More than 500 people turned out for the Renton High School Centennial Celebration on Saturday.

Former and current faculty, alumni, present students as well as visitors descended upon the school for triumphant day-long festivities that included school tours, mini-reunions, performances by the alumni choir and current students and displays of memorabilia all over the campus.

 During the official program the alumni choir sang the alma matter song from the second-story overlook to the crowd below. The Frank Vaise VFW Post presented the flags and Doug Kyes, a painter, presented a portrait of Henry Moses, the last hereditary chief of the Duwamish and RHS alum, to the school.

 Cecilia Carey Major, 1930 graduate, cut the Centennial cake that was prepared by the school’s culinary program.

 “I have great memories of Renton High School,” said Sarah Jane Allison Hisey, 1953 graduate.

 Hisey was perusing memorabilia and catching up with fellow classmates in the Silent Generation, 1940 to 1962’s mini-reunion room. Music from those years played and people walked up and down aisles looking at old annuals, lettermen’s jackets, band uniforms, newspaper clippings and several trophies.

 Hisey said that she remembered fondly her time spent in the choir and on different committees, but she wasn’t used to the current layout of the school. It was hard for her to imagine where all the other classrooms were that she remembers from her youth.

 “I think it’s interesting,” she said. “I was looking at these old yearbooks and those are very interesting, all the old familiar names from Renton, Renton pioneers.”

 For Marilyn Tharp Clise, graduate of 1954, returning to the school was like returning to familial roots. Her mother graduated from RHS in 1926 and her grandfather was John Henry McKnight, who is the namesake of McKnight Middle School in Renton.

 Clise said of her mother, “She was a Rentonite and loved Renton High School and loved the community.” “And so she was someone I was very proud of, but I was also really proud of my grandfather.”

 McKnight, she said, was on the school board for 19 years and was in charge of the architect that designed RHS. His name appears on the far corner of the building.

 “The ’50s were a neat time to be going to Renton High School,” said Clise. “In ’53 the kids won a state championship basketball trophy. I was active in high school and enjoyed myself and had a really good time.”

 Susan Risedorf was in the Baby Boomers, 1963 to 1979, mini-reunion room filling out contact information to stay connected to classmates. She came to RHS in 1965 from a class of 21 students in Fargo, North Dakota to one of RHS’s biggest classes. Although she was frightened she said she was embraced by all the students and graduated in 1967.

 “It was just the best thing that ever happened to me to come here, it was just such a great experience,” Risedorf said.

 She still lives in Renton and is a flight attendant for Delta Airlines. Risedorf called the Centennial festivities wonderful and well-organized.

 Shannon Okeson, 1990 graduate, came with Christy Jarbo, 1991 graduate, to see their former teacher, Benjamin Comer, and enjoy the program.

 “It’s just an amazing experience meeting a lot of different people from different generations and seeing what their experiences were during their time here,” said Okeson.

 In the afternoon there was performances by the 64-member alumni choir and performances by current students.

 Led by choir director, Steve Moll, class of 1972, the choir sang “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” for their opening number. The members of the choir were from different years spanning 1946 to 1984.

 In the evening alumni moved over to the Renton Pavilion Center for a reception, dinner and presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Awards and the Athletic Hall of Fame honors.

 Linda Matthewson Aitken came all the way from Bangkok, Thailand to accept an award for her huband, Gene Aitken. Both are 1955 graduates of the school. Gene Aitken was being honored for his contributions to music and music education. He is Grammy-nominated and teaches jazz and music education in Asia and the Middle East.

 “He’s really honored because he has so often said if it hadn’t been for Randy Rockhill and the music program at Renton HIgh School during that time, he wouldn’t be where he is today,” said Linda Aitken.

 Graduate of the class of 1974, Charlie Conner, commercial real estate developer, was also to be honored.

 “Dad taught me to be involved in the community and to volunteer for things and to give back to the community, so I think that’s why I’ve been recognized,” Conner said.

 Conner said he really enjoyed seeing some of the teachers who inspired him during his years at RHS throughout the days events.

 Kimberly Nelson Searing, class of 1978, echoed Conner’s sentiments. She was being honored in the Athletic Hall of Fame for her accomplishments in tennis and volleyball while at RHS and while attending Western Washington University. 

 “I think people really enjoyed seeing how much the school’s changed and I love the diversity,” she said. “I think, you know, unfortunately Renton gets a bad rep. I think what’s really great is for people to get in there and meet the students and see what a wonderful group and so many different cultures.”

Also honored were the 13 people on the Wall of Honor and 10 in their Athletic Hall of Fame.