The Class of 1972 celebrates its 50th reunion

They were the first Class to graduate from the St. John’s Wood campus after spending two years in temporary housing at the Working Men’s College in Camden Town. They protested the dedication of the new building—our current home—when former Secretary of State for Education and Science Margaret Thatcher was the guest of honor, and they marched to the US Embassy to protest the Vietnam War. They were taught and coached by Bob Carter (ASL 1969-2014), Don Jesse (ASL 1964-91), John Lockwood (ASL 1967-2007), Paul Morton (ASL 1963-97) and other ASL legends. They challenged, they championed, they charged ahead with inspirational plans, careers, families and friends. And on 3 October, 50 years after earning their high school diplomas, members of the Class of 1972 returned to their alma mater to mark their half-century ASL reunion.

Organized by Marla Petal and Peter Spiers, nearly 20 classmates, along with spouses and partners, made the trip to London for a busy weekend of sightseeing and celebrating. In addition to Marla and Peter, alumni in attendance were: Rod Bell, Kevin Browne, Susan (Michaels) Conway, Susan (John) Ford, Betsy (Frederick) Gianuzzi, Pat (Relf) Hanavan, Vicky (Sanderlin) Hand, Brooke (Roberts) Learmonth, Patricia Leonard, Andy Lubin, Mark Mackey, Susan (Barker) MacLeod, Greg McCullough, Peter Menzies, Sue Souls and David Wicks. The group hailed from California, Colorado, Canada, Texas and the East Coast of the US.

Highlights of the reunion included lunch with current high school students who represented the Social Justice Council, the Standard newspaper and the Sustainability Council; a grand campus tour, from the former smoking pit to the Aquatic & Fitness Center; and an ASL-sponsored happy hour at the nearby Clifton Pub. Reflecting on the reunion, Marla shared, “This was an amazing and very moving experience for all of us. It will take some time to digest both the new memories we made and the many memories this trip has churned up during our jam-packed, wonderful time in London.” Congratulations to the Class of 1972 on their 50th ASL reunion! We hope your get-together inspires alumni class reunions for decades to come.