By SDCN Staff
San Diego, CA–Generations of San Diego High School alumni watched as the contents of a 1976 time capsule were unveiled, and a fallen Army nurse and alumni were honored during the annual All Class Reunion Saturday.
Inside the time capsule were an ASB constitution, pictures of the old school buildings, a videotape showing the demolition of the old building, shots of the then-new building, Election Day editions of local newspapers, a San Diego telephone directory, copies of the student handbook, and a 1976 yearbook.
The unveiling followed a presentation of the modernization of San Diego High that will include a new campus entrance and an expanded central campus quad, classroom renovations and a new College, Career and Technical Education Engineering Design Lab, and campus-wide improvements.
“These future improvements at San Diego High are going to create new generations of memories,” said Francisca Del Carmen, Principal at San Diego High. “We’re also planning a new time capsule, so stay tuned.”
Funding for the improvements is made available by Propositions S, Z, and Measure YY, which are school bond measures approved by voters to improve San Diego Unified schools.
It was during the construction of this present-day modernization – in June 2022 – that crews discovered the 46-year-old time capsule in a pilaster of Building 100.
“As soon as we found out about the time capsule discovery, we wanted to open it during this year’s All Class Reunion,” said Eddie Head, President of the San Diego High School Alumni Association. “We were also hoping a second-time capsule would be found by this time, but it has yet to be uncovered.”
Following the time capsule reveal, alumni from various years were inducted into the “Wall of Honor,” including 2006 graduate and Army Nurse Jennifer Moreno, who died in Afghanistan in 2013.
The honor follows President Joe Biden’s March 2022 signing of H.R. 3665, a bill that designates the San Diego VA Medical Center as the “Jennifer Moreno Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center,” and the Board of Education’s December 2021 resolution to recognize the valor and legacy of Moreno, which they deemed as “an extraordinary San Diegan and graduate of San Diego Unified.”
“Jennifer paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country,’ said Board of Education Trustee Richard Barrera. “She demonstrated courage, leadership, and strength – all things we strive for at San Diego Unified.”
Other “Wall of Honor” inductees included 1952 alumni Jerry S. Davee, 1962 alumni Marci Paraiso Heider, 1960 alumni Johnny Lopez, and 1966 alumni Brent Strom.
Opened in 1882, the 140-year-old campus has been nationally recognized for various academic and athletic programs. The school is home to a top-ranked International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, has a very active alumni association, and takes pride in its many distinguished graduates. The campus is one of the district’s most used sites for the community, recreational and public activities.
When completed in spring 2025, the current project will honor its rich history and school community, which includes former San Diego High teacher and the “Mother of Balboa Park,” Kate Sessions, and National Football League player Art Powell, who graduated in the 1950s.
