Congratulations to the HHS Class of 1964!
The Harrisonburg High School Class of 1964 has created an endowed fund to support educational
programs in Harrisonburg City Public Schools. While planning for their 50th reunion, members of the
class set a goal to raise $64,000 in honor of their graduation year. Remarkably, five years later they
met this goal, and at the end of 2020 the fund had grown to over $70,000!
The fund, which is invested at The Community Foundation and managed by the Harrisonburg
Education Foundation, was established in 2015. An initial gift of $5,000 was earmarked to bring the
Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child program to Harrisonburg. The vision of Any Given Child is for all
students to experience a comprehensive arts education program that encourages students to
creatively connect and explore the value, relevance, and impact of the arts. Thanks to the Class of
1964 investment, Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley continues to thrive today and has impacted
over 30,000 students.
The Class of 1964 Fund began funding Innovative Educator projects in 2018. Two projects, totaling
$1,796, have been awarded to date, with a third $1,550 grant currently in progress. The first project
focused on drone technology as a means for learning and applying coding skills. The second project
brought multiple music teachers together to commission and work with a composer on creating an
original piece to be premiered with the Harrisonburg City Schools band program. In the third project,
Harrisonburg High School students are using graphic and digital arts to create a mobile exhibit in which
they reflect on their personal and cultural experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This exhibit will
premiere in Spring 2021. Harrisonburg Education Foundation will select a new project each year with
distributions from the fund as part of its Innovative Educator Grant opportunity in which teachers apply
for funding.
The Class of 1964 has a history of generosity. At their five-year reunion in 1969, they awarded a
scholarship to a black HHS student. As the last segregated class at HHS, this scholarship was
something they felt especially passionate about. The recipient of that scholarship, Ms. Mary Ann
Tucker (née Smith), received a college degree in education, and later a Master’s degree, and taught
for 32 years before retiring. She also became a close friend to - and an honorary member of - the
Class of 1964.
Impressively, over 50% of the 99 (plus one honorary) class members have donated to the fund. “This
fund has reunited our class in a special way,” said Mike Layman, a member of The Class of 1964
Committee. Barbara Conger, another committee member, agrees. “We have an uncommon bond that
we feel toward each other and we want to share that bond by leaving a legacy that will have a lasting
impact on the community that gave so much to us in our formative years.”
The Class of 1964’s gift is the largest ever donated by an HHS alumni class. Class members say they
hope their gift will inspire other classes to raise funds to enrich student learning in Harrisonburg.
Interested alumni should contact Cody Oliver, Executive Director of HEF: [email protected]
programs in Harrisonburg City Public Schools. While planning for their 50th reunion, members of the
class set a goal to raise $64,000 in honor of their graduation year. Remarkably, five years later they
met this goal, and at the end of 2020 the fund had grown to over $70,000!
The fund, which is invested at The Community Foundation and managed by the Harrisonburg
Education Foundation, was established in 2015. An initial gift of $5,000 was earmarked to bring the
Kennedy Center’s Any Given Child program to Harrisonburg. The vision of Any Given Child is for all
students to experience a comprehensive arts education program that encourages students to
creatively connect and explore the value, relevance, and impact of the arts. Thanks to the Class of
1964 investment, Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley continues to thrive today and has impacted
over 30,000 students.
The Class of 1964 Fund began funding Innovative Educator projects in 2018. Two projects, totaling
$1,796, have been awarded to date, with a third $1,550 grant currently in progress. The first project
focused on drone technology as a means for learning and applying coding skills. The second project
brought multiple music teachers together to commission and work with a composer on creating an
original piece to be premiered with the Harrisonburg City Schools band program. In the third project,
Harrisonburg High School students are using graphic and digital arts to create a mobile exhibit in which
they reflect on their personal and cultural experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. This exhibit will
premiere in Spring 2021. Harrisonburg Education Foundation will select a new project each year with
distributions from the fund as part of its Innovative Educator Grant opportunity in which teachers apply
for funding.
The Class of 1964 has a history of generosity. At their five-year reunion in 1969, they awarded a
scholarship to a black HHS student. As the last segregated class at HHS, this scholarship was
something they felt especially passionate about. The recipient of that scholarship, Ms. Mary Ann
Tucker (née Smith), received a college degree in education, and later a Master’s degree, and taught
for 32 years before retiring. She also became a close friend to - and an honorary member of - the
Class of 1964.
Impressively, over 50% of the 99 (plus one honorary) class members have donated to the fund. “This
fund has reunited our class in a special way,” said Mike Layman, a member of The Class of 1964
Committee. Barbara Conger, another committee member, agrees. “We have an uncommon bond that
we feel toward each other and we want to share that bond by leaving a legacy that will have a lasting
impact on the community that gave so much to us in our formative years.”
The Class of 1964’s gift is the largest ever donated by an HHS alumni class. Class members say they
hope their gift will inspire other classes to raise funds to enrich student learning in Harrisonburg.
Interested alumni should contact Cody Oliver, Executive Director of HEF: [email protected]