1875

The Santa Monica School District was organized.

1891

Samohi approved and established as a four year high school under state law.

1899

Student government organized

1907

The first Nautilus yearbook was published.

1908

The high school orchestra was organized by Miss Carrie V. Truslow.

1911

January 24 election approved $200,000 for a high school was carried by a vote of 768 to 107.  At the same time there was another resolution declaring the intention to establish the high school on Prospect Hill located between Fourth and Sixth Street and between Michigan and Fremont Avenue (now Pico Boulevard). 

The site consists of 14 acres of land, at a cost of $45,487, where three buildings would be constructed.  The Academic building in the center contains an auditorium that will seat 1,040, with gallery, fully equipped stage, dressing rooms, check room and ticket both.  There is a music hall on the second floor that will seat 100 with stage and dressing room.  The building also contains 16 classroom, library, cafeteria and offices for the principal, vice principal, teachers, board of education, city superintendent and secretary.  The building.  The building on the Michigan Avenue side of the grounds is known as the Manual Arts and Commerce Building and the one facing Fremont Avenue is known as the Science Household and Fine Arts.

There were additional plans for a boys’ gymnasium on Michigan Avenue side, a girls’ gymnasium on the Fremont Avenue side and the athletic filed with a quarter-mile track.

1912

Laying of the cornerstone and dedication of the grounds for Santa Monica High School took place April 11th.

1913

First Samohi classes on Prospect Hill were held in the Fall.

1913

Junior college classes were offered at Samohi for the first time.

1914

The Legend of Prospect Hill, by Harold Rigney

1914

Track became an interscholastic sport for the first time.

1918

During World War I, Samohi student raised money for an ambulance to be sent to the French army and did without a Nautilus.

1919

Santa Monica voted to build a Greek Open Air Theater at a cost of $30,000 as a memorial to the soldiers, sailors and marines who served the World War.

1919

Samohi was closed for seven weeks due to the influenza epidemic.

1919

Samohi had its own printing press for the first time.

1920

Samohi’s first jazz band.

1921

The Memorial Theater was dedicated in May 1921.

1923

The first year for golf.

1924

Each year brought a sharply increased enrollment, compelling the constructions, in 1924, of a 14 room addition at Seventh Street and Pico Boulevard.  Included in this new building were the library facilities to provide for a school of even larger enrollment, the board having estimated that the maximum number of students might reach two to three thousand.

1925

Ode to My Locker, by William Bruce
Safe behind they portals gray
Lie the hopes of better days,
Lies my homework all undone,
Or the notes to some fair one.

Candy wrappers, half-used pencils,
Papers, pens, and like utensils
All lie buried with my thoughts,
The finest work my brain has wrought.

1925

Basketball was just becoming a prominent sport.

1926

The school band was formed.

1927

The pipe organ, a large Samohi project, was installed and dedicated.

1927

Senior Ken Darby wrote Hymn of Praise.

1928

The school seal was presented by the Boys’ League.

1928

The first Spanish Festival was a big success and it was planned to make it an annual event.

1928

Art teacher Josephine Roberts wrote:  “A major objective of art education is the enrichment of the life of the individual - - the development of attitudes which will find expression in building of character and high ideals.  Attitudes of cooperation, initiation, responsibility, unselfishness, all these are developed through group work in which art interrelates with other school activities.”

1932

The Board voted $50,000 to improve both gyms.

1933

Samohi had to move into tents because of the March 10th, Long Beach 6.4 magnitude earthquake.

1933

From The Samohi, May 12, 1933
OWL OVER ENTRANCE FUE FOR DESTRUCTION BY RULING
Our great stone owl is to leave us!  This is the decree of the Board of Education.  This owl, though many sophomores – and others, per-haps – do not know it, has a fanciful story.
Many years ago, before the town of Santa Monica was established, a band of gypsies camped on Prospect Hill.  The two large palm trees on each side of the steps were there then, and in them lived a large owl.
As long as the gypsies lived there they were blessed with happiness and success, which they attributed to the guardianship of this great owl.  As they moved on to other places, as gypsies do, they carried with them the story of the remarkable owl.
So when Samohi was built, years later, on this gypsy camping ground, a great stone owl was made, and now sits in state over the door of our school, to insure happiness, wisdom and success to those passing through its portals.
For reasons of safety, the stone owl must now come down, but we hate to lose him.  There are many places about campus where he could be placed in greatest safety, so let’s keep our stone owl somewhere.

