Former principal George Stevenson, center, gives a mini-tour of the heritage displays in the old high school senior hallway at T.L. Handy Middle School. Checking displays are 1954 grad Dave Klippert, left, and former teacher Bob Davidson. Go Red! All Handy High Reunion to Pull in Scattered Wildcats Oct. 22
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Anyone who ever attended T. L. Handy High School for any period of time or worked there is invited to attend two events Saturday, Oct. 22.
A tour of the former high school is slated for 2 p.m., with former principal George W. Stevenson and football coach Ron Hughes as tour guides. Tour starts at the new gymn off the Alp Street parking lot.
At 6 p.m. alumni will gather at the LindenHof Restaurant for a "get together." The old Wildcat fight song will no doubt ring out again. "Handy, throw a pass, throw a pass, Handy!"
Since the high school ended with consolidation in 1990 as an economy measure, Stevenson and Hughes have worked to preserve the school's rich heritage of academics and athletics.
A dozen cases contain trophies, pictures and other stuff of memory from "old T.L." that may bring tears to the eyes of many former students.
Distinguished Alumni are honored, with names, pictures and accomplishments. Handy luminaries include physicians Terry and Gary Dardas, former college president John Lore, attorney William Allsopp, District Judge Scott Newcombe, entrepreneur Ross Roeder and Frank Braman, Chamber of Commerce executive and founder ot the award program.
Pictures of the Handy glory daysof state championship teams are there: the 1961 Class A football champs, the 1987 Class B baseball champs and the 1988 Class B girls softball champs.
Anyone with Handy memorabilia, snapshots, etc., they would like to donate is invited to drop off the material with Dacia Darbee at the school. Information about the reunion is available by calling George Stevenson at 686-5895.
Stevenson and Hughes have met with a dozen or more alumni groups in the 15 years since the high school ended. Stevenson was associated with Handy for 26 years, more than half the time the high school existed, 1949-90. He was a teacher, coach, counselor and assistant principal at Handy beginning in 1962 and was principal 1971-88. Hughes, a teacher for many years, was football coach 1981 until consolidation in 1990.
Return with us now to those golden days of yesteryear. It was 1945. In the post-war social and economic euphoria, and the start of the "baby boom" (1946-64) Bay City was booming.
A pay-as-you-go building program was proposed to construct dozens of new schools, including four middle schools, Kolb, McAlear-Sawden, Linsday and MacGregor.
Handy Junior High, a large facility constructed in 1922, could be converted and improved to provide space for a growing number of high school students.
The Handy family had donated land where the middle school was built. Mining and railroad tycoon Thomas Lincoln Handy was memorialized in the school name. A large picture of President Abraham Lincoln, whose father's name was Thomas Lincoln, hung in the main hall of the school for years.
The reunion will bring back lots of memories: the picture of Lincoln and oddities such as the .22 caliber rifle range in the basement back in the 1950s will be remembered. Along with the undying ending to the fight song: "...another Wildcat victory."
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gailhkoch Says:
On January 16, 2010
at 11:51 AM
I was not sorry to see T. L. Handy close its doors as a high school, since Western High School had opened in Auburn. I graduated from Handy in 1973 the spring before Western opened its doors for my five younger siblings. The best event/building to happen to the city of Auburn in my lifetime.
I attended the minitour and presentation by George Stevenson, my principal at Handy. Interesting, as was the cheerleading outfits in the display case. |
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Dave Rogers |
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