BHUSD Unearths 1939 Time Capsule During Grand Lawn Construction

Beverly Hills High School announced the discovery of a 1939 time capsule during construction of the Grand Lawn.

The capsule turned up when crews spotted glass under the soil near the flagpole. They excavated to find a sealed mason jar holding a 1939 copy of the student newspaper Beverly Highlights and a typed dedication letter about the Knights Bench.

The newspaper reported that the bench, donated by W. S. McGilvray in honor of his son Morgan, a Knights member, formed a semicircle around the flagpole.

The letter, dated June 14, 1939, noted the bench was given "in appreciation of the ideals of the Knights and for the furthering of their purposes in creating a standard of achievement among the Student Body." The dedication took place before the student body and Knights members.

Research into the 1939 BHHS Watchtower yearbook showed the Knights as a boys' group selected for dependability, sportsmanship, service, scholarship, and citizenship.

The stone had been covered over decades by lawn growth and resurfacing.

Superintendent Dr. Alex Cherniss said the find highlights the school's lasting history.

"This discovery reminds us that Beverly Hills High School is more than a campus," Cherniss said. "It is a story carried forward by each generation."

The jar's contents will be preserved as is, without changes. The Knights Bench stone will go on display with the finished Grand Lawn.

Board of Education member Sigalie Sabag, who saw the excavation, described the connection to 1939 students.

"Standing there as the stone was lifted, it felt as though time folded in on itself," Sabag said. "The students who placed these items in 1939 wanted to speak to the future. They wanted to be remembered. And in that moment, we were connected to them. Eighty-six years have passed, and there is not one living witness who can tell the story themselves. Yet the story remains. It was deeply moving to realize that what we do here: the pride we feel, the traditions we carry, the community we shape - truly lasts beyond us."

To extend the tradition, BHHS Associated Student Body students will prepare a 2025 time capsule for the completed Grand Lawn.