ETHS has become synonymous with its iconic silhouette, having made a home at the historic Church and Dodge location one hundred years ago. However, when ETHS first opened its doors in 1883, it was housed in an entirely different part of Evanston, at Dempster and Elmwood. As the student population grew, the school decided it needed to move in order to accommodate the change. In 1924, ETHS moved to Church and Dodge, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the school.
Saturday, September 14 saw ETHS alums from around the world gathering at Lazier Field to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the campus and reminisce about their high school days. The event featured a live DJ, local Evanston food trucks and all-class reunions.
Don Hall, who graduated from ETHS in 1964, was one of the spearheads of the event.
“It started because five of us [class of ‘64 alums] came back to Evanston for a memorial service for one of our classmates. There was nothing planned and we realized we needed to do something,” he said.
The centennial was not the original goal for Hall and his team, simply a twist of fate. But the event’s goal has remained the same: to bring everyone from their graduating class together.
“That was our motivation—we needed to have a reunion before we all die,” Hall laughed.
That motivation amongst the alum was palpable. They came out in droves, eager to reconnect with familiar faces and meet the next generation of ETHS graduates. People came from all over the world, with alums stretching as far as England.
For many attending alums, Evanston pride went much further than just the town they grew up in—they reminisced fondly about their previous jobs, co-workers, and classmates. Former ETHS superintendent Allan Alson was in attendance, as was Karen Sutton, who was an art teacher at Chute Middle School when it first opened its doors.
“This is a really connected group, they feel more like family. We’re still connected even though our lives have been separated by years and distance,” Hall said. “A lot of us have great memories from our time at high school, and in spite of any bad experiences, people want to come together. You’ve only got so much time.”
Current ETHS students also attended the event, celebrating the school and connecting with past students.
“[The centennial] was a very fun and unique event that made me feel very patriotic to Evanston and ETHS,” said Abeer Baig, a senior at ETHS.
It was a long journey to getting the centennial together, one that Hall fought through the whole way. The alum overcame losses and technological difficulties but Hall and his team kept working to make it an unforgettable day.
“If you have a vision and people you trust, everything else will fall into place.”
