Board of Education
- William DeVos
- Bernie Ellis
- Don Flenor
- John Imler
- David Hanson
- Mary Beth Larson
- Vernon Lubben
- Robert Luke
- Jeannette Mahan
- George Merrill
- William Moon
- Gerald Mould
- Richard Post
- Richard Rossow
- Gordon Schneider
- Frederick Stout
- Charles Ward
- June Wessendorf Lyon
Superintendents
- Mr. Richard Doughterty 1968-1977 with Assistant Mr. Norm Kreager
- Dr. Earl Hogan 1977-1979
- Dr. M.J. Neveaux 1979-1987
Principal
- Mr. Don Trull 1961-1971 with Assistant Principal Mr. Ellis May in late 1960s and early 1970s
- Dr. Walter Vanderbush 1971-1983 with Assistant Principals Mr. Ellis May and Mr. Donald Rennhack
Students
1970—156
1971—133
1972—143
1973—146
1974—127
1975—146
1976—140
1977—129
1978—139
1979—127
Timeline
- Girls were allowed to wear slacks to school for the first time during the 1970s.
- Class sizes ranged from 130-150 students with 50 teachers.
- There were student-faculty football games, basketball games and baseball games
- Pep rallies before each football and basketball games. Greaser day celebrated the 50s.
- In 1970-71 BHS hosted 15 student teachers. That year there was an actual fire not a drill.
- First interscholastic girls’ sports since the 1920s [soccer] at BHS were girls’ basketball, volleyball, and softball in 1971-72 under Dr. Vanderbush in his first year. President Nixon signed Title IX into law in June of that year but BHS predated the law by a few months.
- In the early 1970s, Buchanan High School witnessed the addition of a new, separate building which housed the art department and a wood shop program.
- In late February of 1971, four high school students set fire to the high school. The fire damage and additional vandalism caused thousands of dollars in damage to the offices of the principal and assistant principal with forty windows broken by the trespassers. This group likely set a small fire at the home of the high school principal the same night. [The Holland Evening Sentinel–March 2, 1971 page 5] For several months, the offices of the principal and assistant principal relocated to the science wing. When these offices moved back to the second floor, every time a door closed soot and dust rained down upon those in the area. [Mrs. Kay Welsh, secretary at the time]
- Even before the U.S. enacted Title IX Buchanan High School reinstituted interscholastic girls athletics in the fall of 1971 with basketball. Girls then played volleyball and softball that same year.
- The Buchanan school farm became an integral part of FFA and Agriculture classes in 1972.
- The National Honor Society started at BHS.
- Who can forget donkey basketball as a fundraiser for the Spanish Club? This tradition continued for years.
- Future Teachers Association
- Student Representative Assembly replaced Student Council and included Special Interest groups in addition to class representatives
- 1972-73 BHS held Immunization clinic for measles and polio administered by the school nurse.
- 1973—The newly formed French Club visited Paris over spring break with sponsor Gloria Mahan forming lasting memories. That same school year a student exchange program began with Cambridge England when 12 students visited Buchanan with their sponsor Mr. Jim Roberts. There still remain strong friendships with some of these original visitors. This exchange continued with students and adults visiting England under the leadership of Mr. Wayne Writer in 1976.
- 1974-6—split schedules for Middle School and High School due to overcrowding in the building finally ended with the new Buchanan Middle School opening. For the first time ever BHS became home to only four classes—9-12.
- 1976-77—A dozen new teachers were hired for the start of the school year since the separation of Buchanan High School and Buchanan Middle School.
- 1976-77—Drama department took a play [Snow White] to elementary schools
- 1976-77—Buck Basketball team won district, regional, quarter finals only to be stopped at semi-finals
- 1976 Middle School opened and thus the building became only the high school for the first time
- 1976 BHS graduate Becky Gray went on to become a Rhodes Scholar and Michelle Hamilton became one of the top members of the Arizona judicial system.
- The great 1978 snowstorm closed school for days.
