I have a little collection of school yearbooks- high school and college. Most of them are family yearbooks. I have 4 of my Dad's- one from high school, (Box Elder High School-1933), one from junior college (Weber State College- 1935) and 2 from university (Brigham Young University- 1936 and 1937). These schools are all in Utah. I have my Mother-in-law's senior yearbook from South Pasadena (California) High School (1949), and my Father-in-law's sophomore yearbook from Belmont High School in Los Angeles in 1939. I also have a 1926 yearbook from North Cache High School in Northern Utah- I acquired it years ago when an elderly lady passed away in our church, and discovered it was full of my relatives, including my grandma's younger sister Aunt Beth.
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| 1926 North Cache High School |
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| My Dad's senior year of high school, he was on the staff of the yearbook. (He's Eugene Clark, and is in both photos) |
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| My Dad in his senior year at BYU, a member of Alpha Kappa Psi |
There is a huge difference between the white-bread yearbooks of Utah and South Pasadena, and the one from the inner city of Los Angeles just before World War II. What a fun way to while away a few hours, checking out the activities, fashions, and popular culture of the day in these wonderful little time capsules.
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| The ethnic make-up of Belmont High School in LA in 1939 was ethnically diverse. |
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| I love that they had cooking classes for boys. Future chefs for the stars, I'm sure! |
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| Bruce's dad Henry was in the 4th row from the bottom, 5th from right. Looks like a little toughie. |
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| Bruce's Mom Betty Gore is on the bottom center right. 1949. |
I wish I'd scanned the books instead of photographing them.. the photos aren't really the best quality. But here you go! Enjoy them anyway!
4 comments:
VERY cool! Those are such a great treasure!
Well, I had been enjoying your blog until I got to this post.
"There is a huge difference between the sweet and wholesome yearbooks of Utah and South Pasadena, and the one from the inner city of Los Angeles just before World War II."
I don't even know what to say. my parents are Hispanic and would have been included in that group in LA's schools during that time period. I'm sad to see you think because they aren't blonde/blue eyed that they aren't worthy of being sweet and wholesome. I have more thoughts on ths, especially on how it reflects on your upbringing in your wholesome religion, but I'll refrain,. obviously by ths day and age you haven't changed your views, you aren't about to change now.
Still, it makes me sad to learn this about you. Perhaps In your new neighborhood you'll be less subjected to all these swarthy ethnic types.
Well, I spoke inelegantly, I will admit. Perhaps I would have phrased it better if I had said that some of the schools featured in the yearbooks seemed more 'innocent' than others. Perhaps 'wholesome' was not the best word. But I find it sad that you immediately jump to the conclusion that I believe that because these kids aren't blonde and blue eyed that they aren't worthy of being sweet and wholesome. My father-in-law was one of those students in the LA yearbook. I guess you could say he was a 'swarthy, ethnic type'. I have no idea why you took one word and immediately passed judgement on me. It makes ME sad to see that someone I don't know, has learned something about me that's not even true, and has decided to pass judgement on me, my upbringing, and religion.
Thank you for posting the Belmont yearbook. Funny I have a copy of the same 1939 yearbook, water damaged. We are proud of our students coming from various ancestral origins.
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