by RAYMOND M. ELLIOTT and SIDNEY H. DAVIDSON, district superintendents, Huntington Beach and Newport Harbor union high school districts respectively during and after the establishment of Orange Coast College.

ON SEPTEMBER 25th Dr. Buel Enyeart telephoned, saying, I saw Dr. Lindsay last week and felt an obligation to approach him regarding the matter we talked about at Veterans' Affairs committee meeting. He said you were wasting your time in trying to get going now. There will be no money for you before next September (a year hence). It seems to me that you had better appear before the State Board on October 4th at Coronado." Dr. Enyeart said he would then report on the need for veterans' education in the State.

Learning that the State Superintendent was slated to speak at the Orange County Teachers' Institute on September 30th, we telegraphed him to ask that he give us time on that day to go over the Base with us and see the facilities we had selected for a college. He wired back that he would talk with us then, but that there would be no time for a tour of the Base. He also notified the Santa Ana School Board that he was coming.

After Superintendent Simpson's opening address, we met in the high school principal's office with Mr. Simpson, Mr. George Wells, president of the Santa Ana Board, Superintendent Lynn Crawford and his assistant Mr. Carl Harvey. Mr. Crawford opened by telling how Santa Ana Junior College had been asked to apply for the Base by General Erskine early in July, but that the University of California and the University of Southern California were being given first consideration. Then Colonel Read had invited Santa Ana to apply for the 400 acres of the Whittier Estate property. Later, Santa Ana had been told to wait until other colleges had been considered, and was still waiting to receive notification that the Base was again open for applications.

Mr. Davidson asked,"If the site is acquired by the Newport Harbor district, could it contract with another educational agency to hold classes on the Base?" To this the State Superintendent replied, "That could be done."

After being shown the school district limits on a map of the Base, Mr. Wells expressed astonishment that Santa Ana did not encompass the whole area. He said that Santa Ana would drop the matter of a college on the Base. He took another tack, saying that the Santa Ana junior college bonds did not specify a site and that the funds could be used anywhere. We questioned this.

Mr. Crawford confessed he did not realize that the Santa Ana district's boundary line bisected the Whittier Estate property, with only half within the Santa Ana district, half in the Newport Harbor high school district.

Mr. Simpson asked if Santa Ana and the Coast could work together at the Base-"or the whole of Orange County? That would be 'ideal'." In view of the futile attempts of the past, we did not think that would work satisfactorily. But Mr. Wells said he thought "it would not be too hard to work together." And Carl Harvey hoped we could work out a plan whereby the districts would share the Base assets.

The State Superintendent said repeatedly that there were no funds, either State or Federal to his knowledge, to finance the college for the first year. With that we adjourned.

At this juncture, Mr. Arthur F. Corey of California Teachers' Association told of his friend McCaskill in Washington, D.C., with whom he had just been talking on long-distance phone. McCaskill was liaison man between the National Education Association and War Assets Administration and had told Corey that educational institutions had just been moved from bottom spot to top in priority ratings!

We rushed to Los Angeles again. We pinned Torelli down. What fund had he checked up on for us at the Veterans' Affairs committee meeting? He phoned Larry Stevens' office in Sacramento. Stevens was not there, and no one in his office could give the information. Torelli searched through his office files and found nothing. He then looked through the "Handbook for Veterans" and found this, in Chapter IV, "$7,500,000 was appropriated by the 56th Session of the California Legislature to enable the State and local agencies to procure surplus Government properties and provide suitable housing facilities for veterans, their families," . . . et cetera. (Laws 1946, 1st Extra Session, Chap. 29.) Since this was dearly for housing facilities only, wc left Torelli to go to Colonel Read. We were beginning to feel like the rustic who had been sent to find the left-handed monkey-wrench.

Colonel Read had always been most friendly and understanding. We would confess our folly. He might be understanding, and even sympathetic. We hoped he would be forgiving. When we arrived he was busy, but he waved us past his secretary. Contrary to our expectations, Colonel Read advised that we speed our applications even without assurances of financial support. He reiterated that he was under pressure. He told us of a message from Washington that he had read and re-read 14 times without being able to understand it. We suggested that perhaps Arthur Corey's friend McCaskill might be able to help him-if he would call Executive 2420, extension 704. He shook our hands and thanked us heartily.

