California Scholarship Federation
And here’s CSF, to which also I “belonged” by virtue of my GPA. That’s me, down front, fifth from the right.

Miss Blanche Preston, veteran teacher of English and other subjects, a gentle, scholarly old maid, was our “advisor,” although for the life of me I can’t recall anything she ever advised us to do. Nor, for that matter, could I swear we ever even met as a group, except for this photo. That may, of course, merely reflect the degenerate state of my memory. Whatever else CSF may or may not have accomplished at Pacific High, it surely adorned a number of competitive college applications. And its seal looks good on my diploma.
I never really got to know Miss Preston. It’s a measure of the cruelty of children, even smart children, that my fellow students sometimes referred to her as “Blanche, the Happy Hippo,” focusing rather on her dumpy, middle-aged appearance than on anything of enduring significance.

My Pappy told a story that may do her a bit more justice. Seems she and Pappy were seated together at some banquet table, engaged in the distinctive chat of fellow English teachers, and he moved courteously to refill her water glass. Distracted, however, he poured the water into a glass that already contained an inch of milk. Detecting his error, he was of course embarrassed, but she smoothed the situation with a smile: “That’s all right, Duane: we’ll just pretend it’s tea!” I was sorry to learn, some years later, that Miss Preston and her mother had perished in a fire that destroyed the home they shared.
Academics Activities Honors
Press Notices Honor Rolls Scholarships Graduation
Back a Page
(Honor Rolls)
Such a Life
Contents
Page
Indexes:
Chapter 1
(1941-46)
Chapter 2
(1946-58)
Chapter 3
(1958-72)
Next Page
(Personalities)
Welcome Stories Sections Such a Life People Places Site Search Do You Know?
Updated Dec 2013 [2086HonorSociety1.htm] Page 2-138