by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
State Rep. Stan Jordan is very proud of his high school alma mater. In fact, after a reunion a few years ago he started a small project that has grown much larger than he would have ever thought.
Jordan grew up in Jacksonville and graduated from Andrew Jackson High in 1955. In his office, just three blocks from the high school he attended, Jordan has almost every Jackson yearbook from 1928-60. But what he’s using the yearbooks for is something that goes well beyond memory lane.
Jordan takes time out of each day to look at each obituary in the Florida Times-Union. If there is a person who graduated from Jackson, Jordan looks through the yearbooks, finds that person’s senior picture, makes colored copies of the page and sends it with a letter that he writes to that person’s family.
“I thought, wouldn’t it be neat to get that person’s yearbook picture from when they were 17 or 18 years old, write a letter to the family and deliver it to the funeral home,” said Jordan, explaining he’s never heard of anyone else doing something like this. “In that tender moment it is nice to have something like that can bring back some memories.
“Families have really appreciated it.”
The letter is printed on Jordan’s letterhead and he expresses his condolences and tells the family that he too graduated from Jackson. If there was some information in the yearbook about the person, whether they served in the armed forces or if they were in any clubs, Jordan also writes about that in the letter.
Jordan encloses a copy of the cover of the yearbook, the page their senior picture is on and any pages their picture may be on if they were in any clubs.
“If there is enough time to send the letter by mail we will do that, but if there isn’t much time before the viewing, we will deliver it to the funeral home,” said Jordan.
Jordan’s collection begins with the year of 1928, the school’s first graduating class. Right now Jordan is trying to collect the yearbooks from 1928 through 1960 and says he’s missing about 14. The only yearbook that no one would have is from 1933 because of The Great Depression. Jordan said when he gets into the 1940s, sometimes the former students may not be in the yearbook because of military obligations.
“I’ve bought some, some have been donated and others I am borrowing,” said Jordan. “If I don’t have a yearbook, we go up to the school and copy the pages, because they have all of them.”
Jordan said he has enjoyed looking through the yearbooks, as they bring back memories for him as well.
“Being from here I know a lot of history about Jacksonville and different Jacksonville families,” he said.
One of the yearbooks is signed by U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw’s father, McCarthy Crenshaw, who was the valedictorian and president of the class of 1929.
Jordan writes about four or five of these letters a month and in the last 18 months he has written 80.
One of the more recent letters Jordan sent was to the family of Louise Higbee, a graduate of the class of 1930, and it just so happened he had a yearbook where she signed her name next to her senior picture.
Families have called or written letters to thank him for his thoughtfulness and to tell him how surprised they were to receive it.
“They just love the little moment that they have when they see the old pictures,” said Jordan. “When they see it, it really breaks some of the stress and hurt.
“It’s just a pleasant surprise and a very tender moment.”
The reunion that started this project was held at the Osborn Center about three years ago, but it wasn’t for a specific class. Instead it was for anyone who graduated from Jackson.
“The bond among older high schools runs very deep,” said Jordan. “I thought 300-400 people would come. We had about 5,000 people come to the reunion.
“That just shows the draw and bond we have to the school.”
As a result of that “bonding” experience, Jordan came up with this idea to help families relive memories after their loved one has passed away.
“The reunion inspired me to try and capture those wonderful memories of their days at Jackson High School,” said Jordan. “I don’t have to do it, but I do it because I care.”
If you would like to donate a yearbook or let Jordan borrow yours, please contact his office at 359-2644.