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Ben Colpitts (1968)
Reg and Buddy, Joe just emailed me with links to the SAHS 60's yearbooks. Stay tuned.
edit. The following is from Joe Holcombe. The 60s yearbooks are at the bottom and the links will need to be copied and pasted into a browser.
History of SAHS All School Reunions
As of June 27, 2015
Updated October 2019
Joe Holcombe 1967
From Wikipedia:
The school was first established in 1959 with initially 150 students. The first class graduated in 1960. The classrooms at that time were quonset huts located across from the main Army Community Service building. For the next eight years, the school educated children of U.S. military and civilian personnel from the entire South Korean peninsula. Students coming from outside of Seoul boarded at the school, mostly from Daegu, Pusan, and Jinhae. Taegu, Pusan, and Chinhae (note change in spellings) students boarded at SAHS as there were no high schools in those areas until 1967. In the fall of 1967, Taegu opened its high school which alleviated the long drive for students. This would cease years later as several other DoDEA schools were established across the country, the first being at Daegu in 1967. Construction began on the new high school in 1981 and was completed in the fall of 1982. The school had its main and arts building and a gym. In 1987, another building primarily for the JROTC program was opened.
From 1960 Yearbook
Five years ago (1955) when it was decided that Seoul would be a family post, it was felt that a school was necessary. Plans were made by representatives from the United States Operations Mission to Korea and the Korea Military Advisory Group for two schools, one high school and one elementary school. It was decided that the project should be jointly funded, that USOM and KMAG should share equally in the expenses. Construction was begun early in 1959 and the buildings were completed and equipped in time for the opening of school in September.
SANYANGSE – THE HUNTING BIRD: Korean brother to the FALCON, symbol chosen by the students of Seoul American High School to embody their ideals of skill from practice, discipline through education, and steadfastness of purpose.
1960 Class History
The history of the first Senior Class of the first American High School in Korea is brief. It began on September 8, 1959, with thirteen members and ended on June 3, 1960, with nineteen members. Twelve states were represented and girls from Italy and Turkey gave us an international touch.
Many families arrived in ‘59 and their tours were up in ‘60. Others arriving in ‘60 didn't want their children graduating from SAHS. So they were sent back to the States to finish and graduate. There are 19 seniors pictured in the 1960 yearbook, 27 in the 1961 yearbook and 21 in 1962.
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ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA — June 14, 2019 — June 14 marks the last day for Yongsan Garrison schools in Seoul, South Korea. This is the end of an era: Unlike previous years, students from Seoul American Elementary and Seoul American Middle High School will not be returning in the fall. After providing classes to military-connected students for 60 years, the schools at Yongsan will close as the military population shifts south of Seoul to Camp Humphreys.
“Each of our schools in Seoul hold a rich and proud legacy of service to our military-connected families,” said Tom Brady, director of the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). He spoke at a closing ceremony held June 3 in honor of the schools, the students, the staff and the community.
The Seoul students have had the unique opportunity to understand the Korean people and culture by growing up in Korea’s capital. Students at Yongsan attend Korean culture classes, where they learn about the history, culture and customs of the country. Many students study the Korean language, and teachers enrich their curriculum by taking field trips with their students and exploring local sites and activities.
Throughout its proud 60-year history, the Seoul school complex has hosted hundreds of dedicated teachers and staff, and nearly 5,900 high school graduates.
The decision and request by the command to no longer operate schools in Seoul is based on the pace and requirements of the Yongsan transformation efforts, and the relocation of U.S. Forces Korea from Yongsan to Camp Humphreys — a process that began earlier this decade.
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From September 1964 Falcon Crier front page:
SAHS was founded in 1959. At the time, it was operated by the army, but is presently being operated by the air force. The first principal was Mr. Schoffer. The first year there were only 95 students in all. There are now a total of 276 of which 128 are girls and 148 are boys.
