another year…

By now it’s clear that the Class of ’65 won’t be having a 60-year reunion. Though a number of people inquired, and a couple of people even expressed some enthusiasm for organizing an event, apparently there was not enough whatever-it-takes to get the job done.

Meanwhile, as in years past, small groups of friends continue to gather, classmates reach out by phone and visit one another on their travels, and in spite of our challenges and catastrophes, we keep having birthdays, even if cakes are nearing critical mass – more fire than icing!

At the same time, our losses mount. Of the approximately 900 students in the combined Winter and Summer classes of 1965, at least 150 are Lost Forever.

Wherever you are, we hope you are healthy, safe, thriving, and ready to shake it up in 2026.

Take care, stay in touch, and send news: Leave a comment, or send an email to unihi65 [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

A landscape of loss

Whether we live nearby or far away, we have watched in horror as the landscape of our childhood goes up in smoke.

Our families, our friends, and their families and friends have evacuated, fleeing ahead of the flames, abandoning all but the essentials: life.

At least two of our classmates have lost their homes, but surely the number will be much larger. The fires are still burning.

It will take years for people and communities to heal from this trauma. Many of us vividly recall the losses of the Bel Air Fire of 1961*. We know how that experience shaped our lives and can only imagine how the current fires will affect us.

We feel helpless. For those who have lost their homes, much will be needed in the coming months. If you have something to offer — a guest house, an extra vehicle, temporary housing for a pet, a ride to school or work, an hour or two to help with just about anything — reach out.

Thank you.

. . . . .
Cal Fire map, January 11, 2025, 11:00am

*This film about the 1961 Bel Air fire, “Design For Disaster,” was produced by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

another year…

If no news is good news and you’re measuring by the number of posts on UniHi65, then you’d have to conclude that 2024 has been a good year indeed. Well, the reviews are mixed, but here’s some hope for the holiday season and 2025.

A number of Uni classmates have asked about a 60-year reunion. So far, no one has stepped up with a plan or the wherewithal to organize one, but we’ve heard about various small groups of classmates getting together over a meal or on Zoom to stay connected.

With friendships that reach back not just to Uni, but, in many cases, to junior high and elementary school, those connections are worth preserving. If you’re in one of those small groups, we’d love to hear about it: leave a comment! Say hello!

(By the way, there’s a LOT of good stuff to browse on this site. Use the navigation links near the top of the page and take a look around. You’ll probably discover some old friends!)

All best for the holidays and beyond.

Make some noise!

Season’s greetings for everything you celebrate!

on campus

Long before Uni High was Uni High, indigenous Tongva people occupied the area in a village known as Kuruvungna (“a place where we are in the sun”). At the heart of the village were lush, productive fresh water springs. The springs and evidence of the village were rediscovered in 1925, when University High School was under construction. The area was cleaned up, but later fell into disrepair. In the 1990s, spurred on by Tongva descendant Annie Behrens, the Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation was established to restore and preserve the site and educate the public about its history and culture.

Located behind gates on the Uni campus near what is now the lower Barrington parking lot, the site is a California State Historical Landmark and can be visited on the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Learn more at the Kuruvungna Sacred Springs page on the Santa Monica Conservancy website, find additional details and photos at the Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation, and read a recent story by Denise Hamilton.

. . . . .
photo
Thanks to Jeff Kirshbaum for the link!

milestone

“My diseases are an asthma and a dropsy, and what is less curable, seventy-five.” Samuel Johnson, in a letter to William Gerard Hamilton, 1784

The class of ’65 has attained, or is moving inexorably toward, the milestone of age 75. As you’ve no doubt noted, nearly 15 percent of us won’t be joining in this celebration, which only makes our own birthdays more poignant. While few have arrived at this point without a number of complaints, most seem to express surprise — at having so few complaints, at still feeling 18 or 34 or whatever, and at seeing ourselves at 75 so very differently than we saw our grandparents. However long we last, we can all hope for a sense of humor that lasts one breath longer.

gifts of the season

May your heart be full, your gifts many, your health good, your life long.
Best wishes to — and from — the Class of ’65.

wonderful Westwood Village

This terrific historical tour of Westwood Village has been circulating on social media, but in case you’ve missed it, you can find it online courtesy of the UCLA Newsroom.

. . . . .
thanks to Andy Asher and Mitch Blumenfeld for the heads up

Catching up with… Marc Wanamaker

We happened to notice that our Uni ’65 classmate Marc Wanamaker has a new podcast project underway, so we talked to him to learn more.

A Hollywood kid, born and raised among stars of both big and small screens (like many Uni High kids), Wanamaker discovered his true calling, as historian and witness, when he founded Bison Archives in 1971. In the five decades since, he has accumulated a collection of some 300,000 images; worked as a professional research historian on the subjects of motion pictures, television, and California and Southern California history; written or collaborated on about 30 books on those subjects; and served as a consultant on numerous motion pictures and television programs.

In 2012, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library acquired more than 70,000 of Bison’s prints, transparencies, and negatives of motion picture production, biography, and subject photographs (that’s 88 linear feet!). Marc continues to identify, digitize, and preserve the remaining materials with the hope of finding a safe and permanent home for the balance of his one-of-a-kind collection.

With a particular passion for the lesser-known stories of the industry, Wanamaker was involved with the production of “Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché,” a documentary narrated by Jodie Foster about the pioneering female director and studio owner.

With Wanamaker’s industry knowledge and resources, it’s hardly surprising that Christopher Ewing turned to Marc when he wanted to add Hollywood history to the offerings on his Poverty Row Studios podcast channel. The premier episode, “The History of Hollywood,” is now available online and will soon be followed by episodes on the Lincoln Motion Picture Company, early female action stars of the silent film era, and early Hollywood aviation, as well as a video series.

Follow the links for further details or contact Marc Wanamaker at Bison Archives.

Still here…

It’s a little embarrassing, from the perspective of the spring equinox, to see that our most recent post was back in December. This is just to let you know that we’re still here, figuring (hoping?) that no news is good news, marking our progress with vaccinations and hoped-for visits with friends and grandchildren.

We’re a fortunate bunch, for many reasons, and I think most of us were astonished to find ourselves listed in a most vulnerable category early in the pandemic for no more reason than the accident of being post-war baby boomers. Is the local senior center really meant for us?

If our generation is meant to redefine old/ancient/elderly/senior citizen (who, me?), the first step is to survive. Please take care of yourselves. Say hello. Click Like. Send news.