Classen High School Alumni Museum(40)

Sometimes I feel like going back to my old high school to look around. I'm generally not a nostalgic person. I love that I went to Drummond from kindergarten through senior graduation. It was an exemplary school. I could play baseball and basketball, be in the school band, act in plays, socialize with nearly anyone, and eat great food at lunch. It was a magical time for me. All that being said, it's a past that I don't need to relive. I'm happy that I've moved on from that life. So it was kind of weird for me to go back to high school, but not MY high school. It was Classen High School on North Ellison where I got to delve back into school life. I had no idea what to expect going to a museum about a high school I hadn't gone to. That's usually how I roll though. No expectations leads to a more pure experience. What I found there was not just what school life was like at Classen, but really what student life was like throughout most of the 20th century.

The building where the school and museum are began life in 1919 as a junior high school and now it's back to being a junior high. It was built on land that was being developed by a guy name Anton...wait for it...Classen! The school has gone through a lot of changes since 1919, and the things that have been preserved in this Alumni Museum are nothing short of amazing.

I had a chance to chat with Herma and Melissa who were more than happy to share stories about the school they both attended. They were both wonderful and full of information about the museum and history of the school. My first glance around the room where I came in was the wall lined with trophies. Starting in the corner, I saw sports trophies from 1926, '27, '31. WOW! As I progressed down the wall, the years kept growing in number but my brain was still in awe at the first ones from the mid-1920's. THE 20'S!! As I made my way around the room, Herma wanted to show me a special display since I had told her earlier that I played in the marching band at Drummond. She led me to the other main room of the museum where I saw dented helmets from World War I that had been painted gold. (See the picture below). The band members had to wear them to keep from getting pinged in the head by flying debris from football fans. Talk about a rough way to play!

After she showed me that display I really took notice that all of this history wasn't just about sports. I'm all for a cool football trophy or basketball photo, but so very often we don't see any other aspects of a school's acitivities. Not here! This museum had awards, photos, and clothes from music, basketball, theatre, football, debate, the forensic league, and so many other things that make up a well rounded school life and a well rounded museum. It was actually refreshing to see the band getting as much recognition as the athletes because both are equally important. Out in the halls, they had some photos of some athletes that had achieved some status after their time at Classen. Most notable for me was Kenny Blair. He played for the Philidelphia Eagles, coached at an OKC school, and played Santa in his later years. He was certainly not the only outstading person to come from Classen, but he definitely made a name for himself.

If you're like me and you don't necessarily want to go back to your own high school, maybe you can go see the Classen Alumni Museum some Saturday when they're open. You can see what student life was like through most of the 20th and maybe drag out some nostaglic stories of your own experiences in school. I had a great time talking to the ladies and snooping though yearbooks from the earliest ones to the year I was born to the newest ones they have. Loved it.

1901 N. Ellison, OKC

Jonathan Elmore ©2025