From: Pete Gianopulos [[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 5:59 AM Subject: The Taft Newsletter for October 13, 2007 -- Jeanne Cooper and Reader's Comments

Taft, California Greetings from Pete Gianopulos, Class of 1942 The Taft Newsletter Jeanne Cooper Jeanne Cooper was born in Taft, California on October 25, 1929. Her parents were born on a Cherokee Indian Reservation in Oklahoma. The parents came to California to work in the oilfields and settled in California. The family lived in South Taft at 219 Eastern Ave. Jeanne has two siblings, both older. She attended school in South Taft and entered in Taft Union High School with the class of 1945. When her mother died when Jeanne was about in her junior year, the father moved the family to Bakersfield and Jeanne graduated from Bakersfield High School. Her mother is buried at the West Side District Cemetery. She attended the College of Pacific in Stockton, California and performed in the Civic Light Opera Company and Revue Theater in Stockton. Continuing her education she graduated from the famed the Pasadena Playhouse. Jeanne Cooper joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 1973 as Katherine Chandler, the grand dame of Genoa City. She has been nominated as Outstanding Actress in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992. She received a Soap Opera Digest Award in 1989 as Outstanding Leading Actress and received the magazine’s Editor’s Award that same year. She received the MVP Award from Soap Opera Update in 1990. She was the recipient of the Woman of the Year award from the Pasadena Playhouse Alumni & Associates in 1989. Jeanne has a wide ranging television career which has included appearances in the series of The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason, Maverick and Ban Casey, a performance for which he received an Emmy Nomination. She has appeared with her son, actor Corbin Bernsen, in a television series LA Law (a role for which she received an additional Emmy nomination). She was also seen in the motion pictures The Man from Alamo, The Boston Strangler, and Tony Rome. Her theatrical productions included On the Town, The Miracle Worker, Plain and Fancy, and a successful touring production of Plaza Suite. She also starred in Love Letters at the Cannon Theater in Beverly Hills, California. Cooper was married to Harry Bernsen, producer, but divorced. She is the mother of three children, Caren, Collin and Corbin and the grandmother of six. She lives in Los Angeles. Jeanne has blond hair, blue eyes, and stands 5’-3 ½”. Corbin Bernsen in an article by Rick Bentley that appeared in The Bakersfield Californian on March 20, 1995, wrote that as a youngster his mother would always find time “to travel to the small community of Taft each summer to visit relatives. My fondest dreams were speeding up and down the hills around the town on dirt bikes.” The visits always included visiting the grave of Jeanne Cooper's mother. Jeanne Cooper is still remembered by some people in Taft who lived in the same neighborhood and others with whom she associated with while going to school. The Taft Union High School Fight Song Have you ever wondered who wrote the Taft Union High School Fight Song, which the Taft High band still plays often during the football game and when Taft makes a touch down? No many around will remeber to sing the words of that stirring fight song. This story was trold to me by Harry Passehl, a member of the class of 1930 when I interviewed him and sister, Lorrain Mullen some years ago. In fact Harry and Lorraine both graduated the same year. She taught dance for many years in Taft. After her graduation Lorrian married Very "Moon" Mullen the long-time athletic director and coach at Taft High. Vern played football for the University of Illinois and played pro- football for the Chicago Bears and was a team mate of "The Galloping Ghost,"Red Grange before coming to teach for Taft High. The Taft High school gym is named after him. Lorraine played the trumbone in the Taft High's All Girl Band that marched in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade in 1928, 1929 1ne 1930. Harry was a musician all of his life. It all started when he started playing the fult and the drums in high school and then for dance around town while still in high school. He told me that while he was in high school, the Taft High Fighte Song was written by Gertrude Graham, a member of the class of 1929. She wrote the music to what resembled a march and the lyrics that had been sung by the students for years. The year book shows that Gertrude was very active while in school. She sang in the Glee Club, played in the school orchestra and the band and participated by singing in a high school vaudeville operetta production. Te fight song is always played by the band at all sporting events and in the early days when it was played, the sudents would alays stand and sing the words in loud voices. A tremendous cheer would go up after the song and the singing was finished. At class reunions some will always stand and sing the fight song. For those who may not know thw words they are presented below: The Taft High Fight Song Taft High, we love you Taft High, you are the best school of them all, Taft High, we'll bring you glory and we'll laud you to the sky, oh dear ol' Taft High, We love you Taft High, to your colors we'll be true, they are the best ones, They are the Golden and the Blue. Reader's Responses From Don Scales, Class of 1953, of Laguna Woods, CA Hi Pete, In your latest Newsletter there are several comments about an article you sent about Dr.Dykes Johnson. Somehow, I never got that Newsletter. Could please send me a copy of it. Dr. Johnson was our family doctor and I remember him and his cigar well. He encouraged me to go into Pharmacy which I did. During my last year at University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy I and my very pregnant wife had gone down to Taft to spend Christmas vacation with my parents. We were going back to San Francisco on News Year Day since I had classes on the following Monday. Well, my wife went into labor about 12:30 AM News Years Day and of course we called Dr. Johnson . He met us at the Community Hospital about 1 AM with cigar in mouth. Went in to examine my wife. Came out about 45 minutes later and looked at me and said, " You have a beautiful baby daughter." Had cigar in hand. She was the first baby born in Taft in 1958. I still have the recording of the radio interview I had with KTKR. I was awakened very early for the interview and it really sounds like it. I really would like to read what you wrote about this very memorable man. Thanks for the great work, Pete. Don Scales, '53 From May Jane (Hare) Miraglio Mr. Gianopulos, I would LOVE to receive you newsletter. The article about Dr. J. Dykes Johnson is priceless. He patched me up many a time, even sewing up my finger at a high school football game. Thank you, Mary - Jane Hare Miraglio