1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1998 | 2002 | 2005 | 2009

1988 Hall of Fame

Ms. Florence LaRue ( Arts), Class of 1960. Vocalist for the internationally acclaimed Fifth Dimension.

Ms. Ellie Daniel (Athletics), Class of 1968. Gold, silver, and bronze Olympic swimming medalist.

Mr. Harry J. Wilkinson (Business), Class of 1955. Long-time business friend to Abington and president of SPS Technologies.

Mr. Frederick Monroe Eckel (Education), Class of 1956. Professor of Pharmaceutical Science at the University of North Carolina and a national leader in the field of pharmaceutical practice.

Brigadier General Robert R. Porter, U.S.M.C. (Government), Class of 1952. Director of the Naval Council Personnel Boards, Arlington, Virginia.

Dr. Amar Bose (Science), Class of 1947. Recipient of the Inventors of the Year Award, 1987, and a leader in the development of electronic and stereophonic technology.

Mr. Howard Shaffer (Service), Class of 1933. Long-time president of the Abington Alumni Association.

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1989 Hall of Fame

Mr. Thomas (Tommy) Campbell (Arts), Class of 1975. Renowned jazz percussionist who has performed in over 32 cities internationally and in almost every major American city.

Mrs. Carol R. (Blank) Polis (Athletics), Class of 1954. First woman professional boxing judge in the U.S.

Mr. Albert G. Handschumacher (Business), Class of 1936. Former Vice President, General Manager and Corporate Director of the Rheem Manufacturing Co., President and Chairman of the Board of Lear, Inc., and Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO of Aeronca, Inc..

Dr. Ashton B. Carter (Education), Class of 1972. Nuclear scientist and Professor of Public Policy and Acting Director of the Center for Science and International Affairs of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Judge Ida Chen (Government), Class of 1970. Advocate of ethnic and minority rights and the first Asian-American female in Pennsylvania to be awarded a judicial post.

A. Russell Parkhouse (Posthumous), Class of 1934. Former Abington Township Treasurer and Montgomery County Commissioner.

Martin R. Eichelberger, M.D. , Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics (Science), Class of 1963. Director of Emergency Trauma Services, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, D.C.

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1990 Hall of Fame

Susan Seidelman (Arts), Class of 1969. Director of five feature films and one of the top woman film directors in the United States.

Wayne Ambler (Athletics), Class of 1932. Major League second baseman and shortstop. Sixteen years of service to the youth of Abington township.

Frank E. Vaughn (Business), Class of 1947. Executive Vice President of the Maytag Corporation and President of the Hoover Group.

Mark A. Rothstein, Ph.D. (Education), Class of 1961. Professor of Law and Director of the Health Law Institute of the University of Houston. Author and expert on occupational health laws.

Vice Admiral James E. Service (Government), Class of 1949. Retired Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Dr. Judy Blankfield Bernbaum (Science), Class of 1967. Director of Neonatal Care Unit, Children's Hospital, Philadelphia.

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1991 Hall of Fame

Bob Saget (Arts), Class of 1975. Comedian and popular television celebrity.

Madelyn Braccio Chiomento (Athletics), Class of 1938. Outstanding high school coach, athlete and educator.

James H. Lesko (Business), Class of 1969. Director of Marketing and Customer Services, Americas Division, Xerox Corporation.

Dr. Marion Berry Warner Holmes (Education), Class of 1944. Executive Director of Career and Vocational Education, School District of Philadelphia.

Dr. Steven E. Rhoads (Government), Class of 1957. Professor at the Woodrow Wilson School of Government and Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia.

Helen Lee Johnson (Service), Class of 1925. First African-American teacher in Abington School District, whose service to both the youth and community of Abington continues to this day.

Joseph A. Thompson (Science), Class of 1948. Emmy award-winning producer of wildlife and ocean films. Costeau-affiliated diver and ocean explorer.

