By ALVA MELOT
This building is a dream come true for many of those in this Alumni Association who worked so hard and tirelessly to see it become a reality. It all started with the collapse of the Tecumseh City Hall in 1983.
The monthly meetings of the officers and helpers of The Association were still being held in the Presbyterian Church. Someone made the suggestion that we try to build our own building. After many ideas were discussed and most of them thrown out, I believe it was Darrell Coker who suggested we contact The W.P. Wood Foundation, which we did with the help of then Superintendent of Schools Jim Myers, Class of 1960, and they gave us a matching grant of $100,000. We went to work in earnest and raised $113,000 to go with the grant, the THS school administration kicked in $147,000 and the initial building was completed.
We had our first banquet in the new building in 1988. Then in 1991 it was decided we needed to expand. You may remember the slogan, “Lend A Hand – Let’s Expand.” This time we went back to the W.P. Wood Foundation and again they came through for us with a $50,000 grant. This time The Association raised $97,000 and with the W.P. Wood grant we were able to add 30 feet to our auditorium. The school system added a 40-foot performing stage complete with dressing rooms and rest room, thus the completed W.P. Wood alumni Center.
I would just add that I don’t know of another high school alumni association in a school of this size in the state or possibly in the country that has taken on a project of this magnitude and seen to its completion, so each of you as alumni can truly be proud! And to all those who worked so hard at soliciting funds, working the endless number of dinners, baking pies, mailing letters, etc., we say a very humble and totally inadequate THANK YOU!
This building is a dream come true for many of those in this Alumni Association who worked so hard and tirelessly to see it become a reality. It all started with the collapse of the Tecumseh City Hall in 1983.
The monthly meetings of the officers and helpers of The Association were still being held in the Presbyterian Church. Someone made the suggestion that we try to build our own building. After many ideas were discussed and most of them thrown out, I believe it was Darrell Coker who suggested we contact The W.P. Wood Foundation, which we did with the help of then Superintendent of Schools Jim Myers, Class of 1960, and they gave us a matching grant of $100,000. We went to work in earnest and raised $113,000 to go with the grant, the THS school administration kicked in $147,000 and the initial building was completed.
We had our first banquet in the new building in 1988. Then in 1991 it was decided we needed to expand. You may remember the slogan, “Lend A Hand – Let’s Expand.” This time we went back to the W.P. Wood Foundation and again they came through for us with a $50,000 grant. This time The Association raised $97,000 and with the W.P. Wood grant we were able to add 30 feet to our auditorium. The school system added a 40-foot performing stage complete with dressing rooms and rest room, thus the completed W.P. Wood alumni Center.
I would just add that I don’t know of another high school alumni association in a school of this size in the state or possibly in the country that has taken on a project of this magnitude and seen to its completion, so each of you as alumni can truly be proud! And to all those who worked so hard at soliciting funds, working the endless number of dinners, baking pies, mailing letters, etc., we say a very humble and totally inadequate THANK YOU!
