Huntington Park High School - El Recuerdo Yearbook (Huntington Park, CA)

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fl HEW ERA dizd rdi i i iSii J i Jisnsrpa HI I [==jf=Jr i f r==lr==Jr== Jf==Ji=Jp==Jr==J r=Jr=Jf=lf==Ji B I I s B B a B B B B H B B B B B E B E E E B E E il IM UH II I UW w m iMtWMHWia illWIII I W WWWMDWtM The 1950s dawned with the age of bobby sox, pony tails, and the greased look. Girls ' skirts were flared and boys ' hair was worn in the popular duck toil fashion. Pride was heightened in 1956 when HP ' s marching Spartan Band, under the direction of Robert Shushan, was shown on tele- vision station KTTV. This was also the year that Sparta ' s football team began its winning streak. The Varsity was Eastern League Champions for four consecutive years, beginning with 1 956. However, destruction and tragedy struck again. A fire broke out in the Girls ' Gym in the early morning hours of March 16, 1 956 Lasting four hours, the fire was finally quelled. The 50s had its shore of good times too. 1959 brought on HP ' s 50th anniversary. A half a century is not long in the reck- oning of the ages, but to a school it ' s long enough . . . Fifty years is a weekend to a redwood tree, but to a California school it ' s many graduations . . . Fifty years is a twinkle to a star, but to a school it ' s time enough to teach three full generations the meaning of words like ' freedom ' and ' democracy ' and ' America ' — and to give those generations the skills and attitudes that help to make their nation strong. — quoted from the 1959 year- book. Adding to the excitement of the anniversary was the Varsity football team ' s title of Los Angeles City Champs. In the 1 960s HP students were recognized as being scholasti- cally superior when the Iowa Test of Educational Development results showed them as being in the top ten percent of high school students across the nation. To top the honors, three Spar- tans qualified as semi-finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Weekly happenings at Sparta included the choosing of a Sam and Susie Sparta each Monday for the most spirited boy and girl Spartans. Having your car named ' Heap of the Week was the ultimate in the honors for 4-wheelmg students. Teachers come and teachers go but those who came to stay were Lila Gallery, Ted Manos, Merlene Kinyon, Bob Goulet, Ellen Rogers, Robert Black, and our principal Ben Brown. This decade was an exciting time in sports In 1960 the HP Spartans were defending a three year Eastern League title but lost to South Gate in a disappointing match ending HP ' s 1 7 gome win streak. The mighty Spartans captured the Eastern League Crown again in I 962 but 1 963 was another story. In this year, Bell Eagles defeated HP for the first time since the Korean War!! It had been rumored that this happened only because of transfers from HP to Bell. The technology of the ' 70s was in full force by the year of the Bicentennial. HP, too, was affected by the national spirit brought on by the Bicentennial Pie eating contests in honor of George Washington are an example of this. HP ' s spirit was high during the early ' 70 ' s. To add further to this excitement was the Varsity Basketball Team of 1977 who were League Champs. The ' 50s, ' 60s, and early ' 70 ' s were years of change, prog- ress and growth, and along with them, the students of HP grew. Pictures (clockwise from left): 1 . An overview of Huntington Park High as seen in 1959 2. A friendly smile has always been part of a Spartan ' s attire. 3 Heap of the Week — a high honor dur mg the sixties. 4. Surprises are always in store on report card day. 5. Girls ' Gym after fire. 6. Spirited Spartans doing their thing. 7. Spartans display victory sign, 8. Ch eek to cheek, but not too close! 9 Stockton Rock forever changing. ■ IBWWWIH Hill Hill IIHIIW

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ST THREE DECADES JfaliS

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STUDENT LIFE