Manitowoc Lincoln Prepares for 100th Birthday Celebration, Looks to Involve Everyone

In January of 1924, the very first students sat down for class at Manitowoc Lincoln High School.

Since then, countless students have learned, laughed, and made friends within the walls of the iconic building. Students and adult leadership alike are preparing for next year’s 100 birthday party, which will include three distinct celebrations throughout the year.

Principal Lee Thennes was on WOMT’S Be My Guest Program Monday, where he explained that the preparations began back in September.

“We have a small but committed group of students who are working on planning, envisioning out some of the things we want to do,” he explained. “We are really looking to involve all alumni, and the community into this process.”

The amount of memorabilia the team has collected is staggering, including one piece of history dating back to the very first class.

Thennes tells us he was contacted by a woman whose father was a part of the very first graduating class.

“She has his 1924 diploma framed and matted,” Thennes revealed. “She is going to drop that off for us later this month, and we are very excited.”

The first celebration of the year will take place on October 7^th, which is right around homecoming.

The current classes as well as every alumni class that wishes to join are invited to put together a float for the parade, and the memorabilia will be available for viewing at a community tailgate.

Then in January, the second celebratory event will coincide with one of the first events ever at Lincoln.

“The first school activity at Lincoln High School was a basketball game against Sheboygan in 1924 in January,” Thennes explained. “So we are going to do our birthday party, go figure, on a Friday evening, with a basketball game against Sheboygan.”

That game took place on Saturday, January 16^th, 1924, and according to the Manitowoc County Historical Society, more than 1,400 people were in attendance.

Then that Monday, 925 students took their first classes at the school.

Closing out the year will be an All Class Reunion, which will be hosted by the MPSD Foundation.

You can learn more about the history of the school on the Manitowoc Public School District’s website, and you can hear the whole interview at WOMTRadio.com/podcasts.