Class of 1961 - BY High School

Brigham Young High
Class of 1961

60th Anniversary Reunion
Class of 1961 in 2021

B.Y. High 1961 60th Class Reunion
held July 30, 2021 at Academy Square, Provo, Utah

Back L to R: Stephen Nelson, Paul Gilbert, Nick Boshard, Roy Taylor, Jim Chaplin, Alec Andrus.
Row 4: Dennie Wood, Marion Bentley, Sandy Thompson Clark, Connie Cloward Parsons, Glen Miller
Row 3: Norma Broadbent Nielsen, Sonnie Jacobsen Haymore, Mary Halliday Lindsey, Carol Gerber Allred
Row 2: Carolyn Terry Faux, Julie Van Wagenen Aidukaitis, Ruth Burden Roberts, Maraley Redd Rasmussen, Gordon Walker
Front Row: Marie Keeler Blanchard, Kaye Gunn Roberts

Also in attendance were Guests of Honor Diane (Dale) Stephenson, and Patrea (Nick) Faulkner, and Helen Gardner Hall, BYH Class of 1962.

Click on photo for a larger version.

Historic 59th Anniversary Reunion

The BYH Class of 1961
Celebrated Our 59th Anniversary Reunion
Friday, July 31, 2020

The co-chairs for the 2020 reunion:
Kaye Gunn Roberts & Marie Keeler Blanchard.

This was a virtual and historic first-ever
Brigham Young High School reunion via Zoom.

2020 REUNION REPORT

by Nick Boshard '61
I can give you the essence of what I took away from our three-hour virtual reunion:

First the bad news: sixteen of our 1961 classmates have passed away and a few others or their spouses are fighting life-threatening illnesses, most of which are associated with advancing age. (See List)

The rest of the reunion can be summarized as follows:

1. Of all the classes that graduated from BY High, I would say that the class of 1961 is probably the most cohesive and the best informed about the lives and families of our former classmates.

2. Vivid memories of our teachers, with Julia Caine, Wallace Allred and Anna B. Hart probably the most beloved. I would add Coach Don Snow, who mentored me during my junior high years.

3. The High Steppers of 1961 under the guidance of Juanita Rogers won many regional and state awards and deserve more recognition.

4. Kathy Clarke (Williams) * was the outstanding dramatics student in our class and maybe in the history of BY High. She won some three to four awards as the best student in dramatic arts, and was in numerous dramatic productions during our years at BY High.

4. The Carrel Experimental Learning System (where students were basically placed in stalls to learn on their own) was a total disaster and was discarded after a few years. Not the least of the problems were the antics of the students themselves that totally disrupted the decorum of the study stalls.

5. A regional sportsmanship panel was convened in 1961 to rank schools in the BY High league from best to worst in "Sportsmanship." BY High was ranked dead last (worst) in sportsmanship, with the antics and behavior of coach Frank Arnold being a significant factor in that ranking. Some of the players under Frank Arnold from our class seem to have likened that ranking to a badge of honor, but the administrators of BY High were not at the time very happy with that ranking.

6. Academy Square (the old Lower Campus) was fondly remembered by all, with references to the old "Beehive Fountain" as a social gathering place, a large room in the junior high building dedicated to luncheon sock hops, and the large room where the choir practiced that had creaky floors reverberating when students stomped their feet in unison.

7. Marion Bentley made some insightful comments about the historic proportions of the pandemic and noted that he and his aging classmates were in one of the highest risk categories for COVID-19.

8. While there was a slew of teenage antics and pranks recalled by those at the reunion, the one that most closely sticks out in my mind was some solemn award ceremony requiring a sober march piece of music. Steve Nelson dreamed up a prank where his record of "Running Bear" by Johnny Preston was, without the knowledge of the ceremony organizers, substituted for the regular march piece. When "Running Bear" started to play, the ceremony quickly lost all its decorum. You will need to check the details of this story out with Steve Nelson or Paul Gilbert to get more exact reporting. (See also Assemblies.)

9. The transformation of much of the old Lower Campus into the Academy Square Provo Public Library was referenced with approval many times during this reunion.

10. Marion Bentley, Carol Gerber Allred and others on the reunion committee are going to, in collaboration with Academy Square Library officials, pursue the construction and installation of a Bench Memorial commemorating the Class of 1961. This memorial might include memorabilia from the activities of our class and of the time we lived in when we attended BY High.

On a more personal note, I would say that, while none of my classmates achieved national acclaim (except possibly Gordon Walker and Blaine Yorgason), the majority of my classmates have led happy and successful lives and fostered successful children. I could not help but think about my brother, John, who after stepping out of "The Mormon Box of Life" could never find another path to the same success, except to keep going to tennis practice every day of his life until his untimely death in 2015.

* Kathy Clarke Williams 1943~2020

This letter is from Marion, Kaye, and Marie, Class of '61 reunion chairs

Dear Classmates,

It's not what we wanted to do, and it's not what we planned to do, but we pretty much have to play the hand we've been dealt. And that unfortunately is a hand that contains a joker virus.

So because we are the primary demographic at-risk, and our primary concern is everyone's safety and health, we have changed our plans for our July 31st reunion.

We're not happy about that, but we are happy that we will still see your faces and hear your voices via Zoom at our virtual reunion on July 31st.

We will have a great time together!

Plus no travel, no airport security checks, no traffic, so many tangible benefits for a virtual meeting!

So please plan to join us for a couple of hours and renew our 50+ year friendships.

Throughout the next couple of months we will send you reunion plans and details, including the information you will need to connect with the Class of '61 on Zoom.

Thanks, see you all on Zoom in July!

