March 2025 - History Corner

Once Upon a Hillside: 25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 years ago

March 1900

The Hillside Club was founded on 5 October 1898. No newspaper articles about the young Hillside Club could be found for this month.

March 1925

Business Meeting, March 2

Professor Charles E. Chapman will continue the series of talks on California history under the title of “An Early California Humorist,” a glimpse of life in the ‘50s. [A profile of Prof. Chapman, who was both a history professor and a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball club, appears in the recently-published “Hillside Companion.”]

Social Evening, March 16

Mr. Mark White is the general chairman. A dramatic cantata by Gilbert & Sullivan, “Trial By Jury” will be given by the Choral Section of the Club.

March 1950

The Hillside Club has a nearly complete archive of monthly newsletters. Unfortunately, there is a gap from October 1949 through January 1951.

March 1975

Fireside Meeting, March 3

Dr. Laval S. Wilson, Superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School District, will discuss dilemmas of public schools, with special reference to “Present Status and Future Plans for Berkeley Schools.” Among many factors contributing to Berkeley’s dilemma are a) inflation, b) compliance with the Property Tax Reform Act of 1972, with the Field Act (earthquake-proof buildings), and with the decision in the court case of Serrano v. Priest, c) meeting added costs due to demands for desegregation, d) affirmative action hiring, and e) recognition of the values of individualized instruction. Dr. Wilson came to Berkeley with a distinguished background as an administrator in large districts in New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, and also as a consultant in school systems in other states. In his philosophy of education he stresses the value of a curriculum based on individual needs and also active community participation in the educational processes of the schools. Since coming to Berkeley in 1974 Dr. Wilson has moved aggressively toward those goals. His success is our concern. [Laval Wilson was Berkeley’s Superintendent of Schools until 1980.]

Evening of Drama, March 10

An evening to bring back fanciful memories of Radio Plays when our minds and imaginations were the stage and settings for the spoken word. We can once again enjoy being in a Studio audience and take part in two presentations: an intriguing mystery program, courtesy of CBS, and a comedy drama entitled “Turnabout,” directed by Richard Hillman, and adapted for radio by Ted Tellefsen.

Photographic Arts, March 17

It’s “top o’ the Evenin’ to Ye” as the Photograph Arts Section celebrates St. Patrick’s Day with pictures of the Emerald Isle. Such eminent names as Cassady, Dempster, Stacy and Underwood will be your pictorial guides.

March 2000

The Club’s archive of printed monthly newsletters ended with the May 1994 issue. If you know of a source for any newsletters between 1994 and the Club’s renaissance in the early 2000s, your historian would love to hear about it!