by WILLIAM F. KIMES,
Assistant Superintendent - Business,
Orange Coast College, since 1947.


OVER THE MORE than sixteen years between Tumbleweeds and Roses many competent and qualified classified employees were employed at Orange Coast College. Even if there were complete personnel files on each of these fine persons, space in this publication would not be sufficient to relate their particular contributions to Orange Coast College. Insofar as possible all of the "first" employees have been included. Of the remaining several hundred a few have been mentioned for some special reason.

The second person employed by the newly organized Board of Trustees was Mrs. Corinne Boettcher—a classified employee. Following the appointment of Dr. Basil H. Peterson as District Superintendent and President of Orange Coast College, Mrs. Boettcher became his secretary. Actually for the first five or six months she was not only secretary to Dr. Peterson and the Board of Trustees, but also for Dr. Thornton and myself. In addition to her secretarial duties, which included attending Board Meetings, she also prepared the warrants and maintained the district financial accounts. She managed all these duties effectively and with dispatch.

The fact that the second person employed was a classified employee is indicative of the importance of these persons to the operation of the college. This situation has not changed as the institution has grown.

During the first few months pretty nearly everything done was a "first" for Orange Coast. To relieve Mrs. Boettcher of the bookkeeping responsibilities, Mrs. Joyce Webber was employed to work in the office of the Assistant Superintendent in Charge of Business as well as to do his secretarial work. Corinne and Joyce were both on the job before we moved from the "office quarters" in the Board room of the Newport Harbor High School.

As soon as it was evident that the college administration would move onto the base consideration was given to securing employees in the maintenance and operation departments. The amount of work to be done just to clear the concrete walk and shovel out the years of accumulation of dust and dirt was appalling, and there was always that date of Monday, September 11, 1948 when classes would start.

During the period of negotiations for the base there were two employees of the War Assets Administration who had been part of the Civilian Cadre from the first months of the Santa Ana Army Air Base. These men, Berle Wilson and Kenneth Kesel, rendered every assistance possible to the college. They both had indicated that they wished to go with the base to the college. When the property transfer was made Mr. Wilson was employed as Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds. Mr. Kesel was put on the payroll as Supervisor of Custodians.

Before Mr. Wilson and Mr. Kesel terminated with the War Assets Administration, there was need for an employee to repair locks, doors, windows and do other jobs to get the administration building ready for occupancy. Mrs. Boettcher recommended a friend of her husband —Mr. Francis Albers, who was a carpenter and had done some dwelling contracting. He had recently married a charming girl, Ila Jean Jones, who was a business office employee of the high school. Mr. Albers has been Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds since February, 1948.

A second man to be employed at the time the base was occupied was Mr. Herman Kraft, with the classification of Head Gardener. Not only was he employed, but he brought along his power lawn mower and renovator. It is reported that he included his personal hoe, shovel and pruning shears. Herman did wonders with water and fertilizer to put new life into existing trees, shrubs and former lawn areas. Within a few weeks he had the base looking as if it were being lived in.

Herman had and has two dominant characteristics. For a number of years he seemed to be always running from one job to another. He seldom ever stopped for a rest. No one was expected to keep up with him—certainly not by Herman.

The second characteristic that made Herman Kraft an unusual gardener was that he was always sprinkling some lawn or athletic area. It didn't matter whether it was raining or that the sun was beating down, Herman would have his rain-bird sprinklers operating. So intent was Herman on having green lawns that he paid no attention to open windows in classrooms, offices or automobiles. Until the faculty became adjusted to Herman's watering techniques, some of them were a bit perturbed when a spray of water would come into an open classroom window or office. Herman just never had time to close windows. One of the early Barnacle cartoons showed an arm extended above a pool of water with the library in the background. The title of the cartoon was "Herman was Here." On another occasion a student wrote that there were two classes of people at Orange Coast—"The quick and the wet."

Herman's lawns and playing fields have been complimented many times for greenness and beauty. He has gained this praise at the expense of tongue lashings from irate students and faculty who did not appreciate being "wet like a lawn."

Shortly after moving into the Administration Building, Dr. Thornton asked the Business Office to take applications for a secretary for his office. In order to secure the best qualified person, the California State Employment Office was contacted and advertisements were run in the local press. There were several applicants of varying degrees of competence.

