Canoga Park High School - Utopian Yearbook (Canoga Park, CA)

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MR. CHARLES CLIFFORD, Science Department Chairman IRENE PILAT Irene Pilat will raise windows for the last time in the library this june-windows she has raised since she first came to Canoga in 1938 as a teacher in English and Social Studies. In 1945 she crowded the first bouquet of flowers into a vase and stamped her first book as a librarian. Now with a startled flash, it's all over. Miss Pilat will desert her quiet surroundings, catch a boat un- aware and travel to Europe. Distant places, however, cannot destroy the seeding that Miss Pilat has done at Canoga. Even at this time, just before her retirement, there is this catch-breath of advice! a book is often more important than a man, for a book often outlives a man. A perfect book-that is the ideal. Was that ideal caught in New York in Irene Pilat's girlhood? At Berkeley where she majored in English? At the National City Bank where she gained her first professional library experience? Miss Pilat herself could write a book, if she were so minded, of all the vicissitudes at Cangoa Park. Student government is well set now, but Miss Pilat was here at its inception with Mr. Walter Monroe, as principal. Those were the days of the spring gymkhanas and noon class meetings where students barbecued their luncheons, while meet- ing with Miss Pilat, the co-sponsor of the B-9 class. Those were the days of the Greek Theatre, of model airplane meets and the million dollar bond drives. If you want to start up these memories, just check into The History of Canoga Park High School, 1914- 1957, where all is thrillingly preserved. Miss Pilat knows from experience what a book will do for a student, and on the afternoons when her whistling teakettle is on, undoubtedly it will sing, Try it.', After all, when one has power over one thing, one has power over everything. Somehow we can always remember Miss Pilat with affection- ate admiration, trying delicately to hypnotize the students into reading. Fine idea, Miss Pilat, and bon voyage! Pa ge F our DEDICATION To Miss Irene Pilat and Mr. Charles Clifford, we of the Annual Staff wish to respectfully dedicate the 1959 Utopian. CHARLES CLIFFORD After serving as a teacher and Science Department chairman at Canoga for 33 years, Mr. Clifford is retiring this june. Before entering the field of education he was a research and control chemist for ten years in the sugar, rubber and citrus industries, and at the National Bureau of Standards. Upon coming to Cali- fornia in 1924 he found there were few research opportunities and so in 1926 went into teaching as his father and grandfather had done. Mr. Clifford has seen marked changes as this Valley has de- veloped from open fields and few paved streets to its present condition, and the four-year high school with about 275 students has become a three-year senior high of more than 2200. He has taught a number of subjects, principally chemistry and physics, and has made it a practice to keep some kind of research work going. Mr. Clifford has published a number of research papers in the best technical journals: four in chemistry, two in education and two in amateur radio. He has held amateur radio station license W6KEE for 25 years, and hopes to put in more time on the air after retirement. His How to Studyl' article has printed Well over half a million copies but brings no royalties as it was done in the interests of education. He served in World War II as a major in Chemical Warfare and Signal Corps. He hopes to catch up on some activities that have had to be neglected the last few years, such as photography, fishing, hunt- ing, badminton and piano. He and Mrs. Clifford plan to have more free time now with their daughter Betty Cgraduated C.P.H.S. 19379, her Navy officer husband and their two daughters, and their son Charles CC.P.H.S. '41D, who is a communications engineer. Mr. Clifford says that our present students have met the pres- sure of our era and have learned to work rapidly and efficiently in many activities. We wish him much success and happiness in his pursuits after retirement from teaching. MISS IRENE PILAT, School Librarian

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n u new look from The our cs the recently dedlcfzted clossioom and shop bulldmgs 'om Monroe Audstoruum and buiiding To form Ccznogds new Quad. TABLE OE CONTENTS 2 EOREWORD 7 ADMINISTRATION 25 CLASSES 65 ACTIVITIES 85 SPORTS 115 ADVERTISEMENTS 128 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS