~The universal memory...soap in the fountain

~Ora Mae Curry's American History class and her "poker visor"...and the times she would start talking quietly while she was waiting for everyone to get quiet, and we would later discover she had been reading out the answers to the pop quiz for that day

~Having Jimmy Jones for History...the first or second year he taught...it wasn't rare to see candy fly across the room....the grapevine said that Wallace Carnes and his friends used to follow Mr. Jones when he went on dates...any confirmations or denials?

~Dancing until the wee hours of the morning in the middle of campus after our graduation ceremony

~Hanging out in the bandhall

~Being a band-aid for the band my senior year with Nickie Lummus and walking to the convenience store for breakfast after we had checked attendance

~Going to state meet in typing

~Mr. Stockton's heart attack at the Permian game

~Coming back to geometry class after our split lunch period and being told by a couple of the kids that President Kennedy had been shot...everyone thought they were telling a joke until the announcement came over the intercom

~Ms. Thomas' English class...everyone writing an essay on ditto paper...then the entire class going over each essay and making needed corrections...it was years before I could read a book or newspaper without an overwhelming urge to circle mistakes in red

That's enough for now.  It's very tiring to try to coax memories from that long ago out of my brain!

Submitted by Cathye Wyatt Moon

How times flies, and as much as we laugh about it so does our memory.  But we can all recall some of our CHS days.

Sophmore pond, the kids nowdays will not have a laugh or even know where or what it was.

How much fun to skateboard from the side of the Sophmore building past the cafeteria wall all the way to the Library with our crashing or jumping off.  How I wish I could still do that.  Our skateboards were much narrower and not as high tech as the ones today.

Oh how I loved biology, 1st period, but was scared to death of Mr King and or his CANE.  And then there was typing with Miss Turknett.  And the tuba/trumpet playing(with out an instrument) Ouisa Molen,P.E. teacher.  After the first day of class, wondering who and why and what was I thinking- Spanish II with Mrs. Ragland.

Friends gathering in the mornings before the 1st bell in Schwitzer Hall.

How we made it thru our high school years, college and the rest of the last 40 years has been a miracle. Only with the help of friends, family and the grace of God.  I am thankful I can still remember a few things but look forward to seeing everyone  again.

Ferrell Winters Dillard

I remember the skateboarding!!!  Athletic I was NOT, but one evening I went with Laura Woodward and Bruce Sweatmon, and we met some others at Central.  That was in the early days of skateboarding, and some of them were homemade...a piece of wood attached to the front and back wheels from "attach to shoes" skates.  The homemade ones didn't turn...at least not when controlled by my non-athletic ability; the normal ones did.  Three or four of us linked arms at the top of the hill and had a great skate all the way to the cafeteria wall, at which point all fell apart.  I was on the inside and was on a homemade skateboard so I jumped off.  Those on the outside stayed on their skateboards and turned.  CRASH, BANG...and OUCH...one big pile of bodies and boards.  We all had some lovely bruises to show, and I still smile when I think of it.
cathye wyatt moon

  My first year at Central produced many amazing scenarios, not the least of which was learning (not) geometry from Miss (?) Sue Germany. I'll preface this tale by stating upfront that I am a firm believer in ' What goes around, Comes around' and if I haven't received my just do, it's out there waiting for me. That said, My story begins early in the first six-weeks. First, it must be understood that this was the last year for Miss Germany's teaching career at Central High School. Time and the changes in student's attitudes had taken their toll on her psyche. Somewhere between the mid six-weeks test and six-weeks test, several students and I realized that if we went to her and pleaded our ignorance in understanding the wording of a particular problem, especially a test question, she would not only work the problem but give us credit for her answer. It didn't take long for a group of us to gather around her desk at test time, with each one having difficulty with a different question, thus all having the correct answers to the entire test. Consequently I received A's for the first 3 six-weeks and the semester test. I think my semester averave was 90 or 91 being brought down I sure from lack of home work. This was not the real scam!

