1960s Perkinston high schoolers were part of a landmark study. But where are they now?

In 1960, classes at Jim Broom Memorial High School became part of a landmark study of 440,000 American teenagers from all walks of life, forming a snapshot of a generation across the U.S.

Now, Project Talent has launched a 58-year follow-up of its participants, focusing on unraveling the mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease.

The project is the only large-scale, nationally representative study that tracks participants from adolescence to retirement, according to the American Institutes of Research.

There were 3,515 students from 16 schools in Mississippi participating in 1960. The latest follow has 332, but the AIR is having trouble reaching the Jim Broom participants.

“We are very much hoping all will return their questionnaires and continue their relationship with the study,” said Sabine Horner, spokeswoman for the study. “We are also happy to include original participants who have not received a questionnaire, but would like to participate.”

Call the project at 866-770-6077 or email projecttalentstudy@air.org. The Project Talent website is www.projecttalent.org.

This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 5:00 AM.