Miami’s Coral Gables Senior High School celebrates 75 years
To honor 75 years of the school, Coral Gables students, teachers and alumni gather to celebrate the history and events that made their Gables experience so memorable.
Established almost a century ago, Miami, Florida’s Coral Gables Senior High School is gathering to commemorate its 75-year anniversary.
As one of Miami-Dade County’s oldest high schools, Gables has evolved since its inception in the post-World War II era to the present day. Despite the changes, Gables has remained a stellar school, due to its athletic dominance to academic admiration in the last century.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Gables stood out for its athletic excellence and outstanding student body. The Coral Gables Cavaliers football team secured state titles in 1967 and 1968, boosting the school’s reputation throughout Florida and Miami-Dade County.
“My favorite high school memory was feeling at the end of the state championship game in ’67 and ’68.” said Daniel Blackmon, class of 1969 and former Gables teacher. “We had defeated Jacksonville Wolfson 21-7 and 7-6 to win the state championship. That was the culmination of a very great deal of hard work and camaraderie.”
In the 1970s, Gables adapted to Miami’s growing diversity by opening its gates to students of all races. In later years, Gables began to introduce new programs such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Academy of Finance (AoF) programs.
Rodney Michel, class of 2020 and former Gables teacher, said that Gables “culture of reciprocity” where students regularly volunteer their effort into the surrounding community, has been consistent.
In honor of the 75 years of Gables’ history, alumni and students alike are working to form a community-wide event intended to commemorate the Gables’ past, present and future. On October 24, Gables plans to host several events in celebration of how far the school has come, such as its annual Hall of Fame, where past alumni and teachers are praised and inducted.
During these events, several distinguished alumni are being brought back to Gables. From the induction of infamous music video and commercial director Gil Green (class of 1993) into the Gables Hall of Fame, or the return of beloved sports stars Ron Yacoub and Mike Lowell for the alumni pep rally, Gables aims to highlight its alumni’s achievements even after graduation.
While the celebration of the 75th anniversary welcomes the return of high school memories and reunions, it is not only reserved for students and alumni. The city of Coral Gables, as a whole, is welcome to commemorate the school’s history and take part in the 75th festivities.
“We intentionally made the event free so that as many people as possible will walk onto and explore the newly renovated campus, and meet the students and faculty.” said June Morris, event planner for the 75th event and class of 1979. “We hope that alumni will come back and reconnect with their high school and that families in the Gables considering CGHS will see the advantages of coming here.”
This article was written for the Yale Daily News’ 2025 Summer Journalism Program for high school students.