Lucky it was only a virtual birthday cake. Because 200 candles might have been a fire hazard.
Some 300 alumni, family members, students, faculty and supporters of The English High School of Boston were on hand online Saturday night (Oct. 2) for the school’s 200th birthday gala celebration.
English High, established in 1821, is America’s first and oldest public high school. Participating alumni represented classes from the 1940s to 2021. Among the VIPs bringing congratulatory remarks during the ‘Daring to Dream’ video were Gov. Charlie Baker, Mayor Kim Janey, Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, the Hon. Marty Walsh, Boston Schools Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius, and many others. Event Co-Chairs were Pam Everhart, SVP, Fidelity Investments, and John Talbot (‘68) Founder/CEO of Pathways Healthcare LLC. Emcee was Karen Holmes Ward, host of WCVB’s CityLine.
Highlights of the evening included the ‘Daring to Dream’ video narrated by Board Chair Greg Hayes (’67) tracing EHS’s proud history and vision for the future, and ‘A Message of Gratitude’ delivered by Michael Thomas (’67), President/CEO, EHS Alumni Association and Chair, 200th celebration. Class of 1944 alumnus, Tuskegee Airman Enoch Woodhouse II, reminisced about how his EHS experience molded his life.
Following the video, attendees enjoyed online breakout Reunion Rooms where they had the opportunity to reconnect and reminisce. The event was produced by Liz Page Associates. The video was produced by Intercultural Productions.
The program marked the official launch of EHS’s multi-year ‘Daring to Dream’ 200th Anniversary Fund Campaign. The goal is to raise $1 million during 2021 and attain $3 million in the next few years. Funds raised by the Alumni Association are earmarked to meet needs not met by the public schools such as for scholarships, learning enhancements, the Technical Pathways Program, and for refurbishments to EHS’s Jamaica Plain campus. The Association has raised over $150,000 to date.
To watch the video and Program Book, follow this link: www.EHS200thanniversary.com . For more info, visit www.EnglishHighAlumni.org or call 781-956-4774. Contact Mike Thomas for Sponsorship and Investment Opportunities, Scholarship support and more: https://www.englishhighalumni.org/donate – by Stan Hurwitz / [email protected].