Certificate for School Children's Landmark League of California

San Francisco, Ca, 27-May-03. General toning and soiling due to age.. A certificate for the School Children's Landmark League of California, which was a society started in 1903 to raise funds for the "purchase and restoration of the historic landmarks of the State of California". The League was granted permission by the San Francisco's Board of Education to sell certificates to students for for ten cents each. Each certificate had a printed black and white image of the Monterey's Old Hall of Records, a place for the child's name, the date, and the signature of their teacher and school principal. Based on newspaper records at the time, the League was very popular amongst the school children, and the ownership of a certificate soon became something of a status symbol. Scandal erupted in June 1903 when the San Francisco Call published a piece (June, 4, 1903, pg. 14) declaring the league a scam that supposedly the Board of Education knowingly engaged in to defraud poor school children. Allegedly the money was instead funneled to William Randolph Hearst's (1863-1951) 1904 Presidential campaign. This allegation is supported by the fact that on the bottom left of the certificate is the text "Issued by W. R. Hearst". This certificate was purchased by William E. Rippe (1893-1985), who attended Columbia Jr. school in San Francisco, CA. Singe page, single sided. Measures 10 1/2" x 8 1/2" William E. Rippe was born on May 25, 1893 to John Henry Rippe (1852-1938) and Elsbeth "Elsa" S. Hillens (1864-1932) in San Francisco, CA. He had four siblings: Emma D. Rippe (1886-1961), Wilhelmina "Minnie" M. Rippe Hoelle (1888-?), John Charles Rippe (1890-1961), Elise M. Rippe Ryfkogel (1895-?), and Eleanor Rippe (1899?-1899). He married Frances Gladys Vaughan (1897-1940) and had one child: William Vaughan Rippe (1925-2016). He died on November 11, 1985 at the age of 92.