Great Response to Coach Tarleton's Idea for the
Big "T.H.S. Black Bear Reunion", June 3, 2000 ! !
Estimates of total attendance are from 2,000 to 3,000 teachers, alumni, spouses and friends at the J. Oviatt Bowers City Park that began at 9am. The heat prompted Coach Tarleton to ask the classes in the outlying pavilions to come into the Belk Recreation Center earlier than planned. There all classes mingled in excited expectation. Friends from school days greeted each other with broad smiles and hugs.
Earlier an impromptu parade of Restored old '40's, '50's, and '60's cars, Cushman motor scooters and Harley Davidson motorcycles circled the park enlivening the sprits of the crowd.
Ward McFarland provided a store in McFarland Mall for Susan Rogers Elmore and Sandra Henry Baker to host a get together. Classmates from 1961 attending the reunion or the 5:30pm '61 get together were:
| Glynda Brooks Jones | | Cecil Chapman & Linda | | Aaron and Rebecca Reynolds Christian | | Robert Cloudus | | Joe Lee Connell and Annette | | James Drummond and Rhonda | | Kathryn Epperson Dockery* and Raymond | | Harry Hammonds* | | Kendall Hanby and Barbara | | Howard Hawkins and Shirley | | Sandra Henry Baker | | Barbara Hill Johnson* and Darroll | | Jackie Howard | | Jerry Hudson | | Paulette Malone Gordon |
| | Bill McCrory | | Ward McFarland | | Don Powell | | Ronnie and Betty Meaney Rawlins | | Charles Renfroe | | Larry Roach | | Barbara Robertson House | | Susan Rogers Elmore* | | Mark Self | | Sidney Spencer and Kim | | Lois Stevenson Shutt | | Dan Stewart | | Wayne Stokes | | Jimmy Walker | | |
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The Big Black Bear reunion got its start from the retirement tribute for former THS basketball, football and baseball coach Tom Taleton, who retired last year from Tuscaloosa Academy after serving as golf coach. Tuscaloosa News reporters, Ben Windham and Mark Hughes Cobb, reported that "There were students there from many different years, and fellow staff members from throughout his career. A similar party for longtime educator Anna Brown brought together about 1,400 of a similar crew. So the idea began to coalesce: Why not have a mega-reunion, not just for one class, but for all the THS Black Bears?"
"We're calling this the 'Tuscaloosa High School Black Bear Reunion,' " he said, "We want everyone who attended to come whether they graduated or not." "A similar party for longtime educator Anna Brown brought together about 1,400 of a similar crew. So the idea began to coalesce: Why not have a mega-reunion, not just for one class, but for all the THS Black Bears?"
There is already talk of organizing a ' Tuscaloosa High School Black Bear Reunion,' on a regular basis.