George Washington High School Alumni Association 600 32nd Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121–2733 415–750–8400 www.sfgwhsalumni.org www.facebook.com/sfgwhsalumni
George Washington High School’s History and Traditions
Honorary Committee Lee Meriwether S’53 Noah Griffin S’63 Danny Glover S’64 Diane Amos ’75 Alec Mapa ’83 75th Anniversary Committee Harold Abend S’71 Tammy Aramian S’74 Penny Birdman S’65 Morris Bobrow S’57 Danise Blue Chandler F’54 Daniel Francisco F’64 Dena Goldberg Gardi F’69 Denise Joseph F’54 Kris Kimball S’58 David Ko ’00 Ericka M. Lovrin, Principal Marjorie Ngo ’95 Stefanie Norris ’99 Annabelle Marsh Piercy S’39 John Rothmann F’66 David Miln Smith S’56 Cher Wills Uberman S’70 Tamiko Wong ’92 Lope Yap, Jr. S’70 GWHS Alumni Association Board of Directors Officers 2010–2011 John Rothmann F’66, President Tammy Aramian S’74, Vice President Carol Huey ’77, Treasurer Stefanie Norris ’99, Secretary Honorary Directors Denise Joseph F’54, Faculty Liaison Ericka M. Lovrin, Principal Andrew Ishibashi, Principal Emeritus Camille Morishige, Principal Emeritus Albert J. Vidal, Principal Emeritus Directors-at-Large Harold Abend S’71 Penny Elizabeth Birdman S’65 Danise Blue Chandler F’54 Daniel Francisco F’64 David Ko ’00 Andrew Leeds F’66 Barbara Schlegel Monro S’42 Marjorie Ngo ’95 Annabelle Marsh Piercy S’39 Cher Wills Uberman S’70 Tamiko Wong ’92 Daniel Yee S’63 Lope Yap, Jr. S’70 Howard Zee ’78
On August 23, 1936, George Washington High School opened its doors to the people of San Francisco and its surrounding community. Everyone admired the magnificent view of the Golden Gate Bridge (then ten months away from completion) and the Marin Headlands and the handsome building. Architectural plans for the school were designed by Timothy L. Pflueger, whose credits included the 450 Sutter Building, the Castro and Paramount Theaters, and Roosevelt Junior High. George Washington was built for a cost of $2 million on the site of a former rock quarry. The original construction cost over $730,000; site acquisition and construction were funded by city bonds and one-third by Federal Works Progress Administration grants. Its site and ultimate enrollment of 3,000 students projected the school to be the largest west of the Mississippi. We are fortunate to have had our beautiful and functional campus designed by such a renowned architect as Pflueger and that modifications since that time have been faithful to his original design and intent. Additionally, we are proud to host many fine works of Works Project Administration-funded public art. Most notable are Victor Arnautoff’s main entrance exterior bas relief sculptures of Thomas Edison, George Washington, and William Shakespeare; and main entrance interior Life of George Washington murals. Artists George Harris and Gordon Langdon assisted Arnautoff. Done in the buon fresco technique, the murals required that the artist work immediately behind the plasterers to apply the earth colors while the lime plaster was still wet. The 1300 square feet of murals which depict scenes from the life and times of George Washington often had Arnautoff working ten to twelve hours a day to complete a nine foot section; ironically the murals were completed almost a year before the school’s opening. Additional murals are above the entrance to, and inside, the Second Floor Library, produced by Lucien Labaudt (Advancement of Learning through the Printing Press), Gordon Langdon (Modern and Ancient Science), Ralph Stackpole (Contemporary Education), as well as the Sargent Johnson Athletics bas relief frieze in north field/football stadium, and, added in 1974, Dewey Crumpler’s three ethnic response panels in the main hallway. In its first year the school’s student body consisted of new 10th graders and students who transferred from other schools. These students had to stand or sit on the floor due to the lack of chairs and desks. The gym classes met in different classrooms, and the library was completely empty except for one set of encyclopedias. These issues seemed minor, however, compared to the terrible noise caused by ongoing construction! The lack of a gym did not hinder student events. The first social event was the October 30, 1936, Inaugural Ball held in the school library. Rallies were held outside on the courts. The first indoor rally was held at Presidio Junior High School cater-corner from Washington. At the first indoor rally at Washington in the newly built auditorium, the speakers had to stand on chairs as the stage had not yet been completed. The stadium, auditorium, and gymnasium were formally dedicated on November 11, 1940. The first commencement took place at Commerce High School on December 16, 1937. Miss Kirwin had charge of the first graduating class consisting of 148 students. Five students completed their
required course six months earlier, in June, but since there were so few members of the Spring ‘37 class, graduation exercises were not held. These five students, Marjorie Astredo, who had entered the school at its opening; Lois Samuel, Washington’s first vice-president and one of the Girls’ Service Society founders; Frank Hultman, Tod Saylor, and Eleanor Worken, came back in December to graduate with the Fall ‘37 class.
