English High Seeking ‘Missing’ 9,000 Alums for 200th Birthday Celebration

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English High School, the first and oldest American public high school, launched "The Great Missing Alumni Hunt," as it seeks 9,000 alums as it nears its 200th birthday.

But there’s no need for the authorities to issue any missing person reports or all-points bulletins, or post flyers in the post office. 

As The English High School Association gears up to celebrate the Boston school’s 200th birthday on October 2 (a virtual event), the group is using the milestone to update alumni profile information and reconnect with those who have fallen off the rolls of America’s first and oldest public high school.  

“Our records include over 17,000 alumni but we don’t have the latest profile info for about 9,000 of them," said Michael Thomas, English High’s Class of 1967, President/CEO of the Alumni Association and Chair of the 200th anniversary celebration. "We’re asking class leaders to redouble their efforts to locate as many fellow alumni as possible before the virtual birthday party. There’s a fresh sense of excitement in the air at English and we want everyone to participate.”

Thomas is asking anyone who graduated from English High in Boston and anyone related to or friendly with alumni to tell them about the 200th birthday and to forward their contact info.

“Our goal is to dramatically improve our records. Good data makes alumni engagement more successful. That can result in recruitment of new Board members and mentors for current students, and to motivate donors to support our scholarship fund," said Thomas. “English proudly continues its tradition of producing new generations of men and women of ‘honor and achievement’ – with an unwavering commitment to linking the children of Boston’s working families to all the promises that America offers."

The school boasts such alumni luminaries as banker J. P. Morgan, actor Leonard Nimoy,  Tuskegee Airman USAF, Lt. Col. Enoch Woodhouse II, auto magnate Herb Chambers, Matthew Ridgway, U. S. Army Supreme Allied Commander - Europe; and Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block, among many others. In June, America’s oldest public high school held its graduation at the country’s oldest ballpark.

Anyone with English High alumni contact info is asked to visit englishhighalumni.org.

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