Members of the Brigham Young High School class of 1961 gathered in Provo last month to celebrate their 65th reunion, according to a October 2 report. The group of former classmates met to celebrate their shared history and ensure the legacy of the school remains intact.
The reunion included 17 members of the graduating class. Among them were six individuals who had been classmates since attending kindergarten together at BY Elementary School in 1948. This group of former students included Roy Taylor, Glen Miller, Nick Boshard, Julie Van Wagenen, Marie Keeler Blanchard, and Sandra Jacobsen. The reunion activities included dining at a Mexican restaurant, bird-watching at Provo Boat Harbor, and a golf cart tour of the BYU campus. A formal gathering took place at noon on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at the former school building, which is now the Provo City Library.
The classmates attended a private school owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located in the former Brigham Young Academy building. Many students were children of BYU professors or from prominent Provo families. Taylor noted that the quality of education was high because many instructors were also university professors, specifically highlighting the class's proficiency in music and debate. While academic standards were high, the football and basketball teams often faced challenges against larger schools like American Fork and Pleasant Grove.
The class includes several individuals who achieved professional success, such as attorney Douglas Wilkinson, Phoenix-based law firm founder Paul Gilbert, and Positive Action Program founder Carol Gerber Allred. Roy Taylor, who serves on the board of the Sons of Utah Pioneers in St. George, noted that while some classmates have moved across the country, the connection remains strong. Of the 11 students who began as kindergarten classmates in 1948, seven are still living, while four—Alan Jolley, Nick Faulkner, Mary Halliday, and Judy Matson—have died.
While the attendees are now in their 80s, the class plans to continue holding reunions remotely in the future.
