RICHARD HENRY DANA MIDDLE SCHOOL
Established February 6th, 1928

"Dana Junior High Opened in 1928"—from San Pedro News Pilot, April 11, 1946, photo circa 1930, reprinted July 14, 2003, Daily Breeze newspaper

Named for Richard Henry Dana, who in his book, "Two Years Before the Mast" told of reaching San Pedro in 1834, Dana Junior high school, Feb. 6, 1928, opened its doors to B-7, A-7 and B-9 students.

Need for the junior high school was pointed out in 1925 by Roy Beaton, then secretary of Chamber of Commerce, who said San Pedro was the "only town with a 45,000 population which did not have a junior high school."

The school's formal opening, May 4, 1928, was celebrated with a dinner at which the late Susan Dorsey, superintendent of city schools, was guest of honor.

A class A three-story concrete building with 30 classrooms was the first unit constructed on the site Cabrillo ave. between Fourteenth and Seventeenth sts.

Built to accommodate the students overflowing San Pedro high school classrooms, which housed junior high school grades; the new school started with an enrollment of 625 pupils. The staff included 23 teachers. First principal was Roy Porter; Vice principal was Beatrice Whittlesey. Cedric Stannard, counsellor, became vice principal in 1930 when enrollment reached the 1500 mark.

Two wings have been added to the original unit, increasing classrooms by 16; six bungalows were set on the grounds, and a girls gymnasium has been constructed. Enrollment today stands at 1800. The staff numbers 70 instructors, including the principal, Roy H. Raymond; two vice principals, Gerald Weller and Miss Bertha L. Goodrich; a counsellor, Mrs. L. Strawn, and a registrar, Clarence Halfpenny.

Dana's public school week observance continues through Friday when special Easter program will be held.

Hand drawing of Richard Dana.

Richard Henry Dana (1815-1882)

Published in 1840, Richard Henry Dana's Two Years Before the Mast, is an important American document that chronicles the lives of seamen and Californians prior to the California gold rush. As a young man, Dana left his studies at Harvard and worked as a seaman on the brig Pilgrim which traveled the coast of California. The book is a record of his diary and reflects the cruel life of those who worked on the ocean. Later, when Dana returned to Boston, he graduated from Harvard and became a maritime lawyer advocating the rights of the merchant seamen. He would eventually go on to become a U.S. District Attorney and as well as a member of the Massachusetts legislature. Though never confirmed by the senate Dana was nominated as Ambassador to England. After retiring from his practice he moved to Rome to conduct research on international law. He died there in 1881 and is buried in Rome's Protestant Cemetery.

Excerpts from:
Pedro Murals . . . Working People's Art

—from Random Lengths, December 1982-January 1983 issue. The article also includes descriptions of murals at San Pedro High School and the main post office on Beacon Street.

Two murals at Dana cover walls at the north and south ends of the school's cafeteria. Both bear the signature of the artist Adrien Machefert and the date 1939. The Dana murals portray early San Pedro and its harbor activity. Is that Richard Henry Dana, Jr. who balances the hides on his shoulders? Early San Pedro residents, including a sizable Indian population, work beside sailors at the waterfront.

Cafeteria manager Shirley Guff, who has been at the school sixteen years, feels that many of the faces on the figures in Machefert's paintings resemble those of students she has seen at Dana. The art work casts a spell of its own, she points out. The murals are the first thing former students want to look at when they return to visit the school.

Today these San Pedro murals remain for an audience of students and passers-by a people's art elevating the role of labor and public employment and serving as a reminder of an earlier time of economic hardship.

For more information on WPA Murals visit:
http://www.wpamurals.com/



::Top

OUR SCHOOL NAME:

Dana Mariners

OUR COLORS:

Blue & Gold

OUR MOTTO:

"Steer a Straight Course"

OUR MISSION

Richard Henry Dana Middle School is dedicated to improving the quality of education for all students.

OUR VISION

Dana Middle School students will read, write, and perform mathematical applications at their grade level and above. Their learning will be enriched through the arts and athletics, as well as through guest speakers and cultural programs. Students will receive instruction with clear objectives and identifiable steps for completing final products such as term papers, science projects, and art portfolios.

OUR BELIEFS

At Dana Middle School we believe:

  1. All students who are motivated can learn.
  2. The educational process is a responsibility shared by students, parents, teachers, administrators, and classified staff.
  3. Students must be prepared to successfully transition from school to post-secondary education, career preparation, and employment

::Top

Return: HomepageSummer SchoolWho's Who at DanaDescription of OfficesDana MapHealth Services CenterUniform PolicySchool CalendarReading CountsPTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association)

Copyright © 2005-2006 Richard Henry Dana Middle School, © Los Angeles Unified School District - All rights reserved.

Updated: June 23, 2006