NHS 50 Year Anniversary Celebration Set for September 9th

It's a busy time for alumni behind the planning of the Niwot High School 50-Year anniversary celebration. While still in the planning stages, there is a tentative schedule of events (posted below).

A group of alumni created a page on Facebook dedicated to planning events leading up to the Sept. 9 celebration. The Facebook group is keeping the history alive, posting newspaper clippings and articles from the first years of the school.

People commenting are making connections after many years and they too are posting information, photos, and memories from 50 years ago. In fact, in addition to the anniversary events, a special gathering is being planned for the students from the first graduating classes from 1974 to 1976. Terri Ward, a 1976 graduate and a 28-year veteran teacher and coach at NHS, is on the anniversary planning committee. So far, Niwot High School alums have held reunions for their 10, 20, 25, 30 and 40 -year graduation anniversaries, and this year marks the 50th.

Bookmark this page for updates to the schedule of events. This page will feature weekly articles and interviews from former and current NHS faculty and students.

At press time, the tentative schedule of events includes a celebration of the opening of the doors at NHS in December of 1972, a special event for inaugural classes 1974-76, and a 'remember when' activity for students, teachers and administrators to recall night school in Longmont, the voting for the school colors and mascot, first clubs, team, and more..

Tentative Program for Friday 9/9/22

3:00pm: Homecoming Parade (Niwot Elementary to Niwot High School)

4:00pm: Open House and School Tours

4:00pm: Tailgate and Reception

7:00pm: First Varsity Football Game at NHS Field and Halftime Show (including inaugural '74-'76 classmates)

TBA: Celebration in downtown Niwot

9:00pm: After game party Niwot Wheel Works

Tentative Program for Saturday 9/10/22

TBA: Gatherings and Activities (Golf, other)

TBA: Evening

A Look Back

Construction was completed on Niwot High School on December 22, 1972. The school's original construction was delayed, so for the first semester of the 1972–1973 school year, students attended classes at the Longmont High School building after regular hours. There were no seniors in the first year because the district didn't want to pull seniors in from other schools to have their final year in a new school.

As a result, 160 students making up the class of 1974 became the first Niwot High graduating class. Mary Beth Almquist had the distinction of being the very first student ever to graduate from Niwot HS. The Longmont Daily Times-Call ran a photo of Mary Beth signing the class registry after receiving her diploma. The class of 1976 was the first to have been at Niwot for all four years.

The distinction of choosing "Carrie" the Cougar as the official school mascot and Kelly green for the school color goes to the class of 1974. Although it's said that votes for powder blue as the school color made it so close that they had to have a recount.

According to the archival photos and information from the Boulder Historical Society/Museum of Boulder, there were three previous schools for Niwot students. The first school was situated at 81st Street and Oxford Road and was built in 1880. The second school was built in 1902, and the third school built in 1910 on Niwot Road located on what is now the West side of the Diagonal Highway. That school was demolished in 1965 with the construction of the Diagonal, and a new school wasn't built until 1972.

Agriculture in the Niwot area gave the small school a reputation of being "farmer-like" and prompted Longmont High students to nickname Niwot teams the "Green Weenies." Students from rival schools attending Niwot sports games wore T-shirts with pictures of hot dogs on them, and were known to throw hot dogs at the Cougars on the field. How's that for unnecessary celebration?

Check back next week for more stories and updates on the 50th Anniversary celebration.