We drove home in silence. Neither spoke of what was on the tip of his tongue. If he had, there might not have been a Coast College.

Next mail, however, brought good news. The Survey for a junior college was favorable. "The State Department of Education recommends that an election be authorized (by the State Board of Education yet to meet) in order that the voters of this area may determine whether or not a junior college district shall be established." This prized document was dated September 25, 1946. Thus, September closed on a moderately high note.

Often the greatest help comes from unexpected sources. On the first day of October we went to the Base to procure maps to accompany our application. Burrell Wilson, in addition to giving us the maps, also offered to let us use the card files of the utilities whenever we wanted them. Just how helpful this would be was realized only when we were faced with listing thousands of items by number, size, location, from the huge Recreation Building to bowl, water closet.

The next few days were passed at Hotel Coronado, where the annual convention of the California Association of Secondary School Administrators and the semi-annual meeting of the State Board of Education were held. We were on the alert to contact Dr. Lindsay and learn why he thought we were wasting our time in working for our junior college. We stood ready to present our case before the State Board, and of course we would have to work through our chief of secondary education. Dr. Lindsay shook our hands, hastily asked if we had talked with Mr. Simpson at Santa Ana, and brushed past to the meeting of the State Board session then starting. He exuded confidence. We could leave everything to him.

We looked for him later, left messages in his hotel box saying we must talk with him. The entire Orange County delegation was on the lookout for him, but we did not see him again during the three days of our convention. However, he did see Linton T. Simmons and told him that he wanted to tell us he was in a most clllbarr.lssing position. He wanted to explain that when he talked by telephone from Huntington Beach to Sacramento, on August 29th, Lawrence Stevens had assured him that $7 million was available for a junior college program covering first year operations. Lindsay then called Mr. Hogan of the State Department's Legal Division for corroboration of Stevens' statement. Both these men told Dr. Lindsay, he said, that the money was there. Later, Dr. Lindsay had learned that Stevens had taken our memorandum to Dr. Simpson, not to Governor Warren as we had expected. Dr. Simpson had insisted to us that there were no such funds available for our use. Governor Warren had told Ben Reddick there was a fund of $15 milllion. Veterans' Housing, according to the "Manual", had $7.5 million. Where was the other half? Our chance for a junior college on the air base depended upon finding it.

On October 4th the State Board approved the rider to our original petition to form a junior college district-which was added at the suggestion of the State Superintendent-and granted the right to hold junior college classes at the Base, operating jointly as the Newport Harbor Union High School and Junior College and Huntington Beach Union High School and Junior College, a unique arrangement. The Board took no action on our petition to form a union junior college district by vote of the electorate, which was our primary objective. We would have to change our approach to War Assets in applying for a site at the Base.

As quickly as we could draw up a formal application for everything Mcsscrs DeWolfe and Read held promised us, we filed it with them. This astonishing document must be seen to be credited. The property being within the Newport Harbor area, the application was worded thus: "The Newport Harbor Union High School and Junior College District hereby makes formal application for title to the lands, buildings, equipment, facilities and utilities owned by the Govermnent of the United States on or within the premises known as the Santa Ana Army Air Base of Orange County, California . . . to conduct a junior College for veterans and others, and for housing of veterans and faculty . . . and to share with other public agencies and/or services, such as County Hospital, 32nd Agricultural District, National Guard, Naval Reserve, Disaster Relief, Youth Authority, Migratory Agricultural Workers, Agricultural Experiment Station, and others . . . Each to finance its own operations . . ." etc. If War Assets were being pressured to give the Base away to a single applicant who could run the whole shebang, we were their boys. Package deal: we would take on everything. All we needed to do it was a million dollars.

Strangely enough, no explosion occurred. Two days passed. Then came a memorandum from Monroe Sharpless, Contract Officer of Veterans' Administration, "Some Sources of Revenue For Junior College Classes." We found hope. For veterans' education there would be Federal aid of $100 per semester. The State would pay $90 per ADA, plus $4,000 for each junior college-after a full year. This was encouraging, but still not enough to start a junior college. We must have some of that $7 million.

