Page 48 - Fall 2025

From the Halls, continued...
As we explored every inch of the building, it was as
though the graduates were suddenly transported
back in time. People looked for their old lockers in the
hallways, and shared great memories of classroom
teachers, sports, and musical events. The tour was
filled with laughter and shared nostalgia, but there
was one moment of collective sadness: seeing that the
connecting corridor between the A and B wings had
been torn down. Apparently, that corridor was a place
where many memorable events might have occurred!
Thank you to the Class of 1975 for demonstrating such
great community spirit and reminding us all how deep
the roots of Houlton High School truly go.
A Full Circle Moment: Rev. Eugene
“Gene” McKinney, Class of ‘63,
Finally Receives His Diploma
In July of 2025, Houlton
High School was able
to rectify a decades-old
wrong and grant a high
school diploma to former
student Rev. Eugene C.
McKinney of Middlesex,
New Jersey. Rev. McKinney,
better known as Gene, was
from the Class of 1963.
Gene, who grew up in the
church—literally—with
services multiple times a
week shared that he always “tried to live right”, and was
crushed when he was denied his diploma many years
ago because he had gotten married before graduation.
At the time, he had no idea getting married was
considered “against the rules,” and he emphasized that
his wife and he didn’t have to get married, but rather,
they had just made the decision to begin their lives
together.
48
He shared that he felt the school and community’s
response was silent and judgmental, which “left a
lasting hurt”. He felt “shut out” and made to feel like he
had done something wrong, and as a teenager, he felt
like the “whole world was against me”.
After the marriage, Rev. McKinney and his wife moved
to Massachusetts. His career began in management
training with F.W. Woolworth, where he eventually
managed two stores. However, the most significant
change occurred when the couple felt called to full-
time ministry.
They started by organizing children’s programs and
traveling “from church to church across the country”.
Later, Rev. McKinney became a youth pastor, and
eventually, he and his wife helped start the church,
Maranatha Assembly of God on Cape Cod. During their
second year, they even opened a Christian school for
grades 1 through 12.
Decades after his graduation year, Rev. McKinney
reached out to Houlton High School, and I was pleased
to be able to help him finally receive his diploma.
In a sincere thank you, Rev. McKinney shared that
this simple act of kindness helped bring “closure to
something that had always felt unfinished” in his life.
Receiving the diploma now “feels like a full circle” and
was something he never thought would happen.
We are incredibly proud of the impactful life and
ministry Rev. McKinney built, beginning from a place
of great challenge. His story serves as a testament
to perseverance and the power of finding your true
calling. We are so pleased to officially welcome Rev.
McKinney, Class of ‘63, into the Halls of Houlton High
School alumni.
www.houltonalumni.com