Fifty years after penning the Whitman Alma Mater for Whitman Middle School, former music teacher Bob Cathey stood against a wall in the school cafeteria, watching a new generation of Whitman Wildcats give tribute to their school with his song.

The Third Annual All School International Potluck Nov. 19 at Whitman Middle School was also the 50-year anniversary of the dedication of the school, located at 9201 15th Ave. N.W.

According to a history of Whitman Middle School by Seattle Public Schools, Northwest Elementary School opened on the site of the former Olympic Golf Course as an overflow building for the Crown Hill School in 1953.

The building temporarily became the Northwest Junior High School after the Crown Hill School moved.

Whitman Junior High School was officially dedicated on Nov. 19, 1959. The dedication served as the debut for the Whitman Alma Mater, "Salute to Whitman," by Cathey.

Whitman, named after a Protestant missionary who settled in Walla Walla in 1836, became a middle school in 1981.

The All School International Potluck was scheduled for Nov. 19 this year without anyone initially realizing it was an important school milestone, said Peg Radford, Whitman PTSA board member.

When the Potluck planners realized the importance of Nov. 19, they invited Cathey back to celebrate.

Cathey said coming back to Whitman brought back a lot of memories. It was exciting teaching in a brand new building, which is not a common occurrence for teachers, he said.

"Though I was only here for four or five years, Whitman always had a soft spot in my heart," Cathey said.

Cathey said he wrote the song in 1959 because it was the obvious thing to do.

"It seemed like we needed one," he said. "It was a school, and a school needs a song."

Members of the Whitman band said it felt good to perform it for its originator.

So, in the Whitman cafeteria, surrounded by tables full of food from every continent, representing the cultural diversity of the school, Cathey got to watch his song being played for a whole new generation.

Cathey said, going over the song now, he is not completely happy with the words.

But, if the large turnout of smiling and laughing students and families at the potluck is any indication, the words to "Salute to Whitman" remain as fitting as ever.

"We're proud of you, dear Whitman, in each and every way."