Scholastic Excellence
Tillie Mieseles, class of Spring 1938, wrote the Hail Washington, Hail! school hymn in 1937; in 1947 a new ending was added by Mr. Knott, making that hymn more impressive, powerful, and complete. The fight song Fight On You Eagles, written in 1936, is alternately attributed to Mary Trussell or Lorna Kreuter, and the song was presented to the school for the first time over the radio, sung by Mr. Knott’s Registry. A very close student election in 1936 resulted in the adoption of scarlet and gray as Washington’s colors, narrowly edging out the patriotic red, white and blue combination. The first principal of George Washington, Ernest Cummings, came to the school from Galileo. In his honor, the Cummings Cup was created by the faculty in 1945 and are presented at each Commencement to a male and female senior outstanding in scholarship and service. Additional senior awards are now also presented in honor of six succeeding Principals.
Academic Philosophy George Washington is a four-year comprehensive high school. The school, from its inception, has been dedicated to the philosophy that every student entering its halls has the right to an education to maximize his/her potential.
Campus The 15.88-acre campus includes the academic building with a library and five fully-equipped computer centers, a practical arts complex, an auditorium, a gymnasium, an athletic field, a football stadium, and six tennis courts.
Curriculum Washington’s comprehensive curriculum educates students for the 21st century. A distinguished faculty, including Fulbright Scholars and National Board Certified Teachers, is dedicated to academic excellence. More than 100 different courses are offered to students each year from ten departments.
Special Programs The school’s gifted program is the largest of the city’s comprehensive high schools. In the 2010–11 school year, 62 honors and Advanced Placement class sections are taught daily. Non-native English-speaking students’ instructional needs are provided through ESL classes. A Special Education program is available to students who meet admission criteria.
The college acceptance rate for the June 2010 graduating class was 96%. Each year GWHS grads successfully compete on the UC campuses, in private schools across the nation, in California State Universities, community college programs, the military, or directly in business. The Class of June 2010 had 100 students honored by the national College Board as Advanced Placement Scholars. Of 14,000 high schools participating in the Advanced Placement program, the GWHS AP program is ranked 55th, the top 1% in the nation. Washington’s AP program has also been honored by the California Department of Education as a California Exemplary School, one of only four schools in the state receiving such an honor. In May, 2003, the Challenge Index Published in Newsweek and by MSNBC news rated Washington as “one of the best schools in America” based on the number of AP tests taken by all students divided by the number of graduating seniors. Since then, Washington continues to be honored each year by Newsweek for its AP program.
Extra-Curricular Activities The extra-curricular programs at GWHS provide something for everyone. Broad-ranged student interests, from skiing to equestrian, from forensics to computers are met through student clubs. School dances and athletic events are held regularly. Students participating in school sports, ROTC, or in visual and performing art groups regularly earn distinction.
Visitations Visitors are welcome. Individual tours are limited during October and November. Please call 415-750-8400 for an appointment.
GWHS Timeline 1867: The first known information relevant to the school site is an action by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ Outside Lands Committee, which was formed to “lay out streets, highways and public lands.“ At that time 36,000 square feet of what was then Block 253 were designated “... for school purposes.” Many years later this action was hailed as “the foresight of pioneers.” One might wonder, though, as this area is less than 5% of the school site and was part of what was labeled Great Sand Waste on the San Francisco City and County Plot Map of 1873. 1925: The Board of Education purchases from the City the remaining portion of the almost four square-block site at the cost of $498,105.41. December 1933: School bonds in the amount of $30,000 are approved and issued with the specific intent of opening a high school in the Richmond District, which received its name from Richmond, Australia, the hometown of early Outside Lands pioneer George Turner Marsh.