Mr. Joseph Beek, Clerk of the California State Senate, was then a member of the Newport Harbor High School and Junior College Board. Would he talk with the Governor? He would. Mr. Beek delivered our complete file of information to Mr. Warren, who liked what he read, then passed it over tohis Director of Finance, Mr. James S. Dean, after telling Mr. Beek that it would be well for us to contact that gentleman for such financial backing as was necessary. This we did by letter, stressing our connections with the Agricultural District and other State agencies named in our application to War Assets. We also stated that the Governor had expressed himself as thoroughly in accord with our plan.

Without awaiting Mr. Dean's reply we decided to drive to the State Capitol and make the rounds of all the people who might be in a position to help us. Time was running on, if not out. We went first to Mr. Dean. He was familiar with our problem, had been on the Base recently hhllself, thought our plan a grcat idea-- but he knew of no funds available for it. However, he would talk with the Governor again, and he would explore every avenue, and report to us as soon as possible. Hearing this, we decided that making the rounds of other offices would be useless, so we started south. We ran into a terrible fog that night, but it was no thicker than that which was in our minds.

Mr. Dean's reply came on October 31 st. We quote, with reluctance: "Since talking with you, I have gone more fully into the Acts providing money for assistance to school districts and emergency housing for veterans. I have also talked with the Governor at length, as well as with representatives of the Attorney General's office. While we all consider this a most worthy project, we can find no way in which funds now appropriated by the Legislature can be used for this purpose." We were back where we had been before visiting Mr. Dean.

November opened with numerous conferences with War Assets and Surplus Real Property people in Los Angeles and on the Base. The application must be modified to cover the college needs only. The chapel building was 'out' because it was property of the Chaplains' Division. We were whittled down to a mere 315 acres. We lost our WAC barracks and mess hall, the big hospital, all the huge warehouses, pyrotechnic magazine, dog kennel, and oodles of barracks buildings of three kinds. A revised application was duly signed by Judge Donald J. Dodge (President) and A. H. Fitzpatrick (Clerk) for Newport Harbor High School and Junior College. Mr. John P. Gifford, Regional Representative of the U. S. Office of Education was very helpful to us.

On November 15th Dr. Lindsay's secretary telegraphed Superintendent Linton T. Simmons to tell us that the "State Board meets Jan. 10-1 1. Can include request (to hold district elections to form Orange Coast Junior College District) on agenda. Administrative Adviser Lentz states if State Board approves request it may be possible to form Junior College district before February l, if County Superintendent can print ballots, hold election, check returns without delay." The petitions to hold an election were revised to leave out the names of Laguna Beach and Capistrano. On December 5th Dr. Lindsay recommended to Dr. Simpson, his superior, that the two petitions be approved. And on December I 1th, his secretary, the always helpful Eva Whallen, mailed a copy of this memo to Chester Gilpin in the Orange County Schools office, who promptly notified us. We all got busy and had election boards selected by the 18th. The election was set for January 27, 1947 - just 4 days before the deadline of February 1st. Our new Junior College officers also authorized the State Department of Education Division of Readjustment Education, to sign contracts on our behalf with the V eterans' Administration. We were in business. Actually, we were authorized to operate in accordance with the old pre-World War I Caminetti Act which permitted junior colleges as "Departments of High Schools." Thus is the State Department of Education still hampered; there is yet (in 1964) no law permitting the union of two junior college districts (as we were at this stage), or the union of two high school districts either, to form a junior college district. The Code requires eleetion by elementary school districts only! It must be understood that we high school men were acting for all of the districts within our respeetive high school districts, subject of course to the final approval of the electorate at the polls. We mention this here as our explanation for the strange course pursued by the authorities in Sacramento.

