Paul Youngs

Whoever put together this whole project, to include this remarkable web-site, has done an unbelievable job. Thanks, An aside: Laura, I was one of the Kilgour group. Off the top of my head, others included Johnny Jordan, Billy Walker, Rick Murdoch, Terry Hoffeld, Win Kinsley, Joe Meek, Steve Sanger, Tad Hooker, Kathleen Thompson

Gail Weintraub (Stern)

Reporting on the SF Bay Area mini-reunion that took place last night at the home of David Buchholz and his lovely wife, Jadyne. In attendance were Sandra Woliver, Dick Murdock, Stephanie Riger, Dale Geiringer, Ann Pollak Denny, David and myself. After cocktails and the viewing of "64 Minutes with the Class of '64", David took a group photo which he will post today. We then sat down to a dinner of Skyline Chili, salad and 4 selections of Graeter's ice cream and brownies. We reminisced and had a wonderful time together. Oh, what a night!

Gail Weintraub (Stern)

Here is an easy way to access our Virtual Reunion video. Click on the left hand tab, "50th Virtual Reunion Video" and then click the play icon.  It's that simple. Enjoy "64 Minutes with the Class of '64" around the clock!

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Kudos and bravo to all who had a part in the reunion video! It was so much better than I thought it would be be. As said in the video, the barriers that were so much a part of high school were down, and people were having such an obviously relaxed and friendly time together - this is what makes it such a wonderful thing to cherish, especially for someone like myself who will never make it to a "real" reunion, unless there is some miracle in my future....

My special personal thanks to Ira Goldberg, who must be one of the most caring people in our class, just in case some of you don't realize it since he is so modest.

Jon Singer, Steve Levinson, and Laura Reid - you guys with your stories were hysterical! Some of you, I must admit, took a second or two to recognize, Chuck Cole among them, but others, WALLA!, you guys better stay away from Salem, you haven't changed a whit. Laura, I mean YOU!!  :)  I could listen to your wonderful laugh forever. 

And historian Phil - weren't we the first AP class at WHHS? Did they have that "special" class that more or less stayed together for most classes in the first couple of years ever again?

I could pontificate longer, but it does get wearisome. Again, the important message is congratulations and thank you!

Steve Sanger

Many, many thanks to the reunion committee for this great web site and the wonderfuly reunion video!

To Laura: Paul Youngs' list of Kilgour alumni looked right to me.  In addition, if my memory is correct (and it often is not at this point), the following WHHS classmates were also Kilgour alums: Barb Hillman, Jane Saeman, Erik Nord, Kurt Metzger, Kathy Emerson, Susie Lovatt.

Larry Klein

Laura: not a Kilgour alumni, but was there for first 3 1/2 years 'til we moved 100 yds out of the district off lower Delta Ave.  Heery forced me to transfer to Lincoln.  I suspect it was my old Kilgour connections that got me nominated to run for 7th grade class treasurer, where I became fodder for Arn's very first political victory.  And speaking of "first loves", Kathy was mine in 3rd grade at Kilgour.  We're still good friends today.

Walnut was such a melting pot of opposites and middles.  Nelson mentioned earlier about "wrong side of town".  East End was the opposite wrong side, but I always looked forward to getting on that #68 bus to spend another day finding new adventures with my classmates.  Walnut Hills was, without a doubt, the best years of my life.  Nowhere else have I experienced the level of camaraderie as in those years.  This website, the video last night, and conversations here with "old friends and new acquaintances" have only reinforced that feeling.  I suppose that's also what steered me back to the school some ten years ago to help out, spend some time as a sports historian, and ultimately become Varsity Golf Coach.  My golf teams exhibit many of the same qualities today that endeared so many of us to the school, despite the trends of the times.  I'll never trade my experiences at Walnut.

Words can't express the gratitude we owe Rick, Gail, Richard, Ira, Tina, Sally, and Nelson for their vision and foresight dreaming, planning, and creating this reunion (Steve, Ann and I were latecomers to the team with "special" skills).  I've enjoyed the effort and now look forward to a continuing development of "new friends" on here and our live reunion in 2016.

Ira Goldberg

My thoughts are awe of everyone who implemented our (ongoing) 50th, joy for 197 fellow classmates who attended, gratitude for those living in our memory, and hope we will find those who are missing. Hooray y'all!

Ann Shepard (Rueve)

In the sixties, what did they call this..."A LOVE -IN"?  May it go on, and on, and on...... (without the psychedelic drugs, of course). At our age, we're naturally "trippin'"!

Martin Walton III

Many thanks to all involved for their hard work and dedication to the Class of "64.  The video was great and brought back many memories and inner feelings.  The website will keep us in touch for ages and ages!! Great Job.

Gene Stern

Wow!  Thank you Rick!!  I was flying to Peru and tried to log on while awaiting my flight in Miami but the connection was so poor in the Miami airport I could not view this great video.  Here I sit in Chiclayo, Peru on a Rotary medical mission and was able to see the video in its entirety and was really moved by the feeling of "family" that we all shared during our most formative years. Kudos to Rick and the Reunion Committee.  

Also want to give a BIG THANK YOU to Dick Winter for helping create our web site. How great is this?!

