L. P. Sanders

I was in Karen Lowry' s English class.  What a sad and shocking time that was!

Patricia Ann (Pat) Spencer (Seyb)

I was in the hall, it was after lunch and I was going back to the choir room.  I heard the PA but couldn't understand what was being said, but it seemed urgent.  I hurried to the choir room and others were just sitting there in shock.  I had to ask what was happening, and whoever answered me told me in a whisper, the most ominous whisper I ever remember.   We had a football play-off game that night and were taking the train to one of those towns in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.   After about an hour, there was a lot of rearrangement going on, because there were people who decided not to go.  I called my parents and they said it was up to me, so Glenda Krottinger and I  decided to go ahead to the game. It was a bit of an eerie ride, everyone was much quieter than usual. We sat with a friend who had a transistor radio, and was listening to the news the whole time.  I remember when he told us that they had caught Oswald.  

David Robinson

CAROL, I WAS ALSO IN THE LIBRARY AND I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS FUNNY THAT THE PA SYSTEM WAS ON UNTIL I COULD UNDERSTAND THE NEWS THAT WAS UNFOLDING.  I WAS IN THE BAND AND WE WENT TO PLAY GRAND PRAIRIE AT GOPHER FIELD.  THAT WAS A TIME THE I WILL NEVER FORGET.

Tom Merritt

Jimmy (James Now) Alred

Wow ! You all have fantastic memories. I remember the day with a similar feeling to the day the twin towers came down. A numb feeling of disbelief and surreal anxiety.

Dean Kirkpatrick

I, like a lot of other people, was in the Library for some reason. I was sitting next to the windows in the Northwest corner. I remember just looking outside trying to imagine why anyone would shoot President Kennedy. The day was oddly duplicated on 9/11. I think the assasination of President Kennedy was the first realization of how patriotic I am.

Kathy Foley (Odom)

Janice I was in that typing class with Mrs Underwood too.  I kept the practice page we were doing and noted he died on that sheet.  It was just after our lunch, Pat I forgot about the football game and don't remember if I went or not.

Shirley Steele

I was in Mrs. Allen's biology class when they turned on the PA. The way I remember it, there was no announcement, but somebody just turned on the PA and set a radio beside the speaker. I don't know whose decision that was, but it was brilliant. It allowed us high school kids to be present for the event more than just hearing about it later. Thank you to whoever did that!

Everybody was confused at first, but then we figured out what was happening. Shortly after, the bell rang and we went to the next class. The hallway was just silent (eerie). I went to Merle Anthony's history class (those who remember her can imagine what that was like!). The PA was just left on and eventually they announced that the president had died. Everybody was stunned. Kids cried. Mrs. Anthony wrung her hands. And then shortly there was the strangest noise from outside---I couldn't figure out what it was at first. SQUEEK SQEEK SQEEK (Remember that Mrs. Anthony's classroom was on the front of the building.) I looked out the window and they were lowering the flag to half-staff. It still gives me chills.

Charles Dean

I was in History Class when it came over the radio.  Mrs. Anthony just sit there and cried while we all listen. I wonder of anyone else was in class at that time.

Pat Hawkins

I was in I.C. Presson's English class when we got the news.  And I remember the train ride to and from Grand Prairie for the game.  It seemed like it was really cold at the game.  On the trip down and back, everyone was speculating about who was behind it all.  Dick Rundlell told us that, at breakfast that morning, he had told his dad something like "I don't know why they let the President go to all those cities with all those tall buildings.  Someone might try to shoot him or something."  Dick's dad made a call to the school to make sure DIck was at school that day.

Vicki Hull (Fisher)

I was in Mrs. Anthony's class too. I just remember her going crazy and crying! 

Vicki Hull Fisher

Ann Searcy (O'Shaunessey)

I was coming down the stairs by the cafeteria, when Allen Bowling came up to me and told me. I thought at first it was a joke, because there we some really gross jokes going around at that time about the Kennedys. He said "No, he was shot." About that time, the PA system came on, and we were told to go to our homerooms. There was a girl in the class who was crying because Gov. Connelly was her uncle. I can remember it better than I remember yesterday. Each generation has a day of infamy: to my parents, it was Pearl Habor, To me, President Kennedy's assassination, to my daughter it was the shuttle being blown apart. Today's generation is 9/ll.

Jimmy Rhodes

I was on my way to Grand Prairie to play for the district championship.  One of the seniors was listening to the news on a little transistor radio.  He gave us the news but none of us believed him until we got to the Gopher Bowl.  The "powers that be" didn't really know what to do so we went ahead and played the game.  Lost 21-14. Mike McBride broke the school record for completions in a row. Just came up a little short.  BAD day all around

Saundra C Sampson (Tucker)

I was in Study Hall on the second floor, with about a hundred or so other students.  After the announcement you could hear a pin drop.

Carol Corlett (Power)

Lannie Neal

I was sitting in one of the windows in the hallway with either Gene or John Peavler (can't remember which).  We were talking and laughing about something when Mrs. Anthony walked by and yelled at us for laughing "at a tragic time like this."  She had to explain to us what happened.  That night, a group of us drove to Grand Prairie in my Corvair for the game.

Tom Campbell (Campbell)

Was walking down the long hall between Mr. Bradley's math class and the gym for basketbball practice. Shocked speechless.

Peggy Black (Peck)

I was in Gym when I heard about the shooting.  I just busted out in tears. Devastating to 16 year old kids much less the whole world. 

Katie Humphrey (Mason)

Merle Anthony had talked about presidential assassinations a few days before this. And I simply do not believe in premenotions..but when I was sitting in typing class that day and crackly sound from the speakers came on in the room, I had a sudden kind of freaky thought about President Kennedy being shot. Then they said it and it really felt so awful when they confirmed it. I have seen recently some replays and talk about that day and it will never leave our minds completely...yes, it probably was like "pearl harbor"

Cathy Castledine (Holland)

It's so wonderful to see everyone filling out their profiles. It's great to know where everyone went after high school. Does anybody else have any good pictures they could share? The pictures that Carol and Janice loaded are great but we need some more.

I hope that everyone that can will try and attend this. No matter what your life is now, wouldn't it be fun to go back to your youth for a weekend and reconnect with friends and acquaintances. Looking forward to it.

Cathy Castledine Holland

Peggy Black (Peck)

Planning on going to the 50th.  Since I went to Ryder for my Sophmore year, I attended it with a good friend who graduated from Ryder.  It was a blast so looking forward to this one as well. 

Carolyn Blancett Bland

Janice, I was in your typing class and I too remember how silent the halls were. But, when I looked around at our classmates tears were streaming down all of our faces.  What a very sad day in history.

Carol Burbank (Hensley)

Our coyote coach Morris Mercer who  also coached football and basketball died on April 2, 2015 at age 90 . Funeral services to be Tuesday  April  7 at Floral Heights Methodist church  at 2:00 with Rev. Louis Pearce officiating .Visitation will be at  Lunn's  funeral home from 6:00 to 7:00 Monday April 6. Thanks Tom Merritt for sending this information.

Carol Burbank (Hensley)

Gene Neptune Class of '64 Performance on You Tube, showing our WF roots!!!!

Robin Hallford

Where was I when the news of the Kennedy assassination ?  I was in study hall, and it was really surreal to hear the sad news.   What a waste of such a wonderful life, and I dont think that the Kennedy family ever really got over that incident, and surely after Bobby being killed also.   Almost every girl in the study hall was crying, and the teacher passed a box of kleenex around I think.