Distinguished Alumni by Year

When he was 10 years old, Chalmers Sherwin received an electrical set. It had a motor, coils, a bit of mercury and 50 possible experiments. It was Sherwin’s first contact with scientific thought, and it lit the spark to one the great scientific minds of his time.

Sherwin’s father had drowned when he was five and he was raised by his mother. After that first electric set, she helped him get more books on radio and physics. When Sherwin reached East Aurora High School, he enrolled in physics and chemistry. As president of the Science Club, he delivered lectures on x-rays.

He later earned degrees in physics and mathematics from Wheaton College, then headed to University of Chicago, where he earned a Ph.D. in physics and joined the faculty.

In 1941, Sherwin was recruited to join the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Radiation Laboratory – known as the ‘Rad Lab’. The Rad Lab was an elite group of scientists who worked to understand theories behind radar, and how to use engineering to apply this knowledge in practical ways. Sherwin was a group leader at the Rad Lab. One of his contemporaries described him as “a great and original mind” for his ability to reduce complex and sophisticated problems to their intuitive essence. The Rad Lab team went on to develop most of the airplane-mounted microwave radars used by the U.S. during World War II. Sherwin invented a special cathode ray tube display system that helped aircraft make blind landings. The technology that Sherwin helped build had applications long after the war, in radar, television and airplane operations.

When Rad Lab disbanded, Sherwin moved to the University of Illinois, where he taught physics and continued to study radar. He performed some of the early work that demonstrated the existence of neutrinos and built a system that improved aircraft’s radar vision by 100 fold. He wrote two college textbooks, published dozens of technical papers and obtained more than 20 patents.

In the 1960s, Sherwin started a research laboratory at Aerospace Corporation. Later, while head of research at Gulf General Atomic, he oversaw the development of a carbon heart valve.

Mr. Sherwin died in 1998. He was survived by his wife, seven children and 12 grandchildren.

Anyone who has taken a CPR course has seen the worker of 1938 East Aurora High School graduate Archer Gordon. Gordon and his colleagues saved countless lives by modernizing CPR techniques and training throughout the United States.

At East Aurora High School, Gordon was a busy student. He was in the band for four years and active with the school newspaper. He won first place in the Big Seven Conference Extemporaneous Speaking Contest. In the school play, he played the part of the treacherous city slicker who stole the heroine away.

Gordon went on to North Central College where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in zoology. He then earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois in 1945. After serving as an Air Force flight surgeon, Gordon returned to the University of Illinois to earn a PhD in 1952. At the University, Gordon conducted ground breaking studies showing that mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, developed by Dr. Peter Safar, could save children’s lives.

In 1958, he joined the surgical staff at the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles County General Hospital. While there, he became one of the first people to use a technique known as “profound hypothermia” in cardiovascular surgery, which helped protect against brain damage during heart surgery.

In 1963, Gordon was one of four doctors who formed the CPR committee with the American Heart Association. Gordon helped combine Safar’s mouth-to-mouth technique and chest compression strategies developed by Johns Hopkins researchers to form modern CPR. Even in its early years, CPR resuscitation was credit with saving 25 to 30 percent of victims.

Prior to Gordon’s work, CPR had been restricted to trained medical personnel. But Gordon was a leader in simplifying and perfecting techniques, then training the masses through Red Cross and American Heart Association classes. With a Norwegian doll manufacturer, Gordon helped develop CPR mannequins – known as Resusci-Anne – used in these training classes. Since then, millions have citizens have been trained to save a life.

“It’s better to teach a lot of people a little CPR, than to teach a lot to a few,” Gordon told People magazine in 1978.

Although he disliked the title, colleagues called Gordon “the father of CPR”. Gordon always shared the credit with other researches. Gordon received the American Heart Association Silver Medallion for Meritorious Service for his work in the fight against Heart Disease, and a second American Heart Association Award for his work in developing CPR.

Gordon retired as medical director of Gould Medical Corporation in 1986. Gordon and his wife, Pansy, had three sons. Gordon died in 1994 in Thousand Oaks, Calif., at the age of 73.

Charlotte Thompson liked to say she had five careers: singer, wife and mother, Congresswoman, Federal Communications Commissioner, and business woman. The 1930 grad of East Aurora High School, spent her life graciously overcoming obstacles and serving others.

“My mother was gracious and nice to everybody, whether it was the President of the United States or a janitor,” her daughter, Patricia Reid Lindner told the Beacon-News.

Born in 1913, she lived most of her life in Aurora. Before she even entered East Aurora High School, she was a featured singer on Don McNeill’s “Breakfast Club”, a popular radio show in the 1940s.

In high school, she was a member of the Girl’s Club cabinet, worked for the school newspaper and was on the honor roll. After East Aurora High School, she attended Illinois College in Jacksonville.

When her husband unexpectedly died after winning his Congressional primary in 1962, Reid was selected to replace him on the Republican ticket. She won the general election, the first of five straight elections to the U.S. House of Representatives. When she was first elected, there were less than 10 women serving in Congress.

“No woman should get a job just because she’s female,” Reid said in 1981. “But a woman with qualifications and know-how should have the opportunity.”

Reid served on the Appropriations, Interior and Insular Affairs, Public Standards of Office and Conduct and the House Republican committees.

During her fifth term, President Richard Nixon asked Reid to serve on the Federal Communications Commission. During her four years with the FCC, she worked to ensure emergency preparedness and defense mobilization for the country’s communication systems.

In 1982, she was appointed to the Board of Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service. Ronald Reagan later appointed her to serve on the Presidential Task Force on International Private Enterprise.

Reid also served on prestigious commercial or educational boards, including Motorola, Mid-Atlantic Bank, Hoover Institution and Stanford University.

Reid and her husband had four children, including Patricia Reid Lindner, another East Aurora Distinguished Alumni.

“As one goes through life, memories of high school and high school friends never fade away,” Reid said upon receiving her Distinguished Alumni award. “East High has never ceased to be part of my life. I owe East High a great debt of gratitude.”

Reid died in 2007 at her home in Aurora.

Francis A. Allen was an influential legal genius who focused his considerable intellect on reforming the U.S. justice system so that the country’s ideals of equality were carried out in legal practice. His writings on right to legal representation, police interrogation as well as search and seizure are considered foundations of the U.S. legal system.

Allen was the son of a Methodist minister who transferred to East Aurora High School as a junior. At East Aurora High School, he was an honor roll student involved in the science, French and debate clubs. He played tennis and took fourth in the Big Six Conference oratory contest. After high school, he served as a weatherman during World War II. He then attended Cornell College in Iowa, then Northwestern University law school.

Allen clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Vinson, then began teaching at Northwestern. He went on to take teaching positions at Harvard (1953-56), University of Chicago (1956-1962, 1963-66), the University of Michigan (1962-63, 1966-1986) and the University of Florida (1986-1994). From 1966 to 1971, he was the dean of the University of Michigan’s Law School.

During his career, Allen earned a reputation as a thoughtful, articulate legal scholar and educator. Based on his stellar reputation, in 1961, U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy named Allen as Chairman of the Committee on Poverty and the Administration of Federal Justice. “The Allen Report” led to the Criminal Justice Act of 1964 and the Bail Reform Act of 1966.

“More generally, and more important, the report affected our way of thinking about the obligations of equal justice and the problems faced by criminal defendants of limited means,” wrote University of Michigan professor at Law Yale Kamisar.

Allen helped write the Model Penal Code of the American Law Institute. He was the principal architect of the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961 which, among other things, decriminalized sexual acts between consenting same sex adults.

Allen saw law as a path to the world. He focused his work on how police, prosecutors, prisons and the courts could work to ensure equal application of the law to all people, particularly the poor. He wrote or co-wrote seven law books, and dozens of legal articles and book chapters. He worked with the United Nations to improve criminal procedures in Japan.

He held honorary degrees from universities around the world. Allen was a Guggenheim Fellow in 1971 and 1973. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1975.

“If the legal academy had a Hall of Fame, Frank Allen would surely be a first ballot, unanimous selection,” wrote University of Florida Law Professor Jerold Israel.

