It is hard to believe that the Alumni Walk was only a dream in 1995. In the summer of 1997 construction began on the project and lasted several months. Dedicated October 17, 1997, the Alumni Walk became an instant success. Hollywood has its Walk of Fame along Hollywood Blvd. and Redondo High School now had its own Walk of Fame on the Alumni Walk.

The Walk runs north from the administration offices building to the Noble Plaza, the area selected leaves plenty of space for expansion and addition of many more engraved bricks.

Alumni examine the Walk during the RUHS
Centennial Celebration week. 2005

So what happened? What was wrong with the first laying of the Walk? Why was the Walk torn down and the bricks stacked on pallets?

During the summer of 2004, the RUHS campus began undergoing an extensive construction project that is still going on today. Also during that time they started working under and around the Walk itself so the bricks were removed with the promise they would be laid back down exactly as before. Not so!

Sadly the contractor hired by the school did not put even come close to putting the bricks back in the place previously designed for it. In fact, poor construction practices and additional traffic over the area further degraded the condition of the bricks themselves.

That meant the Walk had to be completely removed, AGAIN, and the base rebuilt correctly before re-setting the by now worn bricks. It was at that time the Alumni Walk Chairman, Pat (Caldwell) Ramsey, ‘43, stepped in to look over the damage done and call a halt to re-setting damaged or destroyed bricks.

By this time school officials had changed, contractors had been replaced and the overall RUHS construction project seriously behind schedule. The Alumni Walk looked like it was never going to be rebuilt.

Instead, however, perseverance has paid off and the school District has agreed to its part in completely redoing the Walk and restoring it to its original vision.

Pat has been busy working closely with the District to redo the entire Alumni Walk. The new bricks have been ordered, replacing every single brick damaged or destroyed during the extensive renovation of the RUHS campus.

What a nightmare this has been! All 600+ bricks were individually examined, their condition evaluated and then a determination made whether to redo the engraving or to keep the brick. Approximately 25% of the bricks needed to be replaced and the others were refreshed. Then all are being re-set.

The whole project is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year. Baring any new developments, we are on-track to make that deadline, then we will once again be able to “Honor … Past and Future Students of Redondo Union High School!”

Bricks laid out to be reset during one of the now
famous “re-builds” of the Walk. 2006

Now having said all that, we are taking new orders now for bricks as the Walk is finally coming together. For a relatively small cost you too can have your brick, salute to a group or favorite teacher forever a reminder to those that pass.

The bricks make a nice gift for new grads at RUHS. Order yours by sending in this form. Over ten years after its conceptual beginning, the RUHS Alumni Walk is finally becoming the solid reminder of our “Past and Future!”