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Collection: Directories and Documents > Historical Clippings
Historical Clippings Book - Nevada County Citizens (HC-07) (296 pages)
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Page: of 296
Harold George Sr. ending
fifth career at age 83
Harold _George_ Sr, will end a fifth
career when he concludes his present
term as trustee of Nevada Union High
School District this July.
The man whose name has meant music
in this area for nearly 70 years has about
decided not to run for trustee of the high
schvo! board this year.
“There are enough young people around
here who need a chance to get on the
board," the 83-year old said. ~
George was born in Grass Valley in
1888, the son of Cornish parents. His
father came to Grass Valley in 1873
and worked as acarpenter timbering mines
and placing timber in the tunnel between
Grass Valley and Nevada City for the
Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad.
George was born in a home which stood
where the Wells Fargo Bank is now.
When Harold was "a little chap," he found
he had an interest in music. He taught
himself to play the cornet, then flute and later the saxophone. When he was 14, ©
he joined a band at the Methodist Church
and at 16 was the band leader.
He completed the eighth grade, and like
most boys at the time, "then I went to
work." He worked for his older brother,
Will, learning the painting and decorating
business. He continued his profession as a
painter for 26 years but also played in
numerous bands through those years.
He was director of the Star and Crescent band which rivaled the city band of
years ago. They combined into one large
band and after « few years George was the
director.
One band he directed won a prize at the
California State Fair in 1910, A large
silver cup on his mantel was given the
band members in appreciation of their
performance in ‘he capital city in 1910.
The Grass Vailey city schools hired
George as band, orchestra and choral
Peer eas
instructor in 1929 to teach half a day.
He also taught band and orchestra to Nevada City school students for half a day
during that school year of 1929-30.
For the next 17 years he was the Grass
Valley schools' music teacher. George
was hired after the first year as a fulltime teacher, even though his formal
education ended at the eighth grade.
He became a member of the NUHS
board in 1955 and has served four terms.
During his 16 years, a gymnasium. has
been added to the Empire School (formerly the Grass Valley High School) and
the new campus on Ridge Road has been
built.
"We have a fine organization," he said
of the NUHS staff, "a fine faculty. A good
education is the present board's goal and
I think we are achieving it."
In addition to George's main professions,
he also owned a shoe store withhis brother
Ray ar? laier a music store with another
partner.
His wife, Nell Thomas George, died 10
years ago. She was a teacher and principal
at Union Hill School. For the last few
years of her life she was in a wheelchair,
crippled with arthritis, George said. During those years she painted china. At the
moment George has two beautiful sets of
china, two sets of 100 pieces or more, with
borders engraved with gold, all hand done
by Mrs, Nell George. The two sets were
made for their two children, Harold George
Jr., currently a Nevada Union music teacher, and Carol, now Mrs, James Guinn,
wife of the school's football coach.
George ends his 16-year career as a
NUHS trustee by saying “we've done a good
job for the school and all without pay."
He said he can't do the job justice anymore and has about made up his mind not
to run for reelection in the April election,.