[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 106 (Wednesday, July 9, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING GUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL

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                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 2014

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gustine High School in 
celebration of its 100th anniversary. Gustine is a small, rural 
community located in the heart of California's San Joaquin Valley. For 
ten decades, the teachers and faculty at Gustine High School have 
enriched the lives of thousands of students. Many graduates have found 
success in careers in various fields.
  In 1912, due to the growing population and inefficient school system, 
The Gustine Chamber of Commerce petitioned to have a high school 
established in Gustine. While the population in the area was small, 
demand for a more accessible high school was high. On July 26, 1913, 
the elementary schools in Gustine, Enterprise, Occidental, Cottonwood, 
Canal, Romero, and Ingomar voted to form a school district and build 
Gustine High School.
  A small building was erected on Main Street, and Gustine High School 
officially opened on September 8, 1913. During that first school year, 
there were twenty students and two teachers, with C.R. Perrier serving 
as Principal. In the next month, a basketball team was formed and their 
first game was lost to Newman High School, thus beginning a great 
rivalry between the two schools.
  The new high school was a success, and on March 14, 1914, a bond was 
passed to allow for further construction to expand. By 1916, the school 
was completed with new buildings, a gym and its first graduating class 
of two, Rosalie Bizzini and Rose Williams. Since the 1920s, agriculture 
has been a main focus at Gustine High School. In 1922, agricultural and 
mechanic courses were offered, and the school held its first Stock Show 
in the spring of 1927. Still, the indoor Stock Show is the oldest of 
its kind in California. In the 1938-1939 school year, Gustine High 
officially began their participation in the Future Farmers of America 
(FFA) program.
  In 1944, an invitational basketball tournament was sponsored by the 
Gustine 20-30 Club, a service organization dedicated to serving youth. 
Under sponsorship of the Gustine Rotary Club, this tournament continues 
today as the longest running invitational basketball tournament 
operated by a high school in the state of California.
  In the past 100 years, Gustine High School has gone through changes. 
Notably, in 1953, a new gymnasium was built to accommodate the larger 
number of students and the community's growing interest in basketball. 
In 1962, the original mission style of the school, designed by Trewhill 
and Shields, was remodeled in favor of a more modern design. Over the 
years, Gustine High School has seen thousands of students walk through 
its halls with a number of those students returning as teachers.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Gustine 
High School for their 100 years in providing quality education to the 
students of the San Joaquin Valley. The education that students receive 
at Gustine Union High School has enhanced many lives and created 
endless opportunities for achieving success.

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