Fifty years ago, U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev debated capitalism and communism in a demonstration kitchen and Santa Fe High School students were dancing to rock 'n' roll.

Seniors who graduated in 1959 are sought for a 50th reunion in September. A banquet is planned Sept. 5 at the Santa Fe Country Club on Rodeo Road, following by a Sept. 6 brunch at The Lodge at Santa Fe, 750 N. St. Francis Drive.

According to a news release, the class of 1959's class flower was the yellow rose, class colors were aqua and silver, and the class motto was, "We look forward to the future rejoicing in man and trusting in God."

Senior class officers were Filbert Baca, Carol Clark, Patt Vigil, Judy Draggon and Me Ling Gee. Retired school teacher Julia Gomez, who was a senior cheerleader in 1959, said Gee, whose parents ran the Canton Cafe on West San Francisco Street, has since passed away, and that many of the other officers now live in other states.

Gomez recalled that classes that year were interrupted by bomb scares, that the most popular song locally was Bill Haley's 1956 hit "Rock Around the Clock," that an Albuquerque TV station carried a local version of American Bandstand and that Loretto Armijo, now Lithgow, was homecoming queen.

More than 200 invitations have been mailed out. The deadline for registering is Aug. 1. A block of rooms have been reserved at The Lodge at Santa Fe for out-of-town visitors. Other questions can be directed to Gomez at 471-4626 or Karleen Boggio-Montgomery at 982-2025.