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1992 Hall of Fame

Robert B. Portney, M. D. (Arts), Class of 1970. Nationally recognized concert violinist. Chief Psychiatrist of Massachusetts General Hospital's Neurobehavioral Unit and a supervising physician in the APS/Emergency Ward. Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

William J. Sautter, (Athletics), Class of 1974. Three-time All-American soccer player at Temple University and former professional soccer player in the North American Soccer League.

Adam M. Aron (Business):, Class of 1972. Senior Vice President-Marketing for United Airlines. Widely credited with being one of the fathers of the frequent flyer marketing program.

Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, D.B.A. (Education). Class of 1972. Professor of Organization and Management and Director, Center for Leadership & Career Studies, Emory University. Author of The Heroes Farewell: What Happens When CEOs Retire.

Rear Adm. Peter J. Bondi (Government). Class of 1950. Fleet Supply Officer on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Craig R. Reckard, M.D. (Science), Class of 1958. Chief of Transplant Services, Lehigh Valley Hospital Center, Allentown, PA. Author of numerous articles and abstracts.

Donald R. Neiman (Service), Class of 1944. Respected local businessman with 40 years of service to the Abington and Glenside communities.

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1993 Hall of Fame

Gregory K. Heller (Arts), Class of 1967. Writer and producer of feature films, documentaries, and television scripts.

Melvin H. Roberts (Athletics), Class of 1960. Philadelphia Phillies first base coach with previous experience playing, managing and coaching in the Phillies minor league organization.

Janet Wikler (Business), Class of 1963. Group Vice President and Director of Advanced Media for Harper-Collins Publishing Company.

Martha Albertson Fineman, J.D. (Education), Class of 1961. Professor of Law at Columbia University. Author and legal expert on issues pertaining to women and the family.

Oscar P. Vance, Jr. (Government), Class of 1959. Chief of Detectives in Montgomery County and the recipient of numerous police and civic awards.

George Geckeler, M.D. (Posthumous), Class of 1910. Prominent cardiologist and developer of the electrocardiogram.

Captain Tracy Bowden (Science), Class of 1957. Underwater salvage expert whose archeological expeditions have been featured in National Geographic, at the Smithsonian Institution, and on major television networks in the United States and Europe.

Alonzo Sudler, Jr. (Service), Class of 1943. Community leader and friend of the Abington Schools. Director of Pharmacy Services at Abington Hospital for 38 years.

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1994 Hall of Fame

David E. Stone (Arts), Class of 1965. Academy Award winning sound effects and dialogue editor for films, television, and cartoons. Among others, his movie credits include Die Hard, Willow, Twilight Zone, Top Gun, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Dracula.

William G. Zimmerman (Athletics), Class of 1950. Outstanding athlete and coach. Inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame .

William S. Ripley, III (Business), Class of1959. Formerly, President of the Pfaltzgraff Company and President and Chief Operating Officer of Neutrogena Corp., one the Fortune 500's top 100 companies.

Ray Jackendoff, Ph.D. (Education), Class of 1961. Professor in Linguistics and Cognitive Science at Brandeis University. Studied under Noam Chomsky. author of numerous publications and books, including, most recently, Patterns in the Mind.

Don Cook (Government), Class of 1938. Chief of the London Bureau and Chief European Correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune and the Los Angeles Times from 1945 to 1988. Author of four works of historical journalism and contributor and columnist for respected political magazines and journals.

Walter H. D'Ardenne, Ph.D. (Science), Class of 1950. Graduate of M.I.T. in nuclear engineering, Nuclear Safety Officer for General Electric and member and chairman of various nuclear standards agencies, his career centers around the development of nuclear safety standards for nuclear power plant programs worldwide.

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1995 Hall of Fame

Gail Berman-Masters (Arts), Class of 1974. Producer of off-Broadway and Broadway theater productions and of film and television productions. Twelve Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Play.

Anne Rutledge Sage (Athletics), Class of 1962. Field Hockey and Lacrosse coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Former lacrosse All-American lacrosse player and participant in world and Olympic lacrosse competition. Temple University Athletic Hall of Fame inductee.

