Hamilton High Alumni Association

We would like to thank Skip Nevell '52 for submitting this Article for the Spring Hami Bugle Magazine. Unfortunately between editing and production a part of the Article was cut out and we at the Bugle did not notice . We are reposting the article for an even bigger audience to enjoy.

Harlan Barbanell ‘52
By Skip Nevell

In every life, there are defining moments, impressions, and meetings that linger in memory.
One of those singular moments, early in my life, was realizing that my home room at Louis Pasteur Junior High School would never win the annual school paper drive. That paper drive was important. It bestowed a certain cache upon all those who were fortunate enough to be on the winning team. I remember saving the newspaper we received at home daily all year long and canvassing the area for papers that our neighbors had saved and were willing to contribute. My classmates made similar efforts, but every year, infallibly, it was all for naught, and the reason was simple: Harlan Barbanell.
To clarify, Harlan wasn’t simple; he was, like everyone else, a complicated person. He was tall, handsome, friendly, and could hit the ball a mile, but more importantly, at that time, his father was affiliated with the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper. Every year, when the paper drive was underway, a huge truck, loaded to the brim, bearing the Examiner logo prominently, would back into the space where Harlan’s home room papers were being collected and deliver tons of paper, a mountain of paper we could never possibly match. From the outset, it was a foregone conclusion. The lesson was simple but important: You have to learn to live with disappointment.
There was more to come, and it was certainly not disappointing. When we were at Hamilton together, class of 1952, the Olympians, Harlan had the best after-school job in town. He was the engineer of the kiddie train at Beverly Park, the amusement center at Beverly and La Cienega. We watched from the street in great envy as he
guided his trainload of tots around the track and was paid for it, 50 cents per hour. When not driving the train, he ran the merry-go-round. Fabulous!!
But that was only the beginning. Clearly very bright, he did not disappoint. After graduation from Hamilton, Bachelor, Master, and ED degrees followed in short order, all capped by a storied 40-year career with the LAUSD,
While at LAUSD, Harlan was responsible for an innovative 24-hour-per-day adult education program that ultimately enrolled more than 10,000 students. He raised one million dollars for the United Way and for the Red Cross, 100 units of blood. He represented LAUSD at a reception for Nancy Reagan attended by His Royal Highness, Prince Philip. Personally, he squired Roxie Campanella, widow of Brooklyn Dodger great Roy Campanella, to
numerous Dodger games and events. His rise with LAUSD began at Culver High, followed by a stint at Fremont and then as acting principal of Manual Arts. Following numerous other residences, he became the LAUSD Director of Vocational Education in 1992, from which post he retired in 1996. He is a U.S. Army and Air Force veteran, honorably discharged in 1957 and recalled for service by the Air Force during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
In his spare time, Harlan is the resident expert and memorialist for the long-gone but not forgotten Triple A Pacific Coast League. He can tell you the names of all the prominent players for the Hollywood Stars, Los Angeles Angels, and numerous other teams in the PCL. He once asked me, in a trivia pursuit discussion, which I often enjoyed with him, the name of the Portland Beaver second baseman who, in the off-season, was a violinist with the Portland
Symphony Orchestra. I, of course, did not know. He, of course, did (answer to follow).
Harlan once operated a driver education course for traffic violators. My wife, Grace, L.A. University HS, 1958, guilty as charged and unaware of Harlan’s identity, was quite surprised when, upon her appearance in his class, she was asked, “So tell me, Mrs. Nevell, how is Skip doing these days?”

Harlan can tell you the make, color, cost, and model of every car he ever owned, lots, the name of every girl he ever dated, many, and the evolution of almost every word in the English language. At age 90, he still conducts dispute resolution hearings on behalf of the United States Postal Service.
Harlan enjoys a most happy marriage of 54 years with his lovely wife, Laurilyn, is the grateful beneficiary of his son
Jason’s affiliation with a prominent insurance law firm, and is a doting grandfather.
A thoroughly engaging guy, great fun to be with, he is a graduate of whom Hamilton can be justly proud, and for
an encore, he provided for all of us a Trivial Pursuit question that wins a beer in any bar in town, Eddie Basinsky.

Jazz night at Hamilton

FRIDAY
JAZZ NITE!!
7pm

Celebrating over 50 years of excellence!!

See our award winning Jazz Bands! Led by Philip Topping!!

Tickets: https://www.hamiltonmusic.org/events/

Norman J. Pattiz Auditorium Friends of AMPA Hamilton High School Los Angeles LAUSD Region West Hamilton Community of Schools SORO NC - South Robertson Neighborhoods Council Makewaves musicHamilton High Alumni Association Rachel Haun Jazz at Lincoln Center Tony White Los Angeles Unified School District Todd M. Simon Academy of Music and Performing Arts at Hamilton High School

A Hami Champion will be missed by all .

Rod Martin , Class of 1972 .

