There was a sea of gray hair. In some cases, there was no hair at all, or very little. Waists were thicker than I remembered, and everyone seemed shorter (the skeleton compresses over time). No one seemed to mind that we had changed so dramatically. There was no evidence of any disappointment or any form of the old status symbols.

The former jocks, beauty queens, cheerleaders and brainiacs just blended in. Everybody seemed genuinely happy to see everyone else, and that was a delight. Maybe it's because, after 50 years, no one has to impress anyone else. Whatever the reason, it was wonderful to see old friends and high school sweethearts reminiscing about the past. I highly recommend that all students attend their 50-year reunion.

We had three days of events, including: a golf outing at Rolling Hills golf course; a cocktail reception at the Alton Wood River Sportsman's Club, where a class picture was taken; a river cruise on the Anastasia; a dinner at the Lockhaven Country Club; and a picnic at the Alton Wood River Sportsman's Club.

Dale Neudecker, class president, and a committee of 17 volunteers orchestrated a superb reunion. The events went smoothly, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Not everybody went to all the events, but I'd wager they thoroughly enjoyed the ones they attended.

The only disappointment from my perspective was the absence of any scheduled event at Alton High School. A short walk through the school would have been nostalgic.

Our classmates came from all over the country. Of the original 424, 311 were contacted and 130 attended, with 81 guests. Thirty-four members could not be located and, sadly, 79 are deceased. While most (193) still live in Illinois, the remaining 118 represent 29 states. Other than Illinois, the majority live in Missouri, California, Florida and Texas.

The changes in Alton were just as noticeable. While there is an interesting blend of old structures with new and modern facilities. Most of Alton looks much like it did when I left in 1953-except much, much older. In fact, some of the houses are more than 150 years old and once housed Union soldiers during the Civil War.

The biggest surprise, however, was the decline in population. Signs at the entrances to Alton all read population 31,000. Sixty years ago they read 33,000. I suspect the decline is due to the absence of industry.

When I left, Alton had the Laclede Steel Mill, Owens-Illinois Glass Co., Springman Lumber Co, Luer Bros. Meat Packing Plant, a flour mill, Alton Box Board, and Western Cartridge Company. It was truly an industrial community. Now they are all gone except for Springman, which is no longer a lumber company, and the flour mill.

Western Military Academy has been replaced by a Christian school, and there is no longer a YMCA. The five movie houses and one outdoor drive-in theater have vanished completely, as have many other familiar landmarks that would take too much space to describe.

The typical problem with transitioning from an industrial economy to a service oriented economy is that services don't pay as much as manufacturers do and, even though the same number of people may be employed, a depressed economy usually follows with a lower tax base, which is evident in Alton.

On the bright side, the very colorful Alton Belle Casino, antique shops, Alton Museum of History and Art, Robert Wadlow statue, the Southern Illinois University campus, the legend of the Piasa bird, the return of magnificent eagles to the Alton bluffs and the foliage, which is absolutely radiant with fall colors, offer tourist attractions that should provide a boost to the economy. And the recent opening of Alton Steel Inc., and the construction of a new $50 million Alton High School could be a big step towards rejuvenating the city.

I suspect that residents are cautiously optimistic about their future. But, I can't help wondering what the Class of 2003 will see when they meet in 2053 for their 50-year high school reunion and look back nostalgically at Alton as it is today.