Oct. 4 1963 -Mini Reunion Fifty Years Later - 1963 McCallie Homecoming Court (l-r): Kitty Gilbert Cutler, Brenda Wamack, Susan Yates, Suzanne Smith, Dottie Goree, Cindy Kemp (H.C. Queen) ... note - Miss Wamack had to withraw from the H.C. Court as she was crowned East Ridge Homecoming Queen the same night
1965 GPS co-May Queens - Suzanne Smith (left) and Cindy Kemp
photo by GPS
1963 East Ridge Homecoming Queen - Brenda Wamack
1963 East Ridge Homecoming Queen - Brenda Wamack
How time flies.
As McCallie and Baylor alums gather for their respective Reunion Weekends, it's worth turning the clock back exactly 50 years.
This year’s game – Fri. Oct.4 at Baylor – has significant meaning for six Baby Boomer moms.
Fifty years ago - Fri. Oct. 4, 1963 - five teenage girls comprised the McCallie Homecoming Court as the Blue Tornado defeated Riverside Military Academy and Lookout Mountain native Cindy Kemp was crowned Homecoming Queen.
On the football side that night, Baylor beat No.1 Oak Ridge, while McCallie enjoyed Homecoming with a win against Riverside Military Academy.
Originally the Homecoming Court consisted of six teens ...
read on to find out why one wasn't at the McCallie game in 1963
A few weeks ago, the Fab Five met for lunch and a reunion photo.
Kitty Gilbert Cutler – ’64 graduate of City High School and graduated from U. of Tenn. … sister of McCallie grad Doc Gilbert (’63) ... former teacher at Augusta (Ga.) College … hobbies are painting (water colors), golf and tennis … Kitty lives in Florence, S.C. with her husband, Vince.
Brenda Wamack Shuman – ’64 graduate of East Ridge HS and U. of Tennessee … was McCallie senior Jack Pitcher’s sponsor that year, but was not able to attend the game (nor this year’s mini-reunion) on Oct. 4 … she was also part of the East Ridge Homecoming Court that same night and was crowned ER Queen about the same time as Miss Kemp wore her tiara on Alumni Field … lives in Charlotte, N.C and is semi-retired working with a sign company as well as a Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant.
Susan Yates Jensen – ’65 graduate of GPS ... attended Peabody College, U. of Copenhagen (“I wanted to travel and see the world”) and is a UTC alum … former owner of the Top Shop on Watauga Lane … was also a member of the Baylor Homecoming Court that fall … currently lives on Lookout Mountain with husband, Don.
Suzanne Smith Allen – ’65 graduate of GPS and Vanderbilt alum … retired speech pathologist with Vanderbilt Hospital … lives in Nashville with her husband, Terry, a retired vascular surgeon … her father, Stuart (’35) and brother David (’67) are McCallie alums.
Dottie Goree Brock – ’65 grad of GPS … her dad, Marshall Goree (McCallie School, ’41) won the Grayson medal – McCallie’s highest honor … Dottie and husband, Frank, (’60 McCallie grad) are the developers of Brow Wood (on Lookout Mountain), an active adult living community.
Cindy Kemp Battle – ’65 grad of GPS ... U. of Alabama alum … nationally-ranked junior tennis player in the early 1960s … member of three halls of fame … defeated future Miss USA and Miss Universe (Sylvia Hitchcock-Collins) for U. of Alabama intramural tennis singles title in spring of 1966 … Lives in Atlanta with husband, Dick, (’64 McCallie grad) and is a tennis teaching pro.
Did You Know … ? GPS has had co-May Queens only twice ...one was May 1965 as Suzanne Smith and Cindy Kemp received the same number of votes and both wore tiaras that first day of May.
contact B.B. Branton at williiam.branton@comcast.net