  Now, sometime during the first semester I developed a re-occurring problem with a cyst on my left forearm. I had to have it removed three times in a four month period. The last time I was given a skin graft, and was required to keep it bandaged in gause and keep my arm in a sling. As the skin was so thin, the gause had to be sewn to my arm to keep the skin in place. This gave ample opportunity for scamming gullible teachers. Enter Ms. Gremany. During the last semester, anytime I felt the need to cut class, I would pathecly aproach the teacher in question, usually Ms. Germany, and lament the need to see my doctor, as the skin graft had started bleeding and if it failed to take a larger operation would be required. A fool proof scam, or so I thought. All went well until semesters, when the sudden realization came to me (not much foresight at that point in my life). I had no geometric knowledge for the task ahead. My solution came in an instant, when confronted with my lack of participation for the last semester, I informed Ms. Germany that having spoken with Mr. White about my delima, we had come to the conclusion, the decision would be left up to her. I remember well the moment we talked and her decision. " Bill, I know this semester has been very hard on you with all your medical problems, and you did so well before this happened, I'm just going to give you the same grades fot this semester as the last one" was her reply. Scam complete, I didn't even have to show up for the test!

                            The Rest of the Story!

 Time marches on, the summer was great my, arm healed with no problems, and I was looking forward to becomming a junior ( to the degree anyone of us wanted to go back to school). Sometime in late August, I got a call from my old friend, coach, drivers ed instructor, and newly appointed assistant principal Fred Gottlieb. He informed me that I had somehow missed my semester test in geometey. He was incredulous as to how I managed to receive credit for the course, but as the deed was done and recorded in my 'Permanent Record' the outcome was final. Creative think not being limited only to me, Fred in formed that I had compiled 240 hr. of detention since my test absence, and must serve the time before I could register for class in the fall (remember when class started a week ot two after Labor Day). As there was no way I could serve the 6 weeks of detention, even if I could have stayed 8 hr. a day for the required time, Fred came up with a compromise. I would spend the week prior to the beginning of the '64-'65 school year moving text books from the basements and storage rooms of Central to every class room on campus. Chances are, if you had a a text book that year I got it to your class, and yes I am totally bereft of geometric knowledge!

Posted by Bill March

Oh, my!!! What memories Bill's story brings to my mind! I took sophmore algebra under dear ol' Miss Germany. As luck would have it, Guy Charlton was in the same class. He was such a charmer, he had a foolproof plan for getting not only himself, but all of us, through the daily grind of working the problems from the book: at the beginning of class, he would skip to, say problem #3, and tell Miss Germany he just could not figure out how to work it. You all will remember, the classrooms in the Sophmore Bldg. had floor to about 8 ft. high green 'blackboards' all around the perimeter of the room. Miss Germany would proceed to work the problem on the board, and we would all furiously copy it. Then we would visit and goof off awhile until Guy would pick another problem he "just could not figure out" and she would work that one on the board. We'd copy it. Guy would eventually get back to #'s 1 and 2, etc., without Miss Germany ever catching on to the fact he'd never worked a single problem, as she continued to eventually write the entire day's assignment on the vast amount of blackboards. Soon, we all had the daily assignment complete and ready to turn in. Oddly, hmmm, she just could never understand how we ALL failed every test!!  

And one more Miss Germany/Guy Charlton story:  on April Fool's Day, as we were filing into class, Miss Germany standing at the doorway (can it still be called a doorway if there's no door?!), greeting each of us. Guy walked up to Miss Germany and so sincerely told her she looked very beautiful that day. When she quite humbly told him, "Why, thank you, Guy", he blurted out, "APRIL FOOL!".  Instead of bonkin' him on the head, she just called him her pet name for him - Donkey-boy!   Gosh, what we remember! This is a favorite of mine! Michelle Harding

    Forty years since we graduated, but somehow I still feel nineteen at heart.  Central was so unique in being the first high school multi building campus in the country.  Everyone was so friendly, accepting new people as they came along.  The parking lot of Central was THE meeting place. Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores could mingle, talk about what was REALLY happening at Central, where a party was going on for the weekend, exchange telephone numbers and of course, make dates.

    I remember my junior year riding to Central with my neighbor, Mike Stewart in his '55 Chevy.  The floorboard was gone on the passenger's side, how different the road looks from that perspective.  I lived in the Glenmore area my Sophomore year, the 9th-12th grades were all crammed together on a city bus.  We played jokes on each other and formed friendships that have remained for my lifetime.  I can't wait to see each and every one of you.  We have made it this far in our lives, so let's celebrate and welcome the second half of our lives together and I can't think of a better group to celebrate with.  Gwen Ledbetter Head