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July 1934: The Dept. of Public Works’ Bureau of Architecture surveys the entire site. Pflueger submits initial plans for the total project to the Board of Education November 1934: A groundbreaking ceremony is held on what is now the Esplanade in front of the Auditorium attended by officials of both city government and the Board of Education. Pflueger and the Board commission artist Victor Arnautoff to produce “three concrete high relief portraits, cast in place, each 4’ by 6’, Edison (Invention), Washington (Statesman) and Shakespeare (Literature)” to be placed over the school’s main entrance. January 1935: Revisions for original foundation plans and first floor plans of the Academic Unit are accepted, and construction by Meyer Construction begins on forms for Building No. 685. March 1935: The first cement is poured for the North and South Wings of the Academic Unit. October 1935: Pflueger’s initial plans for Shop Unit are received by the Board of Education. December 1935: Structure of all four sections of the Academic Unit are completed. These are the Southwest, Northwest, Main or Center and the Southeast sections. February 1936: The Shop Unit is completed. July 1936: Plans for the flagpole, platform and North wall of the athletic field are approved. August 1936: Superintendent J.P. Nourse appoints Ernest J. Cummings as the first principal. Cummings’ previous position was as Galileo Night School principal after teaching Latin and Greek at Lowell High. On August 23, Cummings joins Mayor Rossi, the Board of Education and the PTA in an Open House dedication of the city’s eighth high school. Most newspaper articles highlighted the Arnautoff Main Lobby murals. Students first attended classes on Tuesday, August 25.
Washington’s early career, was suggested by student Marianne Meyer S’39. January 1938: The plans submitted by Pflueger for Building #702, “Gymnasium and Athletic Field Unit,” include provision for a portable scoreboard which was to be plugged into the outlet at the southwest corner of the field. The scoreboard, approximately 3’ by 4’, was used into the late 1950s. March 1938: The Board of Education approves plans and specifications for the $325,000 Auditorium Unit. Meyer Construction agrees that the project will be finished in 301 days. Mayor Angelo Rossi breaks ground with a steam shovel. May 1939: Architect Pflueger submits the plot plan and first floor plan for Building #712, the Auditorium Unit. March 1940: Under controversial circumstances, the S.F. Arts Commission fires Beniamano Bufano from his commission to design and sculpt a frieze for the south wall of the north athletic field. In December, the commission and Board of Education approves the frieze designed by Sargent Johnson, a former Bufano assistant. April 1940: Work is begun by DeLuca & Sons on the auditorium to be erected between and connected to the Academic Unit and the gymnasiums. Fall 1940: A Junior Day Rally is the first event held in the new stadium. The athletic field, bleachers, auditorium
August 1937: The Board of Education allocates $16,408 for an architectural study and plans for the gymnasiums and athletic field. The estimated cost of completion is $293,000. December 1937: A PTA-sponsored dedication and open house, the first “Parents Go-to-School Night,” marks the opening of the shop unit which is the last portion of the original academic building to be ready for classes. The first Surveyor yearbook is published; the name, denoting
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and gymnasiums are formally dedicated on November 11.
original plan for George Washington High, Project No. 35, is completed in April 1952.
Summer 1942: Johnson’s frieze is installed. Covering over 2500 square feet, it depicts both ancient and modern sports with an Olympic theme.
March 1958: The article “Three Cheers for George Washington High!,“ by Frances Rummell, originally published in National Parent-Teacher magazine, is excerpted in Reader’s Digest, giving Washington its first national exposure.
June 1945: O.I. Schmaelzle appointed principal. Mr. Schmaelzle’s stern yet understanding demeanor is encapsulated in his motto, “When we work, we work hard; when we play, we play hard.” November 1945: To generate more spirit between the two schools, the annual football game against cross-town rival Abraham Lincoln, which opened in 1940, is christened the Bell Game, and the winner is awarded the Bell Trophy, patterned after the Stanford Axe. As of 2010, Washington has won 34 contests, Lincoln 31, and there has been one tie.
