In January 2010, after 10 years as the ECHS Community Project, we changed our name to the James Morehouse Project . We took James Morehouse’s name to honor his 35 years of service to the El Cerrito High School community. Mr. Morehouse loved, mentored and inspired two generations of staff and students (from 1968-2003).

Mr. James Morehouse began working in the Richmond Unified School District in 1963. In 1968 he came to El Cerrito High School as a site supervisor and then became the Audio-Visual Coordinator until his retirement in 2000. While Mr. Morehouse gave his fullest to each of these jobs, these formal titles fall short in describing the effect his generous spirit and wisdom had on those with whom he interacted. Mr. Morehouse mentored generations of students, teachers and administrators. He continues to be an inspiration to us. In our work with students, the James Morehouse Project strives to embody the values of respect and love that Mr. Morehouse modeled and shared at ECHS day-in-and-day-out for almost 40 years.

Mr. Morehouse passed away in April, 2010.  We are committed to carrying on his legacy of love, respect and service for generations to come.

Excerpts from a Community Project interview with Mr. Morehouse from the spring of 2008:

“If God gave me a chance to do this life all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing. I loved getting up every morning and coming to school–helping teachers, helping students. Our job is to get to know young people and to understand them. You have to get to know each personality. You have to work as hard at that as anything else.”

“We solved so many problems by calming things down and talking. You show respect and people will give you respect back. When students get angry I know they’re not angry with me. They’re angry with a situation in their own life. When we respond to their anger with our own anger that doesn’t help anyone. We set an example for our students.”