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on a price. It was a close thing but turned out all right.

During my first year in Lawndale the State law was changed to require a five-member board of education in all elementary school districts. The old law required only three members. We had two excellent members and a third who was rather wild. Unfortunately we added two more "wild ones" at the next election and were promptly in trouble.

One of the new Board Members was an employee of North American Aviation, a large aero-space firm in El Segundo. This member never attended a Board meeting alone but was always accompanied by a "Friend" who was a surly unfriendly man who was not a resident of the School District or the immediate community. The Board Member never voted on critical items without first conferring with his "Friend."

One major item for Board consideration was renewal of the Superintendent's contract which expired in June. This item was discussed at length for at least a month and it was finally decided that the District would get a new Superintendent. This was a real shock to me and I immediately told the Board that they should also find a new Business Manager and that I would resign as soon as I could locate a position else where.

Sometime during the following week the Superintendent sent word that he wanted me to come to his office. When I arrived I found a well dressed man there who was introduced as an FBI agent. He told us that the Board Member's "Friend" had been under surveillance by the Bureau for some time and that he was a convicted criminal who should be avoided wherever possible. He advised us to avoid our unlighted parking area and never to go out to our cars alone. He had been attending our Board meetings for some time and was trying to determine what the "Friend" was up to.

Not long after the session in the Superintendent's office the two of us went to North American's headquarters in El Segundo where we talked with a vice president in charge of personnel. We told him the whole story, including the visit of the FBI agent. The Vice President made no promises but within a month the Board Member was transferred to Palmdale so had to resign from the Board.

I never found out what happened to the "Friend" or why he had been advising a Board Member in a small elementary school district in Los Angeles County. I was too busy and I was sure the FBI could take care of that situation.

Both the Superintendent and I needed new jobs. Cliff Riddlebarger, the Superintendent, applied for a position in Valencia in Orange County. Hobson Denmark, President of our Board went to Valencia and talked with those board members there Cliff was hired and I am sure that Hobson Denmark's influence was the key that unlocked that door.

I applied at Torrance for the position of Director of Construction. My old friend from Corona, Hank Hull was Superintendent and needed a Business Manager and a Director of Construction. After a long interview, I was hired as Assistant Superintendent- Business Manager at Torrance Unified School District. This happened exactly two years from the time I had left