Even though the Over 100 year old Mascot of Fullerton High School in Southern California was changed from the Indians to the Red Hawks and most Native American imagery has been removed or covered up on campus, the Iconic Indian Chief Head Center Court will remain in the same place it has been for the past 75 years. The School Gymnasium.
By Allen Bacon, The Daily BOSCO
Photo by Allen Bacon
Over the summer, the Fullerton High School campus, was quietly transformed from being "The Home of the Indians" to the "Home of the Red Hawks".
After a long debate, which dated back to the late 1960's, whether a Native American Indian Chief is an appropriate mascot for a school, a California state bill initiated by California Governor Gavin Newsome, was the proverbial nail in the coffin for the Indian Chief.
After over one hundred years of being known as the Indians, Fullerton High School is now known as the Red Hawks.
In a recent poll, close to 98% of the Fullerton High School alumni surveyed say they will never adopt the new mascot name.
There is more than one protest being organized by Alumni for this year's Homecoming Football Game.
Most of the murals and signage depicting Indian Chiefs, some of which were class gifts painted by former students, were covered up by large format display signage this summer. These new signs feature either an "F" with feathers or the new Red Hawk Logo. It's significant to note that the Indian murals were not painted over....they were covered up.
This is because the school administration learned a valuable lesson from a previous summer a few decades back when the paint crew painted over an iconic and historical mural on the outside of Plummer Auditorium. The mural was eventually meticulously restored to the original state.
The murals can be brought back later for special events or in the event there is a change of heart on the mascot name. For instance, the FUHS Class of 1976 is asking to uncover their class gift, a mural depicting an Indian Chief, painted by a student, for their 50th anniversary this year.
There is also a provision of the State bill that says if a school gets approval from a local Indian Tribe they could re-institute the Indian Chief as the mascot.
There was one exception on the removal or hiding of the Indian imagery on campus.
It is the original center court Indian Chief Logo that was in the old gymnasium on Pomona Street since the 1940's. The center court has been in prominent display in the new gymnasium lobby. The lobby doubles as a museum of Fullerton High School Sports History.
There was discussion over the Summer that the center court would be part of a permanent installation in the Fullerton High School Library highlighting the history of the school.
The decision was made for the center court to stay exactly where it has been for the past 75 years. In the FUHS Gymnasium.
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