Ashland High School was completely covered with ivy in 1946.

“Tip your hat, look alive, we’re the class of ’65.”

“Neatest guys, cutest chicks, we’re the class of ’66.”

“We’ve got spirit, we’ve got GO, we’re the class of 7 – 0.”

“Greatest Grizzlies we will be, we’re the class of ’73.”

I met recently with some of the organizers of this year’s Ashland High School all-class reunion. As they began to reminisce, the four senior class mottos quoted above emerged (with laughter) from their memory banks. Do today’s senior classes still have fun mottos like these?

Most Ashland High grads don’t know about the annual all-class reunion, which has been a tradition since 1894. This makes it one of the longest-running high school reunions in the entire country! The all-class reunion is now held every year on the first Saturday in August.

Of course, many Ashland High School classes have reunions every five or 10 years just for their class. For example, the Class of 1974 had its 50th reunion Friday and Saturday, July 12-13.

Half the fun of a reunion is learning what old friends and school-mates are doing now. The other half (or more) is sharing memories and tall tales.

Alumni “old-timers” in recent years shared memories of Twin Plunges, Rondo Lanes, Park View Department Store, Fortmiller’s Department Store, cherry coke with phosphate, the Sweet Shop (at least two of them); Walt’s Lithia Motors, Selby Chevrolet and Jim Busch Ford (all three on Main Street); Meister’s Buy Rite and Big Al’s burgers.

They told me that girls who attended Ashland High in 1969 were not allowed to wear pants! That changed for the class of 1970. Yes, times have changed.

Younger alumni will have completely different memories. If you are one of the “younger alumni,” what are your memories?

Another reason to attend? If you are single or widowed, you might find a new husband, wife or life partner at an Ashland High reunion. It has happened at least three times, and perhaps a few more.

It’s not just about the past. The alumni association has a scholarship committee, led by Trina Hassell Brumble of the class of 1992. Scholarship applications come from the school. An alumni committee selects the recipients, with the number varying each year depending on how much was raised. For their 50th reunion, the class of 1969 gave nine scholarships in addition to the stone bench in front of the old gym.

The class of 1970, for its 50th, raised money for the Ashland High theater department marquee facing Mountain Avenue, as well as funding several scholarships. The Alumni Association awarded two scholarships last year and will award three this year. Scholarship winners traditionally attend the all-class alumni dinner and describe their college plans to the group.

Carol Christlieb Jensen added, “Last year, which was our 50th, we raised money for the high school, and we also partnered with the Ashland Schools Foundation. We decided we would raise funds for furniture for the library. The existing furniture was kind of old and tacky. The Schools Foundation said they would match what the alumni raised, up to $2,500. Our alumni group raised $5,000, so we were able to give $7,500 in total for book displays, couches and other furniture for the high school library.”

Ch-ch-changes through the years

Ashland High School buildings, once again being renovated this year, have gone through many changes in the past 131 years.

The first dedicated high school classes took place in the North School, built in 1885. According to historian Marjorie O’Harra, Ashland’s first high school graduation took place on May 22, 1891 — with three graduates!

As Ashland’s population doubled between 1890 and 1905, a new high school building was needed. The building later called Washington School served as Ashland High between 1905 and 1910.

It didn’t take long for a much larger high school to be built, in 1911. Today’s high school is at the same location as the 1911 buildings, but doesn’t look like them at all. Look at these photos of Ashland High as it looked immediately after being built (below), and then how it looked in 1946 (at top).

With an alumni association tradition going back to 1894, the torch for being all-class meeting organizers gets passed to a “younger generation” every few years. For example, Alan Hassell and his classmates of 1965 have led the organizing committee for the past 10 years. They are ready to “pass the torch” as soon as some younger alumni step up!

One of the long-term goals of the Alumni Association is for individual class reunions to be held the same weekend as the all-class reunion. If you would like to get in touch with them, here is the Alumni Association home page: ashlandhighalumni.com/home.

I will close with a memory straight out of movies like “American Graffiti,” but it wasn’t a movie. According to Carol Christlieb Jensen (class of 1973), the kids of her day cruised the boulevard.

They would start at Winn’s Rich Maid Ice Cream (a drive-in with a pink color theme at 1630 Siskiyou Blvd.) and “drag the gut” through downtown into Lithia Park, turning around at the upper duck pond. The nearly-5-mile loop provided a lot of late-night entertainment, especially after a dance or football game. She even remembers kids trying to figure out how to roll back the speedometer on the family car so their parents wouldn’t know many miles they put on!

More Information The Ashland High School all-class reunion is on Saturday, Aug. 3. All years are invited to both events: • Morning Coffee, 10 a.m. to noon at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St., Ashland. This is a free event; no registration is required. • Alumni Banquet, 5 to 10 p.m., also at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St. Ashland. Cost for the banquet is $35. To inquire about reservations, visit ashlandhighalumni.com/events.

The Ashland High School all-class reunion is on Saturday, Aug. 3. All years are invited to both events:

• Morning Coffee, 10 a.m. to noon at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St., Ashland. This is a free event; no registration is required.

• Alumni Banquet, 5 to 10 p.m., also at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St. Ashland. Cost for the banquet is $35. To inquire about reservations, visit ashlandhighalumni.com/events.