SBTHP and SBHS Alumni Association Partner to Commemorate 150 Years of “Dons” History with Exhibit at Casa de la Guerra

By Kevin McGarry, Associate Director for Public Engagement  

Santa Barbara High School (SBHS) was founded in 1875, making it the sixth-oldest high school in California. In 1975, a century after its first class graduated, a Centennial Committee was formed to plan a special 100th anniversary celebration. The Committee would use occasion to form the Santa Barbara High School Alumni Association. The two primary objectives of the Alumni Association are “to advance and protect the interests and welfare of SBHS, its students, faculty, staff, and alumni,” and “to promote fellowship among former students and other supporters of SBHS.” 

2025 not only marks the 150th anniversary of Santa Barbara High School but also the 50th anniversary of the school’s Alumni Association that boasts over 4,000 current members and reflects the rich cultural diversity and history of Santa Barbara.  

“Once a Don, Always a Don: 150 years of Santa Barbara High School,” a new exhibit at Casa de la Guerra, shares this proud legacy through little-seen photographs and historic memorabilia covering Santa Barbara High School's 150-year history. Recently, I sat down with head curator and proud SBHS Alum, Sally Foxen McNeill, to ask her about the collaboration with SBTHP that resulted in the exhibit, on display through December 2025. 

How did the idea of the exhibit and the notion to collaborate with SBTHP arise? What went into the process of creating the exhibit?  

The SBHS alumni Association was starting to come up with ideas on how to promote the 150th birthday celebration of Santa Barbara High School. Ideas that folks were coming up with were great, however being that I think outside the box, I decided that there should be some sort of photo and or memorabilia exhibits around town. Early on, I booked a space at Chaucer’s Bookstore for September and October. I also booked a display case at the SB Public Library for November. 

My husband, Darrell, and I finally caught the Manongs on the Central Coast: Forming Communities Across Generations exhibit a couple weeks before it closed.  Seeing that exhibit gave me the idea of possibly doing an SBHS 150th Anniversary exhibit at the Casa de la Guerra. I chatted with Anne Petersen (SBTHP Executive Director) about it, and she was all in!It took longer than I expected to get the exhibit together. I spent many hours in the Alumni Association Room at SBHS going through photographs, newspapers, and yearbooks to find exactly what I wanted to convey my vision for the exhibit.   

What do you hope those who visit and see the exhibit will take away from their experience? 

I have been fortunate to be in the exhibit room several times when visitors have been there to see the exhibit.  It’s easy to tell who the SBHS Dons are from the way they talk about “walking down the hill”, finding photos of their former teachers, the alma mater, etc.  Both Dons and non-Dons seem to really enjoy what I envisioned as the “showcase wall” which are (mostly) senior photos of 48 “Notable Dons” who excelled in their fields of politics, athletics, education, community service, inventors, etc.   

I would love people to take away from this exhibit that Santa Barbara High School has such a rich and diverse history that should be acknowledged and celebrated by all.  Graduates of Santa Barbara High literally helped plan and build the city of Santa Barbara, raised families with generations of Dons, and built family businesses - with many still around today.   

Anything else you’d like to share?  

Dons are family regardless of where we find each other. Once a Don, always a Don!  

Learn more about SBHS Dons history.