DEBBI REYNOLDS GOT HER START AT MISS BURBANK

BUILDING A GREAT MUSEUM FOR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

One of our nation's great performers of stage, screen and television is the great Debbi Reynolds. This all-time mega-star graduated from Burbank High School and was chosen Miss Burbank about the same time. Over her long career, Debbi has supported many Valley causes. Her achievements are among the many reasons we can claim the San Fernando Valley as the heart of the Entertainment Capital of the World.

Early fan photo card of Debbi Reynolds. Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2014.  (click on image to enlarge it.)

WHEN SPORTS NIGHTS WERE PART OF SAN FERNANDO VALLEY EDUCATION

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY      2013

A generation of San Fernando Valley high school students were offered "Sock Hops" and "Sports Nights".  To protect gymnasiums' basketball floors, students left their shoes by gym doors and paraded their "bitchen" socks to impress their friends. Sports nights featured sporting activities just for the fun of participating in them.

Sports night "luggage tags" 1955 and 1956 - Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Arlene Bernholtz 2013.  (click on images to enlarge them)

TREASURES FROM BURBANK HIGH SCHOOL

The Museum of the San Fernando Valley
21031 Ventura Blvd., Suite 419
Woodland Hills, CA 91364-2230

THE MUSEUM’S TELEPHONE
1 (818) 347-9665

THE MUSEUM'S EMAILS
gerald.fecht@TheMuseumSFV.org
info@TheMuseumSFV.org

THE MUSEUM’S BLOG

www.museumsanfernandovalley.blogspot.com/

THE MUSEUM’S WEBSITE

www.TheMuseumSFV.org

100th BIRTHDAY OF RICHARD M. NIXON

PRESERVING OUR VALLEY HERITAGE       2013

100 years ago on January 9th, 1913 Richard M. Nixon was born. As a candidate for governor of California, and later President of the United States, Mr. Nixon often visited the San Fernando Valley, and delivered a major speech in front of Burbank Senior High School. Below is an anti-Nixon propaganda sheet published in North Hollywood. 

 "Bundles for Nixon" Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2013 -

VANCE T. MEYER VISITS THE MUSEUM'S SPACE

CHERISHING OUR VALLEY          2012

Vance Meyer visits The Museum space during its last week in Sherman Oaks.

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      Vance Meyer graduated from Burbank High School in 1956. He completed his studies at Los Angeles Valley College in 1959 and transferred to San Fernando Valley State College (later - Cal State Northridge.) At the university, Meyer was the first president of Pi Kappa Tau, a fraternity later to become a chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Vance was a founding member of the Maple Leaf Society, a community college support organization. The society is an outgrowth of the Phi Delta Psi Fraternity.

        Mr. Meyer is the retired chairman of the Chairman of Pardee Construction Company. He served the company for 34 years.  He closed his career with Pardee with a record year in profits.  

BURBANK HIGH SCHOOL 1964 - CATHY FERGUSON OLYMPIAN

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY           2011

Once again the alertness of The Museum Community has added another part of the endlessly interesting picture that is San Fernando Valley history. This time it comes from a 1964 Burbank High School "Ceralbus" yearbook on its way to a thrift shop. Here are two great photos from the yearbook. I hope you will agree that they are more than worth saving.  Jerry

 Cathy Ferguson at Burbank High School in 1964. Cathy had just achieved a new world record in the 200 meter backstroke and was preparing for the 1964 Olympic Games.  The summer came and Cathy won two gold medals in the Tokyo Games; one in the 200 meter backstroke and another as part of the 100 meter relay. (click on this image to enlarge)

Burbank High School boys, Tom Bradstock and Bob Steele look for their scores. They came in first and second. A new swimming pool at the Burbank YMCA (today the Y) caused an explosion of interest in swimming by school kids in the mid 1960s.

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY KIDS AND THEIR CARS

2010 - THE YEAR OF VALLEY ADVENTURES
Ad in 1956 Van Nuys High School Yearbook - The Crimson and Gray - Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2010.

Caption of the ad reads: "The new line of 1956 Chevrolet cars and trucks is displayed by P0LLARD-RAVENSCROFT CHEVROLET, 6232 Van NUys Boulevard. Here Fred and Tony admired the beautiful Bel-Air convertible and listened to the friendly salesman as he told them the advantages of owning a Chevrolet. Pollard-Ravenscroft maintains an excellent service departmentfor all cars, old or new."

Student Parking Lot at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks - 1956 Arches Year Book - Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2010

This student parking lot just north of Riverside Drive at Woodman Avenue is still in use in 2010. At the time this yearbook was published teachers who belonged to the Catholic religious order of the Brothers of Holy Cross resided in the mission-style building at the top of this photograph. The structure is now used for administrative purposes and the few remaining Brothers reside in a nearby home off-campus.


Parking Lot at Burbank Senior High School 1966 - Ceralbus Yearbook - Archive of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley 2010

San Fernando Valley kids have had an unending love affair with cars from the time automobiles became accessible to student wallets. They make up a major part of the Valley's historic "car culture."

BELOVED EDUCATOR ROBERT LELAND DIES

Dr. Robert Leland - Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley (click on image to enlarge)
When Bob Leland retired as the principal of Burbank High School, he continued his lifelong dedication to youth by acting as a child advocate in the courts. No one who knew Dr. Leland was surprised.
Few people worked harder at their jobs than Bob Leland. He presided over Burbank High School and its then new continuation school throughout the 1960s. He watched his staff form a chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, his students become fans of the Beatles, an ever-increasing list of Burbank graduates fall in Vietnam, and the kids of Burbank reject small town conservatism to become flower children. Somehow through his sincerity and sense of fair play, Bob Leland kept his school afloat. Dr. Leland died on the 22nd of December 2008. He was proceeded in death by his wife Pearl Leland, retired professor of nursing from Los Angeles Valley College. Bob was a good man.