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William J. Kelleher

Profile Updated: April 11, 2023
William J. Kelleher
Residing In
La Canada, CA USA
Spouse/Partner
Crista
Occupation
writer: political science
Children
Kati, MSW
Grandson Kian dob July 2020
Yes! Attending Reunion
Comments

check out my books on Amazon.com
Check out my blog about China and political science,
https://interpretat.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @InterpretivePo1

Currently researching China as a political system

School Story

attended LTHS from 1961-1963 - moved to CA for last year - grad Monrovia HS. BA-MA San Francisco State during the 60s (try to study for finals in the library when the police are spraying tear gas on demonstrators - it comes thru the vent!) PhD in Political Science, UCSB.

William J.'s Latest Interactions

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William J. Kelleher posted a message. New comment added.
Oct
09
Oct 09, 2023 at 10:46 PM

Posted on: Oct 09, 2023 at 5:57 PM

Hi Jim! Thanks for your work on this page! Its really nice to have. Bill

Jun
22
Jun 22, 2023 at 4:10 PM

Congrats on impressive resume!

Jun
08
Jun 08, 2023 at 3:33 AM
Apr
12
Apr 12, 2023 at 12:53 PM

I agree with those who say that this is a proper place to fill out the memory of Bill Mitchell -- his bright side, his dark side, and everything in between. He was certainly a person many of us have clear memories of. For me he was an athlete, socially active, and a brave, tough, warrior. (I don't doubt anything that has been said here about his darker side. Although I wasn't afraid to be around him, there were times when he let me know who was tougher.)

If the history of the Class of '64 were written, I'd rank him second only to Jim Barr as a fearsome street fighter. Gerald says Dave Jakesone was #1, but I don't remember him, and his name is not on the Classmate Profiles list. Barr is listed in the Class of '64, and I remember him as a classmate. Its not always easy to get history right, and smart people can disagree on the details. (As an aside, Barr was once in need of a lawyer. We had an art teacher at North Campus who was a lawyer, and he helped get Barr out of trouble pro bono. I can't remember that teacher's name.)

 

 

Apr
11
Apr 11, 2023 at 6:21 PM

Thanks, Gerald Williams. Now I remember that bit of campus lore. George Pankow was reputed to be way up there in the ranks. Too bad there aren’t any fight records that would definitively show who was the top street fighter in our school. I think that Frank and George were Class of ’63. So that would leave Jim as tops in the Class of ’64.  Elimination bouts between the three would have been an amazing contest. If only we could go back in time!

Apr 11, 2023 at 6:09 PM
William J. Kelleher changed his profile picture.
Apr 11, 2023 at 6:08 PM
Apr
10
Apr 10, 2023 at 4:12 PM

I agree with Buddy Breese that Bill Mitchell could be a fun guy. I joked around and laughed with him many times, both in South and North campus. But I disagree that this not the place to tell negative truths about Bill. What Mindy Armer has reported should go into the mix of our memory of Bill. Knowing Bill, I believe her.

Also, I'm glad that Bob Miller mentioned fighting in conncetion with Bill. I was present to at least three of his fights. Two in "the Hole" (anyone remember that place?) And one in a parking lot out on La Grange Road, somewhere past 55th. He won each handily. He had great courage. But he was selective. According to the stories I heard around LTHS, the toughest guy at school was Frank Smith, Class of '63. Next was Gentleman Jim Barr from our class. A story I heard was that Barr challenged Bill, but that Bill declined. Still, I would rank Bill as the second toughest guy in the Class of '64. That's a high status position out of something like 2000 students. Its also a part of our common history, and this is an excellent place to lay out the record, and to set it straight. 

Ranking who were the toughest guys at school may be a teenage guy thing, but we are talking about a guy we knew as teenagers.

4-11-23

Thanks, Gerald. Now I remember that bit of campus lore. George Pankow was reputed to be way up there in the ranks. Too bad there aren’t any fight records that would definitively show who was the top street fighter in our school. I think that Frank and George were Class of ’63. So that would leave Jim as tops in the Class of ’64.  Elimination bouts between the three would have been an amazing contest. If only we could go back in time!

Apr 10, 2023 at 4:12 PM

I agree with Budy Breese that Bill Mitchell could be a fun guy. I joked around and laughed with him many times, both in South and North campus. But I disagree that this not the place to tell negative truths about Bill. What Mindy Armer has reported should go into the mix of our memory of Bill. Knowing Bill, I believe her.

Also, I'm glad that Bob Miller mentioned fighting in conncetion with Bill. I was present to at least three of his fights. Two in "the Hole" (anyone remember that place?) And one in a parking lot out on La Grange Road, somewhere past 55th. He won each handily. He had great courage. But he was selective. According to the stories I heard around LTHS, the toughest guy at school was Frank Smith, Class of '63. Next was Gentleman Jim Barr from our class. A story I heard was that Barr challenged Bill, but that Bill declined. Still, I would rank Bill as the second toughest guy in the Class of '64. That's a high status position out of something like 2000 students. Its also a part of our common history, and this is an excellent place to lay out the record, and to set it straight. 

Ranking who were the toughest guys at school may be a teenage guy thing, but we are talking about a guy we knew as teenagers.

Apr
07
Apr 07, 2023 at 1:24 PM

Sorry to hear he is gone. I knew Bill well. He had a cool old truck (looked like a bread delivery truck).
 
I was often made to face him in football practice. Ouch! 
 
Once, when we were having football practice on the South Campus field at LTHS, there was a walk racer walking around the track. Somebody dared Bill to race him. Bill could run while the other guy race walked. Of course, Bill took on the challenge. Still wearing his shoulder pads, he dropped his helmet, and the race was on. Bill kept up for the first few feet. But after that the distance just increased until there was no way for Bill to keep up. The whole team was roaring with laughter. Then football practice resumed. I wonder if any other team members remember that event.

William J. Kelleher added a comment on his Profile.
Mar 11, 2023 at 5:53 PM
William J. Kelleher added a comment on his Profile.
Mar 09, 2023 at 2:39 PM
Jun 08, 2022 at 3:33 AM
William J. Kelleher has left an In Memory comment for his Profile.
May 25, 2022 at 11:50 AM

I knew Harley Conrad in HS. He was a strong guy. In fact, I once underestimated his strength and engaged him in a wrestling match. It took him about a minute to pin me down. Good thing he had mercy on me and let me up right away!

William J. Kelleher has left an In Memory comment for Richard A. Brode.
May 25, 2022 at 11:45 AM

I remember Dick Brode. He had a great sense of humor. As I recall he drove his mom's car. It was a '63 Chevy hardtop w/ a 250 horse 327, and Powerglide trans. I rode around w/ him a few times. The gang I hung w/ sometimes went somewhere just off Countyline Rd to drink, and Brode, as we called him, was w/ us on occasion. Hope he had a good life.

 

William J. Kelleher added a comment on his Profile.
Aug 19, 2021 at 12:23 AM
Jun 08, 2021 at 3:33 AM
May 24, 2021 at 1:24 PM

Happy B-day Mike!

Dec 18, 2020 at 1:29 PM

Chuck was a neighbor, we both lived on Brainard Ave, and a buddy. I remember most riding in his 58 Ford - three on the floor, 352.

Just a couple of years ago, he told me on FaceBook that he wished he still had that car.

William J. Kelleher has left an In Memory comment for Donald J. Sprague.
Jul 18, 2020 at 4:41 PM

Don had a red and white '56 chevy, 2 dr hard top, stick, w/ a 6. We were going to drop a 283 in it, but never got started on that project. He was a good guy.

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Posted: Oct 27, 2019 at 4:20 PM