- 1976-77—National Honor Society, named after a former English teacher [Margaret W. Snyder], held its first induction.
- The class of 1977 would always be a part of BHS history four years later when Rebecca Gray received the prestigious Rhodes Scholar
- During the 1970s, BHS housed middle school students through 1975, high school students, plus adult education and enrichment from early mornings until past 9 p.m. In addition, on weekends, the school opened for many months for youth basketball, floor hockey, plus adult league basketball and even volleyball.
Student Activities
- Art club established
- Auto Mechanics
- Band—Varsity, Intermediate Band, Junior Band—band camp at MSU. In 1971-2 BHS had Varsity Band, A Band, B Band, and Cadet Band plus Orchestra and Chorus
- B-Club—not a separate club by end of decade
- Buckhorn
- Cambridge, England, Exchange for three weeks during April ’73 and also in ’75. Then our students went there in ’76.
- Chorus with up to 40 members
- Dances after most games
- Debate [1972-3 topic: “The Federal Government Should Provide Exclusive Funding for All Primary and Secondary Schools in this the first year of competition]
- Drama Club—a one act play in 1972-3–won district and regional awards; took play [Snow White] to elementary schools
- Exchange students became a part of Buchanan’s educational experience in the early 1960s. Over the years, foreign exchange students arrived from many nations to enrich student lives—Germany, Uruguay, and Mexico. Later we were educated by students from Czechoslovakia, Sweden, West Berlin, Finland, Brazil, Holland, Mexico, Japan, Turkey, China, France, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Greenland, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Hungary, Korea, and beyond. Exchange students enriched BHS over many years.
- Fine Arts Week
- Flag Corps with band
- Forensics began in 1971-72
- Future Farmers of America—sent five members to the National Convention in 1972-3. In 1972 BCS purchased the school farm which became an integral part of FFA and Agriculture classes.
- Future Homemakers Club—not a separate club by 1980
- Future Teachers Association—not a club by 1980
- French Club organized in 1972-3 with eight-day trip to Paris and a ten-day trip to Paris in 1978
- Girls Athletic Association ceased to exist in 1971-2 with interscholastic competition in basketball, softball and volleyball
- Language Club—ceased when divided into Spanish and French Club
- Library Club—not a club by 1980
- National Honor Society added in 1976-77
- Orchestra—not separate by 1980
- Paramedics—not a club by 1980
- Pep Club—not a club by 1980
- Photo Club 1973-4—not a club by 1980
- Pom Pon
- Prom was held at Royal Valley Sk8i Lodge with Doug Leiter Band in ‘73
- Spanish Club with students traveling to Spain during spring break or summer—Who can forget Donkey Basketball as a fundraiser for Spanish Club?
- Ski Club began in 1970-71; trip to Boyne Country in 1973-4 and Aspen in 1974-5
- The Student Council then was named Student Senate, and became the Student Representative Assembly with class representatives and representatives from special interest groups.
- The Pines
- Trade School—not separate club by 1980
- Ushers Club—ceased by 1980
- Athletics
- Baseball [2]
- Basketball [3]—Conference, district champs in ’75; in ’76 a perfect season with state championship under Coach Wilson; 1976-77—district, regional and quarter final titles with top score of 107-55 during season under Coach Rouse; 1978 state championship; in 1977-78 BHS won the Michigan Class C State Crown with a 27-1 record under Coach Rouse
- Cheerleaders—non competition [2]
- Cross Country with a 14-2 record by 1979
- Football [3]
- Girls Basketball in 1971-72 first year by 1972-73 JV was added; won the regional title in 1977-78 with a 25-1 record
- Girls’ Track in 1972-3
- Golf [2 teams]—Conference champs in 1974-5
- Pom Pon Squad
- Softball in 1971-72 first year by 1973 BHS was Conference Champs
- Tennis
- Track
- Volleyball in 1971-72 first year by 1972-73 JV was added and by 1977-78 and again in 1977-78 BHS went to semifinal game in the state.
- Wrestling [2]