One of the applicants on that cold February 9, 1948 day was a shapely blonde with a lovely face and large warm brown eyes. Dr. Thornton saw her come into the building—she seemed a bit confused as to where to go to answer the advertisement she had read. Dr. Thornton directed her to the Business Office which was across the hall from the entrance. The applicant was hardly started on the task of filling out the application blank when Mrs. Boettcher delivered a note from Dr. Thornton. The note read, "Never mind whether she can type— hire her.—Jim." The applicant was Edythe Boland, who was secretary to Dr. Thornton for four years. She could not only type, but took dictation rapidly and could follow detailed instructions as well. Her ability to produce a great deal of accurate work with apparent ease was outstanding—the catalog, class schedule or processing teacher applications was a simple routine to Edythe Boland.

The last person to be employed to complete the office staff was Miss Mary Doorley, who worked half-time as secretary to Dr. Bill J. Priest, Dean of the Extended Day and Evening Program, and half-time for the Assistant Superintendent in Charge of Business. It was mornings for Dr. Priest and afternoons for William F. Kimes. When evening classes started in September, Mary Doorley worked afternoons and often evenings for Dr. Priest. At the end of the first full year of college, when both jobs increased to full-time, Mary resigned. She had been offered full time by both administrators. She was not only a competent secretary but she was a very fine person to work with as well. Mary's quiet humor could always be depended upon to smooth out the most trying situation.

Hardly had the office staff been formed when the first of many college regulations brought about a required change. The regulation was that two persons could not be employed from the same family. Corinne's husband, Kenneth, had been selected to teach music—instrumental and vocal—and serve as Chairman of the Fine and Applied Arts Division. That meant that Corinne could no longer work for the college. Her last work was the minutes of the first Board meeting of September. Mrs. Boettcher had done a most unusual job of getting the minutes of the Board of Trustees and the files of the District Superintendent started and well developed into a successful enterprise. She was an unusual person—able to quietly handle every situation that evolved. Much credit for the early success of the organization of the college is due to Corinne.

After the State Fire Marshal had completed his list of "musts" it was evident that additional tradesmen would be needed to not only do specialized work, but to serve as lead-off men for student labor crews.

Getting the individual building oil-fired heating units into operation was no mean task. From the experience of getting them fired the first time it was evident that keeping the units in operation would probably be an almost full time job. Among many persons who had applied for jobs there was a recent arrival from Chicago—Louis Bell. Mr. Bell had oil-fired furnace maintenance experience. Not only were the obsolete furnaces creating a major parts problem, but there were always instructors who were either too hot or too cold. This situation would often occur in adjoining rooms, one torrid, the other arctic. Mr. Bell would always listen to complaints, smile, and do his best to get the unit in operation.

Not the least of heating frustrations was the problem of water getting into the underground oil tanks. This was most disconcerting, since the furnace fuel intake was near the bottom. It didn't take much moisture in a tank to cause the pump to draw water into the jet and blow out the fire. To start the fire again would require taking the unit apart, thus disconnecting all the pipes. Not the least of the problems was to get the water off the bottom. During the rainy season at least one oil tank was being partially or completely pumped at all times.

After serving several years as the heating and maintenance repair man, Mr. Bell resigned. His technical ability and unruffled personality have stood him well and he now holds a position of responsibility at Long Beach State College.

As soon as it was evident that Mrs. Boettcher could not continue as the secretary to Dr. Peterson, an effort was made to employ a successor who could be trained on the job by Mrs. Boettcher before her termination. The person best qualified by education, training, experience and interest in the college was June Elliott, daughter of Ray Elliott, District Superintendent of the Huntington Beach Union High School District and a leading proponent for the establishment of Orange Coast College. June started at the college on July 27, 1948 as secretary to Dr. Peterson. After the first September meeting of the Board of Trustees, June had the full responsibility for the work of both the Board and Dr. Peterson. Later she relinquished this position and became secretary to Dr. Bill J. Priest, Assistant Superintendent, Adult Education. With the retirement of her father, June resigned to accept a position in the Huntington Beach Union High School District office so that she could live at home. June is a lovely woman, an intense worker and loyal employee, respected by everyone.

Among the many important responsibilities of Dr. Thornton there was one of particular significance — keeping student records. This required the appointment of a Recorder and Mr. Thomas G. Cronk was employed August 1, 1948 to fill this important role. His clerical help was Mrs. Laverne Carlson. Together they knew every student, all about every one of them, courses, grades, progress and who were qualified to graduate. It was no easy task to start keeping permanent records of students for whom a few short weeks before these had not even been a college.

When Mr. Cronk left the employ of the college in the spring of 1949, Mrs. Carlson continued the job without the loss of a single student credit. Mrs. Carlson held the position until she resigned to devote her time to a family. After a period of several years and a family of two fine boys, Laverne has returned to the office of records and admissions to carry on better than ever.

