75th Anniversary Trivia
- Bishop O'Dowd High School
- Aug 20
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 16
Celebrate our 75th anniversary with us! Each month on social media and in our O’Dowd In Brief newsletter, we will have a trivia related to our school’s history and community. The answers and information about the trivia will be shared here.
October
How many classes have won Spirit Week in their 9th grade year?
A: 0
B: 1
C: 2
D: 3
Since the first Spirit Week in 1967, the spirited rivalry among classes during the third week of October has made O’Dowd’s Spirit Weeks infamous. From traditions that have endured for decades, such as decorated hallways and class cheers, to evolving activities like bonfires in the 1970s, which turned into Night Rallies in the 1980s and continue today, the spirit of Dragon Pride has been evident throughout the years.
Throughout each Spirit Week, classes compete to earn points by participating in hallway decorations, rallies, lunchtime activities, and daily dress themes, all in an effort to claim the top prize: Spirit Week Champion. In the school’s history, only three classes have won Spirit Week as 9th graders - the classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020.
September
Who was the first O’Dowd alumnus to become a faculty member?
A: Jim Negri ’68
B: Sharon Correia ’83
C: Bob Grazzini ’55
In the 1955 yearbook, senior Bob Grazzini noted he hoped to become a teacher one day and in 1959 he returned to O’Dowd to teach Spanish, Social Studies, and Art, becoming the school’s first alumni faculty member. Additionally, he coached multiple sports teams and was the Athletic Director. For 44 years, Bob served the O’Dowd community, teaching and coaching generations of Dragons, including many who returned to O’Dowd on their own professional paths, until his passing in April 2003. Over the years, O’Dowd has welcomed back 234 alumni as faculty, staff, or coaches. Today, 26 alumni serve O’Dowd as teachers, campus safety, logistics, gardeners, and in the Office of the President. Bob’s legacy as “the first” lives on in them. The cafeteria, Bob Grazzini ’55 Hall, was named in his honor in 2004 after his passing.
August
What was the originally planned name for our school?
A: Bishop O’Dowd High School
B: East Oakland Catholic High School
C: Archbishop Mitty High School of the East Bay
The originally planned name for our school was East Oakland Catholic High School. In the late 1940s, the Archdiocese of San Francisco purchased land that was a former rock quarry to expand the diocesan education in the East Bay. The vision of the school, which was originally planned to be named East Oakland Catholic High School, was led by Bishop James T. O’Dowd. As the head of the archdiocese’s education department, Bishop O’Dowd worked to plan and oversee construction of “the school on the hill.” In 1950, Bishop O’Dowd tragically died after his stalled car was hit by a train. To honor his legacy, Archbishop Mitty, the archbishop of San Francisco, renamed the school Bishop O’Dowd High School.
