For students, alumni, faculty and staff, Point Loma High School’s 100th anniversary is sparking excitement, with a twist of nostalgia.
The Pointer community is gearing up for the “Cheers to 100 Years” gala coming in September and reflecting on the school’s history along the way.
Jesse Denney, a Point Loma High special-education teacher and a 1984 graduate, recalls his time as a student with iration and gratefulness.
“One of my favorite memories of Point Loma High, besides sports, was being in the ‘Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance’ musical production put on by the legendary [theater instructor] Larry Zeiger my senior year,” Denney said.
Experiences like that helped Denney and his family plant deep roots at the school.
“We have had four generations go through Point Loma High,” he said. “My grandfather Art Fischer graduated from here in 1933, along with both of my parents. My dad, Mark Denney, was class of 1960, and my mom, Michen Fischer, class of 1961. And two of my kids — Erin Denney, class of 2022, and Ethan Denney, class of 2024.”
After working at Lincoln and Morse high schools, Denney returned to PLHS in 2018 and has worked in special education since.
“I feel really fortunate to have returned to my neighborhood school,” he said. “Point Loma is a special place with so much history and famous alumni.”
Point Loma High, dedicated in 1925, is the third-largest of 16 high schools in the San Diego Unified School District. Its notable graduates include former major-league pitcher David Wells, actress Marion Ross of “Happy Days,” former San Diego City Councilmen Bill Cleator, Byron Wear and Bill Lowery, real estate mogul Malin Burnham and glass artist Steve Correia, for whom Point Loma’s Correia Middle School is named.
Among the most famous of the grads is Don Larsen, class of 1947, who pitched the only perfect game in World Series history for the New York Yankees in 1956.
Point Loma High’s first graduating class consisted of seven students — three boys and four girls — who celebrated their commencement at San Diego’s Balboa Park, according to the school.
One of the highlights of Pointers history came just three years ago, when PLHS completed a site modernization including a new 38,000-square-foot classroom building with a library/media center.
The three-year project, the school’s largest since it first opened, also featured renovation of two classroom buildings and upgrades to the athletic facilities.
Tim Clarken, a PLHS senior and president of the 2025 graduating class, spoke fondly about the past four years.
“I have been involved with the PLHS Academic League team, Creative Writing Club, No Place for Hate Club and Flag Club,” Clarken said. He also participated in track and field in his freshman year.
For Clarken, a large motivator for his academic and extracurricular success has been encouragement from PLHS teachers and staff.
“Without a doubt, my favorite thing about PLHS are some of the teachers that work here,” he said. “They provided incredible opportunities to expand my knowledge and have been some of the most engaging educators I have had the pleasure of being taught by. Each teaching style is distinctly their own, [but] all work well to genuinely inform the students rather than just prepare them for tests.”
Fabiola Bagula, interim superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District, said “A hundred years of Point Loma High School is a powerful symbol of legacy and continuity, as generations of students have ed through the halls and been impacted by dedicated educators. There is a shared history of so many generations who attended the same school creating a deep sense of pride and belonging.
“Surviving and thriving for 100 years means the school has adapted to changes in society, technology and education, mirroring the resilience of the Point Loma community. The district is proud that Point Loma High School reflects a long-standing commitment to learning, growth and opportunity in the community.”
David Jaffe, Point Loma High’s principal the past two years, said that as a native San Diegan, he has always been connected to Point Loma.
“To be able to come to a school with the history PLHS holds has been a blessing,” Jaffe said. “For the past two years, I have gotten a real feel for the deep roots this school has. I take leading this school seriously and feel it is an honor to be in this position going into its 100th year.
“I joke with alumni who tell me their great-grandparents and parents went here and I promise them I will not screw up their school.”
Once students start the 2025-26 school year in August, “we will impress upon them the importance of being the senior class for the 100-year celebration,” Jaffe said.
Jacobo Birkbeck is among the students who will be in that centennial graduating class of 2026.
“I won the election to be ASB [Associated Student Body] president next year,” Birkbeck said. “I love how the community always shows up to the events and there’s a sense of school spirit that stays with people past graduation.”
PLHS Alumni Association Director Kim (Melhorn) Jessop Moore, class of 1973, works closely with alumni from a range of generations. The association, founded in 1978, helps preserve the school’s history through memorabilia, gatherings and fundraising.
For Moore, the group’s director since 2003, connecting with fellow alumni has been both rewarding and a way to honor the school’s 100-year legacy.
“Some of my favorite stories have come from the many alumni I have had the pleasure of speaking to over the years,” Moore said. “I have heard of love stories between alumni; pranks that were played on campus; all the different social groups over the decades and the hair and clothing styles that identified them; sports accomplishments; teachers who inspired vocations, hobbies and public service; and valuable life lessons they felt were not so fun to be part of at the time but made them into more responsible adults.”
Excitement for the 100th year is building on campus.
“We are in the process of planning ideas [for the centennial] that may include special and limited-edition T-shirts and pins, lunchtime activities and giveaways, decor throughout the school like banners and posters, and pep rallies,” Clarken said.
As the 2024-25 school year winds down, with graduation set for Thursday, May 29, teachers are looking ahead to the fall to celebrate the milestone in full swing.
“The faculty overall seems excited about the anniversary,” Denney said. “The word is out, and when Point Loma starts back up in the fall, things should really start kicking in as far as preparation for the Homecoming football game and dance.”
The “Cheers to 100 Years” gala will be about both celebrating the past and raising funds for the future.
“The goal is to raise $150,000 for academics, athletics and the arts at PLHS,” said Allison Leitz, co-chairwoman of the centennial celebration, which will include dinner, dancing, an auction and more.
The evening will be presented by the PLHS Pointer Association, a parent, student, alumni and faculty group that works to help fund and enhance the school.
The association also plans to build excitement about the anniversary and coordinate on-campus activities in coming months.
“We are holding a centennial kickoff event in the quad with the students on May 23,” Leitz said. “We will have food, games and giveaways for the students.”
In the fall, she added, “there will be a centennial-themed back-to-school pep rally. … And there is a team of people trying to get a centennial mural painted at the school.”
‘Cheers to 100 Years’ gala
What: Point Loma High School centennial celebration
When: 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13
Where: Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier, 1000 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego
Cost: $125 ($150 starting Sunday, June 1); $1,500 for a table of 10
Information: plhscentennial.com/gala
