Los Angeles High School - Blue and White Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

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The Winter '95 Star and Crescent mresi- The new viewprincipal of Los Angeles dent, whose duties were those of the Stu- High School looks into a bright future. dent Body president of today. Annual is this statement: Although Mr. Oliver only came into the school at the begin- ning of the league season, the team has profited greatly by his tireless efforts. He makes the men work hard and practice regularly, and has done much toward developing a championship team. In 1911, Mr. Oliver became vice-principal to Mr. Housh. At the time of the United States' entrance in the World War, Mr'. Oliver was not of fighting ageg but he volunteered and was sent to Camp Lewis to take charge of the Y. M. C.A. Hut. A few months later, when older men were being called, he enlisted in the heavy artillery in the regular army at Fort MacArthur where mathematicians were needed. .He was ready to accept the position of lieutenant. When the armistice was signed, Mr. Shiels, then superintendent of schools in Los Angeles, immediately made a plea that Mr. Oliver be retired from the army because he was needed so much in Los Angeles High School. Mr. Oliver, again taking part in school life, was one of the committee 'who selected the present site of our school. He insisted that the grounds be large enough for adequate athletic facilities. The Board of Education expressed anxiety regarding this selection because the site was beyond the street car terminus, and it was necessary to induce the company to extend the line to West Boulevard. In 1925 at the death of Mr. Housh, Mr. Oliver succeeded him as principal. Since then, Los Angeles High School has had the most progressive and inspiring program of its entire history. It is to his love of music that we owe the idea for our beautiful chimes which distinguish Los Angeles High School from all other schools in the city, and to his appreciation of the importance of physical fitness that we have our excellent Oliver Swimming Pool. Mr. Oliver has a love and great interest in people. He tries to know as many of his students as possible, he claims as his friends all the soldiers whose names appear on the Memorial window of our beautiful Memorial Library. Perhaps, it may in some respects be due to the fact that he has two sons of his own that he is so understanding with young people. Now, on the eve of his retirement, Mr. Oliver is greatly beloved by his students as well as by the teachers, parents, and people who have come to know him and to appre- ciate his fine, devoted, and untiring services in the field of education. As this term draws to a close, it marks the end of his brilliant term as principal. Simply and sincerely Mr. Oliver says to the students of his school, I want you to feel that this is your school g and as he bids farewell to the duties and activities of being principal, he voices with assurance and affection the belief that Los Angeles High will carry on as a school that believes in young people, a school that has a genuine desire to build up their character and citizenship, to give them happiness but, above everything else, a feeling of respon- sibilityf' Yes, Mr. Oliver, Los Angeles High will carry on, believing in youth, believing in America, and upholding the ideals that you have so desired us to possess. We shall take closer to our hearts the motto: Obedience to Lawg Respect for Others: Mastery of Self: Joy in Service: These Constitute Life, praying that it may constitute our lives as nobly and successfully as it has molded yours.

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Ernest Warner Gliver Mr. Oliver's dreams of a rural future were cut short, however, upon the death of his father, Mr. Henry Oliver, in a railroad accident. After this tragic episode, Mrs. Oliver took her four children to the small town of Los Angeles, which even then Was noted for its excellent schools. Los Angeles High School had just moved into the red schoolhouse on Fort Moore Hill when Mr. Oliver entered the ninth grade, and his was the first class to spend all four high school years in this new buiding. Athletics, then as now, were his great love, and he took an active part in all the sports available. He was a boy who always wanted to win and was exhuberant when his team was victorious. However, he was philosophically cheerful when it lost. As Los Angeles High School was the only high school in the city at that time, the teams had to compete with the local col- leges. The football team of which he was a valuable member, still remembers the day when L. A. won from U. S. C. Not satisfied, however, to rest upon the laurels garnered from his athletic prowess, Mr. Oliver organized and commanded the Los Angeles High School Cadets, a small body of boys whose reward for long and patient drilling was participation in the annual La Fiesta Parade. Then, in his senior year, Mr. Oliver be- came president of Star and Crescent, which was equivalent to our Student Body organ- ization. In 1895, he graduated from the school which he was later to direct. After graduation, Mr. Oliver learned the tile setting trade, for his mother, always mindful of the best interests of her boy, wished him to learn to use his hands as well as his head. He continued at work for a year and a half until he entered the University of California at Berkeley in S'96. At this time, his great talent for leadership again mania fested itself, and he became Senior Captain of the University's Battalion. At the time of Mr. Oliver's graduation in 1900, one of his favorite mentors, Professor Moses, was appointed a commissioner to the Philippines and was charged with the task of establishing civil government on the Islands. Dr. Moses very graciously extended an invitation to Mr. Oliver to accompany him and to aid him in establishing schools. Mr. Oliver first taught in the Nautical Academyg then he became principal in an American day and night school. In his leisure time, he carried baseball kits about the island to teach the natives this great American game. The words strike and out soon became a part of the vocabularies of the non-English speaking natives. He took advantage of his vacations by traveling through China, Japan, and India. During his stay on the Islands, he made a trip home by way of the Pacific Ocean and stopped for a short while at Hono- lulu. His love of nature was never failing. Mr. Oliver etched in his memory the glorious sunsets, which he still recalls. After seven years of helpful assistance in establishing American principles of Democracy, Mr. Oliver made his final return home by way of Singapore, India, Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, France and England. Mr. Oliver was not to be permitted to sink into idleness. In 1908. three months after returning to the United States, he was asked to come to Los Angeles High School to teach. The familiar rivalry sprang up once again between this school and Polytechnic High School, as both schools wanted Mr. Oliver. But Mr. Housh, then principal of L.A. High, advanced the argument that Mr. Oliver had graduated from Los Angeles High School, and so the battle was won. For three years, Mr. Oliver taught mathematics and history and coached baseball, and was commandant of L.A.H.S.Cadets. In the S'08 Semi- The proud bearing of this future lrader The famous Los Angeles High School football team that beat U.S.C. Mr ts emdenced even at seven years. Oliver is second from the left in the middle row.

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Ernest Oliver