George Gambel became mayor of Brentwood in 1970. Before that, he attended the first Excelsior School, located at the corner of Marsh Creek Road and Highway 4. George forwards this picture, which he believes was made in 1936 or 1937.

The future mayor is fourth from the right in the bottom row, while his sister, Joyce, is second from the left in the top row. To her right is the late Nina Geddes, while to her left is Gladys Peterson (nee Abreu). The three were known as “The Inseparables,” George says, and Joyce and Gladys still are.

Excelsior, after which the current Excelsior Middle School was named, was a three-room school housing the first, second and third grades in one ground-floor room, and the fourth, fifth and sixth in another. Upstairs were the seventh and eighth grades. There was no auditorium, so graduation was held at the Odd Fellows Lodge in Byron. Says George, “The teachers were very, very good being able to handle three classes at once.”