Student Question
What building did John Steinbeck refuse to have named after himself in 1957?
Quick answer:
In 1957, John Steinbeck declined the honor of having North Salinas High School named after him. He expressed his reluctance in a letter, stating he did not want students, who might dislike attending school, to curse his name. Steinbeck humorously suggested that if something were to be named after him, it should be a harmless establishment like a bowling alley.
John Steinbeck, the American author of such classics as "Of Mice and Men," was a native of Salinas, California. In 1957, the government of the city of Salinas was thinking about naming North Salinas High School after Steinbeck.
Steinbeck did not want this to be done. He wrote a letter to the authorities asking them not to rename the school because he did not want school kids (who presumably would hate going to school) to curse his name.
He added that he wouldn't mind having something named after him, but it ought to be something like a bowling alley that didn't do anyone any harm.
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