Maxine S. Coleman (Business), Class of 1962. Vice-President of Personnel and Organization of Kal Kan Foods, Inc. Former Vice-President of Personnel and Administration of Mars Electronics, West Chester, Pa. Guest lecturer at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Edward E. Bondi (Education), Class of 1966. Noted Dermatologist with an active clinical practice at the Dermatology Clinic of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Lindbach Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Andre C. Washington, Esq. (Government), Class of 1970. First African-American President of The Big Sisters/Big Brothers Association of Philadelphia. Formerly, an Assistant District Attorney, Supervisor at the Municipal Court Unit, and partner in the firm of Post and Schnell of Phila.

Michael C. Morris, M.D. (Science), Class of 1972. Transplant Surgeon specializing in pancreatic and renal implantation. Numerous publications and presentations relevant to practice in and advancement of the field.

Howard Yoder, (Service), Class of 1930. Long-time Business manager of the Times Chronicle newspaper, Vice-President of Montgomery Publishing, consultant for Montgomery Publishing. Past President of the Glenside Kiwanis International and Board member of numerous community service organizations.

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1998 Hall of Fame

Anthony Williams (Arts) , Class of 1949. Veteran alto saxophonist who has played with renowned local and national jazz artists. A volunteer music educator in the Philadelphia Public Schools throughout his career; mentor to the jazz group Pieces of a Dream.

Randy Garber (Athletics), Class of 1971. Penn State all-American soccer player who went on to play professionally in the NASL and the MISL. Continuing involvement in soccer through the coaching of club and high school teams. Various coaching awards.

Samuel Ross (Business), Class of 1950. Former President and CEO of Pennsylvania Blue Shield.

Margaret Bing (Education), Class of 1956. Teacher, counselor and inspirational leader in the Upper Moreland School District. Active in Citizens for Progress and Abington Human Relations Action Committee.

Albert L. Herrmann (Government), Class of 1953. Thirty year career in Abington Township, including a nine year position as Township Manager. Borough Manager of Hatboro for the last 10 years.

Mark Drela (Science), Ph. D., Class of 1978. Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT where his formulation of aerodynamic principles has aided the development of a human-powered aircraft and the human-powered hydrofoil.

Mary F. Farmer (Service), Class of 1937. Outstanding performance of civic duty. Long-time involvement in the Abington Alumni Association in every capacity, ranging from active member to President.

Dr. William Wagner (Service), Class of 1938. Active in medical missions throughout the world as a missionary physician. A coordinator of recruitment and surgical training programs and a relief and staff surgeon. Medical school instructor.

John Boyd Coates, Jr., M.D. (Posthumous), Class of 1928. Thirty-five year military career during which he became a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army, serving as Deputy Surgeon and, later, Surgeon of the Third U.S. Army commanded by General George S. Patton, Jr. Later became Surgeon for the Dept. of Pennsylvania Veteran of Foreign Wars and Surgeon General of the national V.F.W.

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2002 Hall of Fame

James Morrow (Arts), Class of 1965. Science fiction author; Two-time winner of the Nebula Award for short fiction; received World Fantasy Awards for his novels Only Begotten Daughter and Towing Jehovah.

Shawn Wooden (Athletics), Class of 1991. Notre Dame athletic scholarship; professional football career with the Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears.

Robert P. Vogel (Business), Class of 1962. Former Vice President and General Counsel for Rohm and Haas Corporation; specialist in environmental and regulatory law.

Donald D. Warner (Education), Ed. D. Class of 1950. Career-educator; Superintendent for 23 years; Numerous civic and education awards.

Captain Norman W. Shriver (Government), United States Navy Class of 1952. Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy; Thirty-six year career in the Navy with numerous command-level assignments, including Captain of the submarine USS Tang; twice presented the Legion of Merit Award.

