The Fresno High Courier was the brainchild of Jim McWilliams, Ross Murosako, Mark Ould, George Spanos, and Robert Stearns. Together, they formed the Courier Publishing Co., UnInc., to write, edit, and publish The Courier, the school's unofficial newspaper.

During their senior year, from 1964-1965, they editorialized on school, local, state, national, and world affairs, printing from the Murosako photography shop and the physics department's back rooms. The controversial paper inspired praise as well as accusations of libel and slander, and drew the student body's rapt attention. In their own words, "no wonder that The Courier was sold on the black market by such people as Bob Boro for ten cents and more for a five cent copy."