Two Former Andrew Warde High School Classmates Recall Special Bond as 50-Year Reunion Approaches

Two former classmates who graduated from Andrew Warde High School 50 years ago this June remembered what made their graduation class special and unique. It was the first class to attend all four years at Warde after the high school opened in September of 1956.

"It was a great experience," recalled Fred Gates, a member of the 1959 undefeated Crimson Eagles' football team who lives about 80 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida. "The classes before us had all attended Ludlowe and had mixed feelings about being at Warde. We would be the first class to attend all four years and hopefully establish new traditions for future classes."

"It was very special," wrote Margie Van Horn, who lives in DeLand, Florida, and married her high school sweetheart, the late Doug Holmquist. "I think that is one of the reasons why our class 'bonded' more than some other classes. The three classes before were torn between their loyalty to Ludlowe and the new high school."

Van Horn, whose two children and four grandchildren live in the Orlando area, vividly recalled her high school days. "I was fortunate to be a cheerleader, so some of my most fond memories involve our sports teams," she told me via email.

"As you probably know, our 1959 football team went undefeated," she continued. (That was) quite an accomplishment! I remember the 'canteens' we had in the cafeteria after basketball games and the sock hops in the gym. The teachers came and chaperoned. I don't know whether they still do this, but my kids grew up in Florida and they didn't have these chances to have fun and meet other people."

Gates, who has three children and seven grandchildren who live in the Milwaukee area, played for Coach Fern Tetreau's state champion gridders his senior year and won't ever forget the 9-0 season.

"There were a lot of great memories," he wrote. "But the best was being a member of the 1959 undefeated football team. Being undefeated gave the whole school a sense of pride and identity. Many of the players won four year scholarships at schools like Boston College and Indiana." He earned a scholarship to UConn.

"Another interesting memory was the class vote to where we would hold our junior prom," added Gates, who for 30 years was president and CEO of the North American operation of Märklin, GmbH, the largest manufacturer of model railroad trains in the world. "We voted to put a tent in the center court of the high school. I think that said a lot about the kids and their desire to do new things and be different. The prom was a blast!"

Warde's original design and house plan were the result of progressive thinking over a half century ago. The unique house plan, which divided the secondary school into four smaller units, provided an intimate atmosphere in which close relationships between students and teachers were fostered. However, it was somewhat intimidating to the students.

"I remember being a little overwhelmed at the size at first and getting used to the 'houses,' but it was great to have everything new," admitted Van Horn. "Having most of your classes in one 'house' didn't give us the opportunity to be with all the other students. But the social activities bridged that gap."

"It was very antiseptic," Gates admitted about the sparkling new high school on Melville Avenue. "The gym floor was not finished and the four 'houses' was such a new concept and a little overwhelming." He's pictured above in his senior class photo from the 1960 Flame yearbook.

Naturally, a rivalry with Roger Ludlowe High School was inevitable, especially since the three previous graduating classes all had ties to the Unquowa Road school. "There was a terrific rivalry in our class," wrote Gates, whose football team easily defeated the Flying Tigers his senior year. "Beating Ludlowe in any sport was important. We wanted to be the new 'big kid' in town."

Van Horn, seen in her senior class photo from the Flame, was married to Holmquist for 24 years before he died in 1988. He was a professional baseball player who played in the minor leagues and later coached, so they lived a nomadic existence for quite awhile. "Our first years had us living in a lot of places. Then we lived in East Lansing, Michigan, while he got his Masters degree," she wrote.

"We also lived in Burlington, Vermont, for four years as he coached the University's baseball team. We then moved to Florida when he changed coaching positions and coached the University of Central Florida baseball team.

"Eventually, he worked for the New York Yankees for six years as a minor league manager, and one year as the first base coach with the major league team, and then another year as an advance scout for the major league team," she continued. "All this meant I stayed home with our two children while he was gone until school let out and we could join him."

Van Horn, who had two publishing jobs and worked for independent financial planners and stock brokers before retiring, is looking forward to the 50-year reunion. "I'm very excited," she admitted. "It's sad that so many of my classmates have passed away. Every five years we learn that we've lost more, but that's what happens at our age. I wish that some of my classmates who are still living in the area but do not come to the reunions would come to this one!"

Gates has become a familiar face at his class reunions and is looking forward to his 50-year reunion at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury, Connecticut, on Saturday, June 12. "I have attended all but one of the past reunions and I am looking forward to this, our big '50th,'" he acknowledged. "We have a great class, and it will be nice to visit with everyone who attends. It is just so sad that so many of our classmates have passed away."

Here's to the Andrew Warde High School Class of 1960! May they have a wonderful 50-year reunion this year. They will always be remembered as the first class to attend all four years at our high school. Congratulations.

Andrew Warde High School's Class of 1960 is planning its 50-year reunion, which will be held at the Heritage Hotel in Southbury, Connecticut, on Saturday, June 12. For more information, contact Peggy Quinn at 203-259-0956 or by email at pquinn2322@gmail.com or peggy.quinn@ge.com.

Paul