On December 20, 1946 S. W. Patterson, Assistant Agent, State Agency for Real Surplus Property, Los Angeles, advised that the chapel could be purchased through the Chief of Chaplains, U. S. Army Air Corps, through War Assets, attention Mr. Montgomery. ( 7 copies, please. )

Christmas holidays followed. No one bothered us; we bothered none. Time to relax and enjoy the "Forty Miles of Christmas Smiles" that proved our coastal unity. Wc faced the new year with restored resolution. Even though we might not get the Base we had made many friends, chief of whom only can be mentioned here: Willis H. Warner and Irvin George Gordon county supervisors; Linton T. Simmons and Chester Gilpin in the county schools office; Herb Kenny, George Wheat, F. B. Owens, Walter Spicer, Russ Bartine, Walter Longmoor and Mrs. Longmoor, Braden Finch of Orange County Coast Association, and Harry Welch its genial and capable secretary; Huntington Beach chamber of commerce members J. Sherman Denny and Warren J. Bristol; High School board members, A. L. Henrickson, Frank Bray, Dante Siracusa, James S. Sayer, Donald J. Dodge, Joe Beek, A. H. Fitzpatrick, Donovan D. Lawhead, Francis E. Penhall; Seal Beach's Fred Hickman; Westminster's Louis Conrady; Laguna's Mayor Charles Kimble and Mrs. Leslie Kimmel; Capistrano's Carl Hankey and Jack Malcom; Sunset Beach's L. A. "Dan" Patch; men of the Agricultural District and others named and to be named herein.

Our wives, too, made their contributions to the cause. Virginia Davidson provided frequent refreshment; Margaret Elliott selected a name for the college. it happened thus. We usually did the evening dinner dishes together (the only sure way to escape a houseful of children), and, after many attempts to find a suitable title, she said, "Why not work on Orange County Coast Association College? Just strike out 'County' and 'Association', and you have it. 'Orange Coast College'!" "Eureka!" her spouse exclaimed, waving the dishcloth.

But we still had to get the Base site. Failing that, there would be no college at all. Well, our publicity began to pay off. Sectional differences were minimized: tne four chambers of commerce-Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Huntington Beach-joined in publishing a brochure in support of the forthcoming election. "Vote to form Orange Coast Junior College District!" Such unanimity had never been before.

Enter Mr. Stephen L. Simonian, Regional Representative, U.S. Office of Education, straight from Washington, D.C., who wanted to learn more of this most extraordinary educational institution that we amateurs were proposing to estalish. Revolutionary idea. Mr. Simonian would have to explain to Washington this novel experiment which would include Vocational Agriculture, Oil Industry, Seafaring, Aeronautics, Cosmetology, Vocational Home Economics, Business Administration and Marketing, Building Trades, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Ceramics and Plastic Arts, plus General Junior College curriculum. Would we prepare this information for Mr. Simonian at our earliest convenience, together with an estimated budget for operation with a modest enrollment of 500 to begin? We would! And, since this document would have to pass to War Assets- provided the U.S. Office of Education should approve-we prepared it as our 3rd application. All parties would know our latest plan: 52 pages, 15 copies, January 24, 1947. Work? Just try it!

We fully understood that what we were doing was in the nature of an extension of our first 'hold order' and just to keep a foot in the door. But we filed our report with Mr. Simonian, with budget pared to a mere $360,000 for 500 students (200 of them veterans), college to open in September, 1947. We felt the necessity to be on record as willing "to purchase the property at fair market price, less 100% discount," as item 17 read.

Three days later the election was held. By a vote of 21 to 1 the people approved our project. Dr. Lindsay, at long last, had his answer: "We want a junior college!" Ben Reddick reminded the readers of his Newport-Balboa Press: "We are proud of a community which can recognize the wealth of our county is not only in the God-given goodness of bountiful land, pleasant climate, mineral riches, natural resources, but is mainly in the youth of the land . . . youth which in its maturity strives to furnish for the youth-to-come better opportunity than the world's greatest nation ever afforded its elders. For this we are proud." We now had a junior college district - sans trustees, sans faculty, sans students, sans campus.