Update on Palms Centennial Time Capsule unveiling .
Date has been chosen .
Palms Middle School continued to seek (and sometimes find) former 7th, 8th, and 9th graders who attended Palms Junior High School in the 1975-1976 school year (with many or most going on to Hamilton). We’re using people-finding sites, social media, word-of-mouth, and any school records that we can find. We invite students from 1976 to fill out a survey form (https://bit.ly/PalmsJuniorHigh) in order to join our mailing list, tell us a bit about what they remember, and optionally submit a current photo.

Throughout the school year, we’ve been arranging activities for Palms students related to the 1976 Time Capsule and to a new 2026 Time Capsule that we’ll be burying.
• We gave a short lesson about 1976 to incoming 6th grade students at the start of the Fall semester.
• Some teachers have tied their classroom lessons to the 1970s.
• We had a past-present-future-themed art contest.
• The Palms Journalism class has been interviewing former Palms students from 1976 and publishing an article about the 1970s in each issue of the Palms Press school newspaper. They’ve gotten a few hints about what might be in the 1976 Time Capsule.
• We’ve collected “artifacts" for a 1970s display case to be set up this month.
• We’re doing a series of surveys to collect students' opinions about their lives in 2026, with the results (graphed by math students) to be put in the 2026 Time Capsule.
• History teachers and their students are submitting suggestions for what else should go in the 2026 Time Capsule to represent the present time.
• Some students will be making video recordings of themselves speaking to their future self.

https://bit.ly/PalmsJuniorHigh

Former Palms Junior High School Students In celebration of the 50 years since a Time Capsule was buried at Palms Junior High School (in West Los Angeles) in 1976, we're looking for students who attended Palms that year. If you attended Palms Junior High School in the 1975-1976 school year, we're thrilled to hear from you! Please answer the...

Congrats To Coach Marvin Menzies Menzies, Hami 1979!
My brother Marvin Menzies coached his last game as a NCAA Head BASKETBALL Coach. I know my Mom & Dad💜💜are saying well done in heaven and his family and friends are saying job well done now🙂🏀 But Marv wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all he has done without the support of his wife Tammy! They were the best husband and wife duo in NCAA Basketball in my opinion and I know God will continue to bless them both in thier future endeavors.
So from your brothers Pat, Eric and myself we say Job Well Done Marv & Tammy!❤️🏀
Hamilton High
Sacramento State
Santa Monica
San Diego State
USC (BOO)
UNLV
New Mexico State (9 yrs) WAC Coach of the Year
UNLV
Grand Canyon
Kansas City Men's Basketball- Summit Leage Coach of the Year
5 NCAA Tournament appearances

Written by
Sidney Menzies, Hami 1976

THE HAMI Theater Department is proud to present the classic comedy, Twelfth Night, written by William Shakespeare. In our innovative adaptation, the play takes place during the "Golden Hollywood Era" complete with movie Stars, a famous film director, clowns, jazz singers, and tap dancers! In addition, it is a heartfelt story about mistaken identity, falling in love at first sight, and fabulous funny "tricksters"

Performance Dates are:
Thursday, March 5th, 06:30pm
Friday, March 6th, 06:30pm
Saturday, March 7th 2:00pm and 06:30pm

You do NOT need to be a Shakespeare scholar to attend. Very audience friendly and entertaining for the entire family

Ticket information- hamiltonmusic.org/events

Also- I am attaching the poster for more details.

Thank you for supporting the performing arts in public schools.

Winter 1966 Valaisan 60th reunion
Courtyard Marriot Westside April 25th 2026
Please sign up at the Reunion Committee

Reunion Committee Where Memories Matter!

Hey Palms attendees from 1975-1976 (7th, 8th, 9th graders) palms is looking for you to be a part of their Bicentennial time capsule opening set to take place in May. Make sure to fill out the form to be included in all upcoming activities.

Former Palms Junior High School Students In celebration of the 50 years since a Time Capsule was buried at Palms Junior High School (in West Los Angeles) in 1976, we're looking for students who attended Palms that year. If you attended Palms Junior High School in the 1975-1976 school year, we're thrilled to hear from you! Please answer the...

We currently have reunion information for the Class of 1976, but we are still waiting on updates for the following classes:
1956, 1966, 1986, 1996, 2006, and 2016
We also know that several 25-year reunions are in the planning stages.
Our Spring Bugle deadline is only one week away, so if you have any reunion details or announcements you’d like included in the magazine, please send them as soon as possible.
📧 Email: [email protected]

🏀 HAMILTON BASKETBALL ALUMNI NIGHT 🏀
Come Home. Show Love. Celebrate Our Seniors.
Our program was built by those who came before — YOU.
Now it’s time to pack the gym and show the next group of seniors what Hamilton basketball pride looks like.
📅 Senior Night: February 4th
🎓 Honoring: Our Senior Players
📍 Location: Hamilton Gym
⏰ Time: 6:00pm
This night is about more than a game.
It’s about legacy, brotherhood, and the standard you helped create.
We’re inviting all former players to:
✔️ Be recognized as Hamilton alumni
✔️ Stand with the seniors during pregame recognition
✔️ Support the team from the stands
✔️ Reconnect with former teammates & coaches
Let’s remind these young men what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Wear your Hamilton gear
Bring your voice
Bring the energy
Once a Yankee, ALWAYS YANKEE!!!!