December 1958: Plans for Project No. 119, “Improvement to the Athletic Field, Track and Storage Shed,” are submitted in August and approved. The title of this undertaking is misleading since prior to this time the South Field did not have a field, track, goal posts, or shed. Bill Magner, former track coach and then-Industrial Arts Department chair, was the on-site liaison for the project and on more than a few occasions noted errors on the plans regarding curbing, header boards and the retaining wall in the southwest corner which were corrected before actual construction. The track was first used during the 1960 track season.
October 1948: The Memorial Clock, Class of 1946’s fundraising project, is hung outside the Main Office and dedicated to Washington students killed during World War II.
February 1951: Plans for the Music Unit Addition are submitted by architect Milton Pflueger (Timothy’s brother) to the Board of Education. This final segment of the
1962: The South Field is completed in the Spring, marking the final stage of campus construction. During the summer, two portable classrooms are moved from West Portal Elementary to Veterans’ Court, ending forever hopes for the swimming pool that had been located there in early planning. In the Fall, bleachers are installed south of Veterans’ Court overlooking the western end of track’s north straightway.
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June 1962: Ruth Adams appointed principal. Washington’s first female principal played a significant role in the preservation of the Arnautoff murals following student protests in the late 1960s about the murals’ depictions of Native Americans and the slave trade. The resolution of the issue concluded with a commission for artist Dewey Crumpler to produce three “response” murals. January 1963: As the school population swelled, three more portable classrooms were placed between the asphalt lot just south of the gymnasiums (the former faculty parking lot) and the south field. 1964: In April the Homemaking Facilities in Room 114 are rehabilitated, and during the summer the floors of both Gyms are re-marked and re-finished. Plans are completed and accepted for complete exterior painting of all buildings. As part of the first district-planned maintenance program, most west-facing windows are replaced, and plumbing in the Academic Unit is provided with automatic sprinklers. June 1970: Saul Madfes, former baseball and football coach, is appointed principal. January 1971: The original lighting board on stage is replaced along with the original large cement dimmers in the basement. April 1972: The Academic Unit basement’s main boilers are converted to gas-firing boilers. The tennis courts are resurfaced. June 1974: The Dewey Crumpler murals are installed at the west end of the Main Hall. The three “response” murals depict the
American struggle for equality of African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, and Asians. The first Commencement is held on the football field; ceremonies are briefly
interrupted by streakers on the Esplanade. January 1975: The Class of Fall 1974 Commencement marks the final mid-year class, as the district-wide transition to single-year classes is completed. June 1976: Ralph Kauer appointed principal. Although only at GWHS for one year, he had a 36-year career in San Francisco as a coach, teacher and administrator. June 1977: Allan Torlakson appointed principal. Mr. Torlakson, a GW Class of Spring 1940 graduate, is the only Washington alumni to date who has served as the school’s chief administrator. His son Tom was a California legislator and was elected California Superintendent of Schools in November 2010. September 1978: The freshman Class of 1982 enters
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Washington as all S.F. high schools switch from 3-year to 4-year schools.
ing had only lasted a short time, and safety was a consideration in the $50,000 new surface, funded by the District. Fall 1989: The Academy of Business and Computers (now the Academy of Engineering and Information Technology, affiliated with the National Academy Foundation) is introduced. Sigismund Mo is the Director.
June 1981: Albert J. Vidal appointed principal. Spring 1982: Art teacher Carol Gadas’ senior art students design the first “Class of” murals to cover the main building’s East Wing (Rooms 138 to 141). Each succeeding class has followed the tradition by designing a mural to represent their years at Washington. The first mural by the Class of ‘82 has been moved to the west balcony of the Gyms.
Spring 1990: Major reconstruction begins. Since portions of the building must be vacated, a dozen new portable classrooms are moved onto the upper and lower courts, and large sections of the campus are fenced off. Barnes Construction are the contractors with Hardison, Komatsu, Ivelich and Tucker the architects. The major project goals are improved accessibility and asbestos abatement. Partitions are placed for individual counselors’ officers in a refitting of the entire counseling office. The Food Services facility, in Room 114 at that time, is remodeled. New offices are built between the Boys and Girls Gyms, and both offices are connected. The original large partition between gyms is removed and replaced by a retractable canvas partition to allow full court basketball games running east and west. The $16 million project was completed in the Spring of 1992.
