The Southwest Abilene Rotary Club held its first Top 50 Banquet on March 3, 1960, 7:00PM, at the Windsor Hotel.

President W.P. (Bill) Wright Jr., presented the idea to the Club as a continuing program, to be held annually.

The idea was to Honor those Fifty Outstanding Graduating Students, who had excelled in Academics and achieved the highest grades at Abilene High School. The Banquet would feature a Named Speaker who would leave a lasting impression on the students and our Community.

The first Speaker for the event was: Chester H. "Chet" Lauck.

Mr. Lauck was a Vice President with the Continental Oil company. He had also been part of the nationally known radio team of "Lum and Abner" which entertained radio fans for a period of twenty-five years.

Program:

Invocation -- Dr. Elwin Skiles, Pastor of First Baptist Church.

Meal

Dinner Music -- Furnished by Stage Band of Abilene High School, Merlin Jenkins, Director.

Introduction of Honorees -- Briggs Todd, President of First State Bank.

Statement of Purpose -- W.P. (Bill) Wright, President of Club.

Introduction of Speaker -- C.G. Whitten, Attorney, who was "Abilene's Outstanding Young Man of 1959"

Speaker -- Chester H."Chet" Lauck, Vice President of Continental Oil Company.

Acknowledgements

The Honored Students Names in Alphabetical order:

Archer, Betty
Balfanz, Barbara
Barker, Roberta
Barnes, Graham
Barr, Linda
Batts, Martha
Bedford, Carolyn
Black, Don
Bonine, Michael
Caffey, Jean
Cooper, Lynda
Copeland, Jimmy
Crowder, Cecile
Daniel, Clifton
Fowler, Ronald
Giddens, Nancy
Gifford, Troy
Gilchrist, Jane
Gober, Lana
Guynes, Martha
Hill, Judy Kay
Hutchison, David
Jaggers, Shirley
Jordan, Lila
Kinard, Jimmy
Landers, Mal
Lovelady, Sally
McDonald, Mary
Minter, Martha
Monk, Rose Marie
Moore, Judith Ann
Newman, Sarge
Ray, Robert Franklin
Rogers, Judy
Satterwhite, Jan
Short, Barbara
Snively, Sheralyn
Strickland, Phil
Stroube, mary
Terry, Sandra Lynn
Thomas, Rip
Wallace, Mary
Webster, Elizabeth
Wells, Carol Jeanine
Whitson, Janis
Willingham, Myrle
Witherspoon, Katie
Wolfe, Darlene
Wood, Mansel
Wright, Charlotte