2,000 alumni from Fort Worth's Polytechnic High celebrate centennial of 1912 graduation

Update: Here's a Star-Telegram report from the reunion.

FORT WORTH -- This summer, 22 ladies aged 60 to 79 began rehearsing a chorus kick-line routine for the Polytechnic High School all-class reunion, but not all of them made it to Saturday's performance.

One had a bad back. Another broke her leg. For others, the kicks proved just too strenuous.

"The first and second time we practiced, I would go home and my back ached," said 75-year-old Marie Doggett Gaunce, Class of '55. "I would be in bed for two or three hours, but it got better. So this has been good exercise for me."

(Photo: special to Star-Telegram/Bob Booth)

On Saturday, a reduced contingent of 16 performed a modified version of the high-kick chorus line for fellow Poly High alumni at a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the school's first graduating class.

The kick line was a highlight of back-to-back, 90-minute Centennial Memories programs that included a stage band of alumni from the 1950s and 1960s performing the alma mater, former and current cheerleaders, and a salute to state champions over the years.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/10/06/4317113/poly-high-marks-100th-anniversary.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

Original Post:

Organizers of the first all-class reunion at Poly High School in east Fort Worth are expecting 2,000 people here today.

Alumni from many classes are now running through a dress rehearsal for back to back memories programs this afternoon.

Ladies who have spent weeks practicing a kick line routine to The Chorus Line's "One" got enthusiastic applause. As teens, these ladies, now in their 60's and 70's, took a special rhythm and dance class and/or were members of the original kickline formed in the mid-1950's. (Photo: Bob Booth)

Jessamy Brown

Comments

[AngelaC]

Why would I want to go back to the place where I was tortured by the so called "popular" girls, I could not get away from that place fast enough and I never looked back, horrible time in my life.

[MikeSierra]

@AngelaC - I fully understand and sympathize with your comment, but there is one way to spin this into a positive. The petty adversities we encountered in the growing up process may have toughened and helped to prepare us for the true adversity we may have faced later in life. They were helping us and didn't even know it! :-)