County Superintendent Linton T. Simmons acted at once to appoint temporary trustees. Newport Harbor named Judge Donald J. Dodge and Braden Finch, with Walter Longmoor alternate. Huntington Beach nominated Dante Siracusa and Donovan D. Lawhead, with Louis Conrady alternate. Superior Court Judge Kenneth Morrison drew Conrady's name from a hat, and the first Board of Trustees of Orange Coast Junior College District was completed. On February 3rd the trustees took their oaths. Judge Dodge became first President, and Dante Siracusa the first Clerk of the Board, to act until July 1st. After routine organizational matters the Board asked to be briefed on progress to date. The interest of the Government in the college was evidenced by the presence of Mr. H. R. Montgomery of War Assets Administration; Mr. S. L. Simonian, U.S. Office of Education; and Mr. S. W. Patterson, California Agency for Surplus Property. Sixteen points of procedure were thoroughly covered in discussion. Every encouragement was given by these Government representatives, and the meeting closed on a note of high optimism for the future. The college had powerful god-parents now. It must not fail.

It was plainly evident that the first plan, as suggested by Colonel Read, that the Base be given or sold to one party no longer prevailed. The shape of the campus-to-be changed, and continued to be changed in accordance with the progress toward settlement of the litigation. The utilities were there. As in Berlin, the utilities' operational parts were in 'enemy territory'-the Whittier Estate's 410 acres-then in litigation between former allies (Santa Ana, Washington, and the Whittier people.) The Government's offer to purchase the acreage at onethird more than market value was declined by Whittier. Santa Ana's solution would be to annex the entire Base, by extending the city limits from Delhi Road southward. We walked into a joint meeting of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and Realty Board officials in protest. They finally agreed not to include the college site in their annexation, but "give every consideration to the school interest." However, Costa Mesa, remembering an earlier attempt by Santa Ana to annex their territory and the bay, became alarmed at this new threat and accelerated a protective movement toward immediate incorporation as a city. This is mentioned to indicate the scope of problems facing the newly created Board of Trustees of the college.

Another serious concern had to do with the fast disappearance of buildings from the Base as they were collapsed and hauled away. They had been so designed that the walls could be folded in and the roofs lowered, so that they could be easily transported. Many were sold to private persons and converted into residences and apartment buildings, some were sold to municipalities and set up as public offices and recreational facilities, many were transferred to other educational institutions such as Santa Ana Junior College ( 17 to the new site on Bristol Street), El Camino Junior College in Centinella Valley. Huntington Beach bought one of the classroom buildings for $400, then paid $4,000 to have it hauled to become the Recreation Center. Newport Harbor High School bought some for needed classrooms, shops and field house. We were asked to designate those we could spare, and thus got rid of one-third of the excess barracks buildings from 'our' campus. There were plenty, and to spare. But we fought to keep the classroom buildings, the auditorium and the recreation building facing our quadrangle -which, at that time, enclosed a well-manicured nine-hole golf course.

The following meetings of the temporary Board of Trustees were spiced with visitors whose interests sometimes coincided with but sometimes varied from those of the college, as may be seen from a review of the minutes. There were also deliberations aimed toward forming a mutual water district, utilization of the sewer system, incorporation of Costa Mesa, acquisition of fair grounds, and others.

At the meeting of February 17th the visitors included Mr. Harry Welch, Mr. William Gallienne, and Mr. F. B. Owen. The urgent need for water was stressed. Emphasis was placed upon fire danger without proper water facilities and through discussion the advisability of offering to purchase the water system was explored. There was a lot of give and take as to just how to approach this problem. Some felt it all depended on contact "with the right men." Possibility of sending someone to Washington to make contacts was offered as a solution. Another suggestion was to contact Army Engineers in Los Angeles. The final outcome of the deliberation was that Welch and Gallienne (the Chamber of Commerce secretaries) would write to Senators Knowland and Downey, including marked maps and full explanation of the situation, soliciting their aid.

Judge Dodge said he was being flooded with applications for positions on the staff. Mr. Davidson would draw up form of reply, and file applications.

Next day a revised application (No. 4) to include the handle shaped 52 acre strip was drawn up, after receiving word from Mr. H. R. Montgomery of Real Property Disposal that his office would approve this. We were spurred on by another phone call from Mr. Patterson saying that Mr. Simonian had gone to Washington in our behalf and was ready to endorse our request. In fact, Mr. Simonian had sat with the War Assets Discount Board, which, he said, was "getting rough"- whatever that meant.