Allen and his wife, June, had one son. Allen died in Florida in 2007

The stories of Mabel O’Donnell found a permanent home in the imagination on millions of young readers. Through her books, children traveled the world with the Alice and Jerry, the main characters in her first series. O’Donnell became one of the best-selling writers of all time because she created sophisticated stories shared through accessible language.

“Dick and Jane may have taught a generation to read but Alice and Jerry taught us to dream,” wrote one newspaper columnist.

The stories O’Donnell would write were grounded in her early life in Aurora. O’Donnell graduated from East Aurora High School in 1906, then went to DeKalb Normal School (later known as Northern Illinois University) intent on becoming a writer. In 1908, she began teaching at Brady Elementary School. She later did graduate work at Columbia University and earned a Doctorate from the University of Chicago.

While working as director of elementary schools, O’Donnell was praised for helping developing teachers become master educators. It was during this time that she came in contact with a book publisher who was looking for a teacher to edit a new book. O’Donnell wrote to say she didn’t like the book and could write a better one herself. They took her up on the offer.

In 1936, while O’Donnell was principal at Young School, Row, Peterson and Co., published her first books: a series of reading instruction books featuring a brother and sister named Alice and Jerry. The series was revolutionary in reading instruction: it included a teaching guide and separate reading plans for superior, average and immature readers.

The books were full of adventure; O’Donnell wanted the stories to be more than vocabulary lessons. She worked hard at writing for children. She considered young people to be the toughest critics, a group that would not tolerate sentimental drivel or adult moralizing.

O’Donnell wrote three-dimensional characters involved in detailed stories would teach as they entertained. Alice and Jerry would ride a train around the world, or explore their fictional hometown, which shared a parallel history to Aurora. O’Donnell later added a second series, the Janet and John books, which continued to be republished for four decades.

Her books became children’s classics, adored by readers and teachers. Altogether, O’Donnell wrote 47 titles and collaborated on 53 more. Between the two sets, O’Donnell sold more than 100 millions books around the world.

In 1946, she left the school district to become head of the Reading Department for Row, Peterson and Co., in Evanston (now known as Harper Collins). In 1965, an East Aurora elementary school was named in her honor.

Miss O’Donnell lived in Aurora her entire life. She died in 1985 at 95 years old.

“The world is still a wonderful place,” she told the East Aurora High School students when receiving her alumni honor. “A place for laughter and gayety and joy, for sadness, yes, but also for beauty and goodness and hope and exciting aspirations.”

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, James Abrahamson spent his childhood in Galesburg, Illinois. He moved with his parents to Aurora after completing seventh grade. He graduated as East Aurora High School’s co-Valedictorian in 1955. Appointed to the U. S. Military Academy at West Point by his congressman, Jim earned his baccalaureate degree and an army commission at the U.S. Military Academy. He graduated in 1959, academically first in his class.

During his more than 27 years of subsequent army service, Abrahamson earned a Masters Degree in Political Science with a specialty in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva Switzerland in 1966. He also earned a Masters of Arts (1974) and Doctorate (1977) in American History from Stanford University. Dr. James Abrahamson has served at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in America. During the course of his tenure he has been a professor at American Military University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campbell University, U.S. Army War College, and the U.S. Military Academy.

Abrahamson has also written several books, including: America Arms for a New Century: The Making of a Great Military Power (1981), The American Home Front: American Revolution, Civil War, World War I, World War II (1983), The Men of Secession and Civil War, 1859-1861 (2000).

Linda Chapa LaVia was born and raised in Aurora. She graduated from East Aurora High School in 1984 and was the first in her family to complete college, earning her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has served as Aurora’s Representative in the State Legislature since 2003. While in college, Chapa LaVia honed her leadership skills as a cadet in ROTC, completing basic training in 1988 and serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army until 1993. She continued her service in the National Guard until 1998 and is currently on Inactive Ready Reserve.

As a licensed real estate broker with Chapa Realty and a local business owner, Chapa LaVia has long sought to promote economic development opportunities in her community. She is active in the Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Tri County Board of Realtors. Chapa LaVia’s leadership, energy and passion for service are not confined to her success as a businesswoman. She has been involved with the YWCA, and served on the board of directors for the Fox Valley Girl Scouts and Provena Mercy Hospital. In an effort to give young people an alternative to gangs and crime, Chapa LaVia took an active role in Aurora’s “Weed & Seed” Program and worked to work with her family on God’s Gym. She secured state funds for CeaseFire Aurora, a national based initiative that promotes public safety through canvassing, public outreach and community coalitions.

Chapa LaVia brings her work ethic, energy and passion for community service to the job of State Representative. She is working to provide a voice in Springfield for all residents by working toward excellence in education, safer streets and quality healthcare for families and seniors. She will use her life experience to promote a strong business climate for a strong community. Chapa LaVia and her husband Vernon have two daughters, Veronica and Jacqueline.

James Compton – Class of 1954

Born in Aurora in 1939, James Compton has become one of the nation’s most prominent civic leaders. After graduating from East Aurora High School, Compton attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., where he worked for the legendary educator, Benjamin E. Mays, then president of Morehouse College. Mays inspired young Compton’s interest in civil rights and equality and played a major role in Compton’s decision to major in Political Science.

While still a student at Morehouse, Compton earned the prestigious Merrill Fellowship and studied at the University of Grenoble in France. There, he received a diploma in French literature before graduating Morehouse College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1961. After college graduation, Compton worked in the Chicago Public School System before beginning his long career with the prestigious Chicago Urban League, an affiliate of the nation’s largest civil rights organization, the National Urban League. In 1965, Compton started as counselor for the Urban League’s job training program. A few years later, he moved to upstate New York to run the Urban League’s office in Binghamton. He returned to Chicago in 1972 as the President and Chief Executive Office of the Chicago Urban League.

Under his guidance, the Chicago Urban League grew to become one of the most influential forces in Chicago’s political, education, labor, and housing arenas. He restructured the Urban League to better provide direct care, advocacy and research in the areas of community empowerment, education, employment, and social services. Compton was especially active regarding the issues of education, employment, and voter registration. With his leadership, the Chicago Urban League became the first nongovernmental agency authorized by the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners to register voters. Compton is recognized as one of Chicago’s leading experts in the area of community empowerment. He is consistently called upon to speak on everything from racial profiling to the demise of public housing.

Compton has served on several boards and committees including Ariel Mutual Funds, ComEd, the Field Museum of Natural History, Northwestern University, Chicago Area Boy Scouts of America, DePaul University, and the World Trade Center Chicago Association.

Calvin Morris – Class of 1953

Calvin Morris moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Aurora in 1945. He attended Bardwell Elementary School and East Junior High School. While a student at East High, Morris participated on the Speculum yearbook staff and was heavily involved in the school’s music program. He was also a leader in the East Aurora Debate Club. Morris then attended Beloit College in Wisconsin and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in 1957.

Upon college graduation, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served for the next two decades. During his 20-year tenure, Morris was a Platoon Commander, Company Commander, Battalion Logistics Officer, and Head of the Intelligence Unit. While serving in Vietnam, he received a Bronze Star with Combat “V” and a Purple Heart. After returning from Vietnam, he earned his Masters Degree in Education from the University of Virginia. Morris served on the faculty of three noted universities. At the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, he was responsible for the success of the school’s NJROTC program. In 1974, Morris graduated with a Doctorate in Education from his alma mater.

For the last 25 years, Morris operated his own consulting company, the HR Group which is focused on training and consulting in the field of Quality Systems Management. He provided management skills training throughout the Virginia Community College System. In addition, he has served as a professor at the University of Virginia School of Education, Pepperdine University, and Bryant College.

He lives in Virginia with his wife (and high school sweetheart) Karen. They have four children and 10 grandchildren.

Elmer Renner – Class of 1938

Elmer Renner was born and raised on the southeast side just a few blocks from the current East Aurora High School. He attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Day School, East Aurora High School and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1943.

Renner received orders to report to the U.S. Naval Academy for Officer Training and on August 31, 1943, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the U.S. Naval Reserves. He married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Johnston, five days later.

