Monday Memories -- My Junior High School Years (1955-1958)

I was age 11 to 14 when I attended Theodore Roosevelt Junior High School in San Diego, California for the 1955, 1956 and 1957 school years (7th, 8th and 9th grade). It was located on Park Blvd. and Upas Street in the northern part of Balboa Park, and was adjacent to the San Diego Zoo. I rode the school bus every day to school - it had a set route to the school.  My bus stop was on our block at 30th and Ivy, then went north on 30th Street, west on University, south on Park Blvd to the school.  I think it cost 10 cents every day each way.  The ride to school was always uneventful. 

There was also a school bus after school, reversing the route, and I took that in 7th grade and early 8th grade. However, some bullies assaulted me in 8th grade on the bus and I stopped taking it the rest of 8th grade and 9th grade. So I rode the Route 7 city bus south from the school to downtown and then rode the Route 2 bus east and north to my home. I often took the opportunity to explore downtown San Diego between the bus rides - the city library was there and I went there to read and explore. Then it was home to do my homework and have family time.

In junior high, I had the basic English, mathematics, social studies and science classes, plus gym, and then an elective class. I chose wood shop in 7th grade, metal shop in 8th grade, and Latin in 9th grade. I excelled in math, taking algebra in 8th and 9th grades. I don’t recall much about the classes, the teachers, or my classmates. I don’t have any report cards from these years, but I received good grades. 

I was very shy around girls, and never attended a dance or social event. I was small (finally 100 pounds and five feet tall at age 16 in 1959), immature and insecure. It was a hard three years socially for me. I had friends from my classes but didn’t really hang out after school with anyone.

These were the years of early rock and roll music, and I loved the songs and artists on the radio.  I listened to Radio Kay-deo (KDEO-910) and KCBQ-1170 in 1958 and the following years.  My favorite song in 1958 when I graduated was the Everly Brothers “All I Have to Do Is Dream.”   Other favorite records were "Do You Wanna Dance" by Bobby Freeman, "Johnny B. Goode" by- Chuck Berry, and "Chantilly Lace" by the Big Bopper.  I didn’t watch the TV music shows. 

I was very into sports and followed the minor league Padres on the radio, and attended several games every year going to the park by bus (good old Route 2). I watched the World Series games on TV on the weekends, and started watching NFL games too.  In the evening, we watched TV on the three San Diego stations like "I Love Lucy" and "Father Knows Best."  

These were the years that I explored quite a bit of San Diego on my bicycle - looking for stores that sold baseball cards. I collected maps, and loved going to new places. One time I made it to my grandparents house on Point Loma (a good 10 miles away) and they drove me home since it was mainly uphill going back. 

Here is a photograph of my parents, my brother Scott and me in 1958 on our patio before attending my junior high school graduation in June 1958:

Frankly, I’ve tried hard for over 60 years to forget my junior high years!

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