Search Results for: organ

June Jungkeit Glenn – Class of 1955

January 26, 2016 by

June-Class of 1955 001Dr. June Glenn has contributed more than 50 years of service to the Anaheim community, including serving as president and a board member of the Anaheim Public Library Foundation.

Born in Long Beach and raised in Anaheim, June graduated from Anaheim High School and Fullerton College. Completing a BA and MA in Education at Chapman University, she continued her studies at the USC, where she earned a doctorate in education.

Working as an educator for the Anaheim City School District, she also taught graduate classes in reading education and psycholinguistics at CSU Northridge, Pepperdine University, and at the USC.

An active member of many service organizations in Anaheim, Dr. Glenn was honored in 2014 by the Cypress College Foundation American Citizen of the Year.

Her civic and philanthropic work includes serving as a member and chair of the City of Anaheim’s Community Development Advisory Board and the Anaheim Community Service Board. Anaheim Sister Cities Association received her services for more than 25 years as a member of the executive board and as the coordinator and teacher of the Student Exchange program.

She serves on the executive board of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim, the Anaheim Arts Council, Woman’s Division of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, and the KCGA Foundation. Since 2006, she has served as treasurer and scholarship chairman of We Give Thanks, an organization founded by Frank Garcia, a previous recipient of the Americana Man of the Year. Her presence on the Anaheim Public Library Foundation Board of Directors is a source of pride, serving as President (2000-2014) and chairing its annual fundraising event from 2002-2014. In addition, Sunkist Community Church has received many years of service from Dr. Glenn, a charter member.

june GlennDr. Glenn has been recognized by many organizations. She received a Women of Distinction Award from the Anaheim Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association, Remarkable Woman Award by the Orange County Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (2005), Local Hero Volunteer of the Year from the Bank of America, and won three Honorary Service Awards and the California Golden Oak Service Award from the Parent Teacher’s Association. She was named Educator of the Year by the Anaheim City School District, and Kiwanian of the Year by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim, (2002, 2009).

 

Filed Under: Alumni Spotlight

Susan Warden Faessel – Class of 1967

January 26, 2016 by

Susan Warden-Class of 1967 001Susan Faessel, a resident of Anaheim since 1960, is an alumnae who serves as a shining example to today’s Colonists of  a citizen who gives back to her community. Susan has worked with numerous service organizations, especially those helping spread literacy and improving library services for Anaheim citizens.

In 2002, Faessel was appointed to the Anaheim Library Board, serving as its chair for six of the seven years. Concurrently she served on the Santiago Library System Board as a representative for Anaheim.  She’s past president of the State of California Association of Library Trustees and Commissioners. During that time, Susan was involved in the planning and execution of a number of Anaheim Library capital projects.

Faessel also worked to establish relationships between various Anaheim City Departments that resulted in enhance Library facilities and operations, such as the final funding component of Anaheim’s second Bookmobile. She also belongs to Friends of Anaheim Library.

A graduate of CSU Fullerton, Susan received her Master’s in Educational Technology from Azusa Pacific University in 2001. She retired in 2009 from her 34 year career with the Orange Unified School District as a Speech Pathologist. In July 2011, Susan was appointed to the Anaheim Public Utilities Board and currently serves as its vice president.

Susan continues serving on boards and commissions for the City of Anaheim, including the Anaheim Historical Society, Mother Colony Household and Anaheim Museum. She is a founding member of Anaheim’s MuZeo Cultural Arts and History Center.

She is also an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Anaheim, serving as the club’s president for two terms. The club has honored her with its Rookie of the Year and the Kiwanis Formula Award.

In addition, Susan is a member of Anaheim Ebell Club and Anaheim Beautiful. Along with her husband, Stephen, Susan supports Anaheim Fall Festival, Flag Day, Paint Your Heart Out and Anaheim Beautiful programs such as Green Ribbon Week, Neighborhood Clean Up, Memorial Tree and Holiday Lights Tour.

