After several months of planning and hard work by Foundation directors, the Museum on the SRHS campus celebrated a formal opening on January 27, 2007. Members of the Santa Rosa City Council, the Sonoma County Historical Society, the Board of Education and SRHS Foundation attended the dedication ceremony.
Displayed and stored in the Museum on the second floor of the Main Building are a number of artifacts from the early days of SRHS to items of a more recent time. Because a fire completely consumed SRHS in November 1921, little is available from the very early days of the school’s existence. On prominent display, however, is a large silver trophy won by SRHS in 1897 in a Sonoma County schools “Play Day” athletic competition. This trophy was found in an artichoke field in the King City-Salinas area and returned to the high school. The Foundation, with the assistance of principal’s secretary Marlene Callen, restored the trophy to its shining glory.
Items of more recent interest are memorabilia from the filming on campus of the Francis Ford Coppola production, Peggy Sue Got Married, and a photo of Hollywood stars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard standing on Mendocino Avenue with SRHS prominently in the background.
Records of Block S and Block SR and photos of athletes, including Ernie Nevers, are on the walls and in the display cases along with items to promote spirit and Big Game interest. Additionally, material relating to academic and such extracurricular activities as dance, music and drama are in the cases.
The Museum came into being because of the efforts of Foundation Directors Mary Testorelli ’47, Ernie Thompson ’49, Dick Hutchinson ’59, Mike Daniels ’59, Alicia Hodenfield ’85 and Dave Thompson ’92. The idea resulted from the interests of SRHS faculty Art Horner, Mike Daniels and Tony Negri. When the business office relocated from the second floor to the first during the refurbishing of campus buildings, Negri approached the school board who gave its blessing to this one of a kind idea.
Future plans are to increase Museum holdings and to periodically revolve displays around school related themes. The Museum welcomes all donations, which can be left in the main office on campus, and all donors will be recognized.
At a ceremony in 2017 the City of Santa Rosa recognized the museum’s efforts to collect and preserve SRHS history with a Merit Award. It’s in the museum too.
Tours of the Museum can be arranged by contacting Mike Daniels at mdaniels@sonic.net, 707-890-3850-ext #52005.
Photos of the Museum are included in the SRHS Photo Gallery.
