Anaheim High’s most notable alumni will be celebrated on Wednesday, Sept. 9 Induction and Unveiling Ceremony that will begin at 6 p.m. in the school’s recently renovated Cook Auditorium.
The Hall of Fame has been in place since 2003 and includes 68 inductees, but this is the first year that a wide-scale celebration will take place to bring attention to Anaheim High’s outstanding alumni.
After a ceremony to celebrate the Hall of Famers, including seven new inductees, guests will be ushered to a new display in the school’s Main Building Hallway, where plaques with “then and now” photos and a summary of each inductee’s accomplishments line the walls of the historic high school’s Main Building.
Signage is in place to indicate the Hall of Fame category in which the inductees are placed, including Arts and Entertainment, Athletics, Business and Industry, Community and Country, and Faculty and Staff.
The event and the new Hall of Fame is being underwritten by the school’s Alumni Association, an active group of graduates who have raised thousands of dollars for annual scholarships, and to support school clubs and programs, and preserve Anaheim High’s rich traditions.
“For a school like Anaheim, the third oldest high school in Orange County, a Hall of Fame with our distinguished alumni means a lot toward developing spirit and pride our students and AHS community” said AHS Principal Rueben Calleros. “This program does two things: it recognizes individuals who make our school proud,” he continued, “and it helps our students learn about Anaheim High’s rich history.”
This year’s seven new inductees include:
Joseph A. Clayes, an AHS faculty member from 1914 to 1941, 22 of those years as principal. He designed the school’s first logo and helped establish City of Anaheim Parks and Recreation Department.
Mason Henry, Class of 1930, who served as a faculty member for 42 Years, only taking a leave during WWII when he served as a U.S. Naval officer. He founded Anaheim High’s counseling department.
Charles Pearson, Class of 1917, who served as class president and mayor of Anaheim from 1940 to 1959. He owned the county’s largest trucking company at the time, helped found Anaheim’s YMCA, and was instrumental in bringing Disneyland to Anaheim.
Marion Knott, Class of 1939, daughter of Walter and Cordelia Knott, founders of Knott’s Berry Farm. She expanded park attractions as director of Design, Planning and Entertainment. Marion was a major benefactor of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
Robert Fluor, Class of 1939, transformed his family’s small engineering shop in Anaheim into Fluor Corporation, an international construction and energy conglomerate. He joined Fluor in 1946 after returning from WWII. He served as a U.S. Air Force Pilot and earned a Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal. He served as president, then chairman and CEO of Fluor from 1962 through 1984 and was known as a civics and arts philanthropist.
Joseph Clayes III, Class of 1950, was a bright mathematics major at Anaheim High and served as co-editor of the school newspaper and treasurer of Lambda Sigma, a science club. The grandson of Principal Joseph Clayes, the longest serving Anaheim High Principal, Joseph enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and upon discharge, enrolled in the first class of Orange County State College, which evolved into California State University of Fullerton. He was the school’s third Student Body President. Clayes became a successful financial and real estate investor and an avocado rancher. A patron of the arts and a philanthropist, his trust helped fund the construction of the CSUF Performing Arts Center and supported many charities throughout the years.
Richard Baney, Class of 1965, an all-star athlete from a young age who was an All-Sunset League/All-Orange County/All-CIF-SS AAA Division pitcher who led Anaheim Baseball to back-to-back Sunset League Championships and CIF-SS AAA Division Quarterfinals. He was drafted by California Angels in 1965 in the Amateur Draft and played Major League Baseball for Seattle Pilots and the Cincinnati Reds. Upon retiring from baseball, he became a general contractor, real estate investor and property manager and advocated for retired ball players to receive better benefits.
For a complete list of Anaheim High Hall of Famers and their photos and bios, visit anaheimcolonists.com.
To RSVP for the event, email anaheimalumni@yahoo.com or call Janet Brown at 714-726-4372.
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