Alumni Story: Taught by Founder Louise Balmer

By Katie Sigeti ’06, philanthropy manager, alumni programs
John Meanley ’67 shares memories of LJCDS when it was the Balmer School and the neighboring military shooting range.
Lifer John Meanley ’67 embodies what it means to be a Torrey for life. He began preschool at age 4 in 1953 at LJCDS’ precursor, the Balmer School, now known as Wisteria Cottage, home to the La Jolla Historical Society, on Prospect Avenue in La Jolla. 

“For me, that location on Prospect was a nucleus of activity,” he recalls. “Across the street was the Episcopal church, St. James by-the-Sea, where I was confirmed. My great-great aunt’s home was next door. My dad’s retail store was several blocks away on Girard. One of the La Jolla Historical Society pictures I occasionally see is a little boy standing on the wall in front of the Balmer School holding his lunch box and waiting impatiently for his late mother to pick him up. I think that was me.”

John’s class was one of the last to be taught by LJCDS’ founder, Louise Balmer. “The first actual instruction I can remember was from Mrs. Balmer in first grade, where we were taught reading and writing,” he says. “The emphasis was on phonics and spelling. Mrs. Balmer wanted us to sound out each word. She took great pains to enunciate each syllable as she chalked words on the blackboard. For me, first grade was all fun. I enjoyed Mrs. Balmer.” 

Mrs. Balmer, a widowed mother of four, made her mark in San Diego as a pioneer in education. John recalls, “As a first-grader, I never gave a second thought to what Mrs. Balmer did outside the classroom. Now, in retrospect, I can imagine that she did far more than teach us. For example, one would assume that Mrs. Balmer handled the hiring and supervision of teachers and staff. If so, the excellent cadre of teachers she assembled stands as yet one more testament to her great talents.”

John’s seventh-grade year was a momentous one for LJCDS. In 1961, the school moved from the cottages of La Jolla Village to what was known as the “mesa,” opening its doors at 4177 Kipling—now 9490 Genesee Avenue. 

Among his more colorful memories of that transition to a new campus, John recalls, “our campus was surrounded by brush, weeds, rocks, red dirt and rabbits. Our immediate neighbor to the west was Camp Matthews, a Marine Corps training base slated for closure, but it hadn’t closed quite yet. The new LJCDS campus bordered right on the shooting range. On a typical day, we would be sitting in class listening to a mid-morning lecture suddenly interrupted by a nerve-rattling blast of gunfire shooting at a red flag moving up and down along the back of the range. The gunfire was so loud all talk ceased until the recruits had run out of bullets. That might take four or five minutes. About that time, three or four Navy jets would swoop over the campus for another minute or so. This was definitely not La Jolla.”

In true Torrey fashion, John took every class offered and played nearly every high school sport. His varsity football team almost won the league championship, and he was chosen all-league along with several of his teammates.

After graduating in 1967, John continued his education at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He practiced law for a few years before pursuing a stint on Capitol Hill, where he was the chief of staff for a former law clerk who had won election to Congress. Instead of returning to his old law practice, John represented several trade organizations, founded a small publishing company and finally managed government contracts for a local research and development firm before retiring in San Diego.

Fast forward to today, John remains an active member of the LJCDS alumni community. He serves on the Alumni Council and continues to give back in numerous ways. “I have had a good life with a lot of great experiences and friends,” he says. “Now, I have wonderful grandchildren. They have their whole lives ahead of them. What is in store for my grandchildren and others in that generation is a great concern for me. Private schools like LJCDS must lead the way. It is important for our generation to stay involved.”
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