This website is a gathering place for the members of Ithaca High School Class of 1961, the first graduating class from the "New High School." 

 

The 60^th CLASS REUNION has come to a close with gatherings at the Royal Court, Myers Park and the Purity Ice Cream.  Please check the Photo Albums tab for pictures taken at the reunion.  If you have any photos you would like to share, please go to the Photo Albums tab, scroll down to the 60^th reunion, then click Upload Your Photos or email them to our webmaster, Earl Buckingham at earlbuck@twcny.rr.com.  Here is a big thank you to the crew behind the scenes for their support in making this reunion a success. 
 

Our webmaster, John David, died on April 9, 2020, in Tucson Arizona.

Earl Buckingham, earlbuck@twcny.rr.com, will fill the webmaster role.  I am slowly figuring out how to operate in the MyEvent system, starting with changing all the references to John's name and email address to my name and email address. Then I will tackle entering updates to Classmates Passed on.

Earl

Note To Classmates

If your personal information, such as home address, e-mail address, phone number, etc. changes, please contact Earl Buckingham at earlbuck@twcny.rr.com or Loulie Kent at loulie304@comcast.net or Margie James Perna at amperna5@gmail.com so that we can update our master information library.  Also, if any classmate is aware of other classmates' change of status, please let us know.

Just because our 55th reunion is behind us doesn't mean you shouldn't register in our Classmates Directory.  Just CLICK HERE and add your profile.

WEBSITE UPDATES

Our website has been renewed until August 12, 2024.

The following are changes to the website that have been made after the last reunion.
 

Students

John Henry Ryan passed away September 7, 2021
Larry L Darrah passed away November 28, 2021
Danilee Ruth (Gorman) Popensiek Passed away December 28, 2021
Dale Eugene Benninger passed away February 26, 2022
James Chaffin DeMotte passed away February 26, 2022
Carolyn Wright Corson passed away March 25, 2022
Robert Poole passed away January 3, 2022
Wayne Douglas Arthur passed away June 17, 2022
William Braken Ward passed away June 23, 2022
Jack Truman Baker passed away August 7, 2022
Barbara Elizabeth Oeser Hoyt passed away November 29, 2022
Edward Frank Greean passed away December 6, 2022
Richard H Gravelding passed away January 3, 2023
Thomas Lynn Ferretti passed away February 5, 2023
David Edmund "Pete" VanDeMark passed away February 25, 2023
Arthur Douglas Corbin passed away April 22, 2023
Charles Edward Howard passed away May 1, 2023
George Alan Kent passed away November 16, 2023
Susan Stutz Brewster passed away November 22, 2023
Pat McElwee passed away December 12, 2023
Loren Bailey Cloyes passed away December 19, 2023

 

Teachers and Staff

Lawrence E. Bach passed away on Friday, January 2, 1987
Frank R. Bliss passed away on 1970
Edith Cornelius passed away on August 10, 2011
Richard Caslick passed away on 1989
Dora DePew passed away on May 3, 1961
Gordon Campbell Myer passed away on April 23, 2017
Phyllis M Seager passed away on May 6, 2022
John Bentkowski passed away October 5, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Classmates and Teachers Passed On pages have been reorganized so the entries are in alphabetical order (based on last name at IHS).

 

Checkout the Current Class Notes web page for new stories and post-reunion information of interest to the IHS Class of 1961.  CLICK HERE to access the latest class information.

Wish I was in High School, a pair of white bucks on my feet,

Honor student, or delinquent, football hero, or just a creep.

I would gladly be anything, that was anything back then,

when I was busy growing away, from family and friends.

I never meant to do that, there was so much time to share,

But legions of years marched silent, through my garden, unaware.

Now in quiet desperation, I can't remember where they've gone.

The homeroom days, and classes, the homework nights so long.

I would barter with the distant past, to relive those slices out of time,
That disappeared like silent ghosts, to the farside of my mind.

Does life forgive, or just forget, the regrets that come at night,

When all we were, are but stardust dreams, that fade with morning light.

Yes, wish I was in high school....

I'd settle for that.

Rick Gravelding
IHS, Class Of 1961

Pepper The Skunk

Check out the photos taken at the 50th Reunion by Clicking Here.
Check out the photos taken at the 50th Reunion by Clicking Here.

Please add your thoughts on any of our reunions by adding your comments to our Reunion Blog.  Click here.

Our Academic Home
Fall 1957 Through Spring 1960

Our Academic Home
Fall 1960 Through Spring 1961

THE IHS CLASS OF 1961

Just click on the picture that contains your photo to get a closer look.

PLEASE HONOR OUR CLASSMATES WHO DIED IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY.

David Leach  12/25/1963

John Smith  6/8/1967

Bill Sullivan  7/4/1970

To read some personal stories written by some of our classmate veterans, CLICK HERE.

SOME STATISTICS FROM 1961 

US GDP: $540 Billion (Today: Over$13 Trillion)

Federal Spending: $97.72 Billion

Federal Debt: $292.6 Billion

Consumer Price Index: 29.9

Unemployment: 5.5%

Cost Of A First Class Stamp: $0.04