Tucked away in someone else’s shoe box of adolescent artifacts, there might be a picture of you in garish clothes and with an outdated ‘do, your arm around a high school squeeze. The President of the United States is no different. These rearely seen photos, obtained exclusively by TIME from Obama’s schoolmate Kelli Allman (née McCormack), show a 17-year-old Barack Obama on the night of his senior prom.
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| From left: Greg Orme, Kelli Allman, Barack Obama and Megan Hughes at Allman’s parents’ house in Honolulu. (Kelli Allman / Contact Press Images) |
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| From left: Greg Orme, Kelli Allman, Barack Obama and Megan Hughes at Allman’s parents’ house in Honolulu. (Kelli Allman / Contact Press Images) |
Sporting a white sport coat, periwinkle tie and a big curly hairdo, Obama is pictured in the 1979 shots arm in arm with his date, Megan Hughes. The happy pair appear next to another couple, friends Greg Orme and Kelli Allman.
“It was a really fun, happy time. We were all cracking up, and everyone was smiling,” said Allman, who provided the photos, of the memorable evening at the Punahou School in Honolulu. “It was pretty typical from there out as far as what happens at prom: the dinner and the dancing and the photos,” she said.
While the future President didn’t date a lot in high school, Allman said, he made for lovely company that night.
“He was very intelligent and witty. He and I really clicked. We had great vibes between us,” she said of Obama.
So did the young Obama take the wrong woman? The admiration between Allman and he appeared to be mutual.
In Allman’s yearbook at the end the year, Obama called his friend’s date “foxy.”
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| Left: Kelli Allman‘s OAHUAN 1979 Yearbook. Right: Obama wrote the above note in Allman’s yearbook at the end of his senior year in 1979. (Kelli Allman / Contact Press Images) |
“Kelli,
It has been so nice getting to know you this year. You are extremely sweet and foxy, I don't know why Greg would want to spend any time with me at all! You really deserve better than clowns like us; you even laugh at my jokes! I hope we can keep in touch this summer, even though Greg will be gone. Call me up, and I'll buy you lunch sometimes ###-####. Anyways, good luck in everything you do, and stay happy.
Your Friend,
Love <3
Barry Obama”
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