Excelsior's uniqueness began as far
back
as 1902 when a class of 23 students and three faculty members met at
the
old Norwalk Grammar School on Walnut Street, The class chose
green
and white as their school colors, and were called Excelsiorites.
As the years passed to the
twenties.
Excelsiorites saw plans underway for construction of a new Excelsior
Union
High School on Pioneer and Alondra and upon completion in 1924, first
classes
were held. During this era, slick-haired boys and girls, wearing
the
latest "bobs" introduced such traditions as Senior Horoscope and the
Big
E Club, a club later to be known as the Varsity Club.
During the next decade of change, an
earthquake brought destruction to Excelsior, and in 1935 it was
necessary
to rebuild the administration building. The thirties also brought
many
new traditions. A Boy's League was formed and it became customary
for
juniors to receive sweaters and seniors to receive rings. As the
forties rolled around, upper classmen
adopted the idea of aiding bewildered freshmen and with the help of Big
Brothers
and Big Sisters. The fifties brought still another
tradition. In an effort to promote school spirit, each class
elected
their own song and yell leaders and a Girls' Letter Club was formed.
The advanced systems and radical
changes
of the sixties brought many new changes. IBM machines computing
up-dated
and sometimes completed registration. The sixties also introduced
new
school mascots, Pilot Trueheart and Snoopy.
These two helped our spirits soar as
they
flew off to games in their new Pilot plane. The seventies brought it all
together...fifties dances, western days, living up to traditions and
trying
to hold on to the memories and moments that passed by so quickly.
The year 1981, the end of an era of
pride
and happiness, when in June of '81, the last class graduated from
our
school.
Anonymous.
From a program printed for the Excelsior High All-Class
Reunion, held on the athletic field, September 22, 1985.