This is fun writing stories of past years.  I was fortunate enough to go with my husband, Jerry Head to the thirtieth 1966 State Championship Football Reunion in the Cactus Hotel bar.  So many old friends telling tons of stories about winning football games and funny tales about pulling pranks on each other before and after the games.  The most amazing of all was the spirit and enthusiasm these men still have of being a Bobcat football player during that time.  Coach Bellard had been talking and teaching strategic plays and grooming these peculiar players since the seventh or eighth grade.  Classmates, the Coach looks younger and in better shape than any of us.  I have to admit all of were still a little in awe of him.  He stills has that charismatic personality to inspire and connect with each and every one of his past football players.  It was evident in the devotion and love these men still have for him too.  Gwen Ledbetter Head

Oh my goodness--  Mr. Faulkner, asst. principal, staring me down when he caught me with a stogie in my mouth on Western Day one year.  Just as I took a big draw on it, he appears out of nowhere and glares at me saying, “MISS Murray, that thing better NOT be lit”.  Well of course it was lit, and I was flat dying to exhale.  I was also slightly green and sick shortly thereafter… my first & last go at a cigar.  It was Chip Taylor's cigar & his idea that I try it in the first place, but the minute Mr. Faulkner appeared, good ol' Chip disappeared like smoke in a breeze.

Mr. Tharp and Mr. Miller—what WAS I thinking when I took Chemistry and Physics both in the same year!  God love ‘em… they MADE me stick it out and pass whether I wanted to or not.  I had Mr. Miller all 3 years – Biology, Physics, & then his Teachers Aide.

Sophomore year Mr. M. taught biology & was one day diligently drawing something on the board as we all came in.  The class is totally silent as he keeps drawing & erasing & re-drawing what looked like a floppy eared dog's head to me.  Finally I said, "Mr. Miller, that's a pretty sad looking little dog."  He turns around, blushing red, and says, "Well, if that were a dog, it would be pretty marginal, but since it's the female species reproductive system, it looks fine to me."  Then it was my turn to be red.  (Remember, this was 1963 & we could still blush about things like that.)

My junior year, Gus Clements & Kay Ray Weaver (both ‘05) were in my Physics class—what a hoot!  Kay Ray kept poor Mr. Miller laughing & red faced more often than not.  I considered that a "good" thing... laughing & joking was definitely better than pop tests!  There was a day I didn’t have my homework with me, and Mr. Miller told me to go get it FAST.  As I started toward the door, he hollers “I said FAST!!” and I run & throw the door open only to hit poor old Mr. King smack in the face, knock him clear back against the wall, & watch him kind of sway back & forth as his cane flew across the hall.  I’m lucky I didn’t kill the poor man!

My senior year, I was working in Mr. Miller's office last period when we saw thru the glass windows that some kid needed help with a make-up Chemistry project.  So Mr. Miller tells me to go help him set it up.  Idiot here is doing fine until I stick the cork in the top of the test tube without looking to make sure it was a vented cork.  This guy fires up the burner and about 5 minutes later the tube explodes all over the place.  Mr. Miller just looks thru the glass windows at me, rolls his eyes, and shakes his head.   

Betty Murray Springer

SACH , to me,  there was no better place to have graduated from and wow what an awesome campus we all thought we had.  If you could get from one class to another by the time the bell rang you know you were going to be just fine on ANY college or uni campus, we WERE prepared!!!!!!  

Soph year, oh my, the seniors scared us to death and if we were hoping to be accepted in one of the Tri-Hi-Y's  we surely tried to dodge the ladies that were seniors.  I know I was scared to death of Cynithia Ducote oh my gosh.  But once the hell week was over and we were left at the lake to walk back most of the way in rain and cold guess we passed the test for good ole Alta Tri -Hi-Y and the "ladies" were a bit nicer to us little ole sophs. 

Of course Fri night football was always way to much fun and could hardly wait for the weekend of events to begin, maybe that is why I did not do so well in Mr Glasscocks math class always thinking of Fri night lights.  Of course Mario had the eraser thrown at him a couple of times as it seems he too was not paying attention.  Anyway, back to FRi night lights and football.  Stadium of course was packed on student side, not like it is now, so sad to see very few students participating and yelling for their good ole Bobcats.  Of course who could forget the year we NEARLY won to go to state, but lost to Permian, 8 to 7 in the last few seconds of the game.  Of course the following year the class of 67 which was still part of our class made it to state and as we all know they were the Class of 66 Champs.  Hmmm that just didn't seem right. 

