Looking Back on BHS: Tony Ruvo's 'Happy Days' in Bloomfield

A lot has changed since the days when Tony Ruvo and the class of 1955 walked the halls of .

“It’s dramatically different. The entrance has changed and the front is not the front anymore – everyone goes in through the gym side now,” said the 73-year-old Ruvo. “All the offices have moved into the addition on the left side. On the right side, they put up a science tower with all of the bells and whistles.”

However, time has had little impact on the strong connection between the North Caldwell resident and his alma mater. Known as a supremely organized class, Ruvo, who was class president in 1955, now uses those same skills as a board member for the Bloomfield Education Foundation (BEF).

“I was class president for three years and captain of the basketball team – so I organize everything,” said Ruvo.

The retired business executive said he constantly schedules class reunions to keep in touch with his lifelong friends. He sets one every five years - for the entire graduating class - and another each year, for those who still live in the Bloomfield area.

“It’s one of the things that’s special,” Ruvo said. “The last one had 100 people. While we meet every five years, there are classes that haven’t had any (reunions).”

In addition to the five-year reunions, Ruvo also sets up annual reunions among those of his classmates of '55 who still live nearby.

“It’s a special thing with our class,” Ruvo added. “We’ve been very close since sophomore year.”

Although remembered for his leadership skills in student government, Ruvo was also a varsity athlete in both baseball and basketball. In those days, his sagas on the basketball court and at Foley Field often found the Bengals in contention for a state championship. He said during his time he and his teammates won a Sectional Championship in basketball, but always were among the best in the state in both sports.

Crediting his coaches from BHS, Ruvo earned a baseball scholarship to Colby College in Maine and ended up playing three years of varsity baseball and basketball.

Ruvo's commitment to hard work and organization allowed him to move up the ranks from salesman to corporate vice president of the packing division of Union Camp located in Wayne, NJ. However, he credits most of his success to his time at Bloomfield High School.

“It’s a funny story, but when I was being recruited, I was pitching and I pitched a no-hitter,” Ruvo recalled. “And that was a stepping stone to college. The school did a lot for me especially the basketball coach, who was instrumental in getting me a scholarship to college. I feel I have a lot to give back.”

He said in the '50s, Bloomfield had a laid back, small town feel, “similar to Happy Days,” the popular television show set in Milwaukee during the same time period. Ruvo, who wound up marrying Mary Jane Petriella (now Ruvo), also of Bloomfield, and remained close with all the friends and family whom he grew up with in Bloomfield.

He misses the confines of Foley Field, which is in the midst of being reconstructed, and the high school’s atmosphere which he can only describe as being “perfect.”

“As far as the building is concerned, almost everything has changed,” said Ruvo. “It may be larger and all the classrooms are different, but the spirit is still the same.”

Bloomfield High School will celebrate its 100-year anniversary April 16 at The Villa in Mountain Lakes. For more information on the gala, .