Ilion High School - Class of 1908

The Evening Telegram - 1958

Old Grads Return for 76th Reunion - Ilion Alumni to Honor Class of 1908

Article 4

Photo Caption - Memories of the Ilion Morgan Street School and graduation in the Maben's Opera House will be brought up Saturday night at the annua alumni reunion in the Elks Home. The honored 50-year class is shown here posed one hot day in June, 1908 when they received their diplomas from Frank D. Warren, Ilion's first superintendent of schools. Front row, from the left, Helen Hutchins (Lawrence), Poughkeepsie; Lillian Gould, deceased; Bessie Jarvis (Cross), Greenfield, Mass., class salutatorian; Harris Myers, class president, West Winfield; Blanche Kark (newton); Grace Robinson (Zeller), Virginia; second row, Josephine Parker (Smith); William DuBordieu, now the Rev. DeBordieu, and principal speaker Saturday night; Elsie Van Wiggeren (Edwards); Ruth King (Crim); Harrison Brand, Washington, D.C.; Marion Bell (Welling), Hannibal; back row, Ethel Barger (White), Ilion; Ver Ackler (jones); Clyde Werner, Elsie Johnson (Presley), class valedictorian; Anna Carney, deceased.

Old Grads Return for 76th Reunion - Ilion Alumni to Honor Class of 1908

Ilion - The 76th annual dinner meeting of the Ilion High School Alumni Association will be held at 6:30 Saturday in the Elks Home here.

The honored class will be those few remaining members of the 16 [17] who received their high school diplomas 50 years ago. The Class of 1933 will be host.

The Rev. William DuBordieu, a retired minister of Maywood, Ill., a member of the Class of 1908, will review the class' history and highlights.

Frederick Best, Claremont, N.H., of the Class of '33, will speak for the class and welcome returning alumni.

Grover Radley, Jr., alumni president, said yesterday more than 80 reservations have been made. Most of them, he said, were from out-of-town, some are graduates as far back as 1906.

The association was founded in 1882 and the first alumni meeting was following graduation in 1883 and was held in the hall at First and Otsego Sts. Traditionally, the alumni banquet always was held on Wednesdays following Tuesday's graduation.

A few years ago the tradition was broken and Saturday night was chosen so that more out-of-town alumni might return.

The association maintains a scholarship fund from which annual contributions to the high school commencement are made. There are no dues and no fund drives, so that the purchase of tickets for the annual banquet is sole source of income.

When the alumni was formed there were 66 members. The total now is well over 1,000.

The Class of 1908 sat on the stage of the Opera House on graduation night and took but a few steps to receive their diplomas. The classes are so large seating them on a stage is impossible and they to take "the long walk."

Listed as 1908 graduates are Vera Ackler Jones, Ethel Barger White, Marion Bell Welling, Harrison Brand, Belle Brooks, Anna Carney, William DuBordieu, Bessie Jarvis Cross, Elsie Johnson Presley, Blanche Kark Newton, Ruth King Crim, Harris Myers, Josephine Parker Smith, Grace Robinson Zeller, Elsie VanWiggerin [Van Wiggeren] Edwards and Clyde Werner.

Mrs. Cross has come from Greenfield, Mass. to attend the reunion of her class and will join with Mr. DeBordieu in welcoming others of the same class.

Tickets are at Powers News Store, McGrath's News Store, Walker Agency, Ilion Savings and Loan, both Ilion banks, Baker's Pharmacy and Endicott Johnson Shoe Store.

Lewis Kelly is in charge of tickets, assisted by Leonard Wright, Everett Colburn and Churchill Prosser.