December 3rd is Giving Tuesday!
If you missed it...still time to make a donation!
Hey Alumni!
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Although giving Tuesday is past...there is still time to make a donation. You can make a final donation for 2024 and make it count. Yes...we will accept donations for 2024 right up until the last day December 31st. We will start again in 2025 if you can't make it this time. Remember we operate on your donations and are able to make difference because of you. Just hit the donation button above or mail a check to the Alumni Association. If you miss "Giving Tuesday"....try to get your donation in before the end of the year.
Mail to:
Peoria High School Alumni Association
1615 N North St
Peoria, IL. 61604
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PEORIA HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – EIN: 37-1267248
Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Established in 1856, Peoria High School is the largest oldest high school
in continuous operation West of The Allegheny Mountains
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The 22nd oldest high school in the United States!
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Thank you for your continued support!
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To All Our Alumni:
We hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving Day
November 27, 2024
We all remember the Santa Parade in Downtown Peoria. Guess what? It is still in operation! Santa may have studied at PHS:) He was disguised and went by the codename of "Buzz". If you missed the 137th year of the parade, you missed our Marching Lions. A Very cold day but they were there doing their job! Read about the history of the Santa Parade.
Thanks Buzz for making us proud! (25 years worth, we hear!). Wishing you well!
A few months left in the Annual Fund Drive!
Please take a minute to donate!
Dear Alumni- It's that time of year where we make the final push for 2024 and into Jan 2025 for our annual fund. So please help out with your generousity!
Thank you in advance for your donations this year!
You are what makes us go! Just hit the donate button below or scan the QR code.
or
Mail a check to:
Peoria High School Alumni Association
1615 N North St
Peoria, IL. 61604
​
​
PEORIA HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – EIN: 37-1267248
Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Established in 1856, Peoria High School is the largest oldest high school
in continuous operation West of The Allegheny Mountains
Alumni News:
Jancie Shively Bassett and Loyal Gordon Bassett, PHS Class of 1959 alumni, visited Peoria on 9 November 2024 to present their books at the Peoria Public Library’s “Author and Craft Show” and to donate them to the Bradley and Peoria Libraries. They came from Florida for the events. Janice authored “Love Dave, Letters from a World War II Soldier.”
She used 109 letters written to her family from 1942-45 by her uncle, 1st Lt David Robert Straesser, PHS 1932, to tell his story. Straesser, one of 86 PHS alums killed in action in WWII, was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry posthumously.
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Gordon wrote about his USAF experience as a Strategic Air Command pilot during 1974-79. His book is titled “MAD, the Strategic Air Command, the Cold War and the FB-111A.”

Both books at the Peoria Public and Bradley University libraries and available at Amazon.com.
The Turkey Day Game
Decades of Great Games!
The Thanksgiving Day Game was a Tradition Most All Miss!
The Turkey Day Game brought many memories for all of us who played in the event. The players that participated in the tradition have some bragging rights about making history in Peoria. So many games with many exciting moments. Some of those moments I remember like it was yesterday. Many games were played in a variety of weather conditions. Some games had unusually warm weather, others had snow and some were played in the mud and rain. Most years you could not make out the numbers on the jerseys when the mud was flying around each play.
Before the games, there was usually a ritual as we all headed to the Peoria Stadium. The big one was preparing a meal that would be ready to eat after the game. Thanksgiving DInner! No matter how hard both teams played, I believe we all looked forward to a great meal and giving thanks.
In 1957, the Turkey Day game was televised. It was a cold day. As stated, 6100 attended, many more watched at home and got a glimpse of this great tradition. Manual was the powerhouse that year , but our Lions dealt a blow to the Rams. Exciting to watch to the very end. Talent was on both teams. Read about a few of them at the bottom of the game highlights. Bob Smith of PHS who went on to coaching fame. Mike Stuart who came back to teach and Coach at PHS. On Manual's team was Gene Petty who played in the pros- both football and baseball.
Bob Sulaski's book on "59 Years of Drumsticks and Pigskins" is a great resource for so many great Turkey Day Games.
The Final Turkey Day Program for November 22, 1973
Please consider a donation for our Annual Fund
Thank you!
or
Mail a check to:
Peoria High School Alumni Association
1615 N North St
Peoria, IL. 61604
​
​
PEORIA HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – EIN: 37-1267248
Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Established in 1856, Peoria High School is the largest oldest high school
in continuous operation West of The Allegheny Mountains
An Alumni Story
We love getting these from our wonderful Alumni!
My recent visit with Gordon and Janice Bassett at the Peoria Public Library while sharing their books with the public was an experience in itself. There were many memories about Peoria High that were recalled. Some memories in school and some out of school. What I did learn is that we all have great experiences throughout life. Many of them started in school when we meet that person who becomes a friend for life. Those memories become stories of adventure or in the case of these alumni...self taught survival skills while sailing on the Illinois River and a somewhat happy ending.
Janice recalls:
One night during the summer of 1960 (the next summer after graduation), Jana Swordenski, Janice Shively, Gordon Bassett, Bob Byerly, and Dave Radley went for an evening sail up the Illinois River. All of a sudden, the wind died, and a barge was streaming down the river headed for the sailboat. As they used oars to avoid the barge, one oar broke and the passengers used their hands to avoid the barge and guide the boat ashore.
The 5 disembarked and rested on the beach overnight waiting for the wind to pick up again the next morning. It was a cold night and to keep warm they set ablaze some wooden outdoor furniture on the beach.
As morning broke, the 5 saw that they were in the back yard of a beach cottage and a Byerly Aviation plane was flying overhead looking for them. The wind was now strong and the 5 climbed aboard the sailboat and headed to the IVY club (from where they started the night sail). Needless to say, there were parents waiting for the arrival of the sailboat and its passengers!
PS-They later located the owners of the furniture and reimbursed them.
Alumni: If you have great PHS stories to share please send to Bill Robertson at Torch57FAC@gmail.com
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