Manteca High has Guss Schmiedt Football Field, Addie Hall, and Dorothy Mulvihill Speech Arts Theatre.

Today, the question is: what or whose name should be given to the school’s breezeway and pool?

The naming committee, recently formed with the blessing of the Manteca Unified School District Board of Education, would like to hear suggestions from individuals or groups who have someone in mind. The committee is now accepting nominations, with the deadline set for Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Recommendations must be submitted along with “pertinent information” about the nominee on no more than one page containing background information supporting the recommendation. That information must include the nominee’s “significant contribution to education in the community,” among others.

All suggestions will be reviewed by the members of the naming committee which will be responsible for selecting the ones that will be presented to the Board of Education for consideration. The board members will decide on the names at the January 2012 meeting.

Recommendations and nominations can be mailed to the Superintendent’s Office, Manteca Unified School District, P.O. Box 32, Manteca, CA 95336. They may also be delivered to the district administration building at 2271 West Louise Avenue, corner of Airport Way.

For any other questions, contact the Superintendent’s office at (209) 858-0729.

Guss Schmiedt, whose name is memorialized in the Buffaloes’ football field, was a member of the original Board of Trustees and was elected president in 1937. In 1949, the board secured property east of Garfield Avenue for the stadium’s future expansion. The original stadium seating capacity was 2,400 and was later boosted to 3.640 when it was renovated in 1996.

Addie Hall was named after a popular Darling daughter who died while in college. Adelaide “Addie” Avery was the daughter of the late Leroy Darling, the most beloved and longtime band director of Manteca High. He took the band to new heights, playing at major venues and winning accolades and trophies at the same time. His daughter, Addie, was a talented drum majorette of the Buffalo band. In her memory, the building which houses the band room was named Addie Hall.

Dorothy Mulvihill Auditorium was formerly Manteca High’s Speech Arts Theatre. For many years, the Speech Arts Theatre was the venue for many stage plays presented by Mulvihill and her drama class. It was also the venue for many community plays with Manteca thespians on the cast, and directed by Mulvihill. In addition to being a director and teacher at Manteca High, Mulvihill was a consummate actress whose performances included one-woman shows featuring the Belle of Amherst (poet Emily Dickinson) and the incomparable Sara Bernhardt, among others. She was also involved as director and actor for many years at the Stockton Civic Theater. After she retired from Manteca High, the Speech Arts Building was named Dorothy Mulvihill Auditorium in 1996.