Collection	Miscellaneous
Date of photo	1947 ca.
Description	Harold Lincoln Kirklin (1909-1968). Harold was born on August 31, 1909, in Cheney, WA. He graduated from the University of Idaho in 1930 with a degree in music education. His first teaching job was in the little town of Heyburn, ID, across Snake River from Burley, where he met Melba. They were married on his birthday, August 31, 1933, in Pocatello, ID. His next teaching job was in Kimberly, Idaho, near Twin Falls, where he taught music for a couple of years. He then got a job teaching music in the schools of Priest River, Idaho, in the northern Idaho panhandle near Sand Point, where he taught during the academic year 1936-37. The couple's first child, George, was born there on February 13, 1937. That year he learned that the position of music teacher at Baker High School and Junior High School was opening up. He applied and was accepted after wowing the superintendent and members of the school board with his violin playing. He was also an excellent trumpet player. The family moved to Baker in August 1937. Their second son, Patrick, was born May 11, 1939. The third and last child, Richard, came along on August 27, 1940. In 1945 Harold became Vice-Principal of the High School under Principal James Evans. Tthe music program passed to Bill Shamberger., one of Harold’s U. of I. classmates. In early 1946, the District Superintendent, Art Hirschler, died of a heart attack. Evans became Superintendent and Harold took over as Principal of the High School, a position he occupied until the end of the academic year 1949-50. Not fond of administrative work, Harold arranged with Superintendent Evans to be appointed director of the music program in all District 5J schools. Beloved by his music students of over 30 years of teaching music in Baker, Harold died at age 59 on December 12, 1968, while undergoing surgery in Houston for an abdominal aneurysm. His wife, Melba, died 30 years later on April 11, 1998, at age 88.
Object ID	1980.1.763
Place	Baker City

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Last modified on: December 09, 2017