As the second year of budget operation got under way it was evident that there was need for additional bookkeeping staff. Mrs. Webber had resigned to accept a more specialized accounting position, and there was need to employ three persons in accounting and bookkeeping.

The first person employed was John R. Lindsey, accountant, on July 1, 1948. He was followed shortly by Miss Joanne Johnson of Westminster to handle student body funds—September 7, 1948. Subsequently Mr. Lindsey resigned and moved from the area. He was replaced by Miss Audrey Gray, who started to work September 28, 1948. Audrey had been sent by the California Employment Service. After an interview with myself and then with Dr. Peterson, she was offered the job even though she had no prior school accounting experience. Audrey was alert and interested in learning the new procedures and was soon doing a first-rate job. Sixteen years later she has full responsibility for the district and student body accounting and is recognized by the several county offices as among the top school accountants in the county. In addition to evolving into a school accountant expert, she also became Mrs. Herold Deardorff.

The other person added to the accounting office was Mrs. Emma Louise Watkins, who started working October 1, 1948. Mrs. Watkins, with a number of years of prior experience, did much to bring the accounting office through a trying period.

A classified salary schedule was adopted January 12, 1948 on a five-year annual step basis of nine classifications. With the exception of the salary of the supervisor of buildings and grounds, the annual increase was set at ten dollars per step, both horizontally and vertically. The watchman's wage started at $140.00 per month. The recorder had a top salary of $250—other than the supervisor of buildings and grounds, this was the top salary after four years of service. The supervisor of buildings and grounds had a starting salary of $295 with top of $335. These salaries were for a forty-hour week.

In 1948 the law relative to the retirement program was changed from elective participation to mandatory on a county unit level with full prior-service coverage. Any district that was already a member of the system would not be held to participate in the premium necessary to give full prior-years service credit. The law was to become effective July 1, 1948. In order to evade paying the estimated 4% additional premium on the full payroll for prior service—which to Orange Coast College was anything but fair since there had been no prior service, it was decided to hold an election of the classified employees so as to enter the retirement program before July 1. The election was held. There were then three employees—Mrs. Boettcher, Mr. Albers and Mr. Kraft. The vote was unanimous. Thus from the start of the institution all classified employees have been covered by the California School Employees Retirement Act.

The first man to retire from Orange Coast under the program was William McCabe. He started during the first summer as an hourly employee improving plumbing. From hourly maintenance he advanced to monthly custodial and retirement. Since Mr. McCabe's retirement five other men have retired: Mr. Roland "Mike" Rucker, carpenter; Mr. Ernest "Pat" McNeal of the garden crew—more specifically the power lawn mower operator; Mr. William F. Fluke, for many years custodian in charge of the important Auditorium operation; Mr. Frank Taylor, custodian; and just recently (June, 1964) Mr. Lee Jonas, who has done such a fine job of developing our audiovisual department.

During the years some interesting employee-employer situations have arisen. Two of these involved Dr. Peterson. Although amusing now, they were certainly not at the time of happening.

Shortly after it became necessary to install a PBX board and our high school graduate operator was learning the cords, Dr. Peterson asked to have two calls put in. One of these was to General Services Administration in Washington, D.C. and the other to War Assets Administration in San Francisco. The Washington, D.C. call came through and Dr. Peterson was connected. A couple of minutes after the Washington connection, the San Francisco call came through so our efficient little PBX operator disconnected the Washington conversation and connected Dr. Peterson with San Francisco. Needless to say, some explaining was in order.

The second situation had to do with use of facilities. Dr. Peterson had scheduled the cafeteria for a Lions Club affair without advising Mrs. Marian LeGakes. In the meantime, Mrs. LeGakes had scheduled the same facilities the same evening with a professional group. Dr. Peterson came storming into the Business Office with the question, "How was it possible to do this?" Mrs. LeGakes answered, "That was easy, Dr. Peterson." From this occasion on, all facility uses were cleared across the business office desk.

Dr. Peterson was a firm believer in giving college age men an opportunity to "learn how to hold a job." He felt that with a minimum of qualified adults it would be possible, using young men, to put the air base in shape for the September 11, 1948 opening of the college. This was a noble idea and many G.l.'s wanted to get on the payroll— far fewer of these really wanted to work.

The first student labor was appointed June 14th—Bob Huhn, John Evans, Jack Wagoner, Charles Graser Jr., Jack Mobley, James Crusenberry—at $1.00 per hour. It was only incidental that at least two of these boys were first rate football players.