Faessel also participates on the Anaheim Redevelopment Downtown Design Task Force, the oversight committee of the Anaheim Redevelopment Agency. She was involved in planning Founders’ Park.  In June 2009, she served for two years on the Anaheim Community Service Board that studies and makes Federal Community Development Block Grant funding recommendations to the City Council for various Anaheim not-for-profit social services programs.

She was honored to have her name placed at the Canyon Power Plant and at the Anaheim Water Recycling Demonstration Facility. She was also honored by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce Women’s Division with its Annie Accolade Award.  For her tireless service to the Anaheim Community, Susan and her husband are being honored as the 2016 Cypress College Foundation American Citizens of the Year.

Filed Under: Alumni Spotlight

Dan Barker – Class of 1967

January 26, 2016 by

Barker, Dan-Class of 1967 001Daniel Edwin “Dan” Barker, born June 25, 1949, is an atheist activist who served as a Christian preacher and musician for 19 years but left Christianity in 1984. He has written numerous articles for Freethought Today, an American freethought newspaper, and is the author of several books including Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist and his latest, GOD: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction.

Barker received a degree in religion from Azusa Pacific University and was ordained to the ministry by the Standard Community Church, California, in 1975. He served as associate pastor at a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) church, an Assembly of God, and an independent Charismatic church. To this day, he receives royalties from his popular children’s Christian musicals, Mary Had a Little Lamb (1977) and His Fleece Was White as Snow (1978), both published by Manna Music. A successful musician, Barker has composed over 200 songs that have been published or recorded.

In 1984 he announced to his friends that he was an atheist, and appeared on AM Chicago (hosted by Oprah Winfrey) later that year on a show about “kicking the religion habit.” Barker met his wife when both were guests on the show. They began dating six months later and married in 1987. They have a daughter, Sabrina Delata.

He is a member of the Lenni Lenape (Delaware Indian) Tribe of Native Americans, and in 1991 edited and published Paradise Remembered, a collection of his grandfather’s stories as a Lenape boy in Indian Territory.

He is the current co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an American Freethought organization that promotes the separation of church and state. He is also co-founder and a board member of The Clergy Project.

Barker, along with his wife, host a weekly one hour radio program Freethought Radio that is nationally broadcast. He Dan_Barkerhas appeared on dozens of national television and radio programs to discuss and debate issues related to atheism and the separation of state and church. He has discussed nativity scenes on government property, the campaign against a Mother Teresa stamp, prayer in public schools, and has appeared on Phil Donahue, Hannity & Colmes, Maury Povich, Good Morning America, Sally Jessy Raphael, among other shows. He was featured in a New York Times article about the growing of atheism in Southern states, has given addresses on his own de-conversion across the United States, and has participated in more than 120 debates around the world.

Books

Maybe Yes, Maybe No: A Guide for Young Skeptics. (1990)

Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist. (1992)

Just Pretend (2002)

Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America’s Leading Atheists (2008)

The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God (2011)

Life Driven Purpose: How an Atheist Finds Meaning (2015)

Music

Mary Had a Little Lamb (1977)

His Fleece Was White as Snow (1978)

Music Albums

Night at Nakoma (2008)

Friendly Neighborhood Atheist (2002)

Beware of Dogma (2004)

Adrift On A Star (2013)

Filed Under: Alumni Spotlight

Virnell Bruce – Class of 1964

January 26, 2016 by

1964 001Anaheim High Class of ’64 Virnell Bruce is the author of “Shells: A Cameo of Anne Morrow Lindbergh.” She is also a playwright and wrote a one-woman, two-act play based on Anne Morrow Lindbergh, one of the most accomplished women of the 20th century.Shells

Her book won a Special Citation Awarded from The Colonial Dames of America, an organization that recognizes non-fiction books of merit that focus on American life—past, present, or future—that broaden the understanding of American history, politics, or culture.

Virnell, whose career in the aerospace industry spanned 36 years, teaches at the Christopher Wren Association, an educational program affiliated with the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Virnell has a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English.Bruce, V.