Upon graduation, he was assigned to sea duty operating out of Panama on a small minesweeper. In September 1944, he was assigned to the USS YMS 472. The 472 was commissioned November 10, 1944, and operated out of New York for five months before being sent to join the Pacific Fleet. On September 16, 1945, while anchored in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, the 472 was ordered to sea to avoid an approaching typhoon, but instead intersected with it and capsized at sea. Renner and eight others were able to escape on a raft only to suffer six days without food, water or sleep. He and three others survived. This ordeal was later captured in the book “Sea of Sharks”, co-authored by Renner.

Returning to Aurora, he joined Stephens-Adamson Manufacturing Co. He retired in 1984, after 41 years of service as Senior Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors. He also served on the Board of Directors of Carrier Manufacturing Co., and on the Board of Directors of the Conveyor Equipment Manufacturers Association.

While a resident of Aurora, he was also active in civic affairs having served on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement, Visiting Nurses, American Red Cross, East Seal Society, Aurora Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and the Aurora County Club. Elmer and Dorothy Renner were married for 61 years and raised four daughters. Renner died in 2012.

Penny Deligiannis is an international humanitarian whose work has impacted hundreds of thousands of people in Albania, Kosovo, and Africa.

Deligiannis is the Humanitarian Advisor to His Beatitude, Archbishop Anastasios of Albania. As Country Director of Diaconia Agapes (“Service of Love”), which is the national relief office of the Orthodox Church of Albania, she spent more than 20 years traveling from Aurora to Albania and throughout the world directing educational, social, and emergency relief programs.

In 1999, she represented the Republic of Albania at the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland and received the largest grant ever of $8.49 million to implement a large-scale Emergency Relief Program.

Sue Ling Gin – Class of 1959

Sue Ling Gin, was one of Chicago’s most prominent self-made businesswomen. She was the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of the Flying Food Group, a $20 million enterprise that services over 100 airlines and other customers from 11 locations in the US and China.

A savvy entrepreneur and community advocate, Gin served on the Board of Directors of DePaul University, Exelon Corporation, Chicago Botanic Garden, the Field Museum and Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center. She was also the only woman that served on the Navy Pier Development Authority Board, the body that designed the famed Navy Pier in Chicago.

Gin died in 2014.

Dr. Lyle Gramley – Class of 1943

Dr. Lyle Gramley, was the Senior Academic Adviser of the Stanford Washington Group. In 1977, Gramley was chosen by President Jimmy Carter to serve as one of the three members of the United States President’s Council of Economic Advisers, the senior policymaking body to advise the President on economic matters. In 1980, he was appointed by the President to serve as one of seven Governors of the Federal Reserve Board.

For many years, he continued to be called upon by the media for his counsel on economic issues. Mr. Gramley died in 2015.

Dr. Donald Kieso – Class of 1954

Dr. Donald Kieso, a world-renowned accountant, is currently the KPMG Peat Marwick Emeritus Professor of Accountancy at Northern Illinois University. He is a former accounting consultant with financial giants Price Waterhouse & Co. and Arthur Andersen & Co.

Dr. Kieso is also a celebrated author. He has written 25 books that have been translated into 13 different languages, including the bestselling textbook, Intermediate Accounting, which is used by 70 percent of colleges and universities in the country.

Dr. Edward Fauth was the Founder/Principal of Fauth & Associates Consulting, Engineering, and Management. Not only did he graduate from East Aurora High School, he served as the President of the East Aurora Board of Education from 1960 to 1966. After his graduation, Fauth earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University, a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Illinois Technological Institute, and a Doctorate of Education from Nova University in Fort Lauderdale Florida. He also served in the United States Army.

Fauth dedicated nearly 70 years to the betterment of the greater Aurora community. Professionally, he served as the Executive Director of the United Way of the Aurora Area, Dean at Waubonsee Community College, Director of the Champion Federal Savings and Loan Association in Aurora, and Vice-President of Engineering and Marketing of Barber-Greene Company in Aurora.

In addition to serving as President of the School Board, Dr. Fauth committed his time and talents to countless community initiatives including: President of the Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity, President of the Rotary Club of Aurora, State Coordinator for MathCounts, Founding Member of the Quad County Urban League, and a member of the Board of Directors for the Kane Kendall Mental Heath, Kane County Community Action, Greater Aurora Chamber of Commerce, the Aurora Economic Development Commission, and the Aurora YMCA.

Mr. Fauth died in 2009.

Robert Mitchler – Class of 1937

Robert Mitchler was first elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1964 and was re-elected in 1966, 1970, 1972, and 1976. He retired from the State Senate in 1981 and was appointed by Governor James Thompson to serve as Legislative Liaison to the Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs. Prior to being elected, Mitchler served in the Navy in World War II and the Korean War. His assignments included amphibious and minesweeping operations during World War II and staff assignments with the United Nations Military Armistice Command during the Korean War.

For eight years, he was served as Military Naval Aide to Illinois Governor Jim Edgar and was reappointed in 1999 to serve in this capacity with Governor George H. Ryan. Mitchler served in the Aurora Navy League Council since 1965. He served as National Director of the Navy League in 1982 and was elected as the National Director Emeritus in 1993.

Mr. Mitchler died in 2012.

Patricia Reid Lindner – Class of 1957

Patricia Reid Linder was the Illinois State Representative for the 50th District. Lindner received a Bachelor’s degree in Speech from Northwestern University, a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado, and her Juris Doctorate from Northern Illinois University. Before entering the legislature, she was a family law attorney.

She previously served as a court appointed attorney for the Kane County Juvenile Court and was an Assistant Public Defender. She also has a lengthy history of involvement in the political process dating back to her work in five congressional campaigns for her mother, former U.S. Congresswoman Charlotte Reid, also an East Aurora Distinguished Alumni. In Springfield, State Representative Patricia Reid Lindner was a member of the House Republican Leadership Team and served as the Assistant Minority Leader.

She served on several key state committees including: Elementary and Secondary Appropriations, Judiciary II-Criminal Law, Adoption Reform and Child Support Enforcement. She was also a member of the Conference of Women Legislators, and the Fire, Environmental, and Historic Preservation Caucuses.

Grover Schiltz – Class of 1948

Grover Schiltz was a world-renowned classical musician who began honing his craft in Aurora. He began oboe studies with Robert Mayer, a former English horn player of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in music from the University of Michigan, he spent several summers at Tanglewood and played in military bands while in the U.S. Army.

Before joining the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1959, Grover performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, and the Grant Park Symphony. From 1956-1959, he toured with the Boston Pops Orchestra, played with the Saint Louis Sinfonietta, and was first oboe of the Kansas City Philharmonic. Grover was active in chamber music ensembles in the Chicago area including the Chicago Symphony Winds. He has taught oboe and baroque performance practice at Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Roosevelt University.

Mr. Schiltz died in 2012.

After graduating from East Aurora High School, Donald Buhrmann enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 1942. He saw early action in the Battle for Guadalcanal, where he sustained serious injury to his leg and ankles. He continued serving with his unit until Guadalcanal was secured. He later was reassigned to intelligence.

Buhrmann honed his artistic talents drawing large war maps of the Pacific area during World War II. His natural artistic ability resulted in a successful career in commercial art and watercolor paintings. He went on to design advertisements for household brands like Coca-Cola, General Mills and Pillsbury. He became a recognized visual artist, and his watercolor paintings and wood carvings have been displayed in 14 states and two countries. Mr. Buhrmann died in 2012.

Dr. Richard Foth – Class of 1948

Dr. Richard Foth never strayed far from his alma mater, even as he rose to prominence in the medical field. An Army veteran and Aurora resident, he practiced medicine in the Chicago area for nearly three decades, spending two of those years as chief of staff at Rush-Copley Medical Center.

He graduated fifth in his medical school class from Northwestern University Medical School and was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society in 1956. He entered the Army as a captain and served in a military hospital in El Paso, Texas, for two years. Foth completed his residency in internal medicine at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s Hospital and practiced internal medicine at Dreyer Medical Clinic in Aurora from 1962 to 1997. He was president of Dreyer from 1982 to 1987. He was chief of staff at Rush-Copley Hospital in 1988 to 1989 with 30 doctors reporting to him.

He also served as the team physician for the East football and basketball teams for 10 years and never missed a game. Foth continues to practice medicine in Aurora.

