The Fourth Quarter: The Shaker Heights High School Class of 1969

In a game that truly matters, the fourth quarter is the most important part . . .

We were all about eighteen years old when we graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1969; we will all turn sixty-eight in 2019. It is realistic to say that most of us are probably in the fourth quarter of our lives. But in a close game, a game that truly matters, the fourth quarter is the most important part. Good plays and bad plays are remembered for a long time.It is in this spirit that we look backward and forward in this book. We grew up in a special place at a special time. We all experienced integration in Shaker during our school days. What makes this fascinating in retrospect is that we experienced it differently depending upon where in Shaker our families chose to live.Many of us are now grandparents. Many of us are retired. While some of us may be slowing down, others see myriad opportunities to engage. If one can combine the unbridled optimism and sense of invincibility that comes with youth with the wisdom that comes with all the experiences that life dishes out, one can accomplish great things.This book contains our memories and reflections, our hopes and dreams. We have looked back to our time at Shaker and reflected how that time made us who we are today. And we look forward to the dreams we still have, and to the things we hope to accomplish in the fourth quarter.