Fairfax High celebrates its 100th year
FAIRFAX HIGH School as it looked in 1931.
Festivities will take place Sept. 6 to 8
Fairfax High School opened its doors 100 years ago. It was originally designed to be a mechanical and agricultural school focusing on practical skills — a bit ironic, it would seem, seeing as (according to Fairfax High’s website) the school was poshly named after Lord Fairfax of Colonial America and still uses that family’s coat of arms as its emblem.
In the school’s early years, courses included forestry, architecture, landscape gardening and domestic science. Today, Fairfax students who are interested in a differentiation from the school’s traditional curriculum can also participate in programs like: the Korean dual language program; the police academy magnet program which includes classes in forensic science, law, computer and physical training; or the visual arts magnet program. (The high school is the only visual arts high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District.)
In 1966, most of the campus buildings were replaced with ones designed to the latest earthquake safety standards. The auditorium and rotunda were the only two buildings that were retrofitted, rather than being razed. (In 1971, when Los Angeles High School was damaged during the San Fernando earthquake, students from Los Angeles High took turns with Fairfax High students in using the still intact Fairfax buildings for classes while Los Angeles High was repaired.)
During this year’s main three-day centennial celebration weekend (Fri., Sept. 6, to Sun., Sept. 8), a history exhibit will be displayed in the historic rotunda. In the auditorium, a 20-minute documentary film created by alumnus David Zeiger, and covering all of the school’s decades, will be shown every hour.
A press conference was held in early August to promote the upcoming three-day celebration and also to honor the milestone.
LEADERS and alumni attended the Fairfax High Centennial press conference in the historic rotunda. Front row, left to right: Alumnus Aleta Braxton, the Colonial Lion, and Beverly Meyer, Centennial Co-Chair. Back row, left to right: Mohamad Almouazzen, Teddy Eccles, Craig Smith, Nick Melvoin, TV City spokesperson Adeena Bleich, Annette Shapiro, Rick Chavez Zbur, Steve Gee, Principal Leonard Choi and Richard Pink.
In addition to Centennial Committee Co-chair Beverly Meyer, speakers included: LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin; Fairfax Principal Leonard Choi; Adam Schiff’s district representative Mohamad Almouazzen; State Assemblymember (AD-51) Rick Chavez Zbur; alumna and philanthropist Annette Shapiro; and alumnus and former Los Angeles Clipper Craig Smith. Also on hand were second-generation Pink’s Hot Dogs owner Richard Pink and Adeena Bleich, the community rep for Television City / Hackman Partners, who are co-sponsors of the centennial.
Zbur, whose district includes Fairfax High School, spoke about the school’s diverse student body, which today is 60 percent Latino, 15 percent Asian / Asian Pacific Islander, 12 percent African American and 10 percent white. Melvoin highlighted the fact that this milestone is one that few institutions achieve and noted that, over the past century, Fairfax High has “produced scholars, athletes, leaders, innovators and change makers.”
Fairfax High alumni
Notable alumni include: Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky; actors Demi Moore, Mila Kunis, Timothy Hutton and the late Mickey Rooney and Carole Lombard; co-creator of Scooby Doo, Joe Ruby; musicians Slash (Saul Hudson) and Rob Gardner of Guns N’ Roses; and James Ellroy, author of “L.A. Confidential.”
More alumni include major league baseball players Barry Latman, Al Silvera, Larry Sherry and Norm Sherry.
The three-day centennial weekend will begin Fri., Sept. 6, on the school’s campus at the corner of Fairfax and Melrose avenues. Guided tours of the school grounds, an alumni flag football contest preceding the current team’s game, and fireworks will get the weekend off to a festive start.
Alumni basketball games and class reunions will take place on Sat., Sept. 7, during the day. Children can partake in craft activities provided by Craft Contemporary museum, and everyone can enjoy taking photo booth pictures, playing carnival games and munching on food from local restaurants.
An induction ceremony at the Alumni Hall of Fame Brunch will conclude the weekend’s events on Sun., Sept. 8.
For more information, visit fairfaxhigh100.org or email fhsaa.1924@gmail.com.
Category: News