Marlin Democrat

June 30, 2007

Booker T. Washington High School
Class of 1972
Celebrates Reunion

The Booker T. Washington-Commerce Street-Marlin High School Class of 1972 celebrated with a reunion on June 30th at the Wildcat Den on the old BTW Elementary campus site.

The reunion was not only in celebration of 35 years since graduation, but it also was for reflecting on all the events that have taken place since September 1960, when approximately 120 "Negro" children enrolled in the first grade at the Booker T. Washington Elementary and the Commerce Street Elementary School.

The reunion began with the BTW Parade. Classmates Verna "Honeygirl" Massington Johnson and Larrie "Kat" Johnson represented the class in the parade.

After the parade, 31 classmates joined together at the Wildcat Den for a luncheon prepared by classmate Ben "Whup" Washington.

During the luncheon, each classmate shared what had taken place in his or her life over the past decades.

The highlight of the luncheon was the presentation of a portrait of the classes' Booker T. Washington Jr. High School principal, James Lynn, to Mrs. Lowanda Washington Sias, Marlin Independent School District Board President. The portrait will hang in the Marlin Jr. High School Library.

Classmates in attendance were: Jeffie Jones Sanders (Waco), Elizabeth Richardson (Bryan), Shirley Irvin Hawkins (Marlin), Gail Johnson Garrett (Waco), Wanda Lynn Mathews (Dallas), Billy Lawton (San Antonio), Larrie Johnson (Houston), Ben Washington (Marlin), Ben Kirk (Marlin), Michael Pierce (Waco), Nathaniel Jones (Houston), NaDean Jones Delley (Houston), Dorothy Horton Ware (Los Angeles), Shirley Henderson Thompson (Waco), Gwen Robertson Cooper (Waco), James Charles Ratliff (Marlin), Verna Massington Johnson (Marlin), Alvin Jordan Dixson (Houston), Charles Lewis (De Soto), Linda Graves Bailey (De Soto), Linda Young (Atlanta, Georgia), Evelyn Lang Smith (Waco), Annie Edwards (Marlin), Dr. Alfred C. Gorman (Savanah, Georgia), Cora Haynes Mitchell (Brandon, Mississippi), Olivia Bradley Lucas (Garland), Carl J. Zephyr, (Los Angeles), Jerry Ward (Marlin), Shirley Degrate Hayes (Marlin), Ivory Wayne Berry (Dallas), Brenda King Clay (Marlin), Vivian Woodson Horton (Marlin), and Curtis T. Smith (Marlin).