Inducted in 2008
Dr. J. Dykes Johnson - Class of 1927
Dr. J. Dykes Johnson M.D. graduated from Taft Union High School where he was a great athlete playing three sports: football, basketball, and baseball. He was also student body president his senior year. Upon graduation he went on to Stanford University where he was a star baseball player. After graduating from Stanford, Dykes Johnson went on to Vanderbilt Medical School in Tennessee.
During World War II, Dykes volunteered and served as a physician in the US Navy.
J. Dykes Johnson, regardless of his legendary gruff exterior, was a sensitive, caring person with deep roots within the community. His father owned and operated a gas station and store called Dykes Johnson Service. In continuing with the family service to the Taft community Dr. Dykes Johnson named his medical facility the Dykes Johnson Medical Building.
He not only served this community as a physician to families, but also was the sideline physician for all the Taft Union High School football games for many years. He also met other needs of community members by paying for food baskets to be given to needy families.
Those who knew him through his medical services will always remember that he did an unbelievable amount of work for which he received no pay, his free service to college students, and his gruff voice and ever-present cigar.
Pete Gianopulos - Class of 1942
Pete Gianopulos was born, raised, and educated in Taft. He received his A.A. Degree from Taft College, his B.A. Degree from Fresno State College, and his M.A. Degree from Fresno State College. He has completed graduate work at UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, California State University, Bakersfield and California State University, Fresno.
During World War II he was sent overseas as a replacement in the 41st Infantry Division at Regimental Headquarters in the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Platoon. His service was in the Pacific theater, participating in five amphibious landings in the New Guinea and Philippine Islands. When the war was over, he was assigned to the Occupation forces near Hiro, Kure, and Hiroshima, Japan.
After his college education Pete Gianopulos taught one year for the Taft City School District at Lincoln Jr. High School and 35 years for the Taft Union High School District as an Industrial Arts teacher, a counselor and as Director of Guidance. He retired in 1986 after 36 years of service to the students of Taft.
Besides serving this community as an educator, he has served as a Taft City Council Member and as Mayor of the City of Taft. He has served as a member of the Taft District Chamber of Commerce, Taft Oildorado Committee, Director Division IV of the Kern County Water District, Kern View Community Mental Health Center Committee, and State of California Resource Agency, Dept. of Water Resources.
Pete Gianopulos has memberships in the Taft-Midway Masonic Lodge, Taft High Twelve, Bakersfield Bodies Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of the Southern Jurisdiction, Al Malaikah Ancient Arabic order Mystical Shrine, Taft American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Pete Gianopulos is most well known as the originator, host, and producer of Taft Heritage in cooperation with Taft High’s TV studio and the West Kern Oil Museum. Another interest of Westside History is the syndication of “Remember When,” a weekly newspaper article that is placed in the Midway Driller and is e-mailed to thousands each week.
Dr. Paul "pete" Magee - Class of 1955
Paul T. Magee is Professor Emeritus of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development at the University of Minnesota. He received his undergraduate degree at Yale College in Chemistry and his Ph. D. at the University of California, Berkeley in Biochemistry.
His research specialty is the Genomics of Candida albicans, a major human pathogen, with particular emphasis on the role of genomic rearrangements of pathogenesis. Professor Magee was one of the pioneers in using modern genetic techniques to study this organism. His research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
His Deanship at the University of Minnesota was marked by new efforts to increase the success of underrepresented minorities in mathematics and science. In 2000 he received the Horace T. Morse – University of Minnesota Alumni Society Award for Contributions to Undergraduate Education. In 2006 he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Donald Zumbro - Class of 1952
While at Taft Union High School, Don Zumbro was a member of the AD Board, now known as the ASB. He was ASB Representative, ASB Business Manager, ASB Vice-President, and ASB President. He was actively involved in football, basketball, and baseball. His awards included all-valley, all-county, all-league, and he was the first string forward for Taft High’s Valley Championship Basketball Team. He received the prestigious American Legion Award upon graduation for his outstanding leadership qualities and for other areas that he showed exceptional talent.
He received his A.A. Degree from Taft College. His B.A. Degree from the College of the Pacific and his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Fresno State University.
He worked for the Taft City School District for 21 years; eleven years as a teacher at Roosevelt and Lincoln Jr. High and ten years as the principal at Lincoln Jr. High School. He served as Dean at Taft College for 20 years, and while at Taft College he served as Coast Valley Athletic Conference President for 2 years. He retired from education after serving this community for 41 years.
Don Zumbro has been very active in the community that raised him. He has been a member of boards that have assisted the needy, the youth, the adults, and the sports programs here in Taft. Those boards consist of the Needs Committee, Camp Condor Board, Mental Health Board, Community Chest Board, American Red Cross Westside Chapter, Taft College Foundation Board, Westside Hospital Committee, Oildorado Committee, Taft High School Advisory Board, Taft City School Advisory Board, and the Rotary Club of Taft.
Don Zumbro and the class of 1952 have donated over $30,000.00 in scholarships to the senior students at Taft Union High School’s Honors Program.