1962-1968 – Chester Shirk
Chester Shirk’s career with the Anaheim Union High School District began in 1938 when he came to Anaheim High as a math teacher and coach.
After serving in the Navy during World War II, Shirk returned to Anaheim in the Fall of 1946.
When population growth spurred the District to build more schools, Shirk was assigned to serve as a vice principal at Western Junior High, serving under Principal R. Kenton Wines.
Western was a junior high from 1954 to 1957. The first year for a complete senior high school was 1959 with the first graduating class in June 1959.
He then served as principal of Brookhurst Junior High, which officially opened Nov. 12, 1956, at 601 N. Brookhurst Ave., on land that had been used for Anaheim High farm and agricultural classes.
Shirk served as principal for just the first semester before he was called to help tranform Western from a junior to senior high school and became its first principal, a position he filled until coming to Anaheim High in 1962. He served as principal until 1968.
During his tenure at Anaheim High, Shirk was elected president of the CIF Southern Section Council. He served in that position from 1966-67. For many years, he was one of the leaders in the council and a representative of the powerful Sunset League.
