Some of those attending the reunion have shared memories which have recently surfaced. Those I have received are being posted here, sometimes with attributions.  If you have something to share, poease do so prior to Novemer 8th (Election Day), less cognitive decline strike you sooner rather than later.  Thanks for your help in making the website more FUN!!

Gray Carlson sent this outside view.  Opened at this location in 1953, they are celebrating 70 years.

Inside.  Cheesburger, fries and diet Coke.  No onion rings or apple pie (both available, however).

Oakland landmark now closed

Dave Miller passed along these newspaper clippings about his Grandmother, Ida Carroll, and those wonderful cafetereia rolls under the title "Rolling on at THS."

One classmate was apparently in such a hurry to get away from an awful Italian restaurant (Pisano's in Flemming Place) and get to the DQ on 17th Street that (he/she) ran out of (his/her) footware in the parking lot.

Bill Reed sent this along:

The "Rolls", Dan McJunkin and I worked in the cafeteria Soph&Jr years - our job was to keep the Servers pots and pans fully stocked and that included the Rolls. The Ladies were all great to work with and friendly ... unless their serving pans were empty, then things got quiet! But, we figuredmout very soon when to refill the serving pans and all was good! The kitchen was always spotless and it was neat going back there and enjoying the smells. Especially the rolls, I'd eat them the whole time I was working and nobody minded. We ate free, that was our pay and we gave up Study Hall(something I didn't use wisely anyway)! The other memory I've always held was building the Floats at Ginny Gears house - I'm still Amazed that her parents put up with the mess, noise and comings and goings once, but they did it twice!! don't recall any problems -arguements or other disturbances - it was just Fun. 
 

Roger Alexander sent this along (today 11/08/22, just at the deadline)

Washington, DC & New York City Trip

A spring 1962 high school educational trip to Washington, DC and New York City, NY via railroad coach was like no other. Three Topeka West students made history. The trip started in Topeka traveling east on the Santa Fe Super Chief to Chicago Union Station. It required 8 ½ hours to complete. During this portion of the trip male TWHS students enjoyed reading articles in a playboy magazine provided by Larry Frost. We were provided a box lunch meal during the layover in Union Station. “Three Amigos” had a visit from one of the trip chaperons concerning the pornographic material that girls on the trip found objectionable. The chaperon “Cowboy Joe” requested the magazine. He then tore it in half and placed it in the trash. The “3 Amigos” were given a one strike warning. The trip continued via train to Union Station in Washington, DC arriving in 17 ½ hours. Educational sightseeing was uneventful. The next day started out great, as the “3 Amigos” were excused from the tour to visit the Pentagon. This tour was set up and approved prior to the trip. The Pentagon was awesome. We missed out on another box lunch. However, we did have lunch at Fort Meyer Officers Club located at Arlington Cemetery. Midafternoon we went to the Smithsonian to rejoin our tour group. After one hour of searching, we could not find our tour group bus. We decided to go to New York City via train. Union Station was only a short walk from Smithsonian. We traveled from Washington, D.C. to New York City. While on the train we were thinking about the Kinston Trio song MTA – “the man who never returned”. The trip was a little over three hours. We made it to the hotel with no trouble and joined our roommate Larry Reibstein. That evening trip chaperon “Cowboy Joe” stopped by for a room check and was surprised to see the “3 Amigos. We had a knock-down, drag-out verbal put-down of “Cowboy Joe” which sealed out fate. He stated that we had three strikes and were off the tour. After several phone calls with chaperons and our parents it was decided that we could stay in the hotel. However, we could not go on any of the educational tours. Kit Fordyce’s aunt would be responsible for the “3 Amigos” for our time in New York City. What a day, however it was only the start of things to come. Early the next morning (6am-7am) there was a loud knock on our hotel room door. It was hotel security. They demanded the 3 Amigos pack our bags. We were escorted out of the hotel and taken to the bus station. We were required to board the bus headed to Pittsburg, PA. We were provided train tickets to Topeka from Pittsburg thru Chicago. The bus trip from New York City to Pittsburg was uneventful. However, the tip was 8 hours. Question, how do you get from the bus station to the train station in Pittsburg? We walked around downtown for a while. Thank the lord the train station was only a few blocks away from the bus station. Our luck was starting to tun around. Telephone calls to our parents from Pittsburg were very enlightening. They wanted us home A.S.A.P. They advised us to go to the airport. They would Western Union us money to purchase airplane tickets. The jet airplane flight on Convair 880 was our first airplane flight. The flight was great from Pittsburg to Kansas City. We were back to Topeka Thursday night. Should we attend classes on Friday? TWHS said no, because it would be too disruptive. The disruption occurred on Monday morning!!!! WE had a “comeuppance, dressing-down meeting with Dr. Henson, Miss Fowler and our parents on how we had sullied the reputation of TWHS. It was a trip like no other!

“3 Amigos”, TWHS, Roger Alexander, Kit Fordyce & Bruce Jones

       

Senior Class of TWHS, 1962 (Two Elections)

In 1956, USD 501 prepared bond issue for a new high school Topeka West. Dr. Henson visited several junior highs that would supply Topeka West enrollment. A campus style was decided upon after careful research. The new way of school life would provide modern furnishings and airy walks from building to building. The school board promoted the new school as more like college atmosphere. I believe they were going to have open enrollment to Topeka West for Juniors & Seniors 501 students. This would provide good balance between Topeka High and Topeka West. There was an election (called a survey) of which students would attend either THS or TWHS.  The results surprised the board as overwhelming majority would return to THS. The USD 501 then did away with the open enrollment idea. They set Oakley as the east-west boundary line between THS and TWHS. This may explain why there was two elections.