Filed Under: Alumni Spotlight

A History of Anaheim High

January 16, 2016 by

A HISTORY OF ANAHEIM (UNION) HIGH SCHOOL

Pride of the Colony – Built on Tradition

Anaheim High School, first established in 1898,  is the oldest of nine comprehensive high schools in the Anaheim Union High School District. It is the third oldest high school in Orange County, behind Santa Ana (1889) and Fullerton Union High School (1893).

Following is a timeline of the formation of Anaheim High, from its humble beginnings in an crude adobe structure to a clapboard, then brick, then a columned “Crown of the Colony” Greek Revival, to its current art deco building.

ANAHEIM HIGH SCHOOL TIMELINE

1859 – Soon after the first German colonists arrive, they petition the Los Angeles County superintendent to establish a school in Anaheim, their new home by the Santa Ana River.

1860 – Anaheim’s first school opens in an adobe building located on a lot owned by August Langenberger, a prominent merchant and colony leader. The first teacher is Fred William Kuelp. His initial nine students are: Carola, Regina and Fred Langenberger; Elmina and Louise Lorenz; Pifanio and Antonio Burruel; and Tomas and Felipe Yorba.

1862 – One hundred dollars, paid in pure gold, purchases one of Anaheim’s original city lots for a new adobe school house. The new building is destroyed shortly thereafter by flood. Classes are moved to the second story of the Langenberger building and later moved again back to the adobe where classes were first held. This building is also occupied by the Anaheim Water Co. and a third room of this building served as the town jail. The school master was also the town’s notary public and justice of the peace.

1867 – Anaheim School District is formed.

1869 –  Anaheim’s first teacher Fred William Kuelp resigns due to ill health. He is replaced by Carl Van Gulpen, who is replaced shortly thereafter by James Miller Guinn, a Civil War Veteran who becomes known as the “Father of Anaheim” education.

1870 –  The first monthly report of Anaheim students lists an enrollment of 91 students, divided into two departments (Primary and Grammar) and taught by two teachers. The town’s population at this time is estimated at 1,000.

1871 –  The first school exhibit is staged with a program of declamations, dialogues, farces, tableaux and music. By charging a fee for this first open house, Guinn is able to purchase charts and an outline map for the school. Guinn also establishes the first final examination dates, which included an oral exam that was open to the public.

1874 –  Guinn, a graduate of Oberlin College in Ohio, serves as teacher and principal, offering subjects for high school diploma and classifies students into grades. His 20 pupils attend school in an adobe building with one window, empty boxes and benches for seats and crudely constructed tables for desks.

1877 –  A plot of land 231 Chartres Street is purchased for a new school building at the cost of $1,500.

1878 – Guinn writes and champions a bond to construct a new school building, raising $10,000. When the bill is passed by the legislature on March 12, 1878, it marks the first time ever in California that a school district uses a bond issue to finance new school facilities.

1879 – The new two-story Central School, called the “handsomest school building in the country outside of Los Angeles,” opens on January 16. The school, which features as clock steeple and bell tower, is built in the center of a two-acre lot at 231 Chartres Street. The 217 elementary through high school students are taught by two men and two women who are paid $75 a month.

1880 –  Matilda Rimpau, daughter of Anaheim pioneer Theodore Rimpau, is the first student in the Anaheim school system to earn a high school diploma.

1869-1881 – James M. Guinn

1881 – Guinn resigns his position as teacher and principal to become Los Angeles Superintendent of Schools. From the time of his resignation through 1898, there are no high school classes taught in Anaheim.

1898 – High school classes officially begin on the second floor of Central School after C.P. Evans, principal of Loara Elementary School, convinces the school board that classes should extend past the ninth year. Evans becomes principal and, assisted by Miss Helen French, they teach a student body of 39 student, 17 boys and 22 girls in grades nine through twelve.

