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Postscript from the Office of Advancement:
The class of '76 will have its 50th reunion tonight in our newly expanded Antler Room. Several class members will participate in our graduation tomorrow morning.
There were 152 young men in the class of 1976. We expect 44 grads to be with us tonight. Sadly, at least 23 class members are deceased and over a dozen are missing (and could very well be deceased as well).
Fifty years ago, the class of ’76 graduated on May 26 from the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the second DeMatha class to convene in that sacred space. The guest speaker was politician Steny Hoyer. It just so happens Congressman Hoyer is retiring from the House of Representatives this year (and a DeMatha grad is in the running to take his seat).
In 1976, the average cost of a home was $44,900. The price of gas was 59 cents a gallon. The Vietnam War had concluded in 1975, and the country was looking forward to celebrating its bicentennial in July. The movies "Rocky" and "All The President's Men" were considered must-see. The most popular song of the year was "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney & Wings. (Paul is obviously still around as he recently had two celebrated TV appearances and has just released a new collection of songs.)
In the fall of 1975, a football team from Woodlawn, Calif., traveled across the country to play the Stags. The school sent its cheerleaders as well, and an assembly was held in the gym, which was a nice diversion for a school of 750 young men. DeMatha won the game 13-2. That same school year, the basketball team won its 15th conference title and ninth in a row. The team also won a handful of games in the DeMatha gym, thus extending its win streak there to 124, dating to 1961 and, for a time, putting the school in the national high school record book.* (The streak ended in December 1976.)
Faculty member Bill McGregor coached a varsity sport in 1975-76, although it was not football, but baseball. Softball was a varsity sport then, and the Stags won their third straight title that spring. A number of members of the class of '76 were also on the '74 soccer team, which won the school's first championship in that sport as well.
The music program continued to grow, and, the year prior, school musicians traveled to Rome – Italy – not Georgia. It's clearly a mystery how people survived without smartphones, laptops and no Internet. In 1976, there were chocolate drives, Derby Days, and a Miss DeMatha Dance. Foreign languages and art were taught in two houses the school owned, and instruction in religion and music were in the old Annex, which gave way to the newly opened Cross Center for Engineering, Arts & Robotics. (The Annex had been renamed a few times. In 2001, it was named in honor of Tony and Anne Fotos).
Members of the class of '76 went on to productive careers in many different fields. The class valedictorian, Dr. Joseph Leginus, and the class salutatorian, James Ryan, are expected this evening. The class also includes Dr. Daniel McMahon, who has served DeMatha for over 40 years and is now completing his 26th year as principal and English teacher. In 1976, little did then-Principal John Moylan know his successor was among the members of the graduating class.
We look forward to seeing our alumni this evening. In May 1976, the school concluded its 30th year. We thank the illustrious members of that class for advancing the school another notch forward. Go Stags!
What happened to
The world we knew
When we would dream and scheme
And while the time away
Yester-me
Yester-you
Yesterday
Where did it go?
That yester-glow
When we could feel
The wheel of life turn our way
Yester-me
Yester-you
Yesterday
I had a dream so did you
Life was warm and love was true
Two kids who followed all the rules
Yester-fools
Now it seems
Those yester-dreams
Were just a cruel
And foolish game we used to play
Yester-me
Yester-you
Yesterday
-- Stevie Wonder
* Anyone following DeMatha during this time knows that the school played many of its home games in larger venues off campus. Still, to win 124 straight games in one building over a 15-year period is most impressive.
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