Ishpeming HS alumni open house

School may be out for the summer, but the old gymnasium in the Ishpeming High School was filled this morning with Ishpeming graduates from as far back as the 1940s.

Alumni spent the morning catching up and reminiscing about the time they spent in the school.

Each year, the alumni group invites former students and their families back to the school for an open house.

“We don’t know of any other high school that does this,” Ishpeming High School archivist Terry Thompson said. “Many, many schools have come in and tried to look at it and copy what we’re doing, but we don’t think any of them have done it yet. What it does is gives us a chance to get all our old graduates together from time to time.”

The open house is always held in conjunction with the Fourth of July holiday, and each year they continue to see a large turnout.

“It’s a pride thing, not really something you can put your finger on, but it’s there,” added Thompson.  “And I think part of that is this alumni association that’s brought all the old graduates together from time to time. Again, I don’t think you can define it, but this is the results of it and we’re all pleased.”

As part of the open house, graduates had a chance to tour the school’s archives.

Created in 2006, the archives give visitors a chance to look back at the history of the school’s athletics, including a photo from 1896.