Graduations

NORTHVILLIANS,

As we ready ourselves for another week of pandemic life, things are getting better each day.  This weekend will be a historic graduation “ceremony” for Northville Grads.  Alas, there will be no large gathering for the 600-plus graduates to celebrate this year’s historic milestone, but there will be a vehicle parade down Six Mile (Sunday, May 31^st, at 6:00 PM) past the Township office and past the high school, where administrators & teachers will line up along the sidewalks, cheering their congratulations.  

In downtown, Northville School color bows will be adorning every flagpole, giving recognition to our graduates. “Best Wishes Grads” will be featured on the marquis of the Theater. 

In honor of our grads during this unprecedented period, I would like to reach back in history and look at some of the past graduations.  Keep that Northville Faith, Go Mustangs, and Go 2020 Grads of NHS! 

A LOOK BACK AT NORTHVILLE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS!

• 1869 – First & only graduate that year, Alice Beal (Bealtown)
• 1871 – 2nd to graduate, Amanda Curtiss
• 1889 – Commencement Exercises in the Opera House on Dunlap & Center (800 seat capacity)
• 1909 – Ten graduates (commencement @ Methodist Church) / 1916 – Commencement @ Presbyterian Church
• 1924 – 1st Senior class to take a train trip to DC, boarding @ Northville ($80), which became a 40-year Tradition
• 1931 – 38 graduates (commencement at Wayne County Training School auditorium)
• 1939 – 80 graduates, “Mustangs” is chosen in a contest as Mascot for NHS (because Northville is noted for its horse shows & horse racing). The Mustang was used from then on as its emblem.
• 1943 – 61 graduates (commencement at Northville Downs Fairgrounds)
• 1958 – 97 graduates (commencement at Community Center/Senior Center on Main Street)
• 1969 – 100^th graduating class, 183 students (Novi & Northville were combined before this, Novi High School had its first graduating class of 84 students this year)
• 1977 – 384 graduates (commencement in football stadium)
• 2015 – 555 graduates (commencement at Compuware Arena)
• 2020 – Over 600 graduates, with an organized historic drive-by parade past the High School
• Mayors that were NHS Grads: Chris Johnson, Elmer Perrin, Nelson Schrader & Brian Turnbull
• Famous Citizen, Steve Juday:  “All American Quarterback at MSU and Team Leader throughout the nation … demonstrated outstanding characteristics as a scholar-athlete and a credit to his school & community” (February 6^th, 1966 was Steve Juday Day in Northville)

GO MUSTANGS! Be sure to Congratulate a Graduate today! 
 
Be Safe … and continue to Keep that Northville Faith!
 
Stay #NorthvilleStrong!

Brian Turnbull
Mayor – Northville
BTurnbull@ci.northville.mi.us / 248.505.6849

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