Philip Spiess

Judy:  No, we were not the first AP class at Walnut Hills.  I don't know when AP started there, but I do know that my sister Barbara, who was in the class ahead of us, was in some AP classes as well (certainly English with Miss Hutchison).  What you're probably remembering is that a special "advanced" math group was started with some of us in 7th Grade, with Miss Parker.  (AP classes started in the 10th Grade.)  That particular group continued as its own unit right up through 12th Grade.  (I know -- I was in it because I was darned good at Arithmetic, but Mathematics is somewhat different; I kept getting lower and lower grades as the years passed.  Finally, by the end of 11th Grade, I applied to be in Mr. Knab's AP "Modern European History" class, and Mr. Brokamp said, "Sorry, Philip, we can't accept you; you're doing too poorly in that special Math class," and I happily said, "But I'm not going to take that Math class next year!" -- and he let me in.)  So the group had Mr. Leeds in 8th Grade, Mr. ? ("Remembrancer" not handy) in 9th Grade, who taught us the "New Math" (satirized by Tom Lehrer in his songs -- and this is where I started to fall apart), and Mr. Duvall in either 10th or 11th Grades (I think it was 11th).  It was in 7th Grade that we bought Eagle Picher stock and made a profit, and (I remember) Steve Kantor built a small working computer (this would be 1959) for his math project.  I was mightily impressed.

Rick Gloeckler

Thank you to everyone involved on the virtual reunion team for the wonderful gift you delivered right to our doorsteps.  Really well done, easy to use....too bad the Obama Administration didn't tap into your expertise and creativity for the national medical web site.  Great job....thanks for the memories.  It was both a blessing and privilege to attend Walnut.  The talent, intelligence, creativity of our class continues to be inspirational to me. Godspeed to all.

Dale Gieringer

  I was in the accelerated math class along with Phil Spiess.   To fill in the blanks, after Miss Parker in 7th grade and Mr Leeds in 8th came Miss Brand (a good teacher, tall & slender) for Algebra II and Mr. Gallatin for Geometry;  then Mr. Duvall in 11th grade pre-calculus and Mr. Leeds or Bourne (the class was split in two) for 12th grade calculus.  

Henry Cohen

Recently I have seen too many instances where the best and the brightest don't get the stimulation or educational stretch opportunities they should as there is too much of a concern for protecting the self esteem of the strugglers. This also migrates to the awarding of trophies for everyone ( this is usually driven by the parents who are living vicariously through their kids) no matter how bad the team's results turn out to be. Interestingly and ironically they are actually doing their kids a disservice in precisely the area they are trying to protect. Kids get stronger by working through and rebounding from failure, not avoiding it or pretending it didn't happen. It is often a delicate balancing act to find the right proportionality between being unconditionally supportive on the one hand and willing to dispense a reality check on the other. 

Dale Gieringer

In addition to thanking the many classmates who made this reunion possible,  let me say what a pleasant surprise it was to hear from Ray Brokamp. Glad to hear that he hasn't forgotten us.  Let me suggest an appropriate change to the opening lines of "Pomp & Circumstance":  

Hail PH McDevitt, Hail Raymond and Bill
We never disliked you, don't think we ever will.

But don't expect any of us to report to the office.

Philip Spiess

Sure!  The original was obviously a misprint!

Steven Levinson

Dale, one minor modification:  10th grade geometry was Mr. Gallenstine (stein?).

Larry Klein

Thank you Steve!  I've been racking my feeble remaining brain on that one.  It indeed was Mr. Gallenstein.  I sat in the last row surrounded by Chip Meyer and Kevan Langner.  Chip and I arm wrestled about once a week waiting for class to begin.  I was getting closer, but never won.  Mr. G noticed my squinting to see his notes on the board and sent a note to my parents to get me some glasses.  I had gone from 20-20 to 20-150 in one year.  I lobbied somewhat deviously to be moved to the front row (next to Gail, of course).  Never understood why he denied my request.

Philip Spiess

Larry:  speaking of glasses, did I ever tell you about the optician who made a spectacle of himself?

Ann Shepard (Rueve)

Since we're clarifying math teachers, I can't remember which teacher I had for what.  I know I had Mr. Bailey, Mr. Gallenstien, Mr.. Carpenter and Mr. Iacobucci ( the West Point grad who wore paratrooper boots). 

In the "small world" department, when I was first dating my future husband, Ed, I was helping him take an old chest of drawers back to his former in-laws.  In the foyer, there was a prominent picture of Mr. Iacobucci. Turns out he was a dear friend. When I commented on the picture, it kind of broke the ice on an awkward situation.

Richard Murdock

Larry:

Chester Heery !  God I had not thought of him or his unusual name in probably 50 years.  Thanks for the  recall.  .   If I remember right, he had an assistant principal who was in charge of discipline.  I want to say Mr. Luedeke, but I am not sure.  Does that ring a bell with you ?    And Delta Avenue - I remember that street well.     I lived on Herschel right across the street from Kilgour.  Easy for me to go home for lunch.    When I was in Cincinnati in 2004 for the 40th anniversary, I went by the house on Herschel Avenue and amazingly enough the current owners spotted me and after explaining I used to live there, invited me on in.   That was one heckuva trip down memory lane.  

By the way, Steve Sanger's additions to the Kilgour list was accurate.  I remember all of them. 

Philip Spiess

Denzil Carpenter, math teacher.  In my mother's day at WHHS, he was considered a heart throb.  In our day, I believe he was a bit of a lush.  How sad!

Jonathan Marks

In my father's day he was a classmate at Georgetown College in Kentucky. Most of the graduates went on to the Baptist ministry, but neither Carpenter nor Marks did.

Steven Levinson

But, Jon, although you may not have gone into that particular ministry, you are one Marks who did enter another. Right, Reverand?

Henry Cohen

Does anyone remember the assembly where there was a speaker from Exeder who was so unbelievably arrogant about the school and its superiority over any public school? At one point he asked a question of the class and somebody gave a wrong answer. Basically he said that wouldn't have happened at Exeder. Afterward Tom Welsh told us in class that had he known the guy was going to be like that, he would have armed us with standardized test information that showed Walnut Hill outperformed Exeder.