Seems like there was always something going on in high school and always so much fun or maybe I just found fun and a lot of times trouble for myself. Of course Steve added to me being in trouble many a weekend night for us not getting home by 11 and gee midnight when we were seniors(gosh today the kids start at 11).  Mother ALWAYS standing at the door and flipping the light switch to come inside.  My gosh what could happen in the car??????  Seems STeve, Chip, Word B, Cathy Cope and I decided to skip school on rodeo day our senior year(how dumb was that) and of COURSE we got caught or should I say Cathy and I ended up being caught and having to go sit with all the other hoodlins in detention, not much fun and surely was not fun at my house on Live Oak Street.  Oh and did I fail to mention all the fun parties we had at the lake at Mr Gregs house and the parties at the Wardlaw Ranch. A few trips to Acuna, of course my mother knew how else could I have gone for petes sake, sneak off, don't think so. Well that brings to mind our trips with spanish club and . Mario, Noelke, McGregor, Ricky Corder, Marsha Tuttle, Barb Tweedy, Guy and others, we certainly had "fun" on those little trips even with sponors and some of us had way to much fun on the last trip and on the way home.  Was not another fun time in my house hold meeting my dad at the front door.  Memories memories. 

Teachers at Central;  Mr Glasscock throwing earasers at us in math class, did I mention this before, trying to get out of Mrs Armours geometry class, Bev and I worked very hard that year, Mrs Carter, senior spanish and reading those awful novels, that really helped for talking to the fellas on the ranch, Mrs Jameson she was wonderful for english, Mrs King was a wonderful spanish teacher and what a lady she was, Mr Perkins for biology and of course Mr Bill March in our class and Sherry Ross, we had some fun,  but think I will have to say Patti Roach, my favorite english teacher, once we all got out of  her class we knew we could pass english in a university, she prepared us and scared us to death the first month of our senior year. Wonderful lady and still a great friend, thanks Patti

High school for me was just a blast!!!!  I love all the wonderful friends I made then and still are in contact with and still some of my very best buds.  Thank you Kay, Bev, Jo Nean, SAlly M, Patti, Evelyn, Adele, Sherry R, Barbie W, Sally J, Shirley A, Marsha W, and I can't leave out Ann Courtion, still miss her so much.  Thank you guys for being a part of my life back in the 60's and still a part of my life now. 

I can't go without saying what high school would have been without my buddy since the 6th grade and now my bed partner, Mr. Steve.  We had great great times in high school and still seem to be fairing pretty good with each other now. 

Welcome Back Class of '66

Jane Leffel Wardlaw

Thanks to all who helped re-create the camaraderie and verve, that earmarks the CHS Class of 1966 as unique.  This weekend, especially Friday and Saturday nights, hold testimony to the commitment that our classmates -- even after 40 years (still a Yikes!) feel for their community of fellow students.  What a thrill to experience San Angelo through the eyes of peers who have long been gone from these streets but still call it "home."  A spouse remarked that she had been to many reunions in her life but had never witnessed "such an elementary school phenomenon."  (Of course, Stephen F. Austin did sport more students than any of its cross-town rivals!)  A sense of belonging, a sense of being comfortable, and sense of being accepted, and certainly a sense of commonality.  So until we can be..."Together again."  God bless you all.

 Kay Bradshaw Holland

Class set the  Wayback Machine to the fall of 1964. Having just spent two weeks prior to the start of the school year delivering text books to ALL of the class rooms on the Central High campus, I was rewarded with and aides position instead of study hall. Who was to be the benefactor of my diligence, none other than Mrs Goodson, the school registrar. Talk about a fox in the hen house, this was more like Henry Fonda in The Cheyenne Social Club.( If this refference eudes you it's worth the research) For what resides in the registrars office is the Holy Grail of gossip, YOUR PERMANENT RECORDS. Of course they were off limits to everyone but Doris, except when a copy needed to be made for a job application or college transcript, or when no one was around. I still know tons about all of you. No I don't, hell I can't even remember my own and I lived it. Then there were the rest of the class room supplies; note cards, tardy slips, chalk, erasers, blank report card, pens, pencils, thumb tacks (ever sit on one of those big suckers), manilla folders, you get the idea. Wait, did I say blank report cards? Oh! now I remember that lessonI  was talking about before.

Seem I couldn't resist borrowing an inch or so from the two six inch high stacks of blank cards. I bought a bunch of friends that year, especially after my own encounter with Karmic Justice. You would have though I would have learned from my abuse of Miss Germany NOOO! I took it upon myself to best Ora Mae Curry, she of the green poker visor, never the match for me.

It seems I became embroiled in a grade enhancement project of a questionable nature.(Adele told me Sat. nite of the reunion I managed to entangle her in this mess for which she truly was blameless--- she studied!) Anyhow several of us received an F for the first six weeks.

