Polytechnic High School - Caerulea Yearbook (Long Beach, CA)

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CAERULEA ' 28 HAROLD HARVEY ' 20 Harold Harvey, writer of promise during his student days, now contributor to Field and Stream and other prominent magazines, sends the following unique contribution characteristic of his pleasing personality. P ' rom a little dot (thus . ) of an Idaho high school I came to the triple exclamation point (so ! ! ! ) of Long Beach Polytech for my graduation year of ' 19- ' 20. I appreciated the opportunity of Polytechnic then, but I value it doubly now. Of the friends I made there, I remember and cherish none more genuinely than I do my friends of the faculty — and that is not epitaphic apple- sauce, either. ECHO ' Burch is a man for fair; He ' ll give you plenty if you ' ve got it comin ' . But he ' ll shoot square. ' Such was the slangy way My old chum phrased his words of admiration. And though, perhaps, today The self-same thing I might express in more high-sounding terms, Still, there ' s a ring To that crude phrase — Dad Burcham would liked those words Of boyish phrase, ' Burch is a man for fair; He ' ll give you plenty if you ' ve got it comin ' , But he ' ll shoot square. ' LES CUMMINS ' 21 The pleasing originality of Les Cummins, whose career at Poly was excep- tionally outstanding and who is at present a well-known member of the U. S. C. Law School, is immediately apparent in this interesting little article concerning a famous event. He still maintains his strong ties with Poly High. Reminiscences of Poly High? Yes. scores of them, comprising the happiest kind of memories. Something particularly about Mr. Burcham? I have a very clear recollection of one event that no one else will write about. First, however,

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ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS 21 WAY MIDDOUGH 13 In ray opinion the success of Poly High School is measured greatly by the ability of its head. Principal David Burcham. Need we say more? DONALD C. WILLIAMS 18 Donald Williams, at present attending Harvard, is one of Poly ' s brightest stars. He has won scholarships to leading colleges, including Yale, and has been rated the best college student in the United States. His letter is indicative of his striking personality. In my heyday I perhaps made for the high school administration all the kinds of trouble there are, except (thank God) the imbecile fraternity boy kind of trouble. I have faith thai these kinds of trouble arc still being made (for they constitute, I suppose, what Caerulca is celebrating as ' the spirit of advancement. ' ) If they are, the trouble-makers will meet in Principal Burcham what we used to meet — the understanding, kindliness, and tolerance of a thoroughly fine gentle- man, winning him a unique claim on the respect and affection of all those into whose lives he enters. I am glad that the high school is again conspicuously acknowledging the rare, the very rare, dispensation it possesses in Mr. David Burcham. CLARE McCORD ' 19 Clare McCord, world traveller and winner of international trophies in advertising, has kept in close touch with high school affairs since his graduation. He sails shortly for Honolulu, where he will again compete in the advertising field. I have closely watched the growth of Long Beach Poly High School every year for over fifteen years, and I believe that its advancement is due, through more than any other single influence, to the life-work of David Burcham. He lias given the best years of his life, has worked tirelessly, has dealt with the pupils in a fair, merciful, considerate, sternly just and yet kind,, fatherly attitude, has inspired them to better living and greater heights of achievement, and has continuously kept a keen foresight into the future for the advancement of the school and its various activities. The school as it stands to-day is a monument to his faithful work; and the advancement made by its graduates, many of whom have won both local and nation-wide reputations, has been due largely to the foundations laid during high school days by our beloved ' Daddy ' Burcham.

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ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS 23 my word of appreciation of Mr. Burcham himself. Since my graduation from Poly High, I have attended the three largest universities in California; but in none of these institutions have I known a kindlier, more considerate, Christian gentleman. Men of his spirit are all too rare in the educational field as well as in all others. Now for the event. First, picture old Tournament Park in Pasadena with a wild but tense football crowd in the stands and Long Beach fighting desperately to defeat a great Berkeley High team for the championship of California. Sounds like imagination, but it was honestly — the fourth quarter and the score tied, fourteen all. LeFebvre and Dolley had scored on long, brilliant runs while the Yellow Jackets, champions of Northern California, had smashed our line for two crushing touchdowns. Our boys were making their last bid for victory; the ball was on Berkeley ' s thirty-two yard line, and Dolley called for what looked like a place kick. Tiernan made ready for the try; but when Miller passed the ball, Chet wheeled around and threw it back to Tiernan who, like a flash, passed it a long way over to the left of the field. Cheek, Berkeley half-back, was playing close to the line (Cheek, by the way, captained the Harvard Varsity last year) ; the ball went over him, and Jim Lawson caught it and ran over the goal line — Well — I just had time to see Roy Baker (one of the greatest football players we ever had), who was down from Santa tiara carrying water for the team, throw a full bucket twenty feet in the air, soaking several, when I was hit so hard on the back that it knocked me off the end of the bench. Who did it? I suspected some husky sub; but no, — it was Principal David Burcham. Did he apologize? Not a chance! He didn ' t even watch me pick myself up. He wasn ' t even looking my way ! 1 have had the privilege of returning to Poly many times since that memorable game in 1919, and it is a joy to say that Mr. Burcham has not changed. He is still the finest spirited, most loyal supporter Poly High ever had. RICHARD LOYNES ' 21 The world of sport knows few more prominent men than Dick Loynes with his famous speedboats which, since his successful career at Polytechnic, have brought his numerous prizes in addition to world-wide recognition. His famous Smiling Dan ' ' ' slogan attests his success also as a business man. As I read your recent letter requesting a few words from me for this edition of Caerulea, I found myself turning back again in memory to the days of my own activities at Poly High. Happy days! As I review the panoramic history of my high school period, I can truly say that no other events of my life surpass in vividness the colorful pictures of that time.