was comprised of almost 900 students before Jefferson Davis High School was built in 1969. Even after losing many of their friends to JD, the class of '70 included more than 600 graduates, most of whom spent all three years as Lanier Poets.
More than four decades have passed since they first entered the hallowed halls of the school they affectionately called, "The Castle." Named for famous poet Sidney Lanier, who once lived in Montgomery, their high school was first housed on South McDonough Street, where Baldwin Academic and Arts Magnet School currently is located. Lanier moved to its current Court Street location in the fall of 1929. Called "The Million Dollar School" then, Lanier was the work of architect Frederick Ausfeld, who designed a Gothic revival building that mirrored the look of Ivy League schools with its turrets and the North Tower.
Celebrating Four Decades
Memories of years spent at Lanier were celebrated during a 40th reunion hosted over a recent weekend at various sites across the city. Senior Class President Jimmy Parrish and his reunion committee, Donna Alford Spivey, Paula Vaughn Brandt, Clare Weil Weisberg, Steve and Marsha Fast Orange, George Thomas, Ed Price, Ed Wesson, Mike Forster and Maye Johnson Suddath, had a big task and worked for months to contact class members as they planned the reunion festivities. The class of 1970 previously had reunited for the 10th, 20th and 30th year reunions and wanted to make this year's reunion just as special as the others.
Phone calls and Internet searches helped them locate many members of the class who had moved from Montgomery over the years. Classmate Stan Robinson's website proved invaluable in their efforts.
Robinson became interested in building a Lanier website in the late '90s and initially launched sidneylanier.org in 1999, with the goal of keeping classmates connected about reunions, keeping them in contact with each other and helping them preserve memories of their days at Lanier. In 2009, he launched a faster and easier website and has since added 11,000 names to sidneylanierhighschool.org.
The committee's hard work paid off as 110 members of the class from 11 states gathered with their spouses and friends to reunite recently for a wonderful weekend. They came from Minnesota, California and as far away as Hawaii to enjoy planned social events, a tour of their old school and many of Montgomery's downtown sites.
Cheering The Biscuits
Festivities commenced Friday night as reunion attendees gathered at Riverfront Stadium under a large "Lanier Class of 1970" banner to receive nametags and tickets to the Montgomery Biscuits baseball game. Roianne Houlton Conner and several of the reunion committee members welcomed arrivals as former classmates met and mingled in the Box Car area, and enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet of grilled meats, side dishes and Coca-Cola products.
Some of the Poets seen enjoying the night and watching the Biscuits' big win were Tommy Potts, Wayne Ledbetter, Mike Vickery, Tom Collum, Perry Hopper, Byron Blackmon, Steve Weeks, Bruce Hadden, Johnnie Phillips, Donnie Franklin, Sandy Doran Stephens, Danella Dyer, Jackie Holliday Hundley, Diane Fleischman Logan, Linda Mann Edwards, Richard Honel, Tom Moore and Pat Harris.
After the game, several continued the excitement of the night during a party at the Alley Bar. Others, including Bob Stinson and Sarah Kyle Eldridge, were among those spotted enjoying the hospitality of the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center. As the night hour grew late, Neal Meriwether, Mike Harmon, Larkin Brown and Debbie Wood Smith, all of Virginia; Priscilla Simon Bishop of Minnesota, Janice Segall of California, and Todd Peckman of Illinois were among those who marveled at the changing face of downtown Montgomery.
Walking The Halls
Saturday morning, classmates arrived for a tour of their old school. Water and snacks were provided for them as they walked the halls reminiscing and sharing wonderful memories of their days at Lanier, which included being state football champions in 1968 and 1969.
Debbie Walker Stewart, Cherie Bowick Curlee, Faye Dozier Bagley, Robert Guy, Gloria Wilson Franklin, Patty Dawsey Wilks, Bruce Brewer, Alice Cherry Johnson, Carl Russell and Janice Wood Payton were seen remembering pep rallies and study halls in the auditorium. A group that included Pam Corwin Fellows, Johnny Jacobs, Bill Taylor and Bevy Bushman visited the gymnasium, where they recalled exciting basketball games.
