The Southern Section was the outgrowth of a track and field meet.
The Southern Section was founded on 
March 29, 1913, when a group of high school officials joined forces to conduct a track championship meet.
 Seth F. Van Patten, who served as Track Manager for the Southern Section in 1913 and is recognized as 
the founding father of the CIF-SS, served in that post until 1928 when he was officially named Secretary of the organization.
He 
served as Commissioner until his retirement in 1951.

On March 28, 1914, the Southern Section came under the administrative wing of the newly founded California Interscholastic 
Federation, and has since grown into one of the most progressive and respected organizations of its kind in the world.

CIF-SS archives date back over 100 years!

Despite its lengthy history, the Southern Section lists just nine Commissioners (the term Secretary dropped) with William Russell 
holding the post from 1951–54, J. Kenneth Fagans being the administrative head from 1954 until his retirement in early 1975, 
Thomas E. Byrnes accepting the Commissioner's post in 1975, while Ray Plutko served from 1980 to 1986.
Stan Thomas served as 
Commissioner from July, 1986 to October, 1993 when Dean Crowley was appointed Acting Commissioner and was Commissioner of 
Athletics from July, 1994 until his retirement in September, 1999.
James Staunton Ed.
D., served as Commissioner from September 
1, 1999, until his retirement on July 31, 2011.
Rob Wigod, the current Commissioner, began his service as Commissioner on August 
1, 2011 after having served as Assistant Commissioner for 11 years.

The “home” of the Southern Section has a varied history.
At the outset, basements, surplus school rooms and even 
the homes of secretaries served as the official office.
South Pasadena High School graciously permitted the use of one of its rooms 
during the 1930s, with Oneonta School and South Pasadena High School serving as the home office from 1942 until 1949.
 There was a period of time the office was in the home of Commissioner Seth Van Patten.
 Still without an official office, the Southern Section moved its supplies to Helms Hall, a bakery in Culver City in 1949 and remained at the Venice 
Blvd.
site until 1959.
 It was in February of that year that the Southern Section built its first ever administration office, 
located on the corners of Carmona and West Washington in Los Angeles.
As membership grew and the Sections’ population center 
moved, so did the CIF-SS office.
In 1965, the Section office built and moved into its third home and second devoted strictly to the 
CIF-SS day-to-day operations.
That space was located next to Gahr High School on Artesia Blvd.
in the city of Cerritos.
That remained the home base of the 
section until October 2002 when the ever-expanding membership required a larger facility.
Thus, the new and current administrative 
home became the Pine Street location in Los Alamitos.

The California Interscholastic Federation, Southern Section, is a non-profit corporation organized to direct and control both boys 
and girls athletics in the secondary schools within the Section.
The Southern Section is administered on a day-to-day basis by the 
Commissioner, five Assistant Commissioners, a chief Financial Officer, a Marketing Manager and a staff of eight support personnel.
The Southern Section is not 
only the oldest, but the largest of 10 such sections in the state—its membership has grown from an original 30 schools to over 560+
schools and from 5 leagues to almost 90 leagues.
The Southern Section was the outgrowth of a track and field meet. The Southern Section was founded on 
March 29, 1913, when a group of high school officials joined forces to conduct a track championship meet.  Seth F. Van Patten, who served as Track Manager for the Southern Section in 1913 and is recognized as 
the founding father of the CIF-SS, served in that post until 1928 when he was officially named Secretary of the organization. He 
served as Commissioner until his retirement in 1951.
On March 28, 1914, the Southern Section came under the administrative wing of the newly founded California Interscholastic 
Federation, and has since grown into one of the most progressive and respected organizations of its kind in the world.
CIF-SS archives date back over 100 years!
Despite its lengthy history, the Southern Section lists just nine Commissioners (the term Secretary dropped) with William Russell 
holding the post from 1951–54, J. Kenneth Fagans being the administrative head from 1954 until his retirement in early 1975, 
Thomas E. Byrnes accepting the Commissioner's post in 1975, while Ray Plutko served from 1980 to 1986. Stan Thomas served as 
Commissioner from July, 1986 to October, 1993 when Dean Crowley was appointed Acting Commissioner and was Commissioner of 
Athletics from July, 1994 until his retirement in September, 1999. James Staunton Ed.D., served as Commissioner from September 
1, 1999, until his retirement on July 31, 2011. Rob Wigod, the current Commissioner, began his service as Commissioner on August 
1, 2011 after having served as Assistant Commissioner for 11 years.
The “home” of the Southern Section has a varied history. At the outset, basements, surplus school rooms and even 
the homes of secretaries served as the official office. South Pasadena High School graciously permitted the use of one of its rooms 
during the 1930s, with Oneonta School and South Pasadena High School serving as the home office from 1942 until 1949.  There was a period of time the office was in the home of Commissioner Seth Van Patten.  Still without an official office, the Southern Section moved its supplies to Helms Hall, a bakery in Culver City in 1949 and remained at the Venice 
Blvd. site until 1959.  It was in February of that year that the Southern Section built its first ever administration office, 
located on the corners of Carmona and West Washington in Los Angeles. As membership grew and the Sections’ population center 
moved, so did the CIF-SS office. In 1965, the Section office built and moved into its third home and second devoted strictly to the 
CIF-SS day-to-day operations. That space was located next to Gahr High School on Artesia Blvd. in the city of Cerritos. That remained the home base of the 
section until October 2002 when the ever-expanding membership required a larger facility. Thus, the new and current administrative 
home became the Pine Street location in Los Alamitos.
The California Interscholastic Federation, Southern Section, is a non-profit corporation organized to direct and control both boys 
and girls athletics in the secondary schools within the Section. The Southern Section is administered on a day-to-day basis by the 
Commissioner, five Assistant Commissioners, a chief Financial Officer, a Marketing Manager and a staff of eight support personnel. The Southern Section is not 
only the oldest, but the largest of 10 such sections in the state—its membership has grown from an original 30 schools to over 560+
schools and from 5 leagues to almost 90 leagues.
CIF Southern Section