1934

Samohi was called “tent city” because classes were held in wood-frame bungalows covered with canvas.  Many activities were curtailed due to circumstances and lack of funds.

1935

Still a tented campus, no auditorium.

1936

During the reconstruction period, following the earthquake of 1933, the high school campus acquired three new buildings:  an Auditorium the Boys’ Gymnasium, and a wing for the Art Department.  The five other main buildings were reconstructed to meet earthquake standards set up for school buildings.  With the “gingerbread” removed and an outside coating of stucco, the reconstructed buildings took on a appearance of modern architecture.

1937

The uniform dress code for girls was still in effect - - navy blue skirt and white blouse.  Friday was Free Dress Day.

1937

The new Vike’s Inn opened with its modernistic soda fountain.

1937 – 1976

The cannon, a tradition at Samohi, made of iron, the 15 pound cannon is fired each morning at 8:20 to signal the raising of the flag, the call to colors, and the beginning of the school day.  Along with the tradition of the firing of the cannon is the traditional stealing of the cannon, “at least once a year, by people who want to do it.:  It has been rebuilt and rebronzed several times but the cannon itself is the original.

1938

First production in the new auditorium.

1938

The new Boys’ Gym was in operation.

1941

Samohi’s 50th anniversary.

1941

Wrestling was introduced at Samohi.

1944

The auditorium was named Barnum Hall and a plaque dedicated in June had Mr. Barnum’s words, “May you have confidence in yourself, faith in each other, and honesty and sincerity of purpose.”

1945

The Nautilus was dedicated to “things that beautify our campus” and featured the Greek Theater, the Samohi Seal, the Viking Curtain, the picture Westward, the title portrayal of the Landing of Lief Erickson (Barnum hall) and the Senior Bench.

1945

Coach and math teacher Bob Crawford was famous for his credo, “the world wants results, not excuses.”

1946

Samohi students filled over 300 educational boxes for needy children in Europe.

1948

The Music Department sponsored radio KCRM (FM), Samohi’s first radio station.

1948

Sergeanettes drill team is new to Samohi.

1949

We learn from this Nautilus that Indian Hill is another name for Prospect Hill.

1950 – 1951

Samohi took over the old technical school/junior college campus across Michigan Avenue.

1951

Before the days of the Homecoming Queen we had Miss Samohi.

1954

Samohi’s Code of Ethics

1954

Appears to be the last Fiesta at Samohi.

1955

The ASB Cabinet consisted of student body president, vice-president, secretary, speaker of the house, and yell king (these first 5 elected by student body); six faculty commissioners, class presidents and boys’ and girls’ league presidents.  The cabinet met every Monday at 3:00 pm to consider such problems as assemblies, football games, pep rallies, and various service programs.

1956

In addition to ASB, Boys League and Girls’ League there was a House of Representatives.

1957

KCRW-FM broadcasting Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30 to 3:10 pm.  Student had a chance to write, direct, produce, act in, and engineer all programs.

1957

The Festive was revived.

1958

KCRW-FM, 89.9 broadcasts music, sports, news, melodrama, fairy tales and travel.

1958 – 1965

Extensive remodeling included the new Technical Building across Michigan, an art gallery, Administration Center, and Cafeteria.  Somehow the Circle disappeared.  Also in this era:  Music Building, Girls’ Gym, Foreign Language and Library Building, Baseball Diamond, Athletic Field, Tennis Courts.  The campus was fenced in to :keep out anti-war activities.”

1960

Wrestling, introduced at Samohi in 1941, and later dropped, was again added to the sports program.

1960

This was temporarily the last year of Bay League football; Samohi was voted out because it was too large a school.

1962

This was the 50th year at the Prospect (Indian) Hill campus.  The remodeling of the campus included a new Art Gallery dedicated to Josephine Roberts.

1964

Returning after a four year exile, the varsity football team captured the Bay League Championship.

1965

There was a boys’ volleyball team.

1968

The golf team was reorganized after being disbanded in 1964 due to high links charges.

1969

At last Samohi had a swimming pool, thanks largely to Dr. Drake’s effort.  Also, the Greek Theater was enlarged.  The original Administration Building was now called the History Building.

1970

The last class to have a dress code.

1973

The volleyball team began league play and we now have a soccer team.

1981

Samohi has a diving team.

1985

There was a touching dedication to head gardener Jesse Rodriguez:  “Your devotion and your kindness touch the heart of every person you meet.”

1987

The Track Team was finally permitted to use the SMC track, built for the 1948 Olympics.

1987

Girls’ Varsity Softball was a new entry in the Ocean League.