Maureen Gillette – Class of 1971

Maureen McDonough Gillette graduated from East Aurora High School in 1971, and her presence continues to be felt in public schools across the country.

She served as dean of the College of Education at Northeastern Illinois and University of Chicago. She received her Bachelors Degree in 1974 and Masters Degree in 1980 from Northern Illinois University. After 13 years of teaching elementary and middle school in Aurora and Wisconsin, she received her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in 1990.

Gillette has presented more than 30 papers on urban education and has advised state and city schools officials on education matters. She lives in Chicago.

Paul Meisch – Class of 1983

Meisch retired after more than 20 years of Naval service.

He entered the Naval Academy in July 1983 and received a Bachelors Degree in history. He was commissioned an ensign in May 1987. He served in the first Gulf War and was stationed at the Pentagon in 2002 to oversee the upkeep of amphibious ships.

In 2006, he became a commanding officer in St. Louis, where he retired. His awards include three Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and numerous Campaign Medals.

For more than a decade, most Ford automobiles on the road had marks of Donald Glossop’s craftsmanship and ingenuity. Glossop made his mark for 43 years as a lead Automotive Engineer and Manager at the Ford Motor Company. It is estimated that between 1979 and 1989, 60 percent of all Ford automobiles in the world had Glossop’s designs.

After graduating from East Aurora High School as salutatorian, Glossop earned his Bachelors Degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Mechanical Engineering, where he was named the Outstanding Freshman Mechanical Engineering Student.

He later served two years in the U.S. Army before completing his MBA at the University of Michigan while working for Ford.

Beginning his career at Ford Motor Company in 1955, Glossop quickly was recognized for his superb engineering skills. Throughout his career, he patented four inventions that related to a convertible top mechanism, door window actuation and weather strip systems. Early in his career, he started a new department at the Ford that worked to find solutions for flush window systems and a roof assembly that reduced aerodynamic drag.

His designs of an ergonomics display simulation were pictured in Ford’s 1990 Annual Report, a tutorial guide for all designers who worked for Ford. One year later, Glossop presented his concepts at the Society of Auto Engineers.

William Lorenz – Class of 1966

From Aurora to Australia, William Lorenz has traveled the globe to bring images to homes across the world.

Lorenz is a television production engineer who has won five Emmy Awards for his trailblazing work and advances in television production. After attending Waubonsee Community College and majoring in Music and Drama, Lorenz graduated from the DeVry Institute of Technology with a degree in Video and Electronics.

Soon after graduation, he became Chief Engineer of Aurora’s Channel 60 and later moved to Indianapolis to become an editor with the popular Johnny Cash Show. After a successful run, Lorenz moved to Pittsburgh to work on television commercials. He then headed west to the glorious television town of Burbank, California.

Hired by the NBC network, Lorenz edited such television shows as Welcome Back Kotter and the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson! When NBC tapped him to work on the documentary, The First 50 Years with NBC, Lorenz made an even bigger name for himself. The documentary was so well crafted and expertly tailored that Lorenz won his first Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing. The network saw his value and hired him to work the Centennial Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There, he developed the ground-breaking technology that allowed a video recording machine in Atlanta to be accesses from New York. He went on to win another Emmy Award for Technical Studio Video Engineer of the Atlanta Olympic Games.

He has since worked the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia; Salt Lake City, Utah; Athens, Greece; Torino, Italy; and Vancouver, Canada. During these treks across the world, Lorenz has amassed another three Emmy Awards. In 2008, he was tapped to work the Olympics in Beijing, China and bring this historic event into the homes of millions throughout the world. He worked to create a tape less workflow editing system that helped to make this project a seamless one.

In the community, Lorenz has been an Assistant Troop Master with the Boy Scouts and has credentials to pilot commercial multi-instrument planes.

Dr. John Sarwark – Class of 1972

Rated by Chicago Magazine as one the top doctors in Chicago, Dr. John Sarwark has become of the most respected names in orthopedic surgery.

A proud Tomcat, Sarwark is hailed throughout the world as one of the finest surgeons and educators in his field. Sarwark graduated as valedictorian of his high school class, and he is still the head of a class of premiere doctors at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

Sarwark began his medical journey when he left Aurora to begin his studies at the University of Illinois where he received a Bachelors Degree in Biology. He then matriculated to the Northwestern University Fineburg School of Medicine (NUFSM) and obtained his M.D. He interned at NUFSM and completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery. Sarwark later trained as a Clinical Fellow in Pediatric Orthopedics at the Alfred I. Dupont Institute in Wilmington, Delaware.

Sarwark worked at hospitals in Kansas City, Missouri, prior to joining what was then called Children’s Memorial Hospital as an Attending Physician of the Department of Surgery in 1988. For 25 years, he has worked to advance the medical profession and bring about lifelong change for his patients and their families. He served as Head of the Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Division at Children’s Memorial.

In addition to his full-time duties, Sarwark also served on the Executive Committee for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and the Residency Selection Committee for Children’s Memorial.

A premiere medical leader, Sarwark was recognized by Chicago Magazine as one of Chicago’s Top Doctors in 2001. In 2004, he received the Pathways Awareness Foundation’s First Pioneer Award for his work in the early detection of mobility problems in infants.

Today, Dr. Sarwark is the head of Orthopaedic Surgery Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and a professor of orthopaedic at Northwestern Univeristy Feinberg School of Medicine.

Dr. Ronald Simcox – Class of 1952

Dr. Ronald Simcox was at the top of his class at high school and built a career that led him to the top of his school district as well.

Simcox has had a successful career in education that took him from the halls of East Aurora High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and a state champion clarinet soloist, to becoming a nationally-known Superintendent and college professor.

After graduating from East Aurora High School, Simcox attended Aurora College where he majored in Mathematics and Physics. While Aurora College, he was recognized in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, and received the elite Spartan Award – an honor bestowed on only one senior each year.

He later received his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Miami University in 1959 and his Doctorate from the University of Illinois in 1964.

Simcox began his career in education by returning to his alma mater. He taught mathematics at East Aurora High school for two years before becoming an assistant principal in Ohio. While working on his doctoral degree, he served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Illinois and transitioned into his role as Administrative Intern at Ridgewood High School in Norridge, Ill.

Simcox entered district administration as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction at DeKalb School District 428. After serving in that post for three years, he was appointed as the Superintendent of Schools for District 428. In 1969, he took the helm of Hinsdale School District 181 as Superintendent of Schools. He built a reputable name during an unprecedented 23-year tenure in that post.

Simcox has served as the President of the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce and as a professor at Aurora University, Northern Illinois University, and the University of Illinois.

Dr. Kevin Aister was a leader at East Aurora High School and went on to ranks as one of the leading osteopathic emergency physicians.

Aister graduated in the top 10 percent of East Aurora’s class of 1973 and was the captain of the Tomcat football team. He continued his academic excellence at Carthage College where he earned a Bachelors Degree in biology. After college graduation, Aister joined the U.S. Army where he served for nine years and was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain.

During his time in the Army, Aister enrolled in and completed medical school. He earned a Doctor of Osteopathy Degree at the Chicago School of Osteopathic Medicine, which is now Midwestern University, and completed his internship at Osteopathic Hospital in South Bend, Indiana.

Aister is a member of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians who put his skills to use at 12 different hospitals across the nation. He practiced at Banner Gateway Medical Center, one of the largest nonprofit hospital systems in the country. He has also served as a Physician Mentor for osteopathic students for more than a decade. In 2012, he founded the Biofusion Aesthetic Institute.

Aister is the past President of the Wheaton Park District Board of Directors. He also coached the Wheaton/Warrenville South High School Football Team and won three state championships. Aister is one of the few graduates who is both a Distinguished Alumni as well as a member of the East Aurora Sports Hall of Fame

Aister and his wife, Nicole, have five children and live in Scottsdale, Arizona.

John Avendano – Class of 1980

From being a first generation Mexican-American to attend college to becoming the President of a college, Dr. John Avendano has opened the door for thousands of other students to achieve their educational goals.

A natural leader at East Aurora High School, Avendano was a stellar student and athlete. He was a member of the varsity football and baseball teams. He was recruited to play baseball for Waubonsee Community College, where he was a captain who made the All-Skyway Conference Team.