August 30, 2000, Carol S. Spears, class of 1969
The first Seoul American High School Reunion was the result of volunteer efforts by many former students, three of whom deserve special mention. The idea for a reunion started with Betty Weems, class of 1969. She often remarked to her friends and sister that it was not fair that reunions were always held for stateside schools, yet the great friends of Seoul American would probably not be reunited. She knew that it would be a blast if we could all get together. Betty, who later preferred to be called Beth, fought a battle with breast cancer but died of the disease in 1984 at the young age of 33. Upon her death, her malpractice suit was settled and she generously left her estate to her family and friends. Her little sister, Carol Weems Olson, class of 1971, decided to honor her sister’s dream by organizing the first SAHS reunion. She began by searching Beth’s address book for high school friends and started calling and compiling an address list. Once she contacted Margaret Amateis, class of 1970, and enlisted her incredible organizational skills, they embarked on the mission together as a tribute to Beth. The reunion was held at the Inn at Silver Creek, Colorado, in August 1986, a little less than two years after Beth’s death. Beth was with us in our hearts and minds as we, overwhelmed with emotion, were reunited with our friends from Seoul American High School. It was an event none of us could have ever imagined would happen and we owe thanks for the experience to Beth for her dream, to Carol and Margaret for making the dream come true, and to a host of hard working volunteers
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August 1-3, 1986 Colorado
The first all school reunion was held August 1-3, 1986 at The Inn at Silver Creek, Colorado, about 80 miles from Denver. About 167 attended. This unbelievable success story was the result of tremendous work and unselfish sacrifice by Margaret Amateis, class of 1970. The result of all of her personal sacrifice and dedication was a very emotional experience. We saw friends we had never dreamed we would ever see again. Some members of the faculty and staff attended, which was really special. Class pictures were taken. A softball game was held and some people enjoyed the horseback riding available in the area. This first reunion was probably the most emotional of all - we just couldn't believe it could happen. Following this, attempts were made at publishing a newsletter and keeping the mailing list current. Volunteer support was sporadic. Funds were not available, and we had difficulty continuing this wonderful adventure. At the Dinner Dance Saturday night, a discussion about the ‘next’ reunion began. The result was a commitment to continue the reunions every few years. Joe Holcombe formed “SAHS Brats” and the reunions have continued. There are copies of all yearbooks 1960 – 1969, directories, pictures from reunions, senior yearbook pictures of those classes side by side with a current picture and the favorite is an album of candid pictures taken from 1964 thru 1967 that has 1265 pictures, many from the yearbooks. Don’t go to this site if you don’t have a few hours of free time. It’s like a book you can’t put down. https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/1986-Denver/
August 3-6, 1990 Cancún, Mexico
A second reunion was held four years later, August 3-6, 1990 in Cancún, Mexico. It was a great trip, but only 30 people were able to attend. It became obvious that if we were to survive, we had to get organized and get some long term commitment. At that time there were several versions of the mailing list. None of them were completely correct. A major effort was made to combine all the mailing lists and get them current. We hired a professional mailing house because the job was too big and no one was able to volunteer to do it all. We went into debt, but we were able to pull off another reunion.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/organize/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/Reunions/August-3-61990-Cancun
July 30-August 2, 1992 Crystal City, VA
The third all school reunion was July 30-August 2, 1992 at the Doubletree in Crystal City, VA. Several people worked together to make this very successful and another extremely emotional experience. Many new people showed up and ten former cheerleaders from many years lead a Pep Rally at which every club, sport and activity were mentioned and participants stood for rousing applause. What a great show! The 'girls' were a hit and a tradition began. There were probably 175 people representing classes from 1962 - 1993. After that, the mailing list developed into a real database and was in outstanding shape. We keep it up ourselves so we didn't have to pay someone else to do it. In some ways the third reunion was a turning point. We were then healthy but limited in scope and funds. It became obvious that the most important function we perform is database management. All work is voluntary.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/1992-DC/
1994 Korea
There was a serious attempt in 1994 to have a trip back to Korea for another reunion. For various reasons, it had to be cancelled at the last minute.
