Virgil Jr. High School Alumni

Belmont High School Alumni

presenting Virgil Jr. High School Alumni

This page is provided for those of you who had graduated from Virgil Jr. High School. The school has changed its name to Virgil Middle School, which is located on Vermont Ave., at First St.

Annual Reunion [No current information available. -- Ed.]

Virgil Jr. High School 27th Annual Roundup Luncheon was held Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006 at the San Pedro Elks Lodge #99.

The last year of the Roundup Luncheon was scheduled for Oct. 6, 2007. [Last one we know of]

For information, contact Mary Jane Fuller, Ed Harper, Jack Hansen, Tony Hicks, George Rubio (626) 332-0128), or Jim Wolfson.

Register for an Upcoming Event

Write us an e-mail for contact information.

Send us information and comments.

KFI, KECA(later KABC) studios across the school from Virgil.

Virgil News:

The following teachers have passed on:
Mr. Peter A. Adamopolous, Math teacher (d. March 3, 2014) Photo at Facebook

Mr. McInerney
Mr. Ogle
Mr. Delaney

Virgil Middle School in Wikipedia

Many famous people have attended Virgil Middle School. Among them are (According to Wikipedia):

Richard Crenna, actor
Melvin Gilbert, inventor
Carole Lombard, actress
Marilyn Monroe, actress
Scott Shaw author, actor, filmmaker

VIRGIL IN THE NEWS

"Nearby Virgil Middle School, for example, had a highly regarded orchestral music program and later added a dance program. But budget cuts terminated both efforts, officials said." -- Los Angeles Times, July 14, 2013

Virgil Little Symphony

About 25 members of the Little Symphony attended the 2006 Roundup Luncheon and met up with their director, Thomas E Kessler and his wife Dona.

Webpage

The Little Symphony Orchestra of Virgil Junior High School, Los Angeles

-- picture of the full orchestra

-- photos of orchestra members

-- brief history of its formation and development

-- synopsis of 1949 director Vernon Leidig's background

Apparently, Virgilite Joe Sidore (818) 951-5950 is selling a recording of the 1949 Virgil Little Symphony for $14. Included: KFI - Pat Bishop rebroadcast of 5/20/47, Poet and Peasant Overture (recorded 1949), Finlandia (recorded 1947), Die Fledermaus Overture (recorded 1947), Great Gate of Kiev (recorded 1947).

Virgil Jr. High History

At first Virgil was located on Virgil Avenue. In 1916 it was moved over to where it is now. Virgil's complete name was Virgil Intermediate School later the name was changed to Virgil Junior High School.

For 17 years Virgil grew and prospered; then along came the quake of 1933 (Long Beach). The main building had to be rebuilt and the auditorium and annex were reinfored.

During her first 50 years, Virgil had four principals. The were Jay B. Millard, Roscoe Fransher, Roy A. Arnheim, Mary Comerford and Paul J. Schwartz.

Looking at Virgil when it first opened its doors, you'll discover that on one side a swamp area once existed; here was the after-school playground of many students who built rafts and floated on the swamp. On the opposite side of this area, there were streetcar tracks which circled around Virgil and ventured downtown covering most of the Los Angeles area. Also, there was a swimming pool at Bimini Baths.

Alumni News

For digital yearbooks of Virgil, please go to: https://www.facebook.com/VirgilMiddleSchool/photos

Linda Hassan, now Amina Hassan, received her PhD in rhetorical criticism and her MA in telecommunications from Ohio University. Hassan received her BA from Univ.Calif.,Berkeley. Presently, she is writing the first critical biography of Loren Miller, Los Angeles civil rights attorney and journalist. Hassan is an award winning public radio documentarian with productions ranging from the coup and on-the-spot recording of U.S. invasion of Grenada, to a radio series for NPR on how race, class and gender shape American sport. She is a single parent of five successful adult children.