According to his obituary in the SF Chronicle (Tues. Mar. 26, 1957), James Edwin Addicott, 88, died Friday [Mar. 22] at his home in Los Gatos, where he lived after retiring from the San Francisco school system in 1939. He served for 26 years as the principal of Polytechnic High School. Born in England, he began his career in 1887, teaching in a Modoc County frontier school. "The boys there carried six-shooters to class, but Mr. Addicott did away with his predecessor's horse whip and maintained discipline by sheer force of personality." A few years later he moved to San Jose, where he coached the first football teams at what later became San Jose State College. He became principal of San Francisco Polytechnic H.S. in 1913. He was suspended his first year for ousting 70 pupils for poor performance, but he won heavy public support and reinstatement.

Three of Mr. Addicott's five sons followed him into teaching: Erwin was dean of Fresno State College; James was principal of Garland H.S., Palo Alto; and Fred was a professor at UCLA. Mr. Addicott's other survivors were his wife Sue, sons Kenneth and Edwin of Altadena (Los Angeles County), and three daughters: Katherine of Honolulu, Mrs. Hazel Westphal of Phoenix, and Mrs. Helen Griffen of Walnut Creek. Burial at El Carmelo Cemetery, Pacific Grove

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In 1925 he was the Principal of Polytechnic High School in San Francisco, living with his second wife and children from both marriages ... more to be added and re-arranged, but I want to enter this while I can remember where it is.

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in the mid 1990's I (Jerry Hurlbert) scribbled the following:

From "The Free Lance" , Hollister, San Benito Co., CA
Births, Marriages & Deaths -- Jul-Sep 1898
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1 Jul issue --
Married -- ADDICOTT-OLIVER -- at the residence of the brides parents, in San Jose, June 22, by the Rev. D.F. TAYLOR; Ruth E. OLIVER, daughter of Mr.& Mrs. W.H. OLIVER to James E. ADDICOTT. [?daughter of Mr.&Mrs. W.H. OLIVER,
former residents of Hollister.

The "San Jose Mercury" says:
Married -- at the residence of Mr.& Mrs. W.H. OLIVER on Bird Avenue, in the Willows; James E. ADDICOTT, of the State Normal School. The bride and groom were attended by the little Misses TAYLOR and during the ceremony Miss ADDICOTT played the soft, sweet strains of a wedding march?[lists out-of-town guests]]

I have forgotten how I arrived at this set of notes. JH
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James Addicott, who my mother knew as "Dad" Addicott, was a prolific writer of short stories about himself, some of which I have. This may be the place to post them. jh
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