1900 – Football begins with the first recorded game played against Fullerton at Anaheim on Nov. 6. Anaheim wins 2-0. Local sports reporters began referring to Anaheim High teams as the “Mother Colonists.”

1901 – When Central School becomes overcrowded, citizens fund a $12,500 bond measure to buy land, build a separate high school building and equip it. Anaheim’s first high school, an imposing brick structure, is constructed on south side of Lincoln (then Center), between Harbor and Citron. Principal Fred G. Athearn over sees seven teaches. Central School’s first seven graduates are: Edith Bannerman, Alma Mills, Dora Snyder, John Dauser, Bernard Snyder, Bowman Merritt and Welborn Wallop.

1902 –  The high school’s first literary effort, The Stentorian, is published in February and sold for 50 cents per year. The first issue shows a photo of the faculty and the graduating class of 1902: Arthur G. Baker, Carl Zeus, Olga Boege and Ruth D. EnReal. The first meeting of the Anaheim High Girl’s Athletic Association (GAA) is held on Oct. 5.

1905 – Principal J.F. Walker oversees a student body of 79 students.

 1908 – Citizens unite to form Anaheim Union High School District. AUHSD becomes the largest union school district in California, covering 46 square miles.  Students feed into Anaheim junior highs from Anaheim, Cypress, La Palma, Stanton, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor and portions of Garden Grove, Orange, Fullerton and Buena Park. Anaheim High is joined in the District by Loara District and, by petition, Magnolia District.

1910 – The student body is outgrowing Central School. There’s demand for more room, as well as for a richer course of study. An auditorium and rooms for manual training and domestic science are added. Physical education is added to the curriculum. Up to this time, the curriculum consists of math, English, Latin, German, biology, chemistry, and history.

1911 – Music and commercial subjects were added to the curriculum. Principal Walker teaches science while overseeing 10 teachers. Voters approve a $150,000 bond to purchase 11 acres a half block from existing school site at the northeast corner of Lincoln (then Center) and Citron. Construction of a Greek Revival high school begins and, within the year, a group of six buildings is erected.

The school building at 608 W. Center (now Lincoln) is sold to the elementary school district for $25,000. The building is demolished in 1937 to make way for the construction of Fremont Junior High, which was closed in 1979 and demolished in 1980.

1912 – New Greek-revival Anaheim Union High School is dedicated and graduates its first class of 17 students. By the following year, almost 200 had earned a high school diploma from the school’s combined campuses.

1918 – Class of 1918 becomes the first to wear caps and gowns at graduation.

1919  – The school adopts a logo (or crest) of a laurel wreath, topped by an open book, with the school’s initials AUHS appearing in the center of the wreath. This design appears on the cover of the 1919 yearbook.

1920s – Music education begins with teacher Joshua Williams giving free lessons in an effort to assemble a complete orchestra. He continued this practice over three decades.

1920 – March 19 of this year Volume 1, Edition 1 of the Anaheim High School newspaper is published. The paper was 7 ½ inches-by-10 inches. It not only contained news pertaining to the school, but also included a Chinese student directory, news on the Russian Bolshevik movement, and a United Press story on new games being played by girls and boys.

1921 – In November of this year an official mascot name is selected by Anaheim High’s staff and student body. In a spirited contest, the three top name choices were the “Homers,” “Pioneers,” and “Colonists.”  The school newspaper reported: “Colonists was the final choice as the appropriate, dignified name for the representatives of the “Mother Colony.”

1924 – First high school swimming pool in Orange County opens on the AHS  campus.

1927 – Clayes Stadium in constructed and, at some point in the school’s history, is named after Joseph Clayes, Anaheim High’s longest serving principal. The athletic field is called Clayes Field. Painting the stadium with class years becomes a Colonist tradition.

1928  – Principal Joseph Clayes, who first joined the school staff as a teacher of art and commerce, designed the first logo of a pilgrim profile embedded in the book-topped laurel wreath. The new Colonist logo appears on page 2 of the 1928 yearbook with a copyright notation.