March 1983: On St. Patrick’s Day, faculty and administration dedicated the Edward Gorham Computer Center in what had been Room 236. Ed Gorham had been a physics teacher and one of the committee which had advocated for two years to install computers at Washington. The later-to-be expanded facility was funded by the first of the site-initiated “Computer Walks” in the Spring of 1982. The committee of staff and faculty did all the painting and even some carpentry. April 1984: A committee of faculty, administration, alumni and PTA gathered with friends and family to dedicate the A.E. Lubamersky Industrial Arts Center, a year after his death. “Lube” was a machine shop teacher, football coach and vice-principal at Washington from 1954 to 1981. Depart-
May 1992: A groundbreaking ceremony was held to dedicate a new artificial surface track on the South Field as The Don Barksdale Track. The school raised $43,000 for the track, Save School Sports $60,000, and the remainder by the District. The track installation was finished by November.
June 1984: Two additional portable classrooms are moved into Veterans Court. The Gorham Computer Center is expanded and refurbished by the District to provide greater security, more grounded electrical outlets, rugs and a central control room.
November 1992: San Francisco Chronicle reporter Shann Nix publishes her Undercover Student article series, a result of her observations of Washington students and faculty during the previous month while enrolled as a student with approval from SFUSD and Principal Vidal. The series was conceived as an in-depth way to convey the devastating effects of continuing budget cuts in public schools. However, Undercover Student received widely mixed reviews from readers and the Washington community.
July 1984: Following advocacy by PTA President Carol Feminia, the tennis courts were re-done with a multi-colored artificial surface and added bleachers. The previous resurfac-
June 1995: Donald Mitchell appointed principal.
ment Chair Jim Yates, with Alumni and PTA support, led the drive for Board of Education approval of the resolution to rename the Shop Building. The signage was mounted by former students, colleagues and family.
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Fall 2002: Karl Ochi introduces Culinary Geography, a class which imparts lessons in world history and cultures, micro and macroeconomics, while teaching students how to prepare and think about food in a new light; the culmination of Karl’s award-winning teaching concepts he had been using in history and economics classes. October 2005: Alumni from Washington and Lincoln jointly coordinate the first Bell Game Party, held offsite following the game, for both schools’ alumni of all years.
June 1998: Camille Morishige appointed principal. September 1998: The Richmond Beacon, a partnership between Washington and the Richmond District Neighborhood Center, first staffs an office on campus to serve Washington students and the community at large with after-school activities, club sponsorships, and adult classes. Fall 1999: George Washington High School receives 6 year accreditation by the Western Association of Secondary Schools (WASC) and a Digital High School Grant from the California Department of Education. June 2000: Andrew W. Ishibashi appointed principal. April 2001: The Board of Education unanimously approves a resolution to rename the gym floor in honor of former Basketball Coach Alex Athanasopoulos. The dedication of Coach A’s Court took place in November with Coach A in attendance.
Spring 2006: Final semester of Auto Shop, the last of the traditional “shop” classes still offered at GWHS. Summer 2006: A new round of major reconstruction begins after a year of planning, with emphasis on increased accessibility and safety, funded by Proposition A bonds passed in 2003. The “temporary” classrooms installed in 1962 in Veterans’ Court, since renamed Seniors Court, are demolished. As reconstruction continues into the following years, classrooms and offices on each floor and wing of the academic building are relocated in turn. KYA is the architect and McCarthy the general contractor. June 2007: Ericka M. Lovrin appointed principal. Fall 2007: The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism (AOH&T), also affiliated with NAF, is introduced. Kathy Benson is the Director. Summer 2009: The final phase of reconstruction is completed with the installation of accessible ramps from the esplanade to the auditorium entrance, and interior and exterior paint throughout campus.
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2010: The South Field is transitioned to artificial turf in the spring, with the North Field converted during the summer; Verde Design are the landscape architects. Interior floors are also replaced during this time. The Class of 2010 is the last class to graduate on the natural turf. Fall 2011: Washington High celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary as the finest comprehensive public high school in San Francisco. Revised Feb. 2011 Primary sources: 1947 and 1962 Surveyor yearbooks Additional sources: Many Surveyor yearbooks and Eagle newspa-
pers, Mar. 1958 Readers Digest, many articles from the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, documentation from Jim Ruane, Al Vidal, Karl Ochi, Andy Ishibashi, Ericka Lovrin, Jennifer Black, and alumni. Color photos Tammy Aramian.
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