He transferred to Northern Illinois University where he received a Bachelors Degree in Physical Education and later a Masters Degree in Adult Continuing Education. He felt so strongly about community colleges and the education that they offer, Avendano then returned to Waubonsee Community College after obtaining his Master’s degree to obtain an Associate’s Degree in Science. Avendano later earned a Doctorate in Educational Administration and Foundations from Illinois State University.

Avendano has changed thousands of lives during his 26 years in higher education administration. He has served as Associate Dean of Student Life at Waubonsee Community College and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Development at Illinois Central College. In 2009, Avendano took the helm as the sixth president of Kankakee Community College, the first Latino to hold the position.

In his career, Avendano has served as President of the Illinois Community College Chief Student Officers Board and a member of the Illinois Community College Presidents’ Council.

Avendano and his wife, Janet, have three children and reside in Morton, Ill.

Dr. Oliver Crawford – Class of 1937

From a star pupil to a star pediatrician, Dr. Oliver Crawford set new medical standards and broke racial barriers.

Crawford graduated from East Aurora High School ranked seventh in the class of 1937. At East Aurora High School, Crawford was a member of the National Honor Society and played on the basketball and football teams. He took this dedication to excellence with him as began his journey into medicine.

Crawford earned his Bachelors Degree in Pre-Medicine at the University of Chicago. He continued on to complete his M.D. at Meharry Medical College in Tennessee, the premiere training institution for African-American doctors. Crawford completed his residency at Provident Hospital and Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

Certified in pediatrics, allergies, and immunology, Crawford became the first African-American to join the faculty at Northwestern University School of Medicine. Throughout his career, he served as the President of the Chicago Pediatric Society, a leader in the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a trusted advisor to the Chicago Board of Health. He was a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corp during the Korean War.

After his retirement in 1991, Crawford founded Volunteers in Medicine in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Decades later, this non-profit organization still provides free medical care to underprivileged families on Hilton Head Island. Medical professionals in over 50 U.S. cities have duplicated the model of Volunteers in Medicine.

Crawford’s four children – two of whom are physicians, one a hospital administrator, and one a teacher – carried on his legacy. Mr. Crawford died in 2012.

Richard Irvin – Class of 1988

Alderman-at-Large Richard C. Irvin made history when he was elected in 2007, becoming the first African-American male to serve on Aurora’s City Council.

After graduating from East Aurora High School in 1988, Irvin joined the U.S. Army. He served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield transporting supplies and personnel to the front line of the war. He received numerous commendations and an Honorable Discharge for his service.

Irvin then returned to his hometown and earned a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Robert Morris College, where he graduated Suma Cum Laude. He then earned a Juris Doctorate from Northern Illinois University College of Law. While attending Northern Illinois University, he was a member of the Moot Court Society and the Vice President of the Black Law Students Association.

In 1997, Irvin began his public service career, serving as an Assistant State’s Attorney in DeKalb , Cook County and Kane counties. During his tenure as Assistant States Attorney and Community Prosecutor for Kane County, Richard worked to restore a family environment in many neighborhoods in Aurora.

In 2006, Irvin opened the Law Offices of Richard C. Irvin in Aurora, which expanded to Elgin. He remained active in the greater Aurora community by serving on a number of Boards for non-profit organizations.

He and his wife, Crystal, live in Aurora with their two children.

Timothy Oelker – Class of 1969

From a distinguished student-athlete young at East Aurora High School to a celebrated firefighter who became chief, Tim Oelker personifies excellence in service.

As a student at East Aurora High School, Oelker was a member of the band, tennis team, and swimming team. He was also the manager of the football team. As a teenager, he earned the Eagle Scout Award.

After graduation, Oelker enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was trained in the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEALS (BUDS) Training Program. This training is extremely demanding, both mentally and physically, and produces the world’s best maritime warriors. Oelker used these specialized skills when he participated in the recovery of the Apollo 17 Capsule in December 1972.

After serving it the Navy, Oelker returned to Aurora to begin his 26-year career with the Aurora Fire Department. He served as Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief of Operations, and Deputy Chief Administrative Assistant prior to his appointment as Fire Chief in November 2005. He retired in 2009.

Oelker’s career was honored with numerous awards including a nomination for Firefighter of the Year and two commendations from the Aurora Police Department for his service and collaborations.

Oelker and his wife, Carolyn, reside in Aurora.

Dr. Aaron Stills – Class of 1965

At East Aurora High School, Aaron Still was a leading student in the classroom, on the court, and on the field. After graduation, Dr. Still paved the way in the counseling field to become one of the nation’s leading scholars.

While at East Aurora High School, Stills was a star athlete in track, cross country, and basketball. After graduation, Stills attended Western Illinois University and earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Psychology. Stills then matriculated to Indiana State University and completed his Doctoral Degree in Counseling and Psychological Services.

Stills served as the Chairman of the Department of Human Development at prestigious Howard University in Washington, D.C. His department produced more doctoral degrees for African-American students in the areas of counseling and psychology than any other college.

Stills’ 35-year career in counseling distinguished him as one of the premiere national and international scholars in the area of Multicultural Counseling. He was the Founding President of the National Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, a division of the American Association of Counseling.

As Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Multicultural Management Systems, Stills has served as a consultant to mental health facilities, schools, and some of the most successful Fortune 500 Companies for over three decades. Additionally, he published many studies and chapters on psychological issues.

Stills is one of the few graduates who is both a Distinguished Alumni and a member of the East Aurora Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

Dr. Aaron Stills and his wife, Gloria, live in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Dr. Narda Coronado broke records as a student at East High and broke barriers as a premiere dentist in her field. She graduated seventh in her class and was a member of the National Honors Society who also played oboe in the Performance Band, coronet in the Jazz Band, and Percussion in the Marching Band. In addition, she played softball, tennis, volleyball, and she set several records as a member of the East Aurora Swim Team.

Coronado matriculated to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she graduated in 1985 with a Bachelors Degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences. Coronado received a four-year full scholarship to the University of Illinois Dental School in Chicago. There, she received the Outstanding Clinical Achievement Award and graduated as a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1990.

After graduation, Coronado worked at a number of dental offices in the greater Chicago area before purchasing an Aurora dental practice in 1996. Today, she continues her award-winning dental practice at its present location on Lake Street in Aurora.

Coronado still holds true to her commitment to East Aurora, children, and the Aurora community. She currently provides free dental care and screenings for many back-to-school fairs for the Aurora Children’s Dental Service. She also donates much of her free time and expertise to the St. Basil’s Free Clinic in Chicago. She has received commendations from the State of Illinois for her unprecedented work with St. Basil’s.

Notably, Coronado has established the Coronado Dental Scholarship at the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley to provide assistance to Aurora students who are entering the fields of dentistry and medicine.

Daniel Dolan – Class of 1949

Daniel D. Dolan went from developing plays on the athletic fields at East Aurora High School to developing real estate in the greater Aurora area.

Dolan was a shining prep athlete who lettered in football, basketball and golf. After graduating East Aurora High School, Dolan served in the U.S. Navy. He served on the USS Knapp Destroyer during the Korean War. Upon returning to Aurora, he served his community as an Aurora Firefighter for five years.

Dolan used his keen business sense to partner with James Murphy to establish the commercial real estate firm known as Dolan & Murphy. The firm specializes in commercial, industrial, and investment properties. Throughout the years, Dolan & Murphy became involved in annexing and zoning thousands of acres in Aurora and Kane County. The firm played an integral role in formulating Aurora’s comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance that paved the way for Aurora’s economic development along Interstate 88. These developments have generated massive tax revenues for Aurora.

With more than 1 million square feet of office and retail space, as well as more than 500,000 square feet of industrial space, Dolan & Murphy set a new standard in the industry. Dolan has been a leading voice in advocating and establishing diversity in zoning and development. These initiatives have provided greater accesses to home ownership and housing options for residents. Dolan’s three sons have followed in his footsteps in the business and they have expanded the company into development, brokerage, and property management.

Dolan’s passion for Aurora is vividly seen through his support for sports and youth programs. For more than 40 years, he sponsored little league baseball teams.

Daniel D. Dolan passed away in 2020. 

