Elysian Heights Elementary School is in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. In 1952, on an otherwise ordinary school day, a grey-striped tabby cat strolled into one of the school's classrooms. He looked around for a comfortable spot and settled in. Room 8, as the cat became known, was a campus fixture from that moment on till 1968.
Room 8 was famous for:
1) Perfect attendance.
2) Only Room 8 alumni member to repeat 6th grade for 16 consecutive years. Note: this record is still unbroken.
3) An obsession with personal grooming.
5) Receiving over 10,000 pieces of personal correspondence which was answered by fellow students. The volume was too much for Room 8 to answer in a timely manner by himself.
6) An uncanny knack for attracting media attention. Room 8 was known to be a modest type and never let all the attention go to his head.
Room 8's memory is kept alive through his Alma mater. His biography was published shortly before his passing. It can still be found in many school libraries. The present-day school patio features a mural depicting Room 8. The mural reminds current students of the impact this feline had on the lives of those who knew him. Permanent recollections were inscribed in concrete by fellow "classmates". The students' thoughts remain imprinted in the sidewalk for passersby to read.
Room 8 Biography
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