1929 – The Colonist pilgrim logo appears on the yearbook cover.

1933 – Long Beach earthquake irreparably damages AUHS, requiring its demolition. Construction begins on a new art deco administration building as part of the Work Projects Administration (WPA) project #8291.

1936 – A new art deco AUHS main building, library and auditorium are dedicated.

 

1937 –  A sunken garden and fountain in school’s central patio is created.

1939 – The Class of 1940 football team wins the Sunset League Championship.

1940 – Robert Morton theater organ installed in Cook Auditorium, and a new swimming pool replaces its 1924 predecessor.

1950 – Beginning of the coach Clare Van Hoorebeke’s legendary football era, which endured through 1972.

1953 – Anaheim High’s first drill team is formed and is coached by Helen Gruenfelder.

1956 – On Dec. 14, Anaheim Colonists tie the Downey Vikings in the CIF Southern Section title game at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Considered the most highly attended high school football game in California history, both teams came into the legendary game undefeated. Unmatched in terms of local interest, young idols and a record-setting crowd, the game is still being celebrated by historians, football fans and alumni from both high schools.

1957 – Western High School opens with students who graduate as seniors in 1960, ending Anaheim’s reign as the city’s only high school. According to Louise Booth’s AUHSD history.

1959 – Anaheim plays Western in football, marking the first time Anaheim played a high school within the same district.

1960s – School district returns Anaheim High to its original name, dropping Union from its title. New buildings are constructed during this time, replacing the remaining pre-earthquake coded buildings.

1960 – On October 16, Anaheim High hosts the NBA world champion Boston Celtics against the new Los Angeles Lakers in an exhibition matchup held in the gymnasium.1964 – New “cereal bowl” fountain replaces sunken garden.

1967 – The Class of 1968 Varsity Football Team wins the CIF Division AAAA Championship.

1972 – The Art Quad and other buildings are constructed to replace old barracks that had been “temporary” quarters for 15 years.

1977 – “Wimpy’s Stand,” a popular student landmark for several decades, is changed into the Student Activities Office. The building was taken down in 2007.

1997  – Alumni join with the Class of 1997 to plan the school’s 100th anniversary in 1998. It turned out to be a great day with activities all throughout the campus, starting on the athletic field with a ceremony and band performance. The day ended with a musical program presented by AHS alumni and presentations by members of the planning committee.

2008 –  Two new buildings with 49 state-of-the-art classrooms open. Classes begin February 2009.

2009  – In February of this year, Anaheim High graduates established the school’s first federal- and state-recognized non-profit corporation. The mission of the Anaheim High School Alumni Association (AHSAA) is to promote and support opportunities and programs for the benefit of the Anaheim High School students

2009  – On October 10, the AUHSD holds the Grand Re-Opening of Anaheim High celebrating the construction of two new buildings and other campus improvements. The newly formed AHS Alumni Association plays a major role in the dedication ceremony.

2014  – Anaheim High Varsity Soccer Team wins the CIF Division III Southern Section Championship.

2017 – Robert Saldivar from Class of 1996 becomes the first alumnus to become Principal of Anaheim High School.

2017 – On December 28, demolition of Clayes Stadium begins. Constructed in 1927, it was the oldest structure on the campus at 90 years old.

2018  – Anaheim High School launches a digital newspaper, Anaheim Exclusivo. Previously, Anaheim High’s school newspaper was published from 1920 through the 1990s. For several decades it was named “Anaranco” under advisor Lawrence Quille.

2018 – In October of this year, the Fassel Fitness Center is dedicated by Jim Fassel ’67, in memory of his father, Bud Fassel, Anaheim High’s longtime athletic trainer.  The new state- of-the-art equipment aids in the training of the football team and other athletic teams at Old AU.

2019 – On December 13, the AUHSD unveils the new Jon Urbanchek Aquatics Center, a state-of- the-art facility that includes a swimming pool, offices and new locker rooms. Anaheim High soon debuts a new swim team, the first in 29 years. Shortly thereafter, a water polo team is established, the first since 1991.