Karen Hart – Class of 1969

Karen Platt Hart has spent her life in schools. She attended Dieterich Elementary School, Waldo Junior High School and graduated from East Aurora High School. During high school, she was an honors student who participated in the Folk Music Club and the Aqua Cats, and served as a classroom volunteer. It was her volunteer duties during her senior year in a special education classroom that led to her career in education.

Hart majored in elementary and special education at Northern Illinois University. After she graduated with her teaching degree, she taught sixth grade in Ohio for two years prior to returning to Aurora to teach elementary school at O’Donnell Elementary School. After obtaining her Masters Degree in Administration from Northern Illinois University, Hart moved to Brady Elementary School where she served in a dual role of teacher and assistant principal.

In 1990, when East Aurora School District 131 opened its twelfth elementary school, Karen Hart was the choice as the school’s new leader. The school was named after a legendary district administrator in East Aurora School District 131 – Edna Rollins – so it was most fitting that another local stalwart educator take on the helm. The mark of Karen Hart has been on everything at Rollins School, including its success in academics, partnerships, and community service.

Hart’s respect in the profession and her standards of excellence have been documented with her nominations for Kane County Educator of the Year, Kane County Administrator of the Year, and for receiving the Those Who Excel Award from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Hart and her husband have two children.

Dr. John LaCart – Class of 1965

Dr. John LaCart has devoted his life to serving others.

LaCart was ranked third in his class at East Aurora High School. He received varsity letters in basketball and football. His Tomcat football team went undefeated and claimed the Upstate Eight Conference Championship title. During his senior year, he was selected All-Conference Quarterback and elected to the Chicago Tribune Prep All-Star Team.

LaCart entered DePauw University after graduation. He graduated from there with Phi Beta Kappa Honors in 1969. He then matriculated to Rush Medical College, where he graduated with honors in 1973. LaCart completed a one-year Surgical Internship at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital and a four-year Orthopedic Residency at Northwestern University in Chicago.

During his medical career, LaCart served as Chief Resident at both Children’s Memorial Hospital and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He later joined Dreyer Medical Clinic in Aurora where he practiced for 27 years. During his tenure at Dreyer, he served as Chairman of the Orthopedic Surgery Department. He now has a successful orthopedic practice with Midwest Orthopedic Institute in Sycamore.

LaCart served as an East Aurora team physician and consultant for East Aurora High School for 30 years. He has also served as a team physician for Aurora University and other Aurora area schools. In addition, he has dedicated over a decade as volunteer at Shriners’ Children’s Clinic. LaCart was nominated for the 1995 East Aurora Sports Hall of Fame and received the Tommy Award in 1997.

He and his wife have two children and live in St. Charles.

Kaye Mason – Class of 1942

From a dedicated student to a dedicated entrepreneur, Kaye Groot Mason personified the Tomcat spirit. As a student at East Aurora High School, she was consistently on the honor roll, participated in drama, choir, Delphi, the variety show, band and was a member of the Speculum yearbook staff.

After graduation, Mason became a very successful local entrepreneur with international connections. She owned and operated three businesses in downtown Aurora. Under her ownership, Check-Lab, Inc., FM Graphic Impressions, and Professional Packaging Corporation flourished.

Established in the 1940s, Chek-Lab, Inc. furnishes blood banks, hospitals, and clinics with complete labeling systems in accordance with federal and global standards. Chek-Lab serves states throughout the country as well as other countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Honduras, Italy, and Germany, on behalf of the U.S. Government. As a leader in the industry, Mason traveled to Washington, D.C. to help establish uniform labeling systems for the entire blood banking industry. In addition, she helped to develop barcode symbology called Codabar.

Her other two companies thrived as well. Established in 1903, FM Graphic Impressions is a commercial printing company, which specializes in printing books, bibles and other print jobs. Established in 1947, Professional Packaging Corporation specializes in the production of Medici Tincture of Benzion, which provides skin protection and acts as an antiseptic prior to the application of adhesives or skin barriers.

Mason has served on the Board of Directors for Downtown Aurora.

Robert McCue – Class of 1956

Robert McCue, Sr. has had a business and service career focused on making Aurora great. As a student, McCue was Captain of the Football Team, earned All-Conference for the Big Eight and All Chicago Area Football honors, and held the record for the 440-yard dash.

After graduating East Aurora High School, he attended Western Illinois University. He then enrolled in the training program at the Aurora Pump Company. As part of that program, he gained experience in the shop, test labs and sales departments. He trained in the Chicago branch of the company and was so successful that he was sent to Milwaukee to open a new district branch office. Just 18 months after opening the Milwaukee office, McCue made it profitable.

Quickly becoming a recognizable name in the pump industry, McCue branched out on his own and bought a minority interest in the Thomas Pump Company of Chicago in 1964. After 15 years of building an excellent reputation for Thomas Pump and himself, McCue bought out his partners in 1979, gained complete control of the company, and moved it to its present location in Aurora. McCue expanded his office, added a shop, a warehouse, and a full service department.

Today, the Thomas Pump Company is a distinct leader in the field. McCue has personally sold pumps to more than a dozen of the tallest high-rise buildings in Chicago, including the Trump and Willis towers. His company has also been a key partner in Chicago’s Deep Tunnel System and countless water and waste projects throughout the Midwest.

McCue has supported youth baseball and education for decades. He served on the East Aurora Board of Education for 12 years, including as the President of the Board of Education.

McCue and his wife, Judy, have six children and live in Aurora.

A. George Fuller – Class of 1955

After serving four years as a radio operator in the U.S. Air Force, A. George Fuller began his nearly 30-year career with AT&T in 1964.

After three years as an accounting major at Aurora College (now Aurora University), Fuller joined the Western Electric Plant in Montgomery, Ill., as an accounting clerk. He was later promoted to section chief in the Accounting Department. He continued to pursue his education and, in 1970, graduated from Aurora College with a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting.

In 1977, he spent four years at the Denver, Colorado, plant as a Department Chief, which included supervising accounting, customer service and manufacturing. He was later promoted to District Manager at AT&T’s corporate offices in New Jersey. He spent eight years in the corporate offices, working in various accounting disciplines in several locations. In 1989, he was transferred to Orlando, Fla., where he directed a work force of about 300 employees and oversaw several corporate functions.

In 1989, Fuller became a mentor in the Orange County Public School Compact Program – a business and education partnership designed to help disadvantaged youth.

Upon retiring from AT&T in 1994, Fuller was hired as Executive Director of Compact, which is now the longest running mentoring program in Florida. Since its inception, more than 11,000 students have been enrolled. In 1995, he created an annual awards banquet where outstanding students, mentors, teachers and business partners are honored.

Fuller has served on several non-profit and corporate boards of directors. He continues to serve as Executive Director of Compact. He lives in Orlando, Florida.

Robert O’Connor was senior class president of the East Aurora High School class of 1962, starting a career in public service that would lead to three decades on the City Council.

At East Aurora High School, O’Connor was a member of student council, the debate team and was ranked 15th in his class. He went on to the University of Illinois, where he graduated with honors in 1966. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame three years later.

O’Connor first practiced law with the Aurora firm of Ruddy, Myler and Bartsch. Then, from 1973 to 1985, he was a trust officer with Old Second Bank. In 1986, he returned to law practice with his second firm: Edwards, Jordan & O’Connor. O’Connor has practiced with his own firm since 2007, working on estate planning, wills and trusts.

O’Connor became involved in public service first as a volunteer, then as a board member for the United Way. In 1972, he was named in board member of the Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center. He worked with the Scholarship Committee of the Aurora Foundation – now the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley. He has interviewed East Aurora High School scholarship candidates since 1986.

O’Connor was elected as Alderman-At-Large in 1985 and has been re-elected ever since. He has served as Chairman of the city’s Finance Committee and was heavily involved in helping get the Aurora Police Station built on Indian Trail.

In 1983, O’Connor was appointed by Governor James Thompson as a member of the Council on Aging. He served as Chairperson of that committee and, in 1993, he received the Governors Award for Unique Achievement in the Field of Aging.

Ronald Ream – Class of 1959

As a senior at East Aurora High School, Ron Ream had more pictures in the yearbook than anyone else. The 1959 graduate was involved in nearly all parts of the school, and used his experiences at East Aurora as a springboard to a long career with Wrigley Co., where he developed some iconic products, including: Bubble Tape, Hubba Bubba and Big League Chew.