During March replies to the telegrams from our unofficial citizens' advisory group began to arrive. "Will help as much as I can. Bringing pressure," et cetera.

Meantime, our true friends on the Base, Burrell Wilson, Engineer I in charge, and Kenneth Kesel, his assistant, were assembling in one of the cadet mess halls, now used for storage on 'our' site, hundreds of items of machinery, furniture and equipment, obtained from buildings being dismantled and carted away. They figured that these things would be of value to the college, and of course it would be in the public interest to use them for educational purposes. The voluntary action of these two loyal men was like a shot of B-vitamins.

Visitors at the March 17th meeting were Linton T. Simmons, County Superintendent of Schools, and Mr. E. M. Gibson. No action from Washington to report. The delay was discouraging.

Mr. Siracusa: "The people want a junior college, even though we do not get the Air Base site. That is beginning to look impossible."

President Dodge: "We must get some money to operate on." To this Mr. Simmons, indefatigable supporter of our plan, said, "If you have a bond issue, you can have money in 30 days.' Mr. Davidson dissented, "Our people were told there would be no bond issue." The Board would think it over until next time.

Mr. Simmons then suggested that a junior college tax would net about $185,000 for next fiscal year, on the basis of 425 students then going to other junior colleges. There would be a surplus for the district after paying tuition.

We assured the Board that everything was ready at War Assets for the moment the property was released. This delay would make it necessary to defer starting college at the Base that year. We should plan to contract with the other junior colleges for students from our districts. Our junior college district's tax money would provide the needed funds for this. But we needed money to start our college, and to keep our commitments to the Government.

The idea of a bond issue was again discussed favorably, but not acted on. If War Assets would continue to cooperate, college could defer opening until l948, when our budget would be functioning in regular fashion.

When the Board met on March 25th, Mr. Siracusa spoke for all, saying, "Our hope for quick action is to contact Was}lti)gton." Mr. Wm. Patterson of the State Department of Education urged pressure on Washington for ourselves and other needy schools in California.

Toward the end of April the Board was convinced the college could not start in the fall. Mr. LeRoy Anderson solicited Board support for Costa Mesa in a petition for use of sewer facilities of the Base, but was told it was doubtful we could help. Federal Works Agency had disapproved our request for an extra gymnasium to be moved onto our site.

Trustee elections were held on May 16th. Louis Conrady, Harry LeBard, Donovan D. Lawhead, Hubbard Howe, and Dr. Horace Parker were elected. On June 2nd they and Board officers Judge Dodge and Dante Siracusa met and were cheered by a letter from George Wilson, Senator Knowland's executive secretary, to the effect that War Assets, Los Angeles, had been told to proceed with the disposal of the Base and take over on June 24th the Government-owned part. We high school superintendents were asked to draw up a budget for 1947-48, and to screen applicants for the superintendency of the college-keeping in mind their qualifications to establish the vocational-type college promised the people, and submit six names for the Board to interview.

Feeling that the newly-elected members should take over now that the situation had assured the success of our venture, Mr. Siracusa resigned from the Board. At the next meeting, June 16th, Mr. Linton T. Simmons appointed Mr. LeBard to take Mr. Siracusa's place on the temporary Board, and he became Clerk as well. Judge Dodge and Braden Finch did not stand for reselection.

On July 1st Hubbard Howe became President, and Harry LeBard Clerk. July 7th three candidates for the superintendency were interviewed: Mr. Hollingsworth of Long Beach, Dr. Peterson of Glendale, and Mr. Brisco of Oakland. On the 17th, Dr. Smith, Dr. Zech, and Dr. McNaughton. July 26th the Board conferred with Dr. Merton E. Hill, University of California, regarding the candidates. And on July 28th, Dr. Basil Hyrum Peterson was offered a contract as Superintendent. But this he declined to sign until he had 'defeated' the Board after a lengthy argument regarding the salary. The gentlemen were finally persuaded the job was worth the money he asked, one of them saying, "If he can beat us now, he can surely run a junior college!"