Marion, Kaye, and Marie

This letter is from Nick Boshard:

Re: Class of ‘61 Reunion
Boshards
To: Marion Bentley

Tue, June 2, 2020 at 10:24 AM

Marion, Alec, Marie and Kaye,

I am pleased that plans for the Zoom reunion in July are proceeding forward and I think a video or our experiences together over our happy years at BYHigh/elementary schools is a great idea.

However, I am afraid I would be technologically incompetent to construct such a video. I am the classmate who recently threw his smart phone away in disgust and was ready to abandon cell phone technology altogether but was forced by my children to obtain one of the last flip phones in the world as a compromise.

I will do well with the help of Barbara to even patch into the Zoom conference but beyond that I would mess things up. I can certainly provide a few old photos to someone with the skills to do this. (like our first class photo that I recently sent out to Marie, Roy and others who were in that class)

A resource to help with this project that I can strongly recommend is Larry Christensen, Class of '66, who was a friend of my brother John. Larry is the consummate historian and archivist of all things B.Y. High. He is the web master of the byhigh.org web site and he posted articles I wrote about the lower campus neighborhood on that site several years ago. The following is contact information for Larry, and I will copy him on this e-mail to get the ball rolling, although I have not talked with Larry since my brother passed away:

Larry Christensen
1067 Janet Place
San Marcos, California 42069
(760) 591-0996

I look forward to seeing and interacting with you all via the Zoom reunion.

Warm regards,

Nick Boshard

BYH Class of 1961 Celebrates 55th Anniversary

The BYH Class of 1961
Celebrated Our 55th Anniversary Reunion
on Friday, July 1, 2016
Cherry Hills Park
1800 South 250 East
4 - 10 PM

It was a catered picnic
$15 person / $30 couple

Checks were sent to:
Glen Miller
323 East 1910 South
Orem, Utah 84058

Questions & RSVP:
Reunion Committee ~--Dale Stephenson at 801-377-2123 / 801-362-6112 & dndstephenson@gmail.com
--Glen Miller at 801-226-1125 & glgsmiller@gmail.com
--Janice Bonnett Pearson at 208-238-1787 & 208-242-3365 & janner@juno.com
--Julie Van Wagenen Aidukaitis at 801-377-8867 & jaidukatis@comcast.net
--Norma Broadbent Nielsen at 801-360-8889 & 801-798-9323 & nielsen.norma@gmail.com
--Dennis Wood at 801-750-1146 / 801-766-9898 & denniswood@q.com or dennis2@qwest.net

The B.Y. High Class of 1961 held a 53th Anniversary Year Reunion on Friday, July 25, 2014, at Provo Lion's Park, Large Pavilion, 1280 North 950 West, from 3:30 - 9:30 PM. The Reunion Committee included Dale Stephenson, Dennis Wood and Nick Faulkner.

The B.Y. High Class of 1961 held a 51st Anniversary Reunion on Friday, July 6, 2012, at 6 pm at Rock Canyon Park, Pavilion #3. Those attending brought potluck food. Reunion information was provided by Norma Nielsen and by Dale Stephenson

BYH Class of 1961 50th Year Reunion

Back row: Dennis Wood, Paul Gilbert, Sandra Thompson Clark, Nick Faulkner
Middle row: Dale Stephenson, Charles Floyd, Glen Miller, Helen Gardner Hall ('62), Sonnie Jacobsen Haymore, Roy Taylor, Julie Van Wagenen Aidukaitis,
Norma Broadbent Nielsen, Connie Cloward Parsons, Kathy Clarke Williams, Kathryn Gunn Roberts

Front row: Linda Kimball Runyon, Ruth Burdett Roberts, Karren Shaw Ackemyer, Marion Bentley, Janice Bonnett Pearson, Marie Keeler Blanchard, Carol Gerber Allred, Carolyn Terry Faux, Elin Crnkovic Sorensen, Maraley Redd Rasmussen

Attended but absent from picture: Jerry Sandstrom and Jerry Baum.

Class of 1961 Celebrated Its
50th Year Golden Anniversary Reunion
On June 30, 2011

The 50th Year Golden Anniversary Reunion of the BYH Class of 1961 was held on Thursday, June 30, 2011. It began at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. The reunion continued to 11:30 p.m. It was held at the Utah Valley University Sorensen Student Center in Rooms 206 B & C. The cost was $30 a person / $60 a couple. The deadline for RSVPs was May 15, 2011. Checks were made out to Glen Miller, and mailed to: Norma B. Nielsen, 1709 Fairway Lane, Spanish Fork, Utah 84660. Co-Chairs were Norma Broadbent Nielsen & Dale Stephenson. The Reunion Committee included Nick Faulkner, Glen Miller, Karren Shaw Ackemyer, Roy Taylor, Julie Van Wagenen Aidukaitis, & Dennis Wood. Next-day Reunion Events included Buffet Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, July 1, 2011 at Magleby's Fresh in Lindon, Utah. On Friday afternoon, classmates toured & reminisced at Academy Square, and golfed.

50th Year Anniversary - BYH Class of 1961

Brigham Young High School campus alpenglow

45th Year Anniversary Reunion in 2006

The BY High Class of 1961 celebrated its 45th Year Graduation Anniversary in 2006, and celebrated its 50th Year Golden Anniversary in 2011.

The Class is currently seeking:
Graduation photos
Reunion photos
BY Elementary photos
Graduation programs
Stories of BYH days
Student newspapers
Student memorabilia
Scrapbooks
Yearbooks

yhigh@ymail.com

The Class of 1961 List Today

Current Honorary List

Update My Alumni Profile

The Men's Gym

Nick & The Old
Neighborhood

Douglas
Wilkinson '61