2019  – On March 13, the AHS campus is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes are conducted virtually through the rest of the school year. The Class of 2020 graduates with a virtual ceremony, the first in the school’s history

2020 – The Class of 2020-21 continues with virtual learning and the campus remains closed throughout the school year.

2021 – In spring, sports teams are able to practice on campus, but competition starts and stops due to COVID-19 surges. The Class of 2021 is able to graduate in person with only parents attending. The ceremony is held at Western’s Handel Stadium.

2021  – On August 11, classes resume on campus. During the 17 months the campus is closed, the campus receives numerous upgrades. Solar-powered lunch tables are installed for students to charge their devices. A new lunch area and additional benches are added to provide more shaded seating areas for students. The campus is beautified with new murals representing Colonist Spirit, Pride, and Tradition, and the school’s entire exterior receives a fresh coat of paint. Improvements were also made to the athletic fields, and to HVAC, fire alarm and security systems.

Photos: Courtesy of Anaheim Public Library & the AHSAA

References:

“One To Twenty-Eight – A History of Anaheim Union High School District” by Louise Booth

AUHS and AHS yearbooks, especially copy written by Vice Principal Bella J. Walker.

Scrapbooks donated to the AHSAA.

“Anaheim” by Elizabeth J. Schultz and Stephen J. Faessel, a chapter in “A Hundred Years of Yesterdays,” published by the Orange County Historical Commission.

“Anaheim Colonists Football – A Century of Tradition” by Dennis Bateman

Other sources: “Anaheim High (Central School)” by Brad Pettigrew

Filed Under: AHS History

AHS Loses Hall of Famer Dave Bourne – Class of 1957

February 2, 2015 by

D. BourneDave Bourne comes by his musical talents naturally. His father Ted Bourne was the instrumental music instructor for 27 years for the Anaheim City School District which at that time included Fremont Junior High and five elementary schools. Dave started piano lessons at 6 years of age and his father taught him trumpet, trombone, baritone, and string bass.

Dave was in the last freshman class at AUHS and while there he encountered former vaudevillian Red Hamilton who introduced him to ragtime. Red worked for the school district as a piano tuner, stage manager, and maintenance man. Red was a great ragtime piano player who also played the banjo, drums, and cornet. Red’s great granddaughter is Gwen Stefani of the group No Doubt.

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Filed Under: Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame 2012, In Memory Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Donald R. Betzsold – Oct. 28,1925 – May 6, 2014

May 31, 2014 by

Don Betzold funeral imageDonald R. Betzold 1943Donald Roy Betzsold from AUHS Class of 1943 passed away peacefully at age 88 on May 6, 2014, in Anaheim, where he was born Oct. 28, 1925. Donald lived in Anaheim most of his life except for a brief period in 1938, when he lived in Tacoma, Washington.

While at Anaheim High, Donald was a scholar-athlete, playing baseball and football. In recent years he enjoyed attending the varsity football games with his daughter Robyne Betzsold, a teacher at Anaheim High School.

He met his wife, Ruby Strange, to whom he was married for nearly 70 years, when he was serving in the U.S. Navy in WWII. She died in 2008.

Donald attended Fullerton College and later the University of Southern California, where he received his architectural degree. He worked for Frank Homolka and Associates in Long Beach, designing many Home Savings, as well as buildings at CSU Long Beach and the Belmont Plaza swimming pool for the 1984 Olympics. He also designed several private homes in Orange County.

On a community level, Donald served as president of the Anaheim Historical Society and organized their display at the 100th Anniversary of the Orange County Fair in Costa Mesa.

Donald was especially proud of his 65 years in the Elks. He joined the Anaheim Elks with his father and brother. When that Elks closed, Donald moved to the Buena Park Elks Lodge 2046, the “Lodge with a Heart.” He held many positions with the Elks and served as Exalted Ruler from 1995 to 1996.