Ream earned a Bachelors Degree in chemistry at Northern Illinois University in 1964, an MBA in marketing at Loyola University in 1970 and a Certificate in Food Technology at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1974.

He joined Wrigley Company as Chief Chemist in 1965. In 1970, he became Director of Research and two years later he was named Assistant to the President. He also served as Vice President for Research and Development, Vice President of Marketing and was Senior Vice President for Corporate Development from 1987 to 2002.

During Ream’s career with Wrigley, he was known as an inventor. He had 73 patents for a wide variety of chewing gum. He developed Bubble Tape – rolls of gum in a plastic case – which had sales of $36 million in its first year. Another of Ream’s inventions, Big League Chew – shredded gum in a pouch – brought in sales of $22 million. In all, Ream’s patented products resulted in $1.2 trillion in sales to the Amurol Corp., a division of Wrigley Corp.

“In 1978, I invented Hubba Bubba. It was an accident,” he said. “I was trying to invent a marshmallow bubble gum and I had a mustache. I blew the bubble and it did not stick to my mustache. I ran into the president’s office and he had new furniture and a new rug. I began sticking this bubble gum all over his chair and rugs. His face turned red and the veins bulged out of his neck. I said: ‘Don’t worry!’ And I pulled that bubble gum right off his upholstery and rug.”

Ream also worked on a project for the U.S. military with Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He helped produce a caffeinated gum that increased alertness, cognitive abilities and physical performance for soldiers. Thousands of Stay Alert caffeine supplements were provided to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ream was awarded the U.S. Army Greatest Inventions program certificate in 2005. Ream has served on several boards, including Rush-Copley Medical Center, Waubonsee Community College and Amurol Corp.

Ream is married with three adult children. He lives in Plano, Ill.

Richard Schindel – Class of 1966

Richard Schindel has spent his life giving back to city of Aurora and especially East Aurora students.

At East Aurora High School, Schindel was a member of the football and baseball teams. He was captain of the baseball team. He played tackle and kicked for the football team. In 1970, he graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s Degree in marketing. He later earned his Masters Degree from National Louis University in 1989.

Schindel first started teaching junior high social studies at Holy Angels Elementary School in 1970. In the fall of 1973, he was hired to teach science and consumer education at Waldo Junior High in East Aurora School District 131.

In 1979, he moved to the East Aurora High School, where he taught marketing, consumer education and math. He was the DECA Club advisor and Co-Op Coordinator for 25 years at the high school. His DECA Club organized a food drive that is part of the Super Bowl of Caring, and still carries on. Schindel was also the varsity football coach from 1983 to 1987.

Schindel started the Forgotten Teens project at East Aurora High School. The program helps needy teens at the holiday and has spread to other area high schools.

In 1989, Schindel was finalist for Kane County Teacher of the Year. In 2003, he was nominated for the Community Educator Award from the Illinois Directors of Student Activities. Schindel has twice received special recognition from the city of Aurora. He is one of the few people to receive both the Distinguished Alumni honor and be elected to the East Aurora Sports Hall of Fame. He was elected as an athlete, coach and teacher.

Schindel is still active at East Aurora events, where he can often be seen with Dick’s Mini Donuts. He and his wife, Susan, have two daughters. They live in Aurora.

William Settles – Class of 1955

William F. Settles filled his high school days with activity and has continued that pace throughout his life.

Settles was an honor roll student at East Aurora High School. He worked as a drug store in downtown Aurora for six years to help pay for college expenses. He enrolled at Northern Illinois University to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree. He continued to work through his college graduation. He immediately started on his Master’s Degree program, while working as a substitute teacher at East Aurora High School.

While working on his graduate degree at Northern Illinois, Settles had an opportunity to spend a summer session at Oxford University in England. From this experience, he developed a desire to travel the world for adventure. He eventually visited all seven continents. He has made 45 overseas trips to more than 60 countries.

Settles has given more than 300 lectures in the Midwest and California. He is a former Copley News Service columnist and wrote a book on former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He has visited the Soviet Union eight times, and his book compared the differences between 1962 and 1965. Settles has been guest on numerous radio and television talk shows. At one time, he had his own weekly radio program. Additionally, he has written 12 magazine articles for eight different publications.

Settles and his wife, June, life in Aurora.

Lt. Col. Vincent Thompson – Class of 1944

Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Thompson’s military career began in early 1945, when was drafted. He served in the U.S. Army in both World War II and Korean War. After 22 years in the field artillery, he retired to the reserves as a lieutenant colonel in 1967.

Thompson received his Bachelor’s Degree in liberal arts in 1949 and his Juris Doctorate in 1951, both of the University of Illinois. He also graduated from the Midwest School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin.

Thompson joined Republic National Bank in Dallas, Texas, in 1953. He held positions at the bank ranging from credit analyst to Senior Vice President, and served on the bank’s executive committee. In 1977, he was elected Director, President and CEO of Republic Bank of Garland, Texas. In 1981, he assumed additional duties as Chairman of the Board. He retired in 1984, after more than 30 years service to Republic National.

Thompson then organized his own financial consulting firm: Vince Thompson & Associates. At the same time, he began to study for the Texas Bar Exam and, in 1985, he became a member of the state of Texas Bar. He then added law to his consulting firm’s practices.

Thompson remained active in professional and civic affairs, serving as lecturer for the American Management Association and for Robert Morris Association. He was a faculty member of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University for 12 years.

Thomson is a lifelong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. He has received the Wood Badge, Scoutmaster Key and Silver Beaver awards.

Thompson and his wife, Genevieve, have four children and live in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Thompson died in August 2015.

Pat Rogers has always been proud to be from the East Side of Aurora. Through his service to the community, he is ensuring future generations can also be proud of their East Side roots.

Rogers played baseball and football all three years at East Aurora High School. He participated in the thespians and spring musical. Most importantly, he went to the 1964 Homecoming dance with Marcie Pauls, who he has been married to for 46 years.

After high school, Rogers earned his Bachelor’s Degree in business from Aurora University. He worked as Director/Manager of Information Technology for Parksite Group, EKCO Housewares, and Lyon Metal Products for 41 years.

Near the end of his career, he began to expand his role at his church, taking mission trips to Honduras and Ecuador. In 2003, he was asked to help work with Rebuilding Together Aurora, an organization that rebuilds low-income homes.

The first time day he worked, he was put in charge of the dumpster.

This simple act started a journey that culminated in him leading the organization in 2010. During his eight years as president or vice president of RTA, the organization changed from a Board-run group to a paid-staff organization that is actively rebuilding homes year round and has received nearly $2 million in grants.

Thanks to his leadership, Rebuilding Together Aurora has been a part of transforming the neighborhoods of Aurora, including the near East Side. Rebuilding Together Aurora brings volunteers and skilled labor together to turn neglected housing into safe and warm homes. RTA staff and volunteers have re-built more than 700 homes for senior citizens, people with disabilities, veterans, and low-income families.

Stephanie Weber – Class of 1965

It was the worst kind of phone call that changed Stephanie Weber’s life. On September 5, 1979, the school where her mother worked called to say she hadn’t been there for two days. Ellen Weber was found dead, a victim of suicide.

Out of this tragedy, Stephanie Weber became a person looking to make a difference for other Ellen Webers and their families.

In high school, Stephanie Weber was a co-founder of the Pom Squad, a member of the acapella choir, student council, newspaper exchange editor, Latin Club, Pep Club, Glee Club, musicals.

She attended Bardwell Elementary School and Waldo Junior High. After college at Northern Illinois University, she taught at Bardwell for five years before “retiring” to raise her family.

After her mother’s death, she had a new focus. Within six months, Weber took training to become a suicide hotline volunteer. She returned to school, earning a Master’s Degree in counseling education from Indiana University. In the early 1980s, she spearheaded the Survivors of Suicide Support Group and the Crisis Line of the Fox Valley, a 24-7 hotline. Both still operate today.