Two weeks later, five more fellows were appointed: Jerold Shockley, Fred Wagoner, Charles Brown, Dean Harwood and John Holsclaw.

On August 6th, 19 additional day laborers were appointed. Two day laborers were advanced to carpenter apprentices.

A blanket authorization was given to hire all the day laborers necessary.

One of the functions assigned to the office of the Assistant Superintendent was to operate a cafeteria on a non-profit basis to provide meals for students and faculty at the lowest possible rate. The office has been so successful in holding down prices that most years have shown a loss instead of a profit.

The first years when men were living on the campus, meals were served seven days a week for the school year. The first three years saw three cafeteria supervisors try their hands at this operation. Each kept food on the table and problems on the Business Manager's desk. During the 1963-64 year there were four supervisors—the last of whom ended the year with the cafeteria in the "black" and pleased customers—both student and faculty.

When it is remembered that in 1948 Orange Coast College was surrounded on three sides by wild barley and bean fields with empty buildings to the east, there was a real value in having employees living on the campus. It was convenient that there were several vacant staff buildings readily adaptable to conversion into dwellings.

An arrangement was worked out whereby the district would furnish the building and materials for conversion into a dwelling and $1,500 in labor. Just what the cost of the employee dwellings finally amounted to was really never determined—it is safe to say that none were under the $1,500 amount.

The allocation of the available buildings was mainly determined by the help the occupant would be to the fire and vandal safety of the campus. A campus fire department had been organized to protect the buildings.

Mr. Berle Wilson, supervisor of buildings and grounds, selected the choice facility—wood floor and not too close to the maintenance area buildings, but sufficiently close to be convenient. At his own expense he had a fireplace constructed in the front room.

Mr. Kraft selected a unit of the same construction along the north boundary. Here he could have a garden, fruit trees and a place to park his house trailer. The Kraft home was the residence of his two daughters and son, all of whom became graduates of Orange Coast College— and now the grandchildren come out to visit.

Mr. Louis Bell selected one of the concrete-floored buildings, readily converted into a dwelling for his family.

Two instructors were granted campus living privileges: Mr. E1wood Spencer the instructor in agriculture and Ray Rosso the football coach. The Spencers lived across the street from the Bells and the Rossos lived around the corner.

The five campus employees constituted the campus volunteer fire department augmented by the men's dormitory supervisors and certain key student employees living in the dormitories. The one time that a major fire was discovered—the Chapel—the Coast fire brigade were on the fire ahead of the Costa Mesa City Fire Department. On several occasions the College Fire Department checked minor fires that could have become major.

The establishing of five families on the campus with a total of ten children in ages from a few months to college age added "life to the homestead." The most active—and hardest to keep track of— were the Rosso children. These little folk had ideas and the energy to put them into operation. Somehow not only did the Rosso children grow up but so did the families of Francis Albers, Dean Burchett, Jim Brown and Randall Vernon, who came onto the campus in more recent years as the first group of employees went to other jobs or moved from the campus.

Until the Costa Mesa High School was located across Fairview Road there were always two school busses stopping on the campus— high and elementary. In recent years it has been a familiar sight to see a group of neatly dressed enthusiastic elementary school children waiting for the morning bus—the older children watching out for the younger ones.

For a number of years the classified employees living on the campus as well as some of the faculty planted a group vegetable garden. During the Spring one or more of the amateur gardeners would be working in this garden. While it is true that some vegetables were produced, the greatest value to all concerned was exercise and fellowship. Probably the two most successful gardeners were Dottie Dallas and Eustace Rojas. Dottie was a better gardener because she worked harder oftener.

One Spring when David Kimes was twelve he spent the time he was helping his father garden by practice-driving the Kimes Model A. It was round and round maintenance, then up to the end of the road, back, turn and drive. By the time the tomatoes were ready to harvest, David was a competent Model A driver. This outcome of the gardening effort outweighed the few tomatoes salvaged from the birds and worms.

Over the years Orange Coast College has had the very good fortune to retain loyal and competent employees. This core of enthusiastic persons has been responsible for the easy assimilation of new employees as they have been added.

As school opened in the fall of 1964 there were 113 full time classified employees and 216 part-time workers. Under the difficult circumstances of continuous growth of the student population coupled with a never-ending building program, these people have quietly and efficiently accomplished their task. Orange Coast College could not have achieved the fine reputation it has, not only in the academic areas but on the athletic fields as well, without the unfailing support of its classified staff.

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