As the kiddos suit up to return to school, let’s all take a deep breath and cross our fingers that the 2021-2022 school year is a success. It might not look exactly like school years in the past, but this is the new normal and we’re all going to have to come to terms with what that means.

However, whether your kids are Barranca Bobcats, Aspen Tigers, Mountain Lions, Chamisa Cheetahs, Pinon Panthers, Hawks, or fully fledged Hilltoppers, you might find yourself pulling up in front of the following school district facilities and wondering exactly who they’re named for.

Duane W. Smith Auditorium

This public auditorium may, for some of us, still be remembered as Civic Auditorium. Until 1994 that’s what it was called. It is currently the only building in Los Alamos capable of seating more than 900 people. The beautiful new facade was added in 2018 and on May 3 of 2019 a new portrait of Duane W. Smith was unveiled inside the structure. The portrait was painted by celebrated artist Craig Tyler and remembers Smith the way his family likes to think of him in sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat while spending time outdoors.

Duane W. Smith began working for Los Alamos Schools in 1959. He stayed with the school district for twenty years, eventually becoming superintendent of schools. He died at age 48 in 1979. In 1994 the auditorium was named for him as a nod to his tireless work for our district and community interests. The remodeling in 2018 was paid for by county and school district funds. But it’s important to realize that an endowment was created by Smith’s wife, Joan Brown, and his daughter, Kelly Myers, to cover further renovations and updates to this vital community facility so that it can be a self-sustaining part of not only our high school, but of life in Los Alamos.

Griffith Gymnasium

Many of you recently visited Griffith Gym at our high school in order to get your Covid-19 vaccination. Community health fairs, graduation ceremonies, and more Phys Ed classes and high school sports games than we can count have been held inside this structure. It has undergone plenty of renovations and at one time it was rumored that the Hilltopper painted on the wall inside the gym had been modeled after a certain popular English teacher.

According to Craig Martin’s book Los Alamos Place Names, the high school gymnasium was formally dedicated to the memory of Thurston A. “Turk” Griffith on January 15, 1966 just before a basketball game between Los Alamos and St. Pius. Turk Griffith was a 1958 graduate of LAHS. In December 1964 he was reported MIA in Vietnam. His body was found several days later.

Though Turk Griffith was the first person from Los Alamos to die in the Vietnam War, he is better remembered for his love of life. Turk played baseball, ran track, swam, and was captain of the football team. He was in Key Club, was president of Student Council, a National Honor Society Student and was also voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by his classmates. He was a popular and likable student who attended West Point after graduating from LAHS. He received his commission as a lieutenant in 1962. Members of our community, including later Senator Steve Stoddard, pushed to have Topper Gym renamed for Turk. They circulated a petition and gained more than 1100 signatures in favor of this change. In March of 1965 it was officially renamed and now a plaque commemorating Turk Griffith hangs inside to help students today connect with those who came before and lived with distinction.

Sullivan Field

If you’re like many people, you’ve been wondering what amazing athlete with the last name Sullivan commanded the field in such a way that he was honored to have our high school stadium named after him?

Um, Earle D. Sullivan was an important part of sports here in Los Alamos, and he might have been a really great athlete. But that’s not why the former High School Athletic Field was renamed Sullivan Field.

Sullivan was a community relations manager for the Atomic Energy Commission in the late 1940’s. Before that, he’d been a newspaper editor in Foxboro, Massachusetts. He served in various positions during the war, most notably as a regional publicity director for the War Bond Campaigns.

While none of that seems to have anything to do with football, track, or soccer, what Sullivan DID do was advocate strongly for recreational facilities for the youth of Los Alamos. His position as a liaison between the AEC and the youth of our community gave him the opportunity to be a voice for youth sports. And THAT is why his name is on our High School Stadium.

Next time you pull up to the Topper Field House for a game at Sullivan Field or drive up to North Mesa to watch a ball game at “Bun Ryan” Field, remember that our history goes back a long way and includes plenty of influential people who loved this community enough to leave their mark for all of us. And when you’re ready to call Los Alamos home, give me a call! I’d love to talk about Life in Los Alamos with you.