The Ginter Park Class of 1953 is a loose knit informal
organization of our classmates that graduated from
Ginter Park in 1953.

We were the largest graduating class at the time and
we have identified about 140 members of the class
and located about 100. We had a reunion July 23, 2005
first meeting at Ginter Park in the morning and spending
that afternoon at the Ginter Park Community Building.

We decided to honor our principal Alvin Thoms by planting
trees at the school. We were inspired by the lovely live oak
in the front yard of Mr. Thoms former home at 1512 Bellevue.

Mr. Thoms was the principal at the school from approximately
1914 to his retirement in 1956. When the new school was
completed in 1916 it was surrounded by "yellow mud".
When Principal Thoms failed to get trees and shrubs from the
School Board he turned to the Ginter Park Woman's Club,
City Nursery and Hood's Nursery for the plants. Mr. Thom's
and some students did the planting.

His hobby was taking care of trees and when he retired the
PTA gave him a new Ford station wagon for him to carry his
tools. Also the school has lost some trees in the storms of
recent years. I am sure you will remind me that every tree
"Saves the Bay."

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