Fear not Super Aide to the rescue. Cards all around, and life will go on unchanged. To this day I'm ignorant as to my co-conspirators eventuality. I on the other hand I was privy to a most unique outcome. Having made a crude forgery of Mrs. Curry's signature, and giving myself a less than generous B-, I slip my American History card toward the bottom of the bunch( 2 from the bottom so as to blend in) and handed them to my Mother. To my surprise, she took a curious look at one card( can you guess) Now I know it wasn't the ink, I used the same pens, Hell I delivered them. It was the first six weeks, all the cards were new. So what the hey. Mom goes over to her desk fumbles through stacks of papers, cards and the like, and pulls out HER American History Report Card signed by none other than Ms. Ora May Curry and compares signatures. BUSTED!

All was not lost how ever, I learned another trick the next six weeks and had A+s the rest of the year. Seem Ms. Curry had long since become weary of whining students complaining "I studied, you just didn't ask anything about what I studied". Her solution was simple and concise. On the back of every test you could apply for extra credit by writing any fact not requested on the test. Now as you might remember, every chapter started on the left page with what was known as KEYS, key persons, places, and dates. My simple solution, cram the keys right before the test. Start on the back, write down all I could remember, then take the test, and mark through redundant answers on the back when through. I remember one such test I received 50 extra points from the back.

We have this web site for the rest of the year so if your still reading this add a story yourself a maybe we can print up a book. I have a similar senior story involving Mr. Wooley, but we need some more stories before I can put it on.         trailer I didn't win

Bill March AKA Phil Norton

Wow! After being at the reunion, I am ready to move back and after reading all these antics, I realize what a fuddy duddy I really was. How come I was too afraid to sneak out, to change grades, to go out of town with friends. I think in my next life, I will be braver.But talk about memories. I thought Mr. Jones in government was "hot", only passed chemistry with Mr. Miller because I typed my lab reports and he liked that. I had no idea what they meant, but by golly, they were neat. Got Mr. Miller for Biology because he didn't make you do a bug collection like Mr. Perkins did. Couldn't stand Mrs. Fail for English but by damned, I could write an essay! Does anyone else remember Joe Hamilton? Every time I teach identities in Trig, I remember that I could never have done them if Jeff Webster hadn't taught me how. I still think we have the prettiest campus I have ever seen.My fondest memories of all those years were:The town: never a locked door at the house, no lost carkeys as they were always in the ignition of the cars, (the ones we got at 14 years old), one way streets to the stadium every Friday night, stores where you did not need a charge card...they weren't even around. Just send the bill to Daddy was my charge card. A service station that never required I get out of the car for gas...oil got checked, windows cleaned, batteries checked for water, interior swept, and on some days a car switch while I took Mackie's to school and he changed my tires. And how about counter checks? No names, no ID, just S. Baker Mallet by Sally on any Central National check. We even went to UT that way. Churches, hayrides, the rodeo, being able to ride your bike all over town, take the city bus anywhere, even home from 7th grade at Washington. We could stay at the movies all day on Saturday watching the same one over and over. (You had a free phone to call home and say "Don't come get me yet"). These are all luxuries our kids didn't get to have. We were never afraid. Life was easy in San Angelo. A great place to grow up, a great place for a reunion.School: outstanding teachers, Tex-Anns, pep rallies, notes from friends (folded so cool), Alta, lunch of chili dogs, cheetos, and chocolate milk almost every day, and mostly having our cars for lockers! The kids where I have taught high school cannot go near their cars. We lived in them! I remember sweet boys carrying your books to class, letter jackets way too big for the girls but such honor badges, saying HI to Cathy Cope 10 times a day, morning and afternoon breaks, (another luxury for students gone awry) and never having a 6th period as my mom told them I took piano lessons then and I got to leave. In truth, I took them at 6:00 am so I just had a great old time leaving early every year.I loved our school song and always thought it was so much peppier and cooler than the other schools' when they were played at the stadium. I can't remember my children's names but I know the words to the school songs! (Even from Lee Jr. High and David Crockett Elementary. That is just plain scary).Add all those memories to football and basketball games, trips to all those away games, dances every week, hat hair when homecoming was right after a game, Charcoal House, driving the drag, honking and waving to all the same people over and over, The Texas, The Parkway; the simply grand and simple life we took for granted. I will always cherish those memories and am so thrilled to have been able to reconnect with so many of you last week. Shame on those who did not come! You were missed.

Sally Mallett DeLeon