One of his most rewarding accomplishments was raising funds for Buena Park Junior High’s American Heritage Scholarship Program to send students to visit Washington, D.C. One year he traveled with them. In his last years, Donald kept active with the Elks and visited Walnut Village to help patients enjoy Bingo. He was living at Walnut Village at the time of his death.

Don Betzsold's parents, George and Mary, were owners of Betzsold Studios, a long-time Anaheim business.

Don Betzsold’s parents, George and Mary, were owners of Betzsold Studios, a long-time Anaheim business.

Donald is survived by his daughter, Robyne Betzsold; granddaughter, Jennifer Balsiger; and grandson, Austin Lawrence. He was interned at Anaheim Cemetery.

Filed Under: In Memory

Wilhelmina G. Van Hunnick – July 27, 1936 – April 29, 2009

May 21, 2014 by

One of Anaheim High’s exemplary graduates was Wilhelmina Grace Van Hunnick from Class of 1954.

After graduating 15th in her class at Anaheim High, Willi (as she was known by her friends and family), she attended USC, where she was a business major and member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She also served as a USC Associate and on the Humanities Committee for Letters, Arts, and Science.

Anaheim was to continue benefitting from this pioneer daughter who returned to her hometown to teach for 32 years in the Anaheim Union High School District. She became a renowned business teacher at John F. Kennedy High School, earning Teacher of the Year three times and Orange County Teacher of the Year.

She served as chairman of Kennedy High Business Department and as an advisor for Future Business Leaders of America, a program with Wilhelmina G. Van Hunnick_NEW_0001which she was involved throughout her high school years. Her service as a student adviser, as well as a member of the organization’s Board of Directors at the state and national level, earned her a place in the FBLA Wall of Fame and the title of California Business Person of the Year.

Along with her passion for teaching, Ms. Van Hunnick loved the performing arts and chaired the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, helping establish a state-of-the-art auditorium at high school.

Wilhelmina and Elizabeth Van HunnickHer sister, Elizabeth Van Hunnick from Class of 1956, taught at Fremont Junior High School and is a Lifetime Member of the Anaheim High School Alumni Association and has donated many of her and her sister’s AUHS memorabilia items to the Alumni Association’s for preservation.

More about Wilhelmina’s life can be read at:

http://www.kpacfoundation.org/wilhelmina_vanhunnick.html

 

Filed Under: In Memory Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

AHSAA Announces First Endowed Scholarship

May 20, 2014 by

Gania (Demaree) Trotter, an Anaheim Union High School Class of 1944 graduate, along with other alumni, has established an endowed scholarship through the AHS Alumni Association to honor her father, Dr. Paul H. Demaree, who served as a AUHS teacher and administrator from 1925 through 1958.

The income from the endowment will provide annual scholarships for Anaheim High graduates to further their educations and advancement to professional careers. All alumni are invited to contribute to this fund as a centerpiece of continuing care for their alma mater. Many former AUHS students may personally remember Dr. Demaree or may have parents who were students during his years at AUHS.

Demaree’s tenure at Anaheim High started when he joined the AUHS staff as a teacher of social studies and to coach football and baseball. In 1926, Demaree’s “B” team had the best record of all the AUHS teams. Upon the death of Joseph A. Clayes, who served as principal for nearly 22 years from 1919 to 1941, the School Board rehired Demaree, who had left Anaheim for three years to serve as principal of Capistrano High School.

At the first assembly of the 1941 school year, Demaree reminded the student body that “principal” ended in “pal,” a word he hoped would describe his relationship with the students. Not only was he a friend and father figure to Anaheim pupils and teachers, four of his students were his own children, including daughters Kathleen (’38), Gania (’44), Ruth (’45) and and son Dan (’50).

It was most definitely a family affair for Demaree and his wife, Mary, who often entertained students and teachers at their home and, for many years, prepared and served a turkey dinner to the faculty and staff as a prelude to the school holiday break.

