Winter 2007 Edition of TThehe ClevelandCleveland JournalJournal A publication of the CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION A Memorable Past, A Promising Future Meet some amazing grads Grand Open House reports Wayne Floyd on CHS Inside: And more, more, more Photo by Helen C. Sing ’70 Ed Landon: A Teacher for the Ages by Don Duncan ’43 In his best years, he left the house at 6 OR., with his daughter Marlys Alger, one Q: Where did you go to school and did t age 92, Ed Landon is Cleveland High a.m., returned at 9 p.m. and earned $250 of four Landon children to graduate from you play sports? ASchool’s “living legend,” a man who a month, plus $5 extra for his master’s Cleveland. “I’m always amazed that people A: I graduated from little Moclips High spent a quarter of a century (1948-1973) degree. still remember me and want to talk about School, down in Grays Harbor County. I teaching young Eagles about the past and, But, Landon says, what he gained in my classes and the teams I coached.” wasn’t very big, maybe 5-91/2 and 155 in the process, giving them invaluable memories from his interaction with stu- Th e essence of Ed Landon, as his former pounds. Baseball was my favorite sport. tools – curiosity, fair play, social values dents was “priceless.” students know, cannot be distilled into a Our teams were pretty good. We lost just – with which to deal with the future. “I think I’ve been invited to something simple news story. But these notes from a one game in my four years there. Easily the most popular teacher/coach like 30 class reunions since I left Cleveland,” recent conversation with him provide few Q: What about college and the war years? in Cleveland’s history, Landon’s fi nancial he said in an hour-long telephone interview snapshots of “the living legend” known as rewards were meager by today’s standards. from the home he now makes in Madras, Ed Landon. continued on page 3 Annual Meeting of the CHS Alumni Association December 8, 2007, 10 – 1 at Cleveland High School CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL Non-Profi t Org. ALUMNI ASSOCIATION U.S. Postage P.O. Box 94004 PAID Seatttle, WA 98124-9404 Seattle, WA Permit No. 2571 2 The Cleveland Journal Wayne Floyd: The Old Coach Came off the Bench to Lead the School Wayne Floyd, Cleveland’s interim students were. At the same time, there Studies and outside work were not principal, was caught by surprise when was a gloomy morbidness that hung like overlooked. Floyd was on the honor roll Principal Donna Marshall informed him a cloud in the hallway that needed to be and had a part-time job with South Park of her intention to resign just a few weeks lifted to allow the students to grow and Community Center and the Auto Club of before Cleveland High School was to re- blossom.” Washington. open after an extensive, two-year remod- Floyd would need all his skills as a Not surprisingly, Floyd was recruited eling project. coach, a teacher and a role model for stu- by several colleges in his senior year. He Marshall had talked for several years dents in the days and weeks ahead. Fortu- was intrigued by Long Beach State, but about “moving with her children,” Floyd nately, he was in good physical shape from narrowed his search to Tufts University, said. But it was always some time in the a lifetime of athletics, and his “parents University of Chicago and Cal (Berkeley). future. and grandparents and the village that gave He asked his parents for a car and was Suddenly, while Floyd and Marshall their two-cents in raising me” made sure told that if he left Washington State he were driving to the Central Offi ce of the he wouldn’t run from a challenge. wouldn’t need a car. Photo by Helen C. Sing ’70 Seattle School District in August (the Th e Arkansas-born Floyd moved to “I quickly began looking at in-state pos- school would re-open after Labor Day), Seattle with his parents when he was 3 or sibilities,” he said. “UW, too big. WSU, too ful, racist obscenity out the window.” Marshall turned to Floyd and said, “My 4, living in Yesler Terrace and attending far. Whitman, too expensive and not fully “Up to that time,” he said, “being in col- resignation letter in my briefcase and I’m Leschi and Bailey Gatzert (elementary paid for.” lege was an exciting, pleasurable learning going to submit it on Friday.” schools), Mercer (Jr. high) and Franklin But on the way to Whitman to check experience. I learned a brutal truth that Marshall’s words left Floyd “kind of High School. He believes his decision to it out with three student-athlete friends night and never looked at my situation the numb, because we had such a good team attend Mercer rather than Washington – from Garfi eld, Rainier Beach