About This Site

The 71-72 school year began with new and bigger events. After two years of football, the program had grown and improved, in the fall of 71 the school elected and crowned the first LOHS Football Homecoming Queen thus beginning a lasting tradition for the school. A successful Basketball program continued with its own Homecoming Queen and of course both programs had a home coming dance. The Kentucky Colonels Marching Band continued to win awards in national and international competition.

Life at LOHS took a slight detour on Sunday night, December 26th, during Christmas recess. A fire was set, yes set-as it was later determined, in a trophy case on the lower floor near the main office. The fire was contained to the office, adjoining hallway, and two art classrooms above that area. A major effort was made to clean up the mess, and except for the damaged area still under renovation, school was able to reopen on schedule after the Christmas break - although with a slight smoky smell.

Just as life was returning to something close to normal, another fire started the morning of Wednesday, February 2, 1972. As history now tells us, this one also set by the same person as the December fire. The February fire was much more devastating as it gutted the oldest section of the high school from basement to roof. Damages were estimated at the time to be over $1 Million. After the smoke cleared, the entire main building was declared unusable for the remaining school term.

One would think such a disaster would close school for quite some time, but not at Lone Oak. By Thursday after the Wednesday fire, planning was underway to resume classes the following Monday. By Saturday morning, new schedules were announced with double sessions at the remaining high school classrooms and the Middle School. Due to transportation needs, even the Elementary school changed schedules to accomidate. Middle School classes would begin at 7am and run to 1pm. High School from 1pm to 7pm.

It was most certainly a sad time. Of all the news stories at the time, the best is in the LOHS Oak-K newspaper for February as well as continuing months as the student tell the story from their perspective. The 215 seniors of the Class of 72 were the fortunate ones, they would only have to spend a few months dodging the cleanup and construction while shuffling between afternoon classes at the middle school, science building, shop and the rest of the campus. As best as possible, the faculty under Principal Glenn Dexter tried their best to make the school year normal. Needless to say, being late to class was an excusable event. Cleanup began almost immediately and plans for reconstruction were soon on the table. While the yearbooks focus on the students and programs, as they should, you can see the changes in many of the pictures. True to Lone Oak, the resilence in the students and faculty is the real story.

We hope you enjoy the collection for 1972 and if you have addition information that is applicable to the Class of 72, please e-mail the site Webmaster. Please provide contact information so that we may reply.

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