Even at this very late date there was a nagging doubt regarding the college, for the superintendent's contract contained the proviso that if at the end of the second year the college was not a going concern, the superintendency would terminate and the salary for the third year would not be paid. To the best of our knowledge no such contract had ever before been devised-or accepted.

Meantime, we had gone to Washington to tell them what we wanted. July 3rd, Senator Downey was on the floor of the Senate, but would be in his office at 2 o'clock. Senator Knowland was also in the Senate, but his executive secretary, Mr. George Wilson, said he was familiar with the Base and thought our plan for a junior college an excellent one. He phoned a General Young at the War Department, who referred us to a Colonel Haines at War Assets Administration, or Colonel Kelly. General Young said the Army was no longer interested in the Air Base, and that it had been released to War Assets last year-which confirmed what we already knew. What we wanted to know was why it had not been made available to us.

Colonel Haines was then contacted. He told us the War Department could not guarantee the water supply at the Base, so far as the college was concerned.

Mr. Wilson knew everybody. He next phoned a Mr. William Gage at War Assets and had a very long conversation with him, which he did not repeat, but instead made an appointment for us for that afternoon. Mr. Gage was very helpful. He had been at the Base as recently as June 9th, and had talked with 'L.A.' only yesterday. War Assets wanted to release part of the Base for the college. The water system would not be given to the college, but held for the use of the entire property. He could not say when or how the water problem would be solved. Strong pressure was being exerted on War Assets. It was not likely that War Assets would take custody of the Base until settlement of the Whittier Estate suit.

Colonel Al Wehrl joined the conversation and volunteered the information that it would be possible to give the college immediate use of the Base without water-by an "interim permit,"-but this was not favored by War Assets since it would require a different procedure and probably would delay progress on the regular application. Colonel Wehrl strongly implied that the Whittier Estate suit would be settled soon, and he thought it would be best for us to await the outcome.

These things were reported to Congressman Phillips in his office, where Mrs. Phillips and Mr. Frank Rospaw, the Placentia publisher and 32nd Agricultural District supporter, were interested listeners. Mr. Phillips said that Willis Warner was working for a water district at the Base, and that Messers Clay Kellogg and Glenn Woolley were seeking to acquire a site for the Fair Grounds including the warehouses at the Base. He advised that we sit tight. TheAg men could share their facilities with the college. We were reminded that we had "started this thing together and had promised to cooperate" with them. It was quite evident that we both had our eyes on the same piece of land. Thank goodness for that 'top priority rating'. A long letter was fired off to Hubbard Howe telling all.

Our mission to Washington accomplished, we proceeded northerly to see how New York managed to operate its Government supported colleges. We followed no itinerary, but Ben Reddick reached us in northern Massachusetts by telegram. Ben wired that Congressman Phillips needed information on utilities plans for the college. War Assets would advertise on July 10th. We telegraphed Phillips: "Re utilities, Orange Coast College interests should be protected. Domestic water and sewer needs for 5,000 persons. Agriculture water can be developed on premises. College can afford to participate mutual water and sewer organizations. Am advising trustees contact War Assets, Los Angeles, at once." We wired Reddick what we had done, and to see letter to Howe from Washington. This was on July 8th.

On returning to California, we learned with pleasure that Dr. Peterson had received the appointment to head 'our' Orange Coast Junior College. We had worked with him in numerous professional organizations for years. He had won his way to the top in his field and was president of the California Junior College Association. On August 4th the Board authorized Dr. Peterson to seek and recommend men for his staff; a vice-president and a business manager. Also to bid up to $4,051 for the Chapel Building. The public hearing on 'our' budget for 1947-48 was observed, and the budget 'accepted.' $262,255.00. Money at last-our own!

September 2nd saw the first meeting of the Board with Dr. Basil H. Peterson sitting in as District Superintendent. We then signed off. The torch was relinquished into competent hands.

One final thought: anyone less astute and determined could not possibly have succeeded as we had, and anyone more intelligent would never have even tried.

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