Legacy Families
Washington High School was established in 1891 and is the oldest of the five public high schools in Fremont. It was the second high school in California created under the Union High School Law. In March of 1893, the students moved into a new three-story building on Peralta Boulevard that cost$6,582!
In 1923, twenty acres were purchased for $20,000 at the present Fremont Boulevard location. Construction moved quickly and the main building, inspired by the Italian Romanesque style of the 12th century, was dedicated in August 1924. The school’s name was changed to Washington High School in 1941. Washington High was the area’s only high school until 1959 when James Logan High was opened, followed shortly after by Irvington High.
Washington is very lucky to have almost 135 years of graduates, with many legacy families having multiple generations that have attended the school. We will be highlighting many of those families in our newsletter and on our website.
The Davilla/Jacinto/ Menezes/Santos/Dutra Family
The Jacinto Family is one such family whose many generations and fond memories led Mike Jacinto, along with Gary Mello, Bob Reina, and John Woodcock, to form the Washington High School Alumni Foundation in 1990 and serve as the inaugural President. They collectively supported goals such as the creation of a Sports Hall of Fame along with saving the entrance arch of the original main building of the school, after facing demolition due to earthquake compliance. Hard work and successful fundraising eventually resulted in the replacement of the entire facade of the building back to its original image.
Of the four sisters of the Davilla family, only one, Genevieve Davilla Dutra, graduated from Washington (1929) but their children, grandchildren and several subsequent generations have received diplomas from WHS. Genevieve’s son Robert Dutra graduated in 1943.
Clara Davilla Jacinto was born in 1896 and her children started the family’s legacy of graduates when her son Hubert attended Washington. Hubert would have graduated in 1932 but because of the war didn’t become an official graduate until 1946. Joseph Jesse Jacinto Jr., the second of Clara’s children, graduated in 1944. Five of his children followed as graduates in 1968 (Terry), 1971 (Mike), 1972 (Denise), 1975 (Sandy) and 1976 (Suzanne). Terry’s daughter (Tricia 1994) and 2 grandchildren (Tyler 2019 &Bailey Luevano 2021) also graduated from Washington. Clara’s third child, daughter Betty, is a member of the class of 1950.
Isabel Davilla Menezes had two daughters that graduated from Washington, Alice Menezes in 1934 and Alberta Menezes in 1942.Alberta and Mel Nunes married and had three children - Marilyn, Trish and Barbara. Mel’s mother is Carrie Nunes, who is honored at WHS with a scholarship bearing her name.
Mae Davilla Santos had two daughters that attended Washington, Alvina Santos Brune graduated in 1938 and Winifred Santos Harper graduated in 1941. Alvina’s son David Brune graduated in 1959.
In all, the Davilla/Jacinto/Menezes/ Santos/Dutra families boast 18 graduates with one more, Ben Valenzuela, Denise Jacinto’s grandson, set to walk across the stage to receive his diploma in 2026.
