Alumnae classes 1970 and 1971 gather to celebrate 110 years of Northeast High School | Photo by Emily Wheeler

Respect, Pride and Tradition: The exact triad of values, which 1952 Northeast High School (NEHS) Alumnus Al Maddox said he believes has carried NEHS through its 110 years of educating the community’s youth. 

Friday, Oct. 4, alumni, faculty and community members gathered on the second floor of Northeast High School for a reunion and celebration of its century — and a decade — of educating Northeast’s youth. 

NEHS was founded in 1914 with a motto: “The Best Getting Better,” which is still in effect today. 

A happy hour kicked-off the evening where refreshments were offered as well as poetry readings and presentations from current NEHS students. 

This time also allowed Alumni and attendees to converse and get to know each other, while also reminiscing over their years at Northeast High. 

While Friday evening allowed for alumni bonding, many NEHS alumni have reunions of their own — many of which are regularly scheduled. 

A Diamond Friendship 

One group of graduated gentlemen, which spans alumni years 1949 to 1961, meets on the last Thursday of each month at Legacy Grill in Lee’s Summit, Maddox said in an interview, Friday. 

“We’ve been together 75 years,” Maddox said. 

In addition to his Alumnus status, Maddox is a founding member and former president of the NEHS Alumni Association. 

While this group gets together once a month, they have sustained their contact in recent years through text messaging.

 “We’re old, but we still text,” Maddox said with a grin. 

This alumni clan started with 120 lads in 1948 — meeting at Lykins Community Center, which was torn down in 1985 due to a previous fire at its location. 

Once a Viking …

Additional Alumni classes hold recurring reunions, including a group of ladies who meet every Friday at Ray’s Cafe in Independence, Mo. However, male alumni have previously attended this gathering as well, according to Dick Shores — Class of 1960 — whose wife attends these meet-ups.

In addition to friends, Shores met his wife, Helen, through the Kansas City Public School district. He said the two met in first grade and married in 1963 — following their 1960 graduation from Northeast High. 

The two remain active with fellow alumni and within NEHS — including weekly volunteering at its food pantry, which has offered (by donations) free clothing, food and books, among other items to current students, parents and Northeast community for over six years. 

Helen is additionally on the Alumni board and Shores said they both recently helped out with the annual James Cariddi Memorial Golf Tournament put on by the Alumni Association, which aids in raising money for scholarships. This event traditionally allows the association to offer $12 to $15,000 in total in scholarship dollars. 

Shores said volunteering and helping out remains very important to him, which is a common trend among many Alumni. 

Maddox currently resides just outside Raytown, which allows him to stay active and help with various events, including this 110th Anniversary Reunion. 

Up until this year, he additionally participated in each annual golf tournament fundraiser, which goes back 34 years and writes the bi-annual Alumni newsletter.

Built on Solid Ground 

Northeast High School is the only school from its time in the area still operating within the same building and location, Alumni mentioned in the ceremony, Friday.

Maddox said this is largely due to one instilled value — tradition. 

“[It’s] one thing we’ve got a lot of,” Maddox said. “We raised a lot of money and had a lot of fun.” 

In addition to Maddox, Alumni classes from 1930,1938 and 1939 came together to found NEHS’s first baseball team, which did not exist prior to the 1980s, and is still in operation today. 

It was around this time — and this group — which founded the Northeast High School Alumni Association as well, operating as a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization. 

A Sea of Purple and White 

All of these accolades were celebrated during a ceremony in the NEHS Auditorium Friday, following the initial happy hour. 

Speeches were given by Northeast High School Principal, Alisha Glover, Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) Superintendent, Jennifer Collier, Al Maddox and former MLB Pitcher and NEHS Alumnus, Jim Bethke. 

Collier — who got her start within KCPS as a music teacher at NEHS — stated she “Couldn’t be more proud to be a Viking.”

Two plaques were presented by Roberta Holt-Kipper — 1969 Alum — to honor NEHS — a centennial award for its 100th year anniversary and an award of recognition for its 110th year anniversary. 

A birthday cake was presented, and led by Superintendent Collier, Northeast High School alumni and community members in attendance rose to their feet and sang happy birthday to Northeast High.

Bethke — 1964 NEHS graduate — was drafted by the New York Mets that same year. 

While he said he learned to never give up and to always have a dream, he additionally learned good values and counseling from his NEHS teachers. 

“I’m a Met at heart, but I’ve always been a Viking,” Bethke said in a speech, Friday.