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![Mrs. Marjorie Noble [Teacher -English]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3images.classcreator.com/7354/001/1189719/CE68EB3D-90B1-1C17-D1BE164A8FEEE783.jpg)
 
Marjorie Noble
Teacher, poet
Marjorie Beatrice Peacock Noble, a longtime Claremont resident and a legendary English, literature, journalism and drama teacher at the "old" Claremont High School, died June 10, 1999 at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Mrs Noble would have marked her 97th birthday on June 27.
A native of Independence, Missouri where she was born in 1902, the then Miss Peacock was a friend of one of Harry Truman's younger brothers-in-law, which provided her with a number of memorable stories over the years.
Graduating from high school at the age of 16, Mrs Noble did not follow the customary path of promising young female students of the day who normally became teachers in rural schools. She moved with her family to southern California and attended the "Southern Branch" of the University of California—now UCLA—and then UC Berkeley. She received a general secondary teaching credential at the precursor of Claremont Graduate School and then attended Radcliffe University in Boston, Massachusetts. Her master's degree in 1929 was issued from Harvard University since Radcliffe was not permitted to issue degrees in its own name in the 1920s. During her early academic career Mrs Noble wrote poetry and versified literal translations of Polish poems. Her work appeared several times in national anthologies.
She was married to longtime Pomona Valley resident Stanford VanCamp Noble in 1935 and with the exception of a period from the late 1930s to the early 1950s when she lived in North Hollywood, she was a Claremont resident.
Over the years Mrs Noble held a number of interesting teaching positions. She began by teaching immigrant Armenian children in the Fresno area. During her daughter's childhood she was a member of the faculty at Campbell Hall, the first Episcopal coeducational school in the San Fernando Valley But it was at Claremont High School that she flourished.
Following her retirement Mrs Noble pursued a number of "extracurricular" interests. She was an avid gardener and taught netting, the oldest style of lace-making. She and her husband traveled extensively in Europe, the US and Alaska and Canada. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1985. Mr Noble died in 1992.
Mrs Noble, in her later years, enjoyed visiting with former students at class reunions. Most recently she attended the Class of 1960's 35th reunion in July, 1995.
Gay Fisk was one of Mrs. Noble's students in the mid-1960s at Claremont High School. She recalls of Mrs Noble, "She was a person who saw herself not just as a teacher, but as an educator She was terrifying and a commanding presence who didn't put up with any rubbish. But her enthusiasm for literature's influence on society and society's influence on literature was tremendous. We learned a hell of a lot from her and she has had a broad influence on us all."
Claremont Attorney Robert Stafford was a member of the school board during some of the years when Mrs Noble was at Claremont High School. "She was certainly one of our most outstanding teachers in Claremont—really fine," Mr Stafford remembers.
Mrs. Noble's family confirms that "To the end of her life Marjorie Peacock Noble considered herself first and foremost a teacher" One of her poems, "A Wish," which appeared in the 1964 National Poetry Anthology, sums up her philosophy in its beginning: "If to one single child I can reveal A ray of hope such as the mountain peaks reveal to me" and its end: "Then do I know that I have done my
part, And that the mountains have led me aright"
Mrs Noble is survived by her daughter, Marilyn Beatrice Noble of Claremont and a number of nieces and nephews by marriage in the San Francisco Bay area.
Mrs Noble's family has asked to acknowledge the loving persona! care provided by her longtime principal care-giver, Lula Norwood, and her assistants, Allena Smith and Loise Kagiri.
Graveside services were held at Oak Park Cemetery on Monday, June 14, 1999.
Contributions may be made to the Marjorie B Noble Journalism Scholarship Fund, c/o Associated Student Body Office, Claremont High School, 1601 N Indian Hill Blvd, Claremont 91711.
From the Claremont COURIER, June 12, 1999
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Joan Parks (Hearst )
Mrs. Noble was one of my favorite teachers. I owe much to her. I love to write, and know that my ability to express myself well and use correct grammar (at least most of the time) is due to her excellent teaching. It is sad to discover that she had more depth than I knew, and that I missed hearing about her service.Joan Hearst.