Wildcats to play up the bands at Las Vegas High School reunion

The Las Vegas High School Wildcat Reunion scheduled for Sept. 15 is sure to stir up a lot of memories.

Alumna Lena Sharp remembers when she and a lot of other folks were up in arms about the school district moving the high school to the edge of town.

"We resented them putting it all the way out someplace on Seventh Street," she said.

Sharp is referring to the second Las Vegas High School, built in 1930 at 315 S. Seventh St. on the corner of Bridger Avenue. Since 1993, that building has housed the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts, a Clark County School District arts-themed magnet program.

The first Las Vegas High School, built in 1917, was destroyed by fire in 1934.

The third, and current, Las Vegas High School opened in 1993 at 6500 E. Sahara Ave.

Last year the reunion drew in alumni who attended classes at all three Las Vegas High School campuses.

The oldest alumna, 101-year-old Violet Tracht , senior class president from the class of 1928, died in November.

"My friend, Aunt Vi, my buddy, died. I got to see her last year," Sharp said. "I'll be there this year and see who's there."

For many years, the reunion was hosted in a 700-seat room at Sam's Town. Last year 680 attended. So the event is to be relocated to a room that seats 1,000.

"We're going to have a dandy reunion this year at The Orleans," said Las Vegas High School Alumni Association president Rollie Gibbs, class of 1954. "We ran out of room at the other place. Two years ago I told Bill Boyd that was going to happen."

The event is open to alumni from all years. Organizers say that people come from all over to attend.

Sharp plans to travel from her family's rural ranch.

After graduating from Las Vegas High School, she went to the University of Nevada, Reno, and moved to rural Nevada to teach. She married into a ranching family and moved to a ranch, which has been there since before Nevada's statehood.

"I was a Pinjuz; there were a lot of us. Now it's Sharp, with no 'e.' We're not elegant; we're just plain folk," Sharp said. "I taught at a half dozen of the country schools here that I love dearly. And I taught in Tonopah. I'm near nobody. I'm 80 miles from Ely and 129 miles from Tonopah."

Lavetta Earl Butler, class of 1936, still lives in Las Vegas and remembers that walking was the only way people got around in her school days. In high school she lived on Fifth Street, which is now Las Vegas Boulevard. She had four children who are also Las Vegas High School alumni. The two who still live in town, Jeff and Sarah Butler, plan to attend the reunion with her.

"I enjoyed going to school here," Butler said, "I'm looking forward to seeing all the people I know. There aren't many of us left."

Butler remembers Maude Frazier as the principal of Las Vegas High School and that the building wasn't air-conditioned. Butler is the last member of her generation remaining in her family, a family that included older sisters who took her in after their parents' death and brothers who worked on Hoover Dam.

Sharp said that for part of the time she was in high school, Ernie Cragin was mayor. He owned the El Portal Theatre at 310 Fremont St., the first in town.

"I remember because Ernie Cragin's son was in our class," Sharp said. "When a nice movie came to town, his classmates got to go for free. It was only a dime to get in. But it was the Depression, and nobody had dimes."

Gibbs said everyone is looking forward to getting together and talking about old times.

"None of this would be happening if it wasn't for Patty Haack," Gibbs said. "She really holds everything together."

Haack, class of 1956, is secretary and treasurer of the association and the chairperson of the class reunion committee.

"We try to focus on a different part of the school each year, " Haack said. "This year we're honoring the school bands."

The alumni have been gathering photos and memorabilia from the school bands over the year for a display at the reunion.

In addition to getting together with former students, the association helps current Las Vegas High School students with things such as funding college scholarships and providing money for caps and gowns for homeless Las Vegas High School students.

The association's next project is to be organizing the installation of a monument at Las Vegas Academy, preserving the memory of the senior squares. The squares were a graduating class tradition for more than 40 years. Each graduating class painted an image from the yearbook cover on the walkway in front of the school. Over the years, the squares have been repainted, but the association would like to see a permanent tribute.

The Las Vegas High School reunion is scheduled at 5 p.m. Sept. 15 at The Orleans, 500 W. Tropicana Ave. To register or for more information, visit lvhsaa.com or contact Haack at 876-6660 or by email at lvowl@aol.com.

Contact Sunrise/Whitney View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 380-4532.