DidYouKnow

When Birmingham High School was first opened for students in 1953, many quarters, rooms, and facilities previously used by the military were "boarded up". Most of these hidden places were soon discovered by students and staff, most out of curiousity. You will read several "Bits 'n Pieces" related to these discoveries.

After several months of student occupation, sometime during 1953, the notion of a room, including windows, must exist above the chapel (located along Balboa Blvd.). When the "false wall" was located hiding a staircase, a unique scene was discovered. Above the chapel was the minister's quarters, complete with a single bed, nightstand, and a lone chair. Even more amazing was the fact that in the drawer of the nightstand a BIBLE was found. The room was found almost in the condition it must have been when in use by the hospital.

Yes, it is true, Birmingham High School inherited a "Morgue". Again, after several months of student occupation, the students and the wood shop teacher came to the conclusion that inside measurements of the wood shop did not equal the outside measurements. When this "boarded up" wall was discovered (at the back of the woodshop) a remarkable and eerie sight revealed itself. Again, as in the case of the minister's quarters, almost untouched in it's practicality and condition was the "morgue". The narrow room came complete with printed instructions found on the wall, oak doors (teired 3-4 high and 5-6 teirs); and, weirdest of all, when the doors were opened, out came a "body basket" on rollers.

In the film "Casablanca", Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) has a film ending conversation with a cop. The dialogue goes "Louis, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship". That scene took place at the Van Nuys Airport, in a hangar off Waterman Street.

In 1953, Birmingham High School came complete with a three lane bowling alley. Within a year, two of the lanes were sold to a local bowling alley. The coaches had exclusive rights to play. Sometime (within the first two years), the third of the original lanes was also sold.

In the beginning of BHS, the "Bomb Shelter" located beneath the BHS campus (which duplicated the the major hallways above ground) were a well kept secret for 2-3 years. The story goes that "smokers" may have been the first ones to discover access to these dark corridors. When Mr. Ramirez got word of students "lighting up", he dispatched his "noon-movie" crew to discourage the smokers (ah....the days of "cleaning one's own linen!"). The "Bomb Shelter" secret was finally out! Soon after the entry hatches were boarded anew and secured.

.Here's a great little piece submitted by: Pamela Ferris (Cazis)'60 -

My mother-in-law worked at Birmingham during the war. There were POW's there working during the war. One of the Italian POW's got to know Mom pretty well, I think, because after the war he returned to Italy and then he wrote her a letter. I wonder if you would consider that fraternizing with the enemy? We found the letter after she died and he had included a picture of himself.

In some pictures of my mother at Birmingham you can see paintings on the wall that Disney Studios did for the patients. Those paintings were in the dining hall. They were all painted over by the time we went to school there.

Last week I watched the movie "The Men" with Marlon Brando. It was filmed at Birmingham while it was still a hospital. There were some great scenes of Birmingham in the movie.

Here's some Trivia for ya......First (not in order) in the Valley was; San Fernando High, the Tigers; North Hollywood High, the Huskies; and Van Nuys High, the Wolves. After those schools along came Canoga Park High and they called themselves the "Hunters", because they were going to "Hunt" the Tigers, Huskies and the Wolves. Cute, huh!