George Washington High School - Surveyor Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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Victor Arnautoff designed and painted George Washington ' s beautiful murals on wet plaster as the building was com- pleted. The Parent- Teachers Association, established in 1936 with Mrs. Carl Hallford as the first presi- dent, has supported many projects of the students of George Washington (in fact, that swimming pool is still on their as yet unaccomplished list). The principal objective of the PTA is to promote under- standing among parents, teachers, and students. FIRST FACULTY The first faculty consisted of the following: Mr. Ernest J. Cummings, Mr. William A. Wieland, Miss Edith Pence, Mr. Donald H. Atherton, Mr. Rufus C. Balaam, Mr. Eugene H. Barker, Mr. Bruce Bar- tholomew, Mrs. Mildred Bickel, Miss Bernice Bilafer (Mrs. Gates), Mr. John J. Burke, Mr. Cecil J. Carroll, Miss Kathleen G. Cauley, Mrs. Alice Collins, Miss Catherine Counihan, Miss Catherine A. Davis, Mr. John W. Douglass, Mr. Arthur J. Fagin, Mrs. Birdeena T. Gowan, Miss Phylis Haley, Miss Margaret Hayden (Mrs. Denny), Mrs. Lena- mae W. Herrick, Miss Eleanor M. Jackson, Miss Marie K. Kirwin, Mr. Marion Knott, Mr. Lloyd R. Leith, Miss Mabel Lockhart, Mrs. Edna S. Logan, Miss Rachel Markley, Mr. William K. Mayo, Miss Doris McMillan, Mr. Frank Morton, Miss Eleanor Parsons, Miss Margaret Poole, Mr. Henry Raphael, Miss Mildred Rauner, Miss Dorothy E. Reynolds, Miss Florence M. Shearer, Miss Edith Silberstein, Mrs. Myrtle P. Swanson, Mr. Orville O. A. P. Taylor, Miss Haidee Tobriner, Mr. Eldred C. Vanderlaan, Mr. Joseph Verducci, Miss Marie 0. Weller, Mrs. Elsie O. Williamson, Mrs. Alice B. Wilson, Miss Gerta Woodruff and Major John McCormack. Still on the faculty are: Mrs. Bernice Gates, Mr. John J. Burke, Mr. Cecil J. Carroll, Miss Kathleen G. Cauley, Miss Catherine Couni- han, Mrs. Margaret Denny, Miss Eleanor Parsons, Miss Margaret Poole and Miss Florence M. Shearer. TRADITIONS In the twenty-five years of Washington High School ' s existence we have established a number of traditions, some have survived the tests of time, others have faded, and still more are yet to be made ... The Dead Indian, meeting place for the whole student body, was the sleeping guardian of the Washington lobby back in 1937; and in 1970 students will still part with a reminder to friends — Meet you under the Dead Indian. How this mural depicting a prostrate Indian (nobody is positive he is dead!) of George Washington ' s day became the Grand Central Station of the school is not known. But the D.I. — as it is abbreviated in the hectic, rushed days of 1960 — has come to symbolize the entire lobby; any school day at 3:10 almost every Washington student can be found Under the Dead Indian. Tillie Mieseles, one of Washington ' s first students, wrote the school hymn in 1937; but it was in the year 1947, that the new ending was added by Mr. Knott, making that hymn more impressive, powerful, and complete. Hail, Washington, Hail! Mary Trussell, in 1936, wrote Fight on You Eagles, and the song was presented to the school for the first time over the radio, sung by Mr. Knott ' s registry. Mr. Lloyd Leith, former physical education teacher here, and now at Mission High School, taught the tricks of the trade to the first yell leaders who, in turn, passed on their knowledge and pep to those who followed them. The first family dinner in Fall, 1945, was in the cafeteria. Once repeated, events are well on their way toward becoming traditions. The Spring Concert, when the real talent of George Washington High School is displayed, was first started in 1941 to raise money for choir robes. Classical music and folk songs are played and sung by the orchestra, girls choral, mixed chorus, and soloists. The Christmas season is observed with three traditions: a beautifully decorated tree stands in the lobby, carolers in choir robes stroll through the halls imparting the Christmas spirit to all who hear, and a Christmas pageant depicts events in the life of Christ.

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before starting the work to get the color and feeling of George Washington and the days in which he lived. The murals are done in what the artist calls earth colors, which are made from oxides. For instance, green is made from chrome, red from iron, and black from coal. The base of murals is lime, a very ancient method of mural work. George Harris and Gorden Langdon were the artists who assisted Mr. Arnautoff. Since murals have, to be painted on a wet surface, Mr. Arnautoff had to follow right behind the plasterers, and a scene, once begun had to be completed that same day, in order that the walls did not dry. Carpenters and plasterers worked all around the building, while Mr. Arnautoff was high above on a scaffold. The artist was so rushed for time that he had to improvise as he was painting. Covering about nine feet of wall a day, he sometimes worked from ten to twelve hours a day to finish a given section. The murals took ten months to complete; ironically, the school was not opened until a full year later. STUDENT GOVERNMENT As in any well-organized government, George Washington High School has its written laws vested in a constitution. The completed constitution was adopted in 1941. Under this constitution, the student body offices of president, vice-president, secre- tary, treasurer, custodian, athletic manager, and yell leader were created. Recently established, the office of second vice-president was recorded in the constitutional amendments. The Principal ' s Cabinet, an advisory board to the principal, and the Student Council, the legislative branch of the school, were also created. The Student Council consists of the elected class officers, plus necessary representatives to make the total representation six for each class. The constitution may be amended by proposal and two-thirds vote of the Student Council, and the majority vote of the members of the George Washington High School. WAR EFFORT, SERVICEMEN, PTA George Washington High School students, as one of their first contributions to the war effort, bought a bomber. Other activities, while not so momentous, were carried on faithfully and successfully by those who were too young to fight. Washingtonians procured blood donors for the Red Cross (some students donated blood themselves); they learned first aid and home nursing; they collected clothes, food, and tin cans; they bought war bonds and stamps, and sold them to others; Washington students graduated and went into the armed forces; the girls became nurses; and when the war ended, they did not cease their efforts to help stricke n people in all parts of the world. Fifty-five servicemen who at some time had attended George Washington High School were killed in World War II. On all the war fronts, in all branches of the service, Wash- ingtonians, 1,700 of them to be exact, fought for their country. And fifty-five, in losing the personal side of that fight, helped assure the real cause — and gave their lives for the freedom of the people of the United States of America. WASHINGTON ' S COAT OF ARMS General George Washington ' s Coat of Arms has been adopted by his name-sake school as its official seal. It is used on official letters and documents and on the school book covers. A full color sketch hangs in the principal ' s office.

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May Festival Drives For Charity All those cans at the right represent just one of the tre- mendous efforts which the stu- dents of George Washington High School have made during the past years in order to earn a May Festival Day. The drive, took place in 1947. Over 15,000 cans of food were collected and shipped to Ken- tucky to a school in need of aid. Other drives through the years included collecting paper (by the truck load), enough soap to wash half the world, empty bottles of very kind and size ever made, and blue-berry muf- fin mix for Dr. Tom Dooley last year. Past student body officers have lived through these driv es, but just barely. In spite of all the work and problems, how- ever, the drives draw everyone together in a common cause.