Class of 1999
I graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in Glendale, California in 1999 - the last graduating class of the 20th century. We walked into the new millennium with Y2K fears, dial-up internet, and dreams bigger than our circumstances.
Haro Gharbigi
Hoover High School, Class of 1999
Glendale, California
A School Named for a President
Herbert Hoover High School holds a unique distinction in American education:
Founded in 1929
Hoover High School is the only high school in America that can claim it was named after a sitting president. When the school opened in September 1929, Herbert Hoover was in office as the 31st President of the United States. The first issue of the school yearbook, "The Scroll," included letters from President Hoover and First Lady Lou Hoover.
Original Campus
Built in 1929 on Glenwood Road to serve Glendale's growing northern Foothill area. The original buildings served students until 1966.
Modern Campus
New facilities completed in 1969. In 1992, a 33-classroom expansion was added to accommodate Glendale's growing population.
18.6 Acres
Located in northwest Glendale at 651 Glenwood Road, the campus spans nearly 19 acres.
Go Tornadoes!
The Hoover Tornadoes - the school mascot representing the spirit and energy of generations of students.
BGD: Beat Glendale Day
The Cross-Town Rivalry
One of the most significant traditions at Hoover High is the long-running rivalry with Glendale High School. "BGD" - known as "Beat Glendale Day" or "Big Game Day" - is the biggest social and athletic event of the school year. The rivalry between the Hoover Tornadoes and Glendale Nitros (later Dynamiters) has united generations of students in fierce but friendly competition.
Notable Alumni
Hoover High School has produced remarkable alumni who have made their mark in entertainment, sports, and beyond:
John Cho
Class of 1990. Actor known for Harold & Kumar, Star Trek's Hikaru Sulu, and Searching. Born in Seoul, raised in LA, Cho became one of the most prominent Asian-American actors in Hollywood.
Eva Mendes
Class of 1992. Actress, model, and businesswoman known for Training Day, Hitch, and The Place Beyond the Pines. Decided to pursue acting after graduating from Hoover.
Ted Williams
Baseball Hall of Famer, "The Splendid Splinter," considered one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. Attended Hoover High in the 1930s.
Glendale: The Armenian Capital of America
By the time I graduated in 1999, Glendale had transformed into the largest Armenian community in the United States:
31,402 Armenian-Americans in Glendale (Census data)
Glendale surpasses Hollywood as LA's largest Armenian community
Soviet Union collapses, triggering new wave of Armenian immigration
Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region opens Glendale HQ
65,343 Armenian-Americans in Glendale - 34.1% of the population
The Armenian population of Glendale more than doubled during the 1990s. Factors driving this growth included the collapse of the Soviet Union, economic instability in the Republic of Armenia, and Glendale's reputation for excellent schools, safe neighborhoods, and established Armenian institutions.
Why Glendale?
Quality schools, highway access, safe neighborhoods, and family-oriented communities attracted Armenian immigrants from around the world.
Waves of Immigration
Armenians came from Lebanon, Iran, the Soviet Union, and the newly independent Republic of Armenia throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Graduating in 1999: The Last Class of the Century
Being a senior in 1999 meant living through one of the most unique transitional moments in modern history:
The Y2K Era
As we prepared for graduation, the world was bracing for the Y2K bug - a computer glitch that many feared would cause widespread chaos at midnight on January 1, 2000. The Clinton administration called Y2K preparations "the single largest technology management challenge in history." While the feared apocalypse never materialized, the uncertainty created a unique atmosphere for the Class of 1999.
Movies We Watched
- The Matrix
- Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- Fight Club
- The Sixth Sense
- American Beauty
- Office Space
Music We Heard
- Britney Spears - "...Baby One More Time"
- Ricky Martin - "Livin' La Vida Loca"
- Eminem - The Slim Shady LP
- TLC - "No Scrubs"
- Backstreet Boys - Millennium
- Limp Bizkit, Korn, Kid Rock
Technology We Used
- Dial-up internet (AOL Instant Messenger)
- Napster (launched June 1999)
- Sega Dreamcast
- Nokia cell phones
- CD burners
- Pagers
The Vibe
- Y2K fashion: low-rise jeans, frosted tips
- Pokemon fever
- Latin music explosion
- Teen pop dominance
- The dot-com boom
- Millennium anticipation
The Class of 1999 straddled two eras - we learned to type on typewriters and graduated into the internet age. We were the last class to complete high school entirely in the 20th century, walking into a new millennium full of uncertainty and possibility.
Hoover High in Film & Television
The campus has been featured in Hollywood productions, most notably:
Because They're Young (1960)
This film starring Dick Clark was shot at Hoover High School during the summer recess of 1959. The campus served as the setting for this drama about a dedicated teacher trying to help troubled students - a fitting metaphor for the generations of educators who have shaped Hoover students.
What Hoover Taught Me
Cultural Diversity
Growing up in Glendale's Armenian community while attending a diverse public school taught me to navigate multiple cultural contexts - a skill that's invaluable in business and life.
Community Values
The tight-knit Armenian community in Glendale instilled values of family, resilience, and entrepreneurship that continue to guide my work today.
Historical Perspective
Graduating at the turn of the millennium gave our class a unique perspective on change, technology, and the importance of adapting while staying grounded in who you are.