One hundred years ago, the first graduating class of Upper Arlington High School walked out of our school and into the world. now, one hundred years later, yet another class will walk in much the same manner. Almost everything in the world has changed, but, to the dismay of some students, and the pride of many administrators, high school has remained a constant. This article, in partnership with the Upper Arlington Historical Society, will take a walk through the years and classes, through the history, until the present, when the current students of Upper Arlington continue the tradition of muddling through the high school experience.
UA’s first graduating class contained 13 students, with a ratio of two men to 11 women. The class had gone through several school changes and lived through a pandemic prior to graduation, at one point learning in a local community member’s basement.
“The very first school in UA was in King Thompson’s basement: that was in 1917,” Kristen Greenberg, executive director of the UA Historical Society, said. “They had grades 1 through 3, they had about a dozen students.”
These students later became the first class. Of them, many expected to go to college: favorites were Ohio State (a destination whose popularity has not changed), Ohio Wesleyan, and Wittenburg. All students attended schools in Ohio.
Almost 20 years later, with the class of 1944, many things had changed. The class contained 90 students, with a far more even distribution of men and women. University remained a popular option after graduation, but one large draw for graduating students were fields associated with the military (at the time, the country was involved in World War Two). They had also moved into the building that is now Jones Middle School.
By 1964, the classes had ballooned to a more familiar size of around 440. While still vastly white, this class contained some of the first people of color in UAHS. Interestingly, the seniors chose to highlight a Mardi Gras celebration alongside their portraits. The growing class populations mirrored an expanding Upper Arlington, and while the addition of the old high school building in 1956 made more space, future growth prompted talk of multiple schools.
“As we annexed more land, there was the thought that we would add a second high school,” Greenberg said. “I think that that has created a sense of oneness in the community.”
The class of 1984 was a similar size: with 440 students, but was actually far smaller than 1970’s senior class of 1,938 students (that year contained festivities such as donkey basketball). At this point, university was among the primary post-high school destinations for students, and diversity was much more common, although the vast majority of students remained white.
2004 boasted a class similar to those before it in size while continuing to become more diverse. At this point many familiar extracurriculars had become cemented: WARL, lacrosse, choir, and more were options for students. Fans of Optimus basketball today might have then participated in the Intramural Basketball Association (IBA), a student recreational basketball league where competition ranged from casual to intense.
This year, the class of 2024 will join the ranks of those who graduated before them. They are vastly different from the few students who graduated in 1925, but even with all the change, many things have stayed the same. When asked what students could learn from the history of UAHS, Greenberg cited history as a grounding point.
“You are now cemented into Upper Arlington’s history, part of a community that consistently honors the accomplishments of its residents, both current and former. Lean in on our history to learn from alumni, to use your experiences to make solid decisions about your life’s path, and to celebrate milestones with your family, fellow graduates and friends along the way,” Greenberg said.
The 100th class of UA is a special occasion: it is an anniversary, and an exciting one. It is a culmination of 100 years of rec basketball, Mardi Gras, and (on occasion) donkey basketball. So as the year ends, take a moment to celebrate, and know that whether you’re celebrating graduation or just the chance to escape to summer, you join a tradition of those before you who celebrated the same.
