Highlands Class Rings

Ralph Pendery's Class Ring

Highlands Class Ring, 1934

Donor: Tom Pendery, Class of ’79,

Author: Amy Thompson Leigh, Class of ‘82

Story Contributor: Tom Pendery, Class of 1979, (God-son and great-nephew of Ralph Pendery)

Web Page Designer: Brayden Moeves, Class of 2024

A class ring was a symbol of unity, accomplishment, and pride for your high school. As a coming of age tradition, many students ordered class rings so they could wear them with pride during their senior year of high school, and beyond. Originally, class rings were offered with two styles, the larger ring for male students and a smaller more feminine style for female classmates. These rings typically had symbols of the high school as well as the graduation date. They usually also offered to engrave the initials of each student inside the band. As the business of creating class rings grew, students were presented with more personal choices, including symbols of their extra-curricular passions (such as swim team, band, debate team, basketball).

Often, a male student would give his class ring to his girlfriend as a symbol of “going steady.” Girls typically wound yarn around the back of the band to decrease the size, thus fitting a smaller female finger; or wore it on a chain around her neck.

Ralph Pendery’s class ring, pictured above, was a traditional 1930-style class ring purchased for soon-to-be seniors. Symbols embedded in the stone include the “H” with wings (taking flight) on each side, Highlands engraved in a ribbon below, and the lamp of wisdom above. Ralph’s graduation date (1934) straddles either side of the gold band.

As a Highlands student, Ralph was involved in a variety of activities including photography, theater, library, vocations, Lettermen, Glee Club, managing the football team and Co-captain of the basketball team

Ralph’s Highlands 1933/34 basketball team had one of Highlands’ most notable seasons, making it to the state basketball tournament (in Lexington), finishing in the Final Four in Kentucky. We lost to the Danville Admirals 21-19, eliminating the Bluebirds, sending the Admirals on to become state runners up. Here is a photo of that Highlands team in a regular-season game in the Highlands gym (original building). This space is now used as the fitness center (2023).

After graduation, Ralph continued his education at Berea College and EKU, where legend has it, he wrote on the university president’s venetian blinds to illustrate an accounting ledger system he’d developed.… you might envision a predecessor to the Excel spreadsheet. This led to a successful career for Ralph, as businesses around the U.S. hired him to implement his unique accounting and ledger systems for their betterment. We are thankful to have Ralph’s class ring in our possession, so we can have a glimpse into the life of this 1930’s bluebird.

Highlands Class Ring, 1943

Donor: Janet Kohl Wayne, class of 1973, (niece of Virginia Kohl)

Story contributors: Janet Kohl and Amy Thompson Leigh, Class of ‘82

Virginia Kohl's Class Ring

Virginia Kohl’s class ring showcases the popular girls’ style from the 1940’s. The stone is a traditional Highlands Blue with our school crest embedded in the center of the stone. The gold frame surrounding the stone states “Highlands - HS – FORT THOMAS, KY.”Both sides of the ring have a descending bluebird and the digits of 19 on one side and 43 on the other. The left side reveals our Kentucky state crest, with a statesman and a frontiersman shaking hands. The right side features an “H” with our founding year, 1888, and an etched replica of the original Highlands High School building.

An excerpt from Virginia’s senior 1943 Highlander:

Virginia “Ginny” - A popular girl with an ambition to be a private secretary. She is an honor student and her attainments in the commercial department plus her sincerity argue well for the fulfillment of that ambition.

Virginia Kohl, class of 1943

Virginia Kohl's Report Card

Highlands’ report cards (in 1943) were sent home to parents inside a manilla envelope. Each class had its own separate report page. Featured is Virginia’s report card for her completed Stenography Class. A’s were difficult to maintain for most students. To receive an A, a student had to perform above and beyond the class expectations. B’s were considered “good,” and a C was “average or fair.” The bottom of the report card page spells this out.

Ginny’s high school activities and mentions included: Red Cross Club; Highlander staff; May Day attendant; Office aid; Nurse’s assistant; Gold Honor Pin recipient.

The Junior Red Cross Club is pictured to the right, with Ginny on the right end of the second row. These girls worked in Mrs. Greeno’s Home Economics classroom after school sewing items for the benefit of needy families and our armed forces. Some items they made included pajamas, pillowcases, lounging slippers, and wristlets.

Virginia had a successful 38-year career as an executive secretary for one of the Procter & Gamble vice presidents. Thus, fulfilling her high school dream. She purchased a fine home in the heart of Ft. Thomas where she lived the rest of her life. She enjoyed gardening, golfing, traveling, her pets, nieces & nephew, and numerous friends. She lived a quiet, happy life until the ripe age of 98.

Highlands Class Ring, 1929

Donor: Fort Thomas History Museum (Deanna Burleson, Beineke, Class of 1965)

Author: Amy Thompson Leigh, Class of 1982

Sarah Jane Hart’s Class Ring

Sarah Jane Hart’s class ring was donated to us as a sweet reminder that this young lady was an active member of our Highlands student body. Sarah (known as Susie) was a charming young lady who liked to get involved in the activities and performances of HHS.

Sarah’s (Susie’s) class ring was gold with no jewels. The name Highlands is displayed in a banner across the front of the ring, with the letters “H” and “S” above and below, indicating High School. On the left side of the ring, is “19” and “29” in on the right side, showing her graduation year.

Senior Class Play - 1929 annual

As a four-year member of the Pioneers Club, Susie saw this girls club grow so large, that by her senior year, there were eighty members! This was too large a group to function properly, so they split into smaller clubs that completed missions previously completed by the Pioneers. The new clubs were the Literary and Dramatic Club, the Crafter’s Club, and the First Aid Club.

Susie was also involved in vocal music (both chorus and Glee Club). As a member of the Declamation group, she learned to speak and present in public. She was an active member of the very successful student-run newspaper, the “Echo.” Susie also performed in several school plays, among other things.

Interesting side note about this era of yearbooks: During this era, each senior class had a “Class Prophecy” written in the annual at the end of their senior photo section. This prophecy was a fictional essay explaining what each classmate will be doing in several years from now. Below, are pages from the Class of 1929 Class Prophecy, yearbook pages 51 & 52. The prophecy for Susie Hart included a prediction that she and a friend would be writing stories to be performed by students in their “Dramatic School.”

Senior Class prophecies from the 1929 annual