As they walked the halls Tommy Sharpe, Mary Schaum Honley, Cynthia Huie McDonald and Steve Wilson, were among those wondering how they ever attended Lanier during the days before air conditioning. Bill Taylor wondered the same thing as did Mara Saunders Williams, Rhonda Burns Metcalf, Kenny Edwards, Jenny Edwards Bortolazzo and Janis Cooper Howard.
Several Poets lunched together later at Sinclair's in Old Cloverdale and recalled their high school days when they saw movies at "The Clover." Among those enjoying the delicious food at the restaurant outing were George Handey, Connie Crauswell Kemph, Becky Williams, Robert Cochran, Stan Dowdy, Frank Caskey, Mack Sturdivant, Bill Paul and Susie Muscari Portwood.
Music and Memories
Saturday night's event found classmates in the Terrace Level Ballroom on the top floor of the Capital City Club. Among those admiring the spectacular views of Montgomery from the club's balconies included Amy Stuart Cook, Rachel Lollar Sims, Jackie Reddock Benedict, Debbie Martin Hopper, Lynn Hughes Ratley and Judy Key Ingram.
Inside, Virginia Lentini Mack and Dianne Brady Craig were among those admiring the large floral centerpiece Ed Price created for the occasion using blue hydrangeas, white Fuji mums, blue delphiniums and blue belladonna to support Lanier's school's colors.
While blue and white balloons festooned the dinner tables, classmates gathered to view the displays of other tables that included class memorabilia, photos of the 32 deceased members of the class of 1970 and large posters that had been created by Clare Weil Weisberg using pages from old issues of the Lanier student newspaper The Blue and White.
Groups gathered to share picture albums, class pictures and memories from their earlier days at Floyd, Bellingrath, Cloverdale, Baldwin, and Johnson schools. Annelle Bagley Reed and Debra Hawk Finley were among those seen studying pictures from days gone by, as were Deborah Cook Mallory, Sallie Rives Hudson and Susan Hogg Debardeleben.
Everyone enjoyed selections from a reunion dinner buffet that included chicken tenders, turkey breast, pork spring rolls, fresh fruits with chocolate ganache, and all the fixings at a mashed potato bar.
After welcoming the large crowd, emcee Jimmy Parrish recognized classmates who were newlyweds; those married longest; those with the most children and grandchildren; as well as Steve Mann and his wife, Jane, who had traveled from Kaneho, Hawaii, to see his old classmates. They were among those who received a framed copy of a picture of Lanier.
Seven couples were recognized who were both 1970 Lanier graduates, including Joe and Patty Nelson Lambrecht, Tom and Nancy Smith Ventimiglia, Grant and Debbie Moore Jones, Richard and Angie Esco Smitherman, Steve and Marsha Fast Orange, Peter and Karen Franklin Blaise, and Gerald and Sue Watson Paulk.
Classmates then danced the night away to the music of the '60s and '70s provided by DJ Jeff Donovan. Songs like "Respect," "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," and "Spooky" encouraged classmates to remember when, as they anxiously moved to the dance floor.
Some of those enjoying the music and memories were Pam Tillman, Patricia Couch Alverson, Lisa Segall, Kay Cauthen Petrey, Patty Richey McRoberts, Richard Douglass, Dianne Brooks Kelly, Johnny James, Peggy Roberts Ennels, Cheryl Hollon Hord, Lee Farquar and Craig Mills. All had such a good time they even sang their alma mater during the evening.
A Centennial Celebration
The class of 1970 already is looking forward to attending future class reunions, as well as the Legends of Lanier Centennial Celebration, which will be held July 31 at the Renaissance.
A banquet will honor graduating members from all 100 classes, including many who have distinguished themselves in business, academics, sports and the arts. Lanier graduate Bart Starr, quarterback at the University of Alabama who later received two Most Valuable Player Awards while leading the Green Bay Packers to victory in two Super Bowls, will be the keynote speaker.
Emcee for the night will be another Lanier graduate -- John Cochran, who is currently with ABC News. Cochran won an Emmy Award while working with NBC News. The event is sponsored by the nonprofit group Legends of Lanier, which was founded to celebrate the centennial of the school. For tickets and more information, contact legendsoflanier@gmail.com.
Deborah Hayes Moore writes about society news for the Montgomery Advertiser. She may be reached by voicemail at 956-0254 or by e-mail at
dmougins@aol.com.
