The 2025 Breckinridge All School Reunion began with crews at MSU using a jack hammer to free a time capsule that was buried in the ground in front of Breckinridge Hall at MSU. The large copper box was placed in honor of the students of the Breckinridge Training School, which closed in 1982 after operating for over 50 years.
The capsule was opened in preparation for the 2025 Breckinridge All-School Reunion, a weekend event featuring food, activities, and social gatherings for alumni. Leslee Toy, Board Liaison for the Breckinridge Society, was at the time capsule opening. She said the contents of the box showed the students’ connection to their alma mater.
“Probably one of the neatest things were at the index cards that they had included. Then there were a couple of T Shirts, a spirit stick, pennant, and a letterman ‘B’ like you would put on a letterman jacket. We’re going to display those in the Breck library down at Breckinridge,” said Toy.
Written on each index card were personal messages from students at the time of its closing. Some of the items required restoration before being presented at the reunion gathering. Toy added that these reunions take place every five years, and the planning process takes a collective effort.
“We have been planning this reunion for over a year. So, it’s taken some time. But the board members, I have had three or four call me this week, last week, they were calling. ‘Do you need anything?’ ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ Getting people place to place, making sure that every that we planned was still a go. They played a significant part,” said Toy.
Stories and laughter were constant at the gathering that weekend. Tom Queen, Class of 1976, is the President of the Breckinridge Society Board. He said Breckinridge has always been a tight-knit community.
“My graduating class had like 32 kids in it. Back in those days, your classmates were your closest friends you had. That’s the way it was for all the classes, because it was a small atmosphere,” said Queen.
Dr. Annette Graham, Class of 1982, is also a board member of the Breckinridge Society. She said at each reunion, it feels like no time has passed.
“It’s just like you pick up on conversations, you spend a little bit of time getting caught up on the details of children and parents and those kinds of things. Then it’s just back into the same conversations and things that you really haven’t missed or skipped any amount of time since you spent all of that time with people,” said Graham.
Throughout the celebrations, alumni shared their thoughts on the education they received while at school. Being a training school, the teachers at Breckinridge were often education students at Morehead State University.
Roy Reynolds, class of 1962, said Breckinridge was home to excellent educators.
“The teachers, by and large, the teachers were darn good. This was a very high-level education that you got at Breckinridge. Many of them did graduate from Morehead State and then came over. More than one of them was a professor at Morehead State,” said Reynolds.
Reflecting on this year’s gathering, Graham said it always feels more like a family reunion than a high school reunion.
“It’s nice, and you get to see everybody. Especially because it was very much like a family. If you had brothers and sisters, generally your brothers and sisters were in class with your classmates’ brothers and sisters. So, you knew everybody. That’s what made it really nice, and what makes it so nice to then get to see everybody again when you come back for these,” said Graham.
With the 2025 Breckinridge All School Reunion finished, graduate’s celebrations are far from over. Officials with the Breckinridge Society Board and Morehead State University’s office of Alumni Relations and Development have confirmed they plan to host another reunion in five years.