With the recent hot weather a trip to the pool sounds like a good idea. Sharon Morem turned up this print of the Nuss Pool that used to be on the San Luis Obispo High School campus.
Nuss Memorial Pool was built in 1954 as a joint project of the school, the city, county and funds raised by the public.
Bill, her husband, has written about the pool in the past for The Vault. This view is interesting because the background shows the football field and the old building in the background. I think the big eucalyptus tree at the left still stands at the end of the parking lot next to the gym. Most everything else has changed.
Anyone want to dive in and share a memory of the pool or the old campus?
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Wow. I remember public swimming lessons at the pool, as well as P.E. swimming sessions in high school in the 60s. Both were way too early in the morning for me to be excited about jumping into the cool water (yes, it was heated but it still seemed “cold”). I spent many summer afternoons there, too, enjoying the water during warmer parts of the day. Interesting photo with the new HS not in the picture!
At five years old the high dive looked so high, but what fun it was. Thanks for the picture. I was just telling my daughter in-law yesterday about the pool, and how we spent everyday and one night a week swimming for 25cent.
My father first taught me to swim at age 5 at the Elks Club pool, in between the cemetery and the freeway in the southern part of San Luis Obispo. But Nuss Pool was where I really polished my swimming skills. Growing up in San Luis Obispo in the 1960s meant going to Nuss Pool all summer long — either for the free swim in the afternoons or swimming lessons in the mornings, and I think my love of the water had a lot to do with Nuss Pool. While I’ve never really been an athlete, swimming was one sport I was actually good at. I was sad when they tore it down and filled it up in the 1990s. A part of my childhood was then gone forever… but life goes on. My daughter has been swimming at the Cuesta pool since she was about 6 months old. She’s nearly 14 now and she’s been swimming there every year since. Now she’s into diving and practices there twice a week. I think she got her love of the water from me — thanks to Nuss Pool! Thanks for bringing back some great memories, Dave!
Following in my big brother’s footsteps, I won my first CIF diving competition at Nuss.
The big “eucs” are still there, and still greet visitors as they exit their cars and walk onto campus. I recall the one in the center of the photo sheltering the old wooden rooms that housed the Art dept., and the “newsroom” of the school paper..of which I was a photographer in my Junior year.
I have great memories of Nuss! I was a lifeguard and swim instructor for 6 years there. Learned to swim from Coach Prijatel and Anne Lee. Great times. I also remeber the high dive was way up there when you were 6! Some was the climb.
I to have good memories of Nuss Pool. As 4th graders in the summer of 1957, we were bussed from Morro Bay to SLO for swimming lessons/rec swimming as MBHS had not been built yet and there was no pool in Morro Bay. A fun adventure for me and my friends.
Joe Dunlap
Oh my gosh, so many great summer memories of riding our bikes to swim at Nuss. We lived there in Jr. Hi. Then would go down to either Ed’s or Artic Circle for a milk shake. I loved the high dive, once over the height factor. I was so sad when they tore it down. Thanks for a romp down memory lane.
Sorry, folks, but my memories of Nuss Pool are a bit scarred. I transferred from Paso High to SLO for my senior year spring quarter. Wow! What a wake-up call for this small town boy! I enjoyed swimming during P.E., but unfortunately contracted a kidney infection and was out of school for two weeks — just long enough for my P.E. teacher to fail me! I couldn’t believe it, and after complaining and reasoning with him, he “mercifully” gave me a ‘D.’ That was in 1964. Can’t remember the teacher’s name. He was probably a really nice guy who was just having a bad day.
I was with the first graduating class from the then brand new S.L.O. High School 1965. We spent the 10th and 11th grade in the huts down on the track field. I owe a lot to the P.E. coach (Phil Preatle) because I was short (4ft 11) and small (96 lbs), He made me tough and taught me endurance. I learned to swimm at the Nuss pool. There are a lot of good memories at S.L.O. H/S. I have some of them as well. Me and my ’55 two tone blue hudson hornet carted alot of student to and from school. It was UGLY but it ran good. Mr. G.Wilson,the Auto-shop teacher, and I rebuilt the engine in 1963. Mrs. Slayden (english teacher) was a FOX. Mr. R. Grindle took the H/S band to number one in the state(I played 3rd clarinet). Yep….Good memories! Thanks for all the great memories TOO.
I remember the first time I went to Nuss Pool for swimming lessons. I was about 9 and there was no sidewalk, just a very muddy entrnce. I also remember I hated putting my face in the water because I didn’t like the air bubbles blowing against my face. Hard to believe just a few years later I would be on the water polo and swim teams when I attended SLOHS. (I graduated in 1973)
I remember Nuss Pool so well. It was Uncle Phil who started up the high dive that made me learn how to jump off that thing. I also thought it was cold all the time. I was not a water lover but I have fond memories of this place.