The Hall of Fame
About
Warren High School Hall of Fame was established in 2009 to honor alumni who have distinguished themselves in a specific field of endeavors such as athletics or business. Individuals inducted to the Hall of Fame have contributed to their communities in outstanding ways to merit special recognition. It is our hope that today’s students see our inductees as role models.
The Hall of Fame monument is strategically placed where thousands of students and teachers will walk by it each day. This monument is an inspiration to all of Warren’s staff and students and may they strive to work hard and dream big so that one day, they too might find their name engraved in the Hall of Fame.
Our Hall of Fame monument was built in the shape of a compass with four paths that lead to and from the school’s academic seal. The compass represents directionality and how our students have come from many places before attending Warren and then leave to make their mark on the world.
The academic seal, which represents Warren High School, is positioned in the center of the compass because Warren is what unifies all of our inductees.
Engraved into the stones will be the names of retired faculty that have helped pave the way to success for Warren graduates. Each year, one former faculty member will be honored for their impact at Warren. The pavers represent those that have contributed to the lives of students along the way.
Hall of Fame Inductees
2024 Hall of Fame Inductees
These exceptional individuals represent a legacy of Warren High School and were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024.
Jesse Hunt (Class of 1961)
After graduation from Warren High School, but before embarking on a long career in education, Jesse served our country in the Army. He graduated...
Joseph Francis
Papa Joe Francis moved to California in 1951, where he started his career with Downey Unified School District. He worked at North Junior High from...
Richard Paul ‘Rick’ Burleson (Class of 1969)
Rick graduated from Warren High School in 1969 where he was selected 1st team All CIF and drafted by the Minnesota Twins upon graduation. He elected...
George A. Zambrano (Class of 1959)
Born April 21, 1941 in Guadalajara, Mexico, moved to Los Angeles in 1943 then to Downey in 1951. In 1956, George was elected the first Student Body...
Paul Wilson (Class of 1965)
Born on July 30, 1947, Paul moved from Arcadia,CA, to Downey in 1951. In his junior year of highschool, he was recognized by Sports Illustrated...
Donald E. La Plante (Class of 1972)
Donald E. La Plante has served as a member of theBoard of Education of the Downey Unified SchoolDistrict since 1979. He has been elected by...
Nancy (Wright) Swenson (Class of 1970)
After graduating from Warren High School, Nancy earned an A.A. degree from Cerritos Community College in 1986. She later transferred to Cal State...
Barbara (Bobbie) Stacy Samperi (Class of 1968)
Upon graduation from Warren High School, Barbara attended Cerritos College. She then went on to join American Airlines where she was a flight...
Robert R. Raszkowski, M.D. Ph.D. (Class of 1959)
Robert was a member of the first graduation class of Warren High School in 1959. He attended Pomona College and transferred to the University of...
Eric Hipple (Class of 1975)
Former NFL quarterback whose ten-year career was spent with the Detroit Lions. Eric’s accomplishments include two playoff bids, a divisional...
Jacqueline Lee Wells Emerson (Class of 1964)
Jacquie, a very shy young woman, began her high school education at Warren and realized she had accidentally been scheduled for drama instead of...
Herb Welch (Class of 1979)
Herb, a former National Football League (NFL) player, played five years for the New York Giants, one for the Washington Redskins and three years for...
Hanford Rants
Upon graduating from high school, his goal in life was to become a foreman at the local warehouse. God had bigger plans! When he was 20 he joined...
Roger Emerson (Class of 1968)
A professional composer and arranger with over 900 choral titles in print and over 30 million copies in circulation. He is the most widely performed...
Christopher Pacheco (Class of 1982)
Chris dedicated himself as an athlete at Warren High School. While being a Bear he had great success as a 4-sport athlete. He played and excelled in...
Jeff Tedford (Class of 1979)
After graduating from Warren High School, Jeff attended Fresno State where he played football and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical...
Randy Drake
Randy began his coaching career at Warren High School in 1973. His teaching career began the following year primarily in psychology and physical...
Les Fendia (Class of 1963)
Les Fendia was born Laszlo Harcsa on September 20, 1944 in Hungary. Hungary, like the rest of Europe, wasembroiled at the time of World War II. In...
2013-2017 Hall of Fame
The students nominated for the hall of fame from 2013-2017 are listed in this PDF. Click on the button below to download....