July 28-August 4, 1996 Lake Tahoe, NV
The next reunion was in Lake Tahoe, NV from July 28-August 4, 1996. This was certainly the most beautiful and had the greatest variety of things to do. There were about 50 attendees and a lot of first timers were there which always makes it even more fun. The e-mail database was begun right after that by popular demand and several SAHS pages were showing up on the Internet. It didn't take long for this to replace all of the snail mail and hard copy directory.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/Lake-Tahoe/i-gMd7bGB
August 7-9, 1998 Greensboro, NC
A classes of the '60s reunion was held in Greensboro, NC August 7-9, 1998 with about 40 attending.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/August-7-9-1998-Greensboro-NC/
August 3-6, 2000 Waikoloa, Hawaii
The fifth all school reunion happened at the Outrigger Waikoloa Beach in Hawaii, August 3-6, 2000. Thanks to Diane Kneeland, this was possible. She dropped the rest of life to make this happen just when it looked like all was lost. About 190 of us gathered for another unique experience and a simply fantastic reunion. A highlight was an unbelievable Power Point presentation showing pictures of attendees during our SAHS days, all set to music of the times. Almost all communications are now done through e-mail and web pages.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/2000-Hawaii/
July 26-28, 2002, Crystal City, VA
Hilton, Chrystal City. Again, we had people taking advantage of the area for sightseeing, as well as providing plenty of visiting time in the hospitality suite Friday night, the Saturday night "Teen Club Sock Hop" and the Sunday morning Brunch. More new faces and great 60’s music made this a lot of fun! Group pictures for the various classes were taken. We were a healthy organization with volunteers and donations from many schoolmates.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/2002-07-27-Reunion-DC-2/
July 28-31, 2005, McLean, VA
Hilton Tyson's Corner. There were 88 people attending. About a dozen were first timers. Others had been to all seven reunions since 1986. The music was great and we danced all night like we were teenagers. There were no injuries reported. The Cheerleading Squad performed again to thunderous applause and cheers. They were the highlight of the evening. As always, there were tons of memorabilia - yearbooks, newspapers, photos and slides, and T-Shirts - a lot of old memories were shared. Thanks to digital photography, we had about 1000 photos that went out on a CD.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/2005-July-28-31-McLean-VA-DC-3/
August 14 - 17, 2008 Las Vegas, NV
WOW! What a great reunion! Some people spent an entire week there. The Hoover Dam was by far the most popular site to visit. There were several great shows to choose from. Terry Fater was the most popular, partly because he was also in the Las Vegas Hilton. The party in the hospitality suite was interrupted several times to cheer our team winning another gold metal. The Olympics were on a huge flat screen TV in the hospitality suite. More and more, the hospitality suite is becoming THE place to be! The Sunday AM breakfast was especially enjoyable and may even have been the highlight.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/2008-Aug-16-Las-Vegas/
September 13–17, 2012, Crystal City, VA
Hilton Hotel. Our tenth reunion is now another special memory. The majority of people were able to either come a day early or stay an extra day. The hospitality suite was the place to be when we weren’t seeing the sites. It was kept stocked with food and drink the entire time. One could literally eat every meal there except for the Saturday night dinner/dance. The cost of the dinner/dance was generously donated by a number of attendees. Everyone got out on the dance floor at one time or another, rocking to the 60s music we grew up on in “The Land of the Morning Calm.” Now, some stayed out on the dance floor more than others. Just ask any of the Babes of ’68!
We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1962 by having the four members who were able to attend share snippets of their experiences in Korea during the Saturday Night Dinner Dance. They lived with the results of a war torn Korea. You could hear the proverbial pin drop as they shared. Classmates from every class from 1962 through 1969 were in attendance for a grand total of 58 baby boomers.
The entire weekend was filled with sharing old memories, screaming at recognition of someone not seen in 50 years, explaining in a nutshell what happened to you in the intervening years and wondering where ‘so and so’ is today. We were amazed at the variety of experiences we were able to have, the places we visited all over Asia, and the interaction with Koreans and teenagers from all parts of the US as well as other countries! We found it difficult to explain to anyone who wasn’t there, but sharing it again with those who were has been a meaningful and fun validation.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Reunions/2012-09-14-Crystal-City/
October 8 – 11, 2015, Atlanta, GA
The Georgian Terrace Hotel was the most historic venue we’ve ever used! It opened in 1911 and was under renovation while we were there. Atlanta had unlimited places to go and things to do. The Hospitality Suite was two stories high and had floor to ceiling windows. WOW! Most people spent most of their time in small groups playing tourist around Atlanta. Our age was showing. There were people already in their ‘70’s! The hospitality suite was not as wild and crazy as previous years.
Links:
Yearbooks
1960 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1960/
1961 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1961/
1962 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1962/
1963 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1963/
1964 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1964/
1965 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1965/
1966 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1966/
1967 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1967/
1968 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1968/
1969 https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1969/
Video Yearbooks of ’60, 61’ and 62’ to music of the times.
https://joeholcombe.smugmug.com/SeoulAmericanHighSchool/n-2rWkC/Yearbooks/1960-Yearbook/i-XmfTnxw
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