Thursday, August 27, 2026

John Muir High School Plans Centennial Celebration, Launches $100,000 Legacy Fund

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

John Muir High School will celebrate its 100th anniversary in November with a centennial gathering honoring generations of students and alumni while launching a $100,000 fundraising campaign to support the school’s future.

The Centennial Celebration is scheduled for Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. at the Rufus Mead Auditorium, 1905 Lincoln Ave. Pasadena Federal Credit Union has donated $10,000 as the event’s first presenting sponsor, according to the John Muir High School Alumni Association.

“We are honored to support John Muir High School’s Centennial Celebration,” Pasadena Federal Credit Union Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James Chang said. “This is a celebration of a proud legacy, the generations of students and educators who have made a lasting impact, and the bright future that lies ahead.”

The celebration will include ceremonies honoring distinguished alumni, including Jackie Robinson, author Octavia Butler and several Olympic champions. Current Muir students will perform, and organizers are planning a Homecoming Alumni Picnic in the school’s “M” Quad.

The event will also include tours of the renovated Alumni Museum highlighting the school’s history and achievements.

Organizers are using the centennial to launch the Muir Centennial Legacy Fund, which has a goal of raising $100,000 for scholarships, emergency needs and long-term growth.

The Newman-Gray Scholarship, named for alumni principals Eddie Newman and Lawton Gray, will be awarded annually to a student who exemplifies the “Muir Spirit.”

The anniversary comes as the Muir community continues to recover from the Eaton Fire. According to the Alumni Association, more than 200 current Muir students and staff members lost homes in the fire, while an estimated 1,000 alumni lost homes or were displaced.

Two of the 19 people who died in the fire were Muir alumni, Lora Swayne, Class of 1971, and Victor Shaw, Class of 1976.

John Muir was founded in 1926 as John Muir Technical High School. Over the past century, its alumni have included prominent figures in civil rights, government, sports, the arts and sciences.

The Pasadena Federal Credit Union’s $10,000 contribution was presented to Gray by Rick Flores.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at multiple levels, with recognition for individuals, and businesses who support the Centennial Legacy Fund. For more information or to contribute, visit www.givebutter.com/muir-centennial-fund.