The (purported) History of the
Turkey Tussle

     There are a few stories and myths about the Turkey Tussle. Here's one more...

     The cross town rivalry between two high schools in Pasadena began (officially) in 1947. World War II had ended and the campus of John Muir Junior College had been returned to the city of Pasadena after having been converted to an Army military base during that war.

    The campus of Muir was once again a place of learning, but was now a high school (then only grades 11 and 12).

     Muir was the "other school" and Pasadena High School (PHS) was the "Pasadena school." On every level, financially, academically and athletically, comparisons of the two schools were continually made. The Turkey Tussle was about athletics - football, to be exact.

     As the story goes, Muir and Pasadena, as do most schools that have a cross town rival, played their homecoming football games against one another. It's the last game of the season and it's played just before Thanksgiving - thus the name "Turkey Tussle." The father of a PHS student, as usual, brags as to how much PHS is going to beat Muir in the football game. A Muir dad takes offense and fires back that Muir will be victorious. After much discussion a friendly wager is made between the two excited men. Not for money, but for pride. Something that would be sorely missed if lost. The PHS dad was a retired Santa Fe railroad man and as a retirement gift from the railroad he was awarded the bell from his locomotive train. He then bet that PHS would defeat Muir and was willing to put his most sacred possession, his bell up as the prize.

PHS did win that game and the bell was heard rigging loud and clear after the game. The following year, he once again put the bell up as a symbol for the victor - but Muir won the game and "The Bell" was silenced. Muir demanded that the bell be sent to their campus until they played again next year. And so it began...      For over 60 years the "Bell" has been the symbol of Victory for the Turkey Tussle and it has been passed back and forth between PHS and Muir all those years.

The "Bell" is a symbol for Victory

     During the game, the bell sits quietly in the south end zone of the Rose Bowl waiting for the victorious team to claim it and ring it to the cheering crowds; and to the dismay of the losing school. The bell is then taken to the victors campus for all to see during the year.

     Of course the irony is that the bell has graced the campus of Muir more than at PHS. In fact for the past 30 years PHS has only seen the bell once. Muir has won the game 42 times (with two ties) and has won the past 16 years in-a-row. The complete record is to the right.

     Many students and teachers stand a little taller when the bell is rung. Muir players and coaches have given their all to win the prestigious symbol.

     Some players have gone onto college and  professional football and still remember vividly playing for the "bell." But, of all the players and coaches that fought on the grid iron, the one name that might stand out more than all the rest is Charles White.

     In June of 2005, Muir had failed in it's duties to properly protect the bell - it was stolen. For the first time the symbol was missing during that game.

     Charles White will always be remembered for that game. But he did not play on the Mustangs squad. He didn't play for the Pasadena Bulldogs either. He wasn't a student at either school, nor a staff member. In fact he had never stepped foot onto either campus. But, still, his name will be forever linked to the history of the "Bell" because he found it sitting in a gully in the forest. Whomever had taken it had dumped it there. Mr. White was a real hero that wonderful day in February.

Upon its return, the bell was professionally cleaned and polished and promptly placed into a secure locked area (not to be revealed).

     A documentary about the Turkey Tussle was produced and featured on Fox Sports West cable channel during the month of November, 2007. Although it didn't encompass the entire history of the Turkey Tussle, it did shine a light on the two schools and the cross town battle that has been going on for over 60 years.

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