The Watsonville High School Foundation was established in the Spring and Summer of 1983 after a number of informal discussions involving Ed Kelly, Tony Calvo, Rex Clark and Marian Rector. The minutes of the July 19, 1983 meeting show that it was well attended by several local notables and that Ed Kelly was selected as the first President.

A high priority from the Foundation’s inception was support for the performing arts with a special interest in auditorium seats. To help establish itself as a viable support for the high school, the staff, and the students, the Foundation addressed its need for funding using a variety of methods:

•  WHS English teacher Steve Wong collected pledges for his participation in a triathlon competition.

• Jim and Marian Rector helped with the first Foundation Flea Market in August, 1985 and saw considerable success for several years.

• Due to a single handed effort by Elaine Oyler, the WHS  Foundation raised 10,000 in 1990 by helping the Strawberry Council prepare advertising material to be distributed. Elaine organized and ran a supreme effort to get this important job accomplished.

In 1986 the Foundation Hall of Fame was established with the first recipients being  Bert Scott of Granite Construction, professional golfer Janet Coles, taxidermist John Gurnee and Lee Holly, a syndicated cartoonist. In subsequent years, a number of outstanding WHS graduates have been honored.

Watsonville High School’s Centennial year was 1991- 1992 and Foundation President Gerri Martin encouraged and led the community in establishing several committees for a major celebration. There was also a ground breaking ceremony to kick off the construction of the new main building (The Centennial Building) that would replace the previous main building which had been damaged beyond repair by the Loma Prieta Earthquake on October 17, 1989. The WHS Foundation also sponsored the publication of Centennial Yearbook written by Jane Borg. Lorraine Beall managed this event that raised over $30,000 for the foundation.