and Shore- same again. Th e innocence was gone and (of CHS administrators) and had accom- Jr. High, which most of his friends chose, line – they stopped at Central Washington real life was upon me. It was like reading a plished a lot.” changed his life. He was forced him to fi nd University (Ellensburg). Floyd liked what novel set in the Deep South or watching an Floyd’s anxiety was understandable. new friends and broaden his outlook. he saw and looked no farther. He would episode of ‘Roots’. I could not believe that Students and faculty were about to move In addition, spending summers in Ar- spend the next four years at CWU. this blatant act of hate was hurled in my into a new building that was not fi nished, kansas with his brother and grandmother Like a lot of young men, Floyd didn’t direction.” the school would be losing its principal “gave me an appreciation for hard work, know what he wanted to be. He started in After graduating with a degree in educa- (Marshall), assistant principal and athletic earning the things you want and not being pre-dentistry, moved to optometry, fl irted tion, Floyd hoped to return to Seattle to director (if Floyd moved up) and a math wasteful. It also reinforced my self-disci- with accounting, business administration, teach and coach. Failing to fi nd an open- teacher. Furthermore, fi ve teaching posi- pline and respect for my elders.” aeronautics and recreation. Finally, in his ing, he took a temporary job as a “desegre- tions were unfi lled. Floyd doesn’t remember a time he senior year, he settled on education. gation affi liate,” riding with students from Floyd took stock. “When I came to wasn’t involved in sports – baseball, Like most minorities, Floyd has expe- Rainier Valley and the Central Area who Cleveland a few years ago, I fell in love football, track, wrestling, cross-country, rienced varying degrees of prejudice and were being “bussed” to North End schools. with the rich diversity and how alive the basketball. At Franklin, he played “a little racism “throughout my life.” Th e most When the youngsters arrived at the school, of everything,” earning the school’s Best- memorable was during his freshman year Floyd provided support in their new sur- Athlete Award in his senior year. He also at Ellensburg, when he was walking off roundings. CLEVELAND HIGH SCHOOL captained the track and basketball teams campus to get a pizza. “A truck drove by ALUMNI ASSOCIATION and was Homecoming King.” and some young white men yelled a hate- continued on page P.O. Box 94004 Seattle, WA 98124-9404 OFFICERS President Ribbon-Cutting Made Re-Opening Don Mills ‘49 (206) 878-2401 [email protected] Official few days after the newly renovated Cameras were focused, scissors at the from Atlanta, spoke of lofty goals. Parents Secretary A Cleveland High School opened its ready. At the word “Cut,” the snipping who send their sons and daughters to the Ken Dorsett ‘54 doors to students, an offi cial ribbon- began. Each cutter wound up with a nice newly remodeled Cleveland High School, (206) 232-2149 cutting took place in the spacious new little chunk of ribbons as a keepsake and she said, should expect their children to [email protected] gymnasium. the knowledge that he or she had a small earn (or at least aspire to) “A” grades in It was quite a ribbon: red silk, roughly snippet of Cleveland’s on-going history. every class and take advance-placement Treasurer two-inches wide and a good 40 feet long. Dick Lee of the Seattle Schools, who (college-level) classes before graduation. Alison W. Sing ‘64 Th e Seattle School District provided new emceed the program, graciously wore Also speaking were David Della ’73, (425) 742-1782 red- and blue-handled scissors, and ribbon- a Cleveland t-shirt for the event, even Seattle city councilman; Bill Maynard, for- [email protected] cutters were allowed to take their pick. though he was a star basketball player at mer Cleveland principal ’71-’76; Don Mills Among the roughly 30 ribbon-cutters Ballard High School in the ‘60s. ’49, CHS Alumni Assn. president; Wayne BOARD MEMBERS lined up along the length of the ribbon Seattle Schools Superintendent Dr. Floyd, interim principal, and Th ea Leidel Pat Coluccio ‘47 were contractors, architects, educators Maria Goodloe-Johnson, newly arrived ’08, student body president. (253) 852-4229 and assorted friends of Cleveland. [email protected] Bernie Moskowitz ‘57 (206) 772-6285 Parental Concern Wins Out; Ginny Ogle ‘64 (206) 937-2209 Old-Time Lockers Back JoAnn Victor Smith ‘56 he doors of the newly renovated them in building #3, which houses the every student and a full set of textbooks in (425) 487-3952 TCleveland High School had been open commons/cafeteria/gymnasium.