Members of Lubbock High School’s class of 1955 congregated for their 70th reunion this summer in a reconnection of just over 20 lifelong friends.
Consisting of a group sharing memories and recognizing the impact close friends and past time can have, the event was the last planned reunion for a class that has been meeting up periodically to reconnect over the last seven decades.
“We were such a cohesive unit,” said Nelda Turner. “We’ve been lifelong friends. Still are, you know, and we’ve been very, very close throughout the years.”
The class’ first reunion was in 1960 — five years after the class members walked across the stage. Since then, the group has come together for plenty of reunions — the exact number of which could not be determined, despite valiant efforts from several members of the class.
For the last three years the class has met annually, but last year’s reunion nearly brought an end to the decades-long tradition.
“At last year’s reunion, several said, ‘Goodbye, see you in the next life,’” said Roy Webb. “But then somebody said, ‘Well, let’s have one more. 70 is a good number.’ And so we voted to do that.”
Many of the most recent reunion’s attendees joked, however, that another reunion next year was inevitable.
Throughout the many years and milestones, the gatherings have been casual events to reconnect with friends. One year’s celebration, however, was significantly larger than the rest.
The gathering in 1985 marked the group’s 30th reunion and the largest gathering to date. The event brought programs and invitations, local news coverage, attendees’ best-dressed attire and, essentially, a large party reconnecting the group.
The 2025 reunuion in July, in a corner of the MCM Eleganté Hotel’s conference room, a small TV hooked to a VCR player looped a video of the 1985 reunion, which involved several skits and interviews with the classmates.
Also born from the class’ 30th reunion was the class of 1955’s scholarship, which bears the name of former LHS principal Floyd Honey. The monetary gift pays a portion of a current LHS graduate’s college tuition annually.
A total of 42 gifts have resulted from the scholarship since its inception, and it will continue to support students long after the class stops hosting reunions.
“That’s something that we’re proud of,” Webb said of the Floyd Hone Westerner Spirit Scholarship.
The class of 1955 was also the last full graduating class of Westerners, as the competing Monterey High School opened the next year.
“I’m very blessed to be a part of this class, because we’re very unusual,” said Kay Barley Frazier on the class’ history.
Frazier said it was more than just matching caps and gowns that connected the class all these years. Religion and common values raised the classmates with attitudes they still carry.
“We were instilled at that time of our life to be loyal, true, honest and respecting all people,” Frazier said, “because that was the 50s.”
The weekend was a remembrance of sorts for the graduates in attendance, as well as a recognition for friends no longer with them and memories made together.
Members told stories remembering how the class’ valedictorian was barred from the graduation ceremony after a teacher caught him with a case of beer in his truck on a senior day swim party. He went on to become a doctor, but five years ago his classmates presented him with the diploma he missed out on.
They remembered sitting next to rock-and-roll legend Buddy Holly, singing with him in the choir and growing up down the street from a kid who, at the time, was just another one of the guys.
They laughed over a game they used to play at reunions that recognized who had the youngest kids.
“The friendship was established growing up. A lot of the kids actually met in elementary school and became fast friends and went all the way through high school, and some of them went on to college together. There’s a bond from the younger days,” Webb said.
Joni McIlvain — whom Turner described as the “glue” of the class over the years — was unable to attend the weekend’s event in person but joined via phone call to speak with her friends.
After she graduated college, McIlvain began mailing and eventually emailing newsletters to her LHS classmates with updates on the class and its people. She still sends the newsletters today, ensuring the class is connected far beyond the days they can meet for in-person reunions.
McIlvain advocated for the class’ consistent reunions, no matter the expected turnout.
“We’ve just always had reunions and, I mean, a lot of other reunions didn’t have it if they didn’t have 50 or 100 people there,” McIlvain said. “They just quit. We just always kept having them, even if it would be only 52 people.”
This constant connection led to what graduates colloquially call their Birthday Club, a small group of Lubbock-based 1955 graduates that meet for lunch on the last Thursday of each month to chat and celebrate the month’s birthdays.
They’ve met consistently for the last 45 years.
The class’ 596 total graduates — often associated with their connection to fellow graduate Buddy Holly — hailed a wide range of successful individuals in fields ranging from doctors to an extra in several films to school teachers and school board members to philanthropists to NASA contributors and more.
Though it remains up to the class members whether a 71st reunion will take place, the class of 1955 has never restrained itself to organized reunions and meetups to stay connected and appreciate their past together.
“Once a Westerner, always a Westerner,” said George Dawson.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: A last hurrah? Lubbock class of 1955 gathers for 70th reunion
Reporting by By Aynsley Larsen, for the Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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