Mayor Steve Talt, who finished
8th grade at Huntington Middle School in 1972, shared his memories at the school during its Centennial Breakfast last week commemorating the school’s 100th year. For additional photos, see page 22.
Decades’ worth of Huntington Middle School alumni, current and former faculty, and parents filled the school’s cafeteria last Wednesday morning to celebrate its centennial.
Those in attendance found a table with dozens of yearbooks and class photos from HMS during its lifetime, including its first class from February 1918. A slideshow throughout the centennial breakfast also showcased images from earlier times.
Principal Jason Kurtenbach lauded the founders of the school, who built it for a mere several thousand dollars to serve as the then-recently incorporated city’s grammar school.
“They knew that the cornerstone of any great community in our great nation is an educated citizenry,” he said. “There is no doubt that the original principal of Huntington Middle School would be pleased to see that much of the original campus still stands and has grown to support our amazing community. The end result is the school we celebrate today.”
In addition to the overall face of the institution remaining, the school does bear some newness, aside from periodic facelifts. The Barth Athletics Complex is midway through construction and will bring an extensive facility to the historic school.
“As you can see when you drove in, we’re still growing,” Kurtenbach said.
HMS PTA President Laurie Modean pointed out there were 18 former PTA presidents in attendance last week, going from 1974 onward. Herself an HMS alumna, she called it “special” that her children were the third generation in her family to have attended the school.
Mayor Steve Talt, a ’72 HMS alumnus, echoed this sentiment. His own triplets are freshmen at San Marino High School after finishing at HMS last year and his father-in-law started at the school as a kindergartner in 1936. Talt met his wife while at HMS, where he was the Associated Student Body president for a year.
“My extended family has a substantial history at this school,” he said. “It was always fun coming back as an alumnus when my kids were here, because they took advantage of some of the same opportunities that we had when we were here. My wife and I spent a lot of time watching them perform in the auditorium. That auditorium hasn’t changed much since we were here.”
Talt lauded the quality of the people affiliated with HMS throughout the years for making it as impactful a school as it has been.
“The one thing that has not changed about Huntington is what makes this school continue to blossom after 100 years,” he said. “It is this community and these teachers, students and parents that have been the cornerstone of Huntington more than 100 years and that is what we celebrate today.”
