For Athens High and Industrial School Class of 1964 graduates Charlie Maddox and Bessie Hector Freeman, the anticipation of their recent 60th class reunion mounted each day leading up to last weekend’s festivities.

Maddux, Freeman, and a committee of other 1964 graduates from Georgia’s first four-year public high school for African American students spent more than a year planning the reunion, which took place Aug. 30 through Sept. 1. According to Mr. Maddox, the Class of 1964 held reunions, or smaller get-togethers, every 10 years. The difference this time, he explained, is that some participated who have never done so before.

“Our goal is to get as many former classmates together as possible,” said Ms. Freeman recently prior to the reunion.

“Well, there’s going to be a few people there that I’ve not seen in 60 years,” added Mr. Maddox. “It was kind of, we graduated and we dispersed.”

The reunion weekend kicked off Aug. 30 with a meet-and-greet for the graduates and their significant others. On Aug. 31, the class gathered again for a breakfast at the former high school, which was renamed Burney Harris High School in 1964 and is the current home of the Athens Community Career Academy.

“That’s where we graduated from, and I know some of these people have never seen that place since they left, especially the way it’s been preserved and what it is now,” Maddox said.

On the evening of Aug. 31, there was a large gala at the Georgia Center, which included family members of the Class of 1964. More than 30 classmates attended the reunion, which was dedicated to Dr. Walter Allen and Ms. Ruth Hawk Payne – the class’s only two living teachers. Dr. Allen was able to attend the event. Various Athens dignitaries to attend the gala, which will feature a speech from Maddox, a meal, and music provided by two former classmates who participated in the AHIS band.

“Everybody in the program will be a graduate, and they will be doing whatever they want to do,” Maddox said.

“We want this to be a grand occasion,” added Freeman. One of the special keepsakes the committee created was a booklet that includes a picture of each attendee along with a story they have written about their life since leaving AHIS - something that Freeman was very excited to read.

Those stories included Freeman’s, who took classes at Athens Technical College in early childhood education after graduation before getting married. Later in life, she moved to Florida and attended Daytona Beach College before getting remarried and returning to Athens. Once back in Athens, Freeman worked at the University of Georgia and took classes at the university to enhance her career. She retired from UGA after 25 years.

Maddox’s post-high school story was directly impacted by the teachers he had at Athens High and Industrial School.

“Dr. Walter Allen was our band director,” Maddox said. “He was not only a band director, he was just that father figure. He’d tell you just like it is.”

Maddox recalled how Dr. Allen redirected his path while learning to play saxophone in the band.

“He came over to me and said, ‘Charlie, you need to go play football. You ain’t never going to be able to play that,’” Maddox said. “And I took that direction and I went out and played [football], and it enhanced my life.”

After high school graduation, Maddox played football at Savannah State University but, due to an injury, returned to Athens. He took classes at UGA and was drafted into military service, although an injury prevented him from being called into war.

“I got a medical discharge,” Maddox said. “Everybody now at that time was going to Vietnam and coming back in bags. I got drafted in January of 1967. By May of that year, I was back at home. I hadn’t had to shoot at anybody, I had not had to kill anybody, but it prepared me.” Maddox came home, got married, had children and started a career.

The AHIS 60th reunion was filled with many other stories much like Maddox’s and Freeman’s. The event also allowed the classmates to share memories of their time in high school.

“I enjoyed everything about high school,” Freeman said. “I really did. I enjoyed the classes. I enjoyed the activities.”

Freeman recalls being a part of the Jackettes, a dance team that performed during football games. However, her favorite AHIS group was the New Homemakers of America.

“Home economics was one of my favorite classes because we learned how to cook, we learned how to manage a household, we learned how to sew in there,” she said. “I used my grandmother’s sewing machine. It was a pedal sewing machine. One of the projects that I had was to remodel my bedroom.”

Freeman said Ms. Robbins was her favorite home economics teacher. Maddox recalls teachers like English teachers C.B. Smith and Ms.Clara holding them accountable. He recalled AHIS teachers knowing the students and their skills, especially the students who participated in industrial arts classes.

“They would come and tell some kids you need to really pay attention to this, this is where you are skilled in,” Maddox said. “So they would kind of direct us and those kinds of things. They were more in tune with the outside world than we were. They were preparing us to compete as the world was changing.”

Maddox and Freeman both had fond memories of the lunches they had at the school. They spoke about how the kitchen staff was invested in making sure the students had nutritious meals each day. They recalled the various clubs and athletics Athens High Industrial had.

“It [AHIS] was just the center point of our life,” Maddox said. “And football and basketball were the center point of the community’s life because that's where we all came together. Whether you lived on the east side or the west side, you all played football together. You all played basketball together. You all participated together.”

Memories like those shared by Freeman and Maddox were on full display at the AHIS reunion as organizers worked to have their yearbook reproduced by Athens Printing Company. The committee’s goal for the reunion was to not only be an exciting event but to leave a lasting legacy.

“We didn't do a 50th [reunion], we did a 40th, and the 30th and there's no sign of it,” Maddox said. “They just, y'all came and had a good time at the reunion. But you need to leave something so people will remember you in years to come.”

The 60th reunion kicked off the AHIS Class of 1964’s fundraising efforts to raise $200,000 for the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support at Piedmont Athens Regional. The class has three years to raise the funds for the center.

“We've got these great cancer cures [treatments] and all that, but sometimes people can't afford the medication,” Maddox said. “Sometimes they can't afford to get there even if they buy their medicine, they can't afford to pay utilities and stuff. So we are providing that fund for that and it will reside with Athens Piedmont Loran Smith Cancer Center and it will be for years and years.”

The class plans to dedicate the proceeds from the fundraiser at the AHIS Class of 1964 Memorial. On Sept. 1, the reunion continued with classmates attending church together. After the service, the classmates planned to take a trolley tour to see each of the Clarke County School District school buildings.

“We want to see all the schools in Athens-Clarke County,” Freeman said. “Some of the new schools we have not seen, so it’s exciting.”

Maddox and Freeman both have advice they hope to leave with current Clarke County School District students.

“The first thing I would say is pursue their education with vigor and determination,” Freeman said. “Let education be their number one. Be determined, find out what you would like to major in. Sometimes you may take a detour, but that is okay.”

Maddox mirrored Freeman’s advice. “In this day and age, seek out what you want to do,” he said. “Very, very few of us had that opportunity, but today, with all the range of things, they need to seek out what they want to do.”

Click HERE to see more photos from the reunion.