He was also a beloved figure in the community and gave leadership to the Rotary Club, his church and the YMCA. Mr. and Mrs. Demaree worked each summer at the YMCA’s Camp Osceola in the San Bernardino Mountains, where they would cook elaborate meals for camp’s teenage occupants. Memorable to many from that era were the hot caramel yeast rolls the Demarees baked each morning for the hungry campers.

An active board member of the local YMCA, he also found time to be counselor for the Blue and Gold Hi-Y Club of more than 100 members. Six of them jointly shared valedictorian honors at graduation in 1950.

Demaree also organized a Toastmaster’s program to encourage public speaking skills in the community. He is credited with being one of the original founders of Toastmasters International. He also founded a Junior Toastmasters program at the high school.

The start of World War II dramatically changed the atmosphere of AUHS when 50 students of Japanese descent were forced to relocate with their families to concentration camps. Demaree was vocal in speaking out against the discrimination towards Japanese-Americans, a very courageous position to take considering the war fervor at the time. Demaree kept in touch with many Japanese-American students who were interred during the war and encouraged them to continue their studies.

Life at the high school was further affected as students left for jobs in the defense industry and to serve in the military. Demaree asked all his students to carry identification cards in case of bombings. On the first day of school in 1942, Principal Demaree called the student body together with all of them being sworn in the Victory Corps. Students participated in scrap metal drives and held contests to sell the most war bonds and stamps. All teachers were required to take a 10-week course in first aid.

When a manpower shortage affected the 1943 harvest, Demaree responded to pleas for student volunteers from local farmers by declaring half day schedules (called the Victory Schedule)  from the beginning of school in September through mid-October.

The popular Nutrition Period of today originated in 1943, when Demaree introduced a 10-minute “relaxation period” because too many students were coming to school without eating until noon. He felt their health and learning efficiency were impaired.

The war in Europe was over just as the Class of 1945 was getting ready to graduate. The Japanese surrendered in August, leaving a sense of freedom in the United States that had not been felt for years. Demaree held the first assembly on Sept. 24 at which he introduced the new student body president who read the list of AUHS students who had died in the war.

The next 10 years saw the City of Anaheim evolve from a sleepy farm community to a post-war boom town. Change was inevitable for the school as well. For the first time since the District’s establishment, Anaheim High’s principal vacated his post to become the full-time superintendent. Demaree and his staff kept up a frantic pace of buying land and building schools to keep ahead of the educational needs of the children moving into Anaheim. The District asked Anaheim residents to approve a bond measure for $6 million to help accomplish this monumental task.

Demaree retired in 1958 when the building program was in full swing. Yet even after retirement, Demaree continued to be involved in the dedication of new schools in the AUHSD. Throughout his time as Anaheim’s principal and the District superintendent, Demaree provided steady leadership and support to the students and teachers, continually espousing the “one family” concept for the faculties of schools as new ones opened.

Demaree left behind a legacy as one of Anaheim High’s most beloved principals, serving during a time of amazing transformation of the school system and its students. He will continue to serve as a benefactor to the students of Anaheim High School through the newly established “Dr. Paul Demaree Endowed Scholarship.”

To donate to this fund, which will be managed by the Scholarship Committee of the AHSAA, a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation, please send a donation to the AHSAA, P.O. Box 389, Anaheim, CA, 92815, with the notation that the donation is to be placed in the Paul H. Demaree Endowment fund. Questions may be address to anaheimalumni@yahoo.com. For more information on the AHSAA, visit www.anaheimcolonists.com.

Filed Under: Featured Articles

Oanh Nguyen – Class of 1991

May 3, 2014 by

Anaheim High alumnus Oanh Nguyen, founder of the award-winning Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills, has built a career in the entertainment field as an actor and director since graduating in 1991.

Originally from Saigon, Oanh and his family came to the United States in the ‘70s. Spending most of his formative years in Orange County, it was at Anaheim High School where he first discovered theater.
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Filed Under: Hall of Fame 2009
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