In 1998, Weber helped found Suicide Prevention Services of America, where she is now Executive Director. The organization works with health departments, schools, universities and municipalities offering strategies to reduce suicide risk, recognize early signs and implement intervention strategies. The organization is one of only seven in the nation to house comprehensive suicide prevention and counseling services. Over nearly two decades, Suicide Prevention Services of America has saved hundreds of lives.

“We have a motto: Never, ever, ever, ever give up,” Weber told the Chicago Tribune. “Your life is worth living. Life is difficult but it is not impossible. There is help out there.”

Weber has been nationally recognized for her pioneering advocacy for suicide survivors. In 2000, she was honored as the National Suicide Survivor of the Year by the American Association of Suicidology. She has been recognized with the National Charlotte Danstrom Woman of Achievement Award and the Hidden Heroes of Public Health Award.

Weber and her husband live North Aurora. They have six children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Dr. Isa Williams – Class of 1967

Even when she was at Beaupre Elementary School, Isa Williams thought about gender equality.

“I think I always knew, even as a little girl: I can do what my brother does,” Williams said. “Why do I have to be treated differently?”

At the time, women’s roles were just beginning to change. Newspapers still divided want ads into jobs for men or women. But more women were going to college and joining traditionally male occupations.

Williams had the full support of her mother and father, who gave their daughter a strong voice and confidence. At East Aurora High School, she felt she was receiving a world-class education. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in history from Spelman College, and was hired into management training at C&S Bank, which is now part of Bank of America.

Early in her career Williams saw corporate doors opening for all women. Williams worked 18 years in the financial services industry rising to a position responsible for mergers in corporate and international divisions. Shortly before turning 40, she was a corporate Vice President and ready to pursue her passion. “I suddenly realized that if I didn’t take this step now, my dream might never become a reality. It is amazing when one steps out on faith, how everything begins to align,” she said.

At age 45, she was one of the first two graduates of the Women’s Studies PhD program at Emory University. She was then hired for her dream job: Associate professor of women’s studies at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta.

In her 16 years at Agnes Scott College, she and her students investigated ways in which women engaged in leadership for the purpose of effecting positive social change in their communities and the labor force. Her research and writing on social justice, cultural diversity and women’s leadership was published in dozens of research journals. She worked with the Mayor of Atlanta on refugee resettlement initiatives and programs to end the sexual exploitation of children.

“I really wanted my students to engage in a form of learning that would transform their lives and thereby enrich their contributions to effect positive changes in society. When students learn to trust themselves, they have a wellspring of brilliance from which to draw,” Williams said.

Williams retired in 2012, but continues to teach and work on social change issues. She and her husband live in Washington, DC and Atlanta. They have one daughter, a son-in-law and one grandson.

After East Aurora High School, C. Dennis Lane served two combat tours in Vietnam, serving as U.S. Army MACV Infantry Advisor to South Vietnamese Infantry Units (1965-66) and serving as CH-47 pilot and flight operations officer with U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division’s 228th Aviation Battalion (1968-69).

Lane was awarded the nation’s highest aviation award, the Distinguished Flying Cross, for heroism and voluntary actions above and beyond the call of duty. In August of 1969, as CH-47 Aircraft Commander, Lane volunteered to fly a 1st Cavalry Division night combat resupply mission in adverse weather. While en route to the 1ST Cavalry Battalion Firebase, the CH-47 was severely damaged by North Vietnamese anti-aircraft fire. Notwithstanding, he oriented the aircraft towards the firebase and crash-landed the huge aircraft within the firebase perimeter. All five CH-47 crew members survived and five tons of ammunition was successfully delivered to the 1st Cavalry Division soldiers who were low on ammunition and under siege by North Vietnamese forces.

Over the course of 21+ years in the U.S. Army, Lane advanced from the enlisted rank of Private to the Commissioned Officer rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In addition to the Distinguished Flying Cross award, Lane received The Legion of Merit, two Bronze Star Medals, 16 Combat Air Medals, The Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm and Bronze Star from the South Vietnamese Government, and the US Army Combat Infantryman Badge.” In 2010, The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum (NASM), Washington, DC recognized Lane as an Honoree and his name is engraved on the NASM Wall of Honor.

Miguel “Mike” Saltijeral – Class of 1986

Michael Saltijeral is a U.S Marines Corps veteran. He received high expeditionary and commendation medals for his service with the U.S. Marine Corps in Panama and the first Persian Gulf War (Desert Storm).

Their mission was to quickly penetrate enemy lines ahead of their battalion landing teams or division infantry forces, and locate and/or harass any enemy forces, and to determine their capabilities size, strengths, location, and any other pertinent vital intelligence that would be useful to expose the enemy security that could ultimately minimize American casualties.

Upon returning to the area and civilian life, Saltijeral worked for other companies in the industry before deciding he really wanted to be his own boss. “I was working 100 hours a week for other people, so I decided that if I was willing to put the time in, I could put the sweat equity in for myself,” Saltijeral recalls. “If you’re willing to do that, then you can accomplish whatever you want.”

In 1999, Saltijeral with the support of his wife and fellow Tomcat Esther (Class of 89) and family, formed Industrial Fence, Inc. Today IFI is recognized as a leader and a pioneer in the security barrier integration industries.

As a Marine Saltijeral takes great pride for serving and protecting our country. As an American business owner, he is passionate about securing and protecting our community with American-made products.

Saltijeral is driven to help other Hispanic and veteran-owned businesses succeed. For as much as Saltijeral has achieved both in the military and as a business owner, he understands the true meaning in life. “If I can make my life matter to my wife and kids, I have succeeded my life’s purpose.”

After graduating from East Aurora High School in 1998, Dr. Fitzpatrick attended University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, initially majoring in architecture. While taking a class on neurobiology and psychology, she developed a strong interest in the biological sciences and changed her major to psychology with a focus on neurobiology. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Northwestern University, and continued her research career with a post-doctoral fellowship position at Northwestern and Rush University Medical Center, followed by a research associate position at Morehouse School of Medicine.

In March 2015, she accepted a position as a Staff Scientist at Strategic Analysis, Inc., where she is a government contractor/consultant in the Biological Technologies Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA is an agency of the US Department of Defense dedicated to making pivotal funding investments to create breakthrough technologies and capabilities for national security, and was responsible for funding the research that led to the internet and GPS technology. Her responsibilities there include managing ongoing research efforts and identifying areas of breakthrough research to protect the warfighter and counter adversarial threats.

Today, Dr. Fitzpatrick is a neuroscientist with expertise in sleep, neuropsychiatric conditions, and genetics, with diverse experience across various biological topics including cognition, neuromodulation, and systems neurobiology. She has presented her research at numerous scientific conferences and has several peer-reviewed publications. She is dedicated to sharing her passion for science, and enjoys participating in outreach events with schools, clubs, and other groups to share her unique background and experience in science and technology with diverse audiences.

Robert E. “Bob” Brent – Class of 1957

After graduating from East Aurora High School in 1957, Bob attended the University of Illinois, studying chemistry and hoping to serve in the FBI. He took part in the emerging application of science to crime investigation. In 1961 he joined the Aurora Police Department, achieving his life-long goal of being a police officer.

While a member of the APD, Bob served with distinction, competing as a top marksman in national competitions, and being one of the founding members of Aurora’s first “SWAT” team, the Special Response Team. Bob rapidly advanced through the ranks, and was selected for a variety of special training and assignments. He received a law degree while attending night school and working full-time, and later received his degree in police administration from the University of Louisville. Bob was selected to receive special training with the United States Secret Service and the FBI Training Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He was also part of Presidential candidate security details.

Bob was appointed Chief of Police for the City of Aurora in 1979, and became one of the youngest chiefs in the country of a city Aurora’s size. He led the department for 12 years. During his tenure he instituted 911 service and call center; established the Police Cadet Program; and co-founded Aurora-area Crime Stoppers. After retiring from the APD in 1989, he worked for many years at Alarm Detection Systems in Aurora.

Bob was a tireless, dynamic leader in the East Aurora High School “Old Timers Club”; the APD Retired Officers organization; the Illinois and International Chiefs of Police Association; and Aurora Crime Stoppers. Bob served in local parishes of the Catholic Church, and the Boy Scouts of America, and played a major role in fundraising for what is now Provena-Mercy Medical Center; and has served on numerous social and civic clubs.