Bakersfield, California is known for agriculture, oil and country & western music, but it's best asset is the friendly people. The Bakersfield High School class of 1956 is fondly remembered as a great example of warm, friendly people. This web site presents some nostalgic pictures of the class of '56, Emerson Junior High School, Hawthorne School, Franklin School, Greenfield Union School, McKinley School, Roosevelt School, Wayside School, William Penn School and Bakersfield.

We are the 1%ers!!!!

1% of those born between 1930 and 1946 (worldwide) are still alive.
If you were born in this time span, you are one of the rare surviving one percenters of this special group.
Their ages range is between 77 and 93 years old, a 16-year age span.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE 1% ERS:

You are the last generation, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the impact of a world at war that rattled the structure of our daily lives for years.
You are the smallest group of children born since the early 1900's.
You are the last to remember ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves.
You saved tin foil and poured fried meat fat into tin cans.
You can remember milk being delivered to your house early in the morning and placed in the "milk box" on the porch.
Discipline was enforced by parents and teachers. And it meant something.
You are the last generation who spent childhood without television; instead, you "imagined" what you heard on the radio.
With no TV, you spent your childhood "playing outside".
There was no Little League.
There was no city playground for kids.
The lack of television in your early years meant that you had little real understanding of what the world was like.
We got black-and-white TV in the late 40s that had 3 stations and no remote.
Telephones were one to a house, often shared (party lines), and hung on the wall in the kitchen (no cares about privacy).
Computers were called calculators; they were hand-cranked.
Typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ribbon.
'INTERNET' and 'GOOGLE' were words that did not exist.
Newspapers and magazines were written for adults and the news was honest and broadcast on your radio in the evening (your dad would give you the comic pages when he read the news).
New highways would bring jobs and mobility. Most highways were 2 lanes (no interstates).
You went downtown to shop. You walked to school.
The radio network expanded from 3 stations to thousands.
Your parents were suddenly free from the confines of the depression and the war, and they threw themselves into working hard to make a living for their families.
You weren't neglected, but you weren't today's all-consuming family focus.
They were glad you played by yourselves.
They were busy discovering the postwar world.
You entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where you were welcomed, enjoyed yourselves.
You felt secure in your future, although the depression and poverty were deeply remembered.
Polio was still a crippler. Everyone knew someone who had it.
You came of age in the '50s and '60s with drive-in movies, something called McDonalds burgers and fast cars.
You are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no threats to our homeland.
World War 2 was over, and the cold war, terrorism, global warming, and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life.
Only your generation can remember a time after WW2 when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty.
You grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better.
More than 99% of you are retired now, and you should feel privileged to have "lived in the best of times!"
If you have already reached the age of 77 years old, you have outlived 99% of all the other people in the world who were born in this special 16-year time span. You are a 1%ER

View What Has Happened In Your Lifetime!

Just click image and enter your date of birth.

Visit Bakersfield!

After 65 years many of the Class of 1956 no longer reside in Bakersfield.

Current Online Guides are now available to view and/or download:
THINGS TO DO, EAT & DRINK, WHERE TO STAY, EVENTS, COLORING BOOK AND MORE!

Micki Baker Burcher selected for the Bakersfield High School Hall of Fame

The Bakersfield High School Hall of Fame was created to honor those past Drillers who gained honors through sports as well as impact on BHS through community, coaching/advising. athletics and/or fine arts.

Isaac McClanahan and his wife, Ruth (nee Miller), are sharing information sbout Ruth's nephew, Rashun Shehee. He is the Head Coach of Bakersfield High School varsity football and girls basketball coach. He is really doing a great job. He is carrying on the traditions for our school. The girls have won a number of Valley championshuips. Isaac and Ruth are so proud of him.

Micki Baker Burcher contributed the following addendum: Driller Coach--Freshman-Sophmore Coach of Sandabs at BHS, Julian Cantu, is married to my granddaughter Haley. This means the current football coaches are RELATED to Class of 56 members.

We graduated from Bakersfield High School
more than 65 Years ago!

September 18, 2021, 85 classmates met at Luigi's in Bakersfield to celebrate together 65 years after graduating from Bakersfield High School.

Senior Discounts
Since our class is of the age that can take advantage of senior discounts you may want to check out these sites:
List of Stores with Senior Discounts. Also included on this site are comments by others regarding discounts in specific areas.

List of Stores, Restaurants, Theaters, etc. with Senior Discounts.

While traveling I have found McDonalds a convenient pitstop location that is enhanced by their offering of "Senior Coffee". McDonalds does not advertise this discount. You just have to order a "Senior Coffee" and they give you a standard size coffee for $0.70 to $0.85.

More Senior Specials
Another way to celebrate your 75th birthday if you travel via air!

TSA no longer requires you to take off your shoes or jacket at airport security checks if you are 75 or older. You aren't a threat!

Sadly, some of our classmates have departed. The deceased list is kept as current as information is provided. Any information regarding the class of 1956 is always appreciated. Also check the missing list. If you know where any of these class of 1956 members are please let me know.

Now! Order high quality personalized, Bakersfield High School and 55th Reunion products, including shirts, mugs, bags, hats, and much more.

Cafepress offers preprinted BHS 56 items including iPad and iPhone cases for purchase online with delivery directly to you home.

1956 Oracle The 1956 Oracle is the yearbook of the Bakersfield High School class of 1956. The 1956 Oracle has been reproduced on CD-ROM in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format with the individual pages available in jpeg (jpg) format in the images directory. You can have your own copy of this unique CD for the low price of $19.56!