My How 50 Years Fly! Niles High School's East Division Prepares for Its 50th Reunion

A Niles Township High School Eastern Division's "Trojan" T-shirt from 1959

As they say, 1959 was the year that was:

Mattel debuts the Barbie Doll, Alaska becomes the 50th U.S. state, and gas is 25 cents a gallon.

Ladies' stockings cost a $1, Marilyn Monroe stars in "Some Like It Hot," and Frank Sinatra rules the airwaves.

And in Skokie the Niles High School East Division was graduating its class of 1959. In 2009, the class will celebrate its 50th anniversary of that date and alumni aren't wasting time trying to find graduates to attend next year's reunion.

The class' last reunion was held in 2002 and turnout was lower than desired. Of a surviving graduating class of 575, only about 75 graduates attended. Organizers of next year's events want the 50th to have different results.

"It is hard work," says Barb Gerich Smith." Maybe someone in our class will see this item and get in touch with us. The more the merrier."

Next year's reunion is scheduled for the weekend of June 12-13. The weekend plans include:

* A cocktail reception Friday night at Allgauer's

* A lunch buffet Saturday in the International Room of the Arlington International Race Course

* Cocktails and dinner Saturday night at Allgauer's with a brief program.

For more information on the reunion, contact either Barb Gerich Smith at Bsmith@copper.net, Darlene Stollstorff Mattefs at Dmattefs@yahoo.com, or Bill Nack at Ivorybells!@cs.com.

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