The Burbank “B”

I always thought of the "B" as a symbol of Burbank High School.

Even though I moved to Hawaii in 1973, I continued to return to Burbank several times a year to visit my parents. In the drive up Olive Avenue to their house, you couldn’t fail to notice the large “B” on the hillside. I was just in Burbank last week to help close up my mother’s house for sale, and the “B” looked especially prominent in one of those rare smog-free days.

According to the 2008 centennial book, “Burbank High School: The Blue and White Wave High,” the Burbank “B” was started in the the late 1920s by the boys of the Key Club, who carried up supplies to weed the area and paint the stones. I always thought of it as a symbol of Burbank High School (not just the city of Burbank), and I remember when we were in high school, the stones would get rearranged into an “H” by students from neighboring Hoover High School just prior to a football game. Also I vaguely remember students from our rival, John Burroughs High School, attempting to insert a “J” to the stones, but it never lasted very long. Does anyone else have those memories?

Apparently the “B” was well-maintained until the 1970s when it fell into disrepair. Nearly a decade went by until the early 1990s when the Key Club restored it and chalked the hillside. It no longer is built of painted white rocks and looks much more permanent.

Burbank High School 2008 Centennial Book

By the way, if you are interested in purchasing the centennial book, you may click here to go to the Burbank High Centennial website. It is a hardbound coffee table style book that is filled with stories, memories, alumni profiles and 152 color pages. I would highly recommend it for your collection, and who knows, you may see your picture in there!