By Anita Wallgren, Hillcrest Elementary Class of 1966, Central High School Class of 1972

As I made plans to visit Grand Rapids for my 50th class reunion, I decided to reach out to a woman who had been part of an indelible childhood memory: Anita Gilleo. “I’m 198 years old,” she said on the phone when I called. I smiled and thought, “she means 98 - but she’s sharp as a tack” as we made plans to meet.

#51 Class Wit Fulfills Prophecy—Central Grad Launches Lifelong Publishing Career

It seemed only fitting that Arnold Gingrich graduated from Central High School in 1921 as the recording secretary of the Iconoclast Club. A brash young man named Class Wit by schoolmates, Gingrich followed his own path—from the concert stage to the trout stream to the editor's office—on his own terms. In addition to the Iconoclast Club he was a co-founder of the Druid Club, had a chair in the orchestra, beginning as second violin as a freshman, and was a member of the Philharmonic Club. His reputation was
secured by his senior year, summarized next to his yearbook photo: "I have a natural taste for books." He attended the University of Michigan graduating as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.