and class representative at large. During her senior year of high school, she was elected Miss BHS, a title voted on by the student body and a testament to the high esteem she was held in by her peers. According to the May 26, 1976, Bakersfield Californian, the committee’s recommendation stated, “She had the capacity to make every person feel a sense of his own worth, and she brought out the best in everyone with whom she came in contact.” Finally, on Aug. 15, 1976, the dream became a reality when the Lori Brock Junior Museum was declared officially completed. The Opening of the Year gala kicked off the official opening on Oct. 10, 1976. The Bakersfield High School orchestra and CSUB’s Jazz Ensemble entertained over 700 guests. When asked by Camille Gavin of The Californian about the new center, Dorothy Ernst, first president of the Museum Development Committee, said, “I walk by the building and it smiles at me.” In a Nov. 12, 1976 letter to Californian Editor Avon Wonderly, the chairwoman of the Opening of the Year Committee stated: “The Lori Brock Junior Museum is an important cultural addition to our community. It is because so many people have given of their time, talent and treasure that the building is now a reality and the programs will begin to grow and flourish.” Now known as The Lori Brock Children’s Discovery Center, it continues to meet the growing needs of Kern County’s youth. With a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) based hands-on activities, the center’s latest improvements continue to entertain and educate its young visitors.
“(Lori Brock) had the capacity to make every person feel a sense of his own worth, and she brought out the best in everyone with whom she came in contact.”
2019
Lori Brock
19th & N Street, Downtown Bakersfield www.emporiumwesternstore.com
(661) 325-8476
www.BakersfieldLife.com
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