“Fill your life with adventures, not things.  Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.”

What does success look like for one of the classmates you voted most likely to succeed in the Pearce year book. Join us for an open and honest conversation with Paula Gately about the the journey she took after graduation and the unexpected turns and opportunities that she met, including losing a spouse through death and gaining a daughter through adoption. And, as we will find out, it was some lifelong friends from Pearce that helped her through some tough times and, just as importantly, celebrated with her through the fun times. And as a sneak peak, Paula is one of a few of our classmates who has actually set foot on all seven continents. Join us for the journey!

MENTIONS:  Wade Masterson, Diana (Dickerson) Hovey, Susie Nitche, Allison Newell, Denise(Harvey) Evans, Todd Shipley, Cindy (Speights) Ince, Tommy Ince, Jan Sonnenmair, Becky (Morris) and Keith Grimes, Kelly Meeker, Melanie Davis, DavidDeLee, Miss Teenage Dallas, Jayne Modean, Karen Neal (French teacher), DebbieBlankenship Lott, Mike Watson, Diane (Barnett) Galloway, Matt Hammer. 

Sometimes making news is easier than reporting thenews.  Our guest on this edition of thepodcast discusses how foundational her years at Pearce prepared her in a broadway for her future as a renowned photojournalist who has covered riots,demonstrations, elections, and been on the sidelines for major sporting eventslike super bowls and the Olympics.   

MENTIONS: Pat Gallagher, Lynn Balm, Dan Malone, Beth Frerking, Berke Breathed, MarkMcKinnon.

The Reunion Committee has been working to get ready for the J.J. Pearce Class of '76 reunion this year. In this episode, Michael Tannery, Kelli Wilson Henderson, and Michael Steffen join host Greg Davidson to talk about all things reunion, starting with the when and ending with the why.

The members of the committee make it clear that the success of the reunion is a joint effort from everyone, starting first with an effort to reach every class of '76 member.

To collect contact information, the committee has established an information collection and intake Google Form. If you have not already, please go to the form and share your contact information with the committee.

The Google Form can be found here:

https://forms.gle/E8NmSNSCZfxfxaXS9

Please send the URL above to the classmates you have kept up with so everyone will have the information.

You can always email [email protected] for more information.

EPISODE MENTIONS:  Michael Tannery, Kelli Wilson Henderson, Michael Steffen, Jeff Hagen, Linda Solomon, Tommy Ince, Harold Groom, TinaTannery, Storey Hamilton, Jim Crosby, Jerry Bishop (coach), Jeff Lee, Mr. Howey (Northrich principal), Steve Sullivan, Tommy Mcgee, Jamie (McGeorge) Hargis, Patti Roundtree, Robin Quick, Bryan Marsh, Chuck Carona (coach), Marty Mitchum, Randy Akin, Fred Lanford, Kathy (Johnson) Lanford, Ronnie Gelwick, Marvin Katz, Shirley Katz, Doug Zadow, Karen Ratliff, Larry Robertson (coach), Brian Davies, Kurt Harmeyer, Jim Browning, Katie (Fackler) White, Holly Day, Don Harris, Ken Siedell, Greg Tinker, Paul Laywell, Billy Heath, Brian Rowley, Randy Parham, Suzy Nitche, Sheri Sunstrom, Sherese Sileo, Denise Harvey, Debbie Blankenship, Dennis and Patsy Blankenship, Barbara Whitworth. 

The first few episodes we have been looking back at high school from the perspective of us students. But what about the grown ups in the room at Pearce. What were they going through? What struggles did they encounter starting a brand new high school from scratch? Certainly it wasn't all about us, was it?

This episode we talk to Jerry Bishop, the first offensive coordinator for the Mustang football program who became head coach a few years later. We'll hear how Coach Bishop was recruited to coach at Pearce and what it was like assembling an athletic program. We'll also hear about what he did after leaving Pearce in the public school administrative world.

And we'll learn a few unexpected things, like "Jerry Bishop" still appears in the NCAA College Football record books as a record holder for passing yardage and that he has several grandkids who graduated from Pearce, including one who is playing in the NBA.

Great stuff from a fascinating man who helped us and J.J. Pearce from the start.

Enjoy!

MENTIONS:  Dr. J.J. Pearce (RISD superintendent), HaroldBroom (head coach), Dick Hill, Don Snowden (coach), Dick Floyd (band director),Bobby Floyd, Mike Ford, Dr. Gene Zachery (team doctor), Rick Wheeler (coach), Dr.Arzell Ball (superintendent), Dr. Kelley (superintendent), Kirk London, TroyAikman, Leadership Ford, Mark Malcolm, Bill Malcolm, Megan (Bishop) Timme (RISDtrustee), Drew Timme (NBA), Kendall Timme (DePaul volleyball). 

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2020/D2.pdf (see page 17)

https://acmagazine.austincollege.edu/the-legends-come-home/

https://gleague.nba.com/player/1631166/drew-timme

I think in high school we were supposed to read The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens that begins with the line, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times." I'm pretty sure I didn't read much beyond that first line in the book.

Obviously from that quote, Dickens spent some time at at J.J. Pearce High School. For some of us, it was the best of the times, grades came easy, friendships flourished, and the living was easy.

For others of us, it sucked. Classes were long and the teachers were boring. The other idiots in our classes were insufferable about how great their lives were and what they were gong to do in college. May of '76 couldn't come soon enough.

And so it went. The tale of two tales.

In this episode we take a hard look back at the way things were (sorry Babs), and find some pretty amazing things even amongst the disappointments of growing up at Pearce. Join me for a pretty frank talk with Kathy Johnson Lanford about growing up in Richardson, Texas, and the best of times, and the worst of times.

Voted Mister PHS, Most Likely to Succeed, and National Merit Scholar, starting guard on the football team, and all around good guy Matt Hammer joins the podcast to discuss the success in the oil business and how he leaned into the pressures of marriage, life, and kids through the years since high school. And why he never got in trouble. Join us!

MENTIONS: Kathy Johnson, Kass Prince, Nancy Grulich, Jim Browning, Jeff Semmer, Sharon Skinner, Larry Gant, Bill Malcolm (principal), Larry Robertson (coach), Mary McBride (geology and oceanography), Jacques Cousteau, Dan Ziegler, Robert Todd (assistant principal), Kurt Harmeyer, Joy Davis (English), Jerry Bishop (coach), Kim Hammer, Caitlyn Hammer, Clayton Williams, Mike Steffen.

High school is a unique time for most young people as they are maturing physically, spiritually, emotionally, all at vastly different rates and speeds. And to loosely paraphrase Dickens . .. . high school was the best of times . . . and . . . well, you know the rest.

Join us for the first episode of the J.J. Pearce Class of '76 podcast as we take a look back at high school and life in Richardson and Dallas with former Pacesetter, French Club member, and assistant senior play director Debbie Ambrose.

MENTIONS:  Ann Methenites, Karen Milligan, Karen Gruble, Don Ambrose, Judy Marcum, Keith Bradley, Tom Benson (drafting and woodworking), John Carano (drafting), Sam Antawaty, Karen Neal (French ), Beverly Millican (drill team and advanced math – trig and elementary analysis).

Hey there class of 1976. Can you believe it has been 50 years since we walked the halls of high school. This podcast is for the class of '76 from J.J. Pearce High School in Richardson, Texas. But we will travel back down many of the same roads that others have who graduated in the 1970s. We will remember our classmates and our teachers, our football coaches and the band directors, the men and women who all came together in the mid-1970s to make high school what it was.

Join us for these conversations as we remember our stories and renew our friendships.