Handy High Reunion Brings Back Lots of Red Spirit, Memories
Former Principal Stevenson, Coach Hughes Preserve Wildcat Memorabilia
November 27, 2005
By: Dave Rogers
Connie Ulrich, left, and Marilyn Mueller, art teacher, designed a display case complete with mannikin dressed in queen's gown.
George Stevenson, longtime former principal, and former band member Jennifer Vandenboom enjoy a memorable moment at the Handy High reunion.
Because of the dedicated work of a pair of former Handy High School officials, the treasured memorabilia of 41 years has been preserved and displayed for alumni to recall and students to enjoy.
It was 1945, right after World War II, and returning service personnel and a growing economy prompted Bay City to launch a new high school: T.L. Handy High.
The school had been a junior high since it had been built in 1922-23, at about the same time and in the same style as the classically designed Central.
Postwar euphoria was heightened when the new school fielded highly competitive sports teams and displayed a "Go Red" spirit to rival that of crosstown Central.
The first graduating class in 1949 included later Congressman J. Robert Traxler, beginning a parade of successful graduates including physicians Gary and Terry Dardas, District Judge Scott Newcombe, Sally Gregory Kohlsedt, professor of history at Syracuse University; lawyer Bill Allsopp, chamber of commerce executive Frank Braman, business leader Ross Roeder, college and hospital executive John Lore, Sheriff John Miller and many others.
Handy won a state Class A football title in 1961, a Class B state baseball title in 1987 and girls softball state crown in 1988, adding to the laurels of the school. A third Bay City district high school, Western, was built in 1973 in Auburn.
When the decision was made in 1990 to consolidate high school students in Central and Western and for Handy to revert to a middle school, little thought was given to the memorabilia: trophies, plaques, pictures, etc., collected over 41 years.
In the intervening 15 years since the conversion back to a middle school, various principals and school staff who knew little of the school's history were in charge and memorabilia was lost or destroyed.
However, in the past few years former Principal George Stevenson and former football Coach Ron Hughes have launched a crusade to make sure that the precious "stuff" of which Wildcat memories are made is preserved.
The job was made easier by the cooperation of Supt. Carolyn Wierda and Handy Principal Carla Derocher, along with sympathetic maintenance personnel. A dozen or more trophy cases have been installed along the old senior hallway where lockers that once served high schoolers have been removed.
Stevenson and Hughes saved most of the memorabilia and got help from alumni to make the display cases presentable.
Recently the pair helped alumni hold a reunion open house at the school. About 200 alumni and former staff members attended. The combined years of service of the staff members was 548 years, boosted by maintenance man Wendell Barrow, 42 years, teacher Neil Ringle, 40 years, and band director Bob White, 37 years.
Later, the group had dinner at the LindenHof. "The reunion was a huge success," said Stevenson. "We may do it again."###