Wilson Reunites for 75th Birthday Celebration

Born in the days of the Great Depression, Wilson School has stood on Linden Avenue educating generations of Westfield's children, growing and expanding with time. Thursday evening in the middle of the Great Recession, those generations came back to the brick schoolhouse on the hill to celebrate 75 years of Wilson.

The first ever school wide reunion of Wilson School served as the focal point of the school's 75th anniversary celebration. Bringing together alumni, parents, students and teachers, the reunion celebrated the school's history and alumni. Event organizers said the event was designed to celebrate the community as a whole.

"We did not ust want to honor the building, but the people who walked these halls all of these years," PTO co-president Susana MacLain said.

Dominating the reunion was a slide show playing in the school gym, depicting pictures of Wilson and the school community over the years. Many attendees watched the pictures scroll by reliving the days of old and talking about their Wilson experiences.

The school's bell choir honored the school's early days, playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," a song which achieved national acclaim during the mid 1930s. Students gathered to sing the school's new song. Written by the school's music teacher, the song is a first ever for Wilson School, celebrating the school's storied history.

Principal Joseph Malanga focused his address on the school's history. Noting how the school was founded after an overcrowding crisis had forced many Westfield students into temporary classrooms starting in the mid 1920s. With the country entering the depths of the Great Depression, Malanga said funds did not exist for a new school building, until President Roosevelt's New Deal, brought about the WPA and the many schools, bridges, tunnels and government buildings that soon dotted the land. Malanga tied the school's early days to present history and the federal stimulus bill passed last year, which sought to replicate Roosevelt's public works agenda.

Washington School Principal Andrew Perry, who was a long time Wilson principal, shared his stories of guiding the school in the 1990s and the early years of the 21st Century. He noted how the school was a community dedicated to learning, citing the reading programs and innovation from many of the teachers. Perry discussed the building's original rooms and additions, including the darkened basement and attic areas.

Perry spoke fondly about his favorite memories, including trees sent from Isle of Jersey to grace the front lawn and his receiving a pass from Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms in the school gym. He noted meetings with former parents at the school, including some who received some fame, including former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and gubernatorial chief of staff Rich Bagger.

Perry touched on the more somber times during his tenure at Wilson, including the dark hours of Sept. 11, 2001. He noted how the school's faculty came together, to help out students through the national tragedy and uncertainty while at the same time dealing with their own grief and fears. He touched on how the faculty met during the day to work through the issues, while at the same time trying to shield the students from the unfolding events in New York for as long as possible. Perry touched on how the school then had to move on to cope with one parent being lost in the terrorist attacks.

"It was a day when the faculty shined brightly," Perry said.

Following the speeches from the principals, several alums came forward to share their own memories and to walk the halls revisiting their old classrooms. Photos from old yearbooks dotted the building and many alums could be overheard sharing memories as they moved in and our of classrooms.

Robert Gude, Ralfe Gotch and Mike Kaswan shared how they have remained friends since the day they started at Wilson, over three decades ago. Many talked about how they've seen lifelong friendships and how the school's community feel is a memory they've kept with them for the years since they walked the halls of Wilson.

Those gathered at the school on Thursday night and those who could not make it, were the ones MacLean wanted the night centered on, not just the brick and mortar built to help the country get back on its economic feet.

"Thank you for making Wilson what it is," she said.