Wednesday, August 6
Palm Beach High class plans 50th reunion
By Tim Pallesen, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 6, 2003
Fifty years ago, the center of excitement was Palm Beach High School --
not to be confused with the new Palm Beach Central High School that opens
next Wednesday.
The news from Palm Beach High's student newspaper in April 1953 was about
outrageous behavior during Senior Skip Day at the Jupiter Inlet. The
practical joker in the senior class, Michael Mortimer, "abandoned a boatload
of girls in the middle of the inlet," the paper reported.
The screaming girls, before their rescue, got a huge laugh from all the boys
in the Class of 1953, including Monte Markham, the class president.
In their yearbook, Markham and Mortimer declared that their life goal was to
be a millionaire. Markham became a Hollywood movie star. Mortimer became a
Greenacres councilman.
Fifty years later, Mortimer vows to impress the boys again when he escorts
Kathryn (Newlon) Ryberg, the 1953 homecoming queen, to the 50th class reunion
on Oct. 10-12.
These two sweethearts invited me to attend their reunion committee's July 20
gathering at the clubhouse at Oak Terrace in Greenacres where Mortimer lives.
The reminiscing that I heard by 16 men and women from the Class of 1953 that Sunday
afternoon was delightful. A half century ago was truly a different time. The Palm
Beach High that they fondly remember was one of only three high schools for Palm
Beach County students back then.
My favorite story was Miss Rowbotham, a tall, thin American History teacher from
Virginia who refused to admit defeat in the Civil War. Her students mimicked her good-
naturedly as they recalled her declaring in class: "We did not lose the war. We never
accepted surrender."
Companies put together class reunions these days. But the Class of 1953 graduates,
whom I met last month, organize their own reunions every five years.
"We decided to do it ourselves because we enjoy each other's company no matter how much
time it takes," explained Carole Ann (Peters) Gaulden, the reunion committee chairwoman.
Palm Beach High School no longer exists, although some of the school's buildings, now
known as the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, still sit on a hill in downtown West Palm Beach.
A local historian objected when Palm Beach Central High School was chosen as the
name for the new school west of Greenacres. But nobody on the Palm Beach High
reunion committee seems offended that the center for excitement has shifted.
Instead, the Class of 1953 realizes that the center of Palm Beach County's student
population has moved west since they went to high school. They see the new high
school's name as a tribute to their school.
"It helps us keep the name out there," said Sue (Bronson) Tapp,
the 1953 class treasurer.
A picture of this committee in action.
Go to more pictures taken at this meeting.
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