The purpose of this website is to capture the history of the people who have had a significant influence on Crocker. A number of educators and students who have made such an impact at the school, have been recognized in special ways by the Crocker community. Their profound legacy has been acknowledged by:
-Naming or dedicating a building on campus in their honor
-Naming a graduation award after them
-Dedicating an area around campus in their honor
The scope of this website is limited. It does not include references to gardens and benches on campus that have been dedicated to community members.
To get the history and facts correct primary sources were used whenever possible. I used personal interviews, yearbooks, newspaper articles, and property deeds to make sure the dates and information were accurate. In addition to interviewing those who are featured in this project, I interviewed many others who worked alongside the Crocker educators who have been honored.
If there were ever conflicting accounts, such as a personal memory of an event or date that was not corroborated by another primary source, I deferred to the record created at the time of the event. For example, when there were some discrepancies about dates of service for some teachers and administrators, I would use a yearbook and or reporting in the Crocker newspaper for the correct information.
I relied on the newspaper archives of the San Mateo Times and articles kept in the San Mateo Historical Association archives to research William H. Crocker and how the school came to be named after him. I uncovered many other great stories and tidbits about the Hillsborough City School District (HCSD) during my research, but the focus of this project is about Crocker Middle School.
This website was created by Crocker teacher Ryan Carroll as part of his Hillsborough Incentive Plan or HIP. Ryan started teaching at Crocker in 2006 and worked with many of the educators and administrators featured. The origin of this project was his desire to keep the stories alive of his former colleagues who have had a significant impact in the district. One of his goals was to give background and deeper meaning to the students who win the graduation awards, since these awards are named after people who have had a profound influence on Crocker and HCSD. This project was not completed by Ryan alone. Please see the Special Thanks section for all those who gave their time and insight to make this project a success.
This project was completed from 2021 to 2024.
*If you notice any factual errors, please reach out to Ryan directly.*