By Coral Gables Gazette staff
For 75 years, Coral Gables Senior High School has stood as a city landmark—stretching from LeJeune Road and Bird Road west to Riviera Drive and down to the Coral Gables Waterway. Since its opening in 1950, the school has been home to generations of Cavaliers and remains the city’s only public high school.
When it was built, Gables High was one of just five public high schools in Miami-Dade County. Today, it has tens of thousands of alumni spread across the nation and the world. On Friday, October 24, many of them will return to campus, along with local residents, for a free community celebration of the school’s 75th anniversary.
The event, organized by the nonprofit Friends of Gables High, runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and will feature campus tours, alumni reunions, food trucks, music, and dancing. At its heart will be a pep rally hosted by 2007 World Series MVP Mike Lowell, one of the school’s most decorated graduates.
Cavs through the decades
Since the school’s first graduating class in 1951, Gables High has produced an extraordinary roster of alumni. Among them:
- Janet Reno, the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General.
- Frank Gore, the NFL’s third all-time leading rusher.
- Mike Lowell, World Series champion and MVP.
- Winston Scott and William Lenoir, NASA astronauts.
- Maxine Clark, founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop.
- Karen Russell, award-winning author of Swamplandia!.
- Jonathan Vilma, Super Bowl champion with the New Orleans Saints.
In a short video promoting the anniversary, Lowell urged alumni and residents to join the celebration, calling it a chance to relive the school spirit that has carried the Cavaliers through generations.
Honoring the “Team of the Century”
Several members of the school’s famed 1967 undefeated football team will also attend. The squad, later named the “Team of the Century” by the Florida High School Athletic Association, remains a source of pride.
The team’s quarterback, Craig Curry, was the first Black quarterback at Gables High. His leadership helped integrate the school—originally built for white students only—and brought the Cavaliers a state title. Curry went on to play college football before medical complications from a stroke left him paraplegic. He is expected to join teammates at the reunion.
Memories of the first graduating class
For some alumni, the return to campus will span a lifetime. Phyllis “Petsy” Gautier, the Cavalier Queen of the school’s first Junior-Senior Prom and a member of the Class of 1951, plans to attend.
“Everyone was so friendly,” said Gautier, now in her 90s. “We were also so compatible.”
Her memories reach back to the earliest days, when her father owned a nearby car dealership on Bird Road, close to where The Collection stands today. She would often walk there after school to help with bookkeeping. In those years, she said, neighbors thought nothing of leaving car keys in the ignition overnight.
The school itself made a strong impression. “It was brand new and beautiful,” she recalled. “We had courtyards, fountains, Mediterranean Revival touches, and even some Art Deco. We were proud to be there. And we had the highest percentage of graduates going on to college in the county.”
One feature Gautier liked less: the color scheme. “The colors aren’t the best,” she joked. “Who needs grey walls?”
A celebration of legacy
The Oct. 24 event will combine nostalgia with community spirit, giving alumni and residents a chance to see how the campus has evolved while honoring the school’s 75 years of history. Organizers say the evening will also highlight the future of Coral Gables Senior High, now serving more than 3,000 students.
Organizers said the evening is intended to highlight Gables’ role as a community institution, one that has shaped generations of residents and continues to carry that tradition forward.
As Cavaliers old and new gather this month, the celebration will underscore what alumni have long said: once a Cav, always a Cav.
This Post Has 11 Comments
The fabulous musician, George Winston, graduated from Coral Gables Senior High in 1967. If you’ve never heard his music, try starting with his seminal Christmas album, December, which will take you far far away from here for just a little while. Wonderful.
The team of the century was season 1967.
Some other famous alumni were pianist George Winston, who also played on the basketball team, Olympic Gold Medalists Gerald Tinker and John Pennell, Baseball World Series champion and president of Seattle’s major league baseball team Woody Woodward.
I was fortunate to be a student/athlete and the Athletic Director at Gables for 23 years after a number of years coaching basketball and football. Great memories!!
The 50’s and 60’s was a wonderful time to be growing up in Coral Gables and South Miami. CGHS was a welcome addition to the community and provided some amazing opportunities in academics, athletics and music.
I will always be grateful for the coaching and guidance I received in those early years of my athletic career.
Men like Harold Cole were always there to give CGHS a strong and well respected athletic program.
In my senior year we won the 1960 Baseball State Championship!! Wonderful memories
Well, it’s not what it used to be. It has lost its sense of community. How many Gables kids attend?
Can’t wait for the new charter schools to co-locate in the building. The charter school, focused on the neighborhood, should bring back the hometown spirit.
Aurelio,
Why you’ve decided to be Coral Gables Senior High’s self-appointed doom prophet is beyond me — but let’s clear up a few things.
As a parent of a CGSH student and an active PTSA member, I can say with confidence that the school is thriving and full of spirit. Families from both inside and outside our boundary actively choose CGSH because of its award-winning International Baccalaureate and Academy of Finance magnet programs, along with five other top-tier career academies. The school partners with MDC and FIU to offer dual enrollment courses starting as early as freshman year. CGSH also offers more AP and dual enrollment courses than almost any school in the district. Many of our students graduate with their high school diploma, AA degree AND industry certifications — a major head start by any measure.
Community involvement is also a huge part of our culture. Last year, students organized “Hoops for Hope”, a student-run charity basketball tournament benefiting Special Olympics and Best Buddies International. It was so successful it’s returning this year. Our IB students also host the annual “Bridge for Peace” fundraiser, supporting a different humanitarian cause each year. While only 20 volunteer hours are required to graduate, most students far exceed that — often logging well over 100 hours.
School spirit? Also alive and well. Our student-run clubs and award-winning publications (newspaper, magazine, social media, and TV) are thriving. Pep rallies are selling out, and indoor sports like volleyball are seeing packed stands with energized crowds at home games.
Our community support doesn’t stop with students. The Friends of Gables alumni group — currently organizing the school’s 75th anniversary celebration — has raised over $500,000 for campus improvements & school support. And our PTSA has raised $200,000+ in the past four years, using those funds to actively supporting students, staff, and meaningful campus initiatives.
So, regarding that charter school co-location you’re hoping for? Not happening. CGSH holds an “A” rating from the Florida Department of Education, has a *rising student population, and has one of the highest graduation rates in the county — outperforming many charter schools. This school succeeds not because of gimmicks or privatization, but because of community, commitment, and hard work.
Maybe if more people supported our public schools instead of criticizing from the sidelines, they’d see just how much pride, excellence, and potential Coral Gables Senior High truly represents.
What a negative Nancy you are. You must be such a thrill at parties. Love our public, local HS with an A rating.
As far as Gables students go, you would be surprised. Keep in mind Gables now has two nationally recognized magnet schools which brings talented students from other area, but 25% of Gables residents attend the school and that number continues to increase. Gables continues to be a highly competitive schools and should be a clear choice for Gables residents and the surrounding communities.
1967-1968 football -state and nat’l co-champs!
Very formative -many parallels between coach Nick Kotys and Vince Lombardi-two-a-days mid August-character building!
Can’t wait for the 75th anniversary celebration. Many thanks to the volunteers from the Friends of Gables High for organizing this effort. We should all donate.
Many wonderful memories. Friends that we still have and others we have lost and miss. State and National championships. Class of 1969 was the best!! Go CAVS!!!
Marty Zweig, Author and financial entrepreneur.