Colton High School opened in 1895. It is one of the oldest high schools in the Inland Empire. In this daily feature, we celebrate Colton High’s rich history.

Christina Beeson is one of the most important teachers in Colton High School history. She taught at CHS for 43 years, from 1933-1939, then from 1943-1980. During most of her tenure, she was the adviser of the Pepper Bough, where she oversaw a journalism program that received over 400 awards. She was also named National Journalism Teacher of the Year and California Teacher of the Year in 1975.

Had she had her way, she would not have gone into teaching at all. She wanted to be an actress, but was dissuaded from this by her father, who, according to the Pepper Bough “wouldn’t hear of it.”

Ms. Beeson, however, as she put it “was always on stage center.”

She came to Colton High in 1933 as a student teacher while going to school at the University of Redlands where was the editor of the college newspaper. Advising the Pepper Bough was a natural fit for her, at which she excelled.

In addition to working at Colton High, over her career she also taught as many schools, such as the University of Oklahoma, Stanford, USC, UCR and others.

“I wouldn’t have changed anything,” Ms. Beeson said of her career before passing away in 1997. According to the San Bernardino County Sun’s obituary for her on September 4, 1997, “with dramatic passion, she influenced Colton’s young.”