As part of an information-only agenda item, the middle school naming committee presented its three ranked names to the members of the Cupertino Union school. Lawson's name was the committee's first choice after three meetings spent discussing the merits of the seven names submitted by the public for the new middle school.

After committee head Jeremy Nishihara outlined the committee's process and presented the names, 16 members of the public—out of the dozens assembled—spoke to support the selection of Lawson's name for the fifth middle school. The list included friends, family members, former students and longtime admirers of the first principal of Cupertino Junior High School, who died in 1999.

Many passionately spoke of Lawson's dedication to education and children, even those who never met him. "He is the reason I'm here," said Wes Morse, a graduate of Cupertino High School who now teaches history at his alma mater. "My parents moved to Cupertino for one reason—for the schools. If this community is known for anything, it's the schools. Sam Lawson made it that way. You can't name a school after anyone until you name one after him."

Others mentioned contemporaries of Lawson's, such as Carol Murdock, whose names already grace Cupertino schools. But the overwhelming theme of the public's speeches was Lawson's focus on engaging all kids in education, whether it was through physical education or summer camp or activities on the weekend.

"In a time where it seems like API test scores are all that matter, I want to be able to tell my kids, 'They named your school after Sam Lawson, who was someone who wanted to educate the whole child,'" said Tom Avvakumovits, a parent of two students at Sedgwick Elementary School.

Howard Jensen, a member of the Cupertino Host Lions Club, held aloft a copy of the first yearbook at Cupertino Union School, where Lawson was the first male teacher when he joined the district in 1948. The yearbook was dedicated to Lawson.

Lawson's son Terry, who currently lives in Walnut Creek, expressed his gratitude on behalf of his family, which attended the meeting. But he didn't travel the farthest to speak. Just days before Thanksgiving, old friends of Lawson's came from as far as Modesto, and one former student came by who currently lives in Connecticut.

"He would catch me in the hallway when I wasn't supposed to be there, and he would say, 'Just last week I was bragging about you!" said John Gill, who attributes his career in sports—he currently works for the San Francisco Giants' double A affiliate in Connecticut—to Lawson. "Even when he was mad at you, he never put you down."

The school board will take the public's testimony and packages prepared by the naming committee under consideration and vote on the name at their meeting on Dec. 14. The second and third choices are Louis Mariani and Linwood Acres.