[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 11 (Thursday, February 12, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE WHITTIER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 
        CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF EDUCATING WHITTIER'S CHILDREN

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. ESTEBAN EDWARD TORRES

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 12, 1998

  Mr. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of the 100th Anniversary of 
the Whittier City School District. On Friday, February 20, 1998, 
students, teachers, administrators, and friends and family of the 
Whittier City School District will come together at a special 
Centennial Celebration at the Whittier Community Center, in Whittier, 
California, to commemorate 100 years of dedication to educating 
Whittier's children.
  The rich history of the Whittier City School District reflects the 
history of the State of California and of our nation. Established on 
February 21, 1998, the newly formed district experienced the growth 
boom of the west. In its first 20 years, coinciding with the 
incorporation of the City of Whittier, school enrollment doubled from 
200 to 400 pupils. It again doubled during World War I. By 1917, the 
area's growing oil industry began producing over a million barrels per 
year. With this booming industry, new jobs and population growth 
followed. During this same period, to accommodate the increase in 
student enrollment, four new schools were built: John Muir Junior High; 
Jonathan Bailey Elementary; Longfellow Elementary; and Lydia Jackson 
Elementary.
  Growth slowed during the Great Depression. Despite the stagnant 
economy, in the latter part of the Depression, the District built the 
Lou Harry Hoover School. Following World War II, phenomenal growth in 
the district prompted the construction and annexation of 12 schools. 
During the post World War II era, a total of 11,400 students graduated 
through the Whittier City School District. After the Korean Conflict, 
total school enrollment had grown to 1,700 pupils. For the last 40 
years, the district has experienced steady growth. During the Vietnam 
Conflict years, the North Whittier School, later renamed Wallen Andrews 
Elementary, was built to accommodate students coming from the newly 
built tract homes along Workman Mill Road, north of the City of 
Whittier.
  Currently there are 13 schools in the Whittier City School District: 
Wallen Andrews; Lou Henry Hoover; Lydia Jackson; Abraham Lincoln; 
Longfellow; Mill; Orange Grove; Daniel Phelan; Christian Sorensen; 
George Washington; West Whittier; Walter Dexter Intermediate and 
Katherine Edwards Intermediate. The Whittier City School District Board 
of Education, consisting of School Board President Brigitta Weger, Vice 
President Dr. Owen Newcomer, Clerk Dr. James Albanese, and Boardmembers 
Javier Gonzalez, and John Peel, along with Superintendent Dr. Carmella 
Franco, are dedicated to the District's motto ``Educating Children . . 
. Our Only Business.'' With the arrival of the Centennial Celebration, 
student enrollment is near 7,000 and the Whittier City School District 
estimates, after the conclusion of the current academic year, a total 
of 43,700 students will have graduated from its schools during the past 
100 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me extending our 
congratulations and appreciation to the friends and family of the 
Whittier City School District on its 100th Anniversary and for its 
century of exemplary dedication to providing top quality education for 
our youth.

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