Ellery Schempp, Ph.D., Class of 1958 (Science) Doctorate in Physics from Brown University; Research into Electro Magnetic Imaging (EMI), high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials for practical applications in MRI, analyses of wind power energy, development of cryogenic power electronics systems, and novel energy storage technologies. Initiated school prayer suit against Abington which was eventually decided by U.S. Supreme Court in 1963.

William A. Holt, Jr. (Service), Class of 1964. Recipient of numerous awards and citations for his efforts in law enforcement and in the Abington community; Recently inducted into the International Police Association, Pennsylvania #13, Hall of Fame .

Philip Kind (Service), Class of 1933. As a Naval Aviator, attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander during World War II; Commanding Officer of Squadron VP932 in the Naval Reserves; promoted to Commander in 1956; Outstanding service to civic, charitable, and community organizations throughout his life.

Michael J. Penecale (Posthumous), Class of 1939. Former president of Abington Alumni Association; Accomplished athlete, coach and businessman who benefited his community.

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2005 Hall of Fame

Michele "Myke" Williams (Education), Class of 1966, a dedicated teacher, mentor and member of the Abington School District community for 33 years until her untimely death in 2004.

Stephen A. Schwarzman (Business), Class of 1965, founder of one of the largest asset management firms in the world, the Blackstone Group, LP, currently President and CEO of the firm. Chairman of the Board for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, member of the prestigious and influential Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Schwarzman sits on several philanthropic boards of various organizations including Harvard Business School Visiting Committee and the New York Public Library.

William J. Landherr, Jr. (Service), Class of 1955, founder of Corro Therm, Inc. with offices in Feasterville, Pa. Mr. Landherr has served as the President of his fraternity's alumni association for 27 years and ahs been a member of the Abington Alumni Association's board for 20 years. He has served as president of the associationR17;s board for the past 7 years.

Captain James C. Gibson, USN (Ret.) (Government), Class of 1952, earned an NROTC scholarship to Princeton University where he earned a Master's Degree in Engineering. Captain Gibson had a long a dedicated and decorated career in the United States Navy where he served in the Naval Nuclear Engineering program and designed a new class of minesweeper as well as participating in the new design for an aircraft carrier update.

Dr. Dawn R. Chamberlin (Athletics), Class of 1981, NCAA Division III national championship field hockey coach at Salisbury University. Dr. Chamblerin has coached at Salisbury for 18 seasons where she has achieved a career record of 263-78-8.

Kenneth Kenyon (Arts), Class of 1950, Mr. Kenyon has a long and dedicated career as the chief research librarian for 20th Century Fox Films.

Dr. Emory W. Zimmers, Jr. (Science), Class of 1961, Dr. Zimmers earned a Ph.D. from Lehigh University in 1973 where he is a member of the faculty at the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Amy J. Sacks (Arts), Class of 1972, a short but spectacular career with Walt Disney Studios and ABC Sports; becoming the first woman television sports producer. She was a coordinating producer for ABC's " Wide World of Sports" from 1986 through 1989 and in her brief career, earned 13 Emmy awards, two Pinnacle awards and a Christopher award for coverage of the 1983 Special Olympics.

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2009 Hall of Fame

• Nancy D. Kolb ’58 (Education).  Mrs. Kolb earned a BA with honors from Bucknell University and was a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the national honorary fraternity in history.  She is a certified teacher of history, social studies and science and has earned several hours of graduate credit from Temple University while a teacher at Abington Senior High School.  She has been a consultant at notable historical societies and served as the director of the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission.  Since 1988, Nancy D. Kolb has been the President and CEO of the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia.  She has spearheaded the museum’s recent move and renovation and has worked to make the museum a premiere regional and national point of interest.
• Marc Vetri ’85 (Business).  Mr. Vetri’s culinary training began early in South Philadelphia with family and he honed his art through intensive study in Italy and the United States.  His skills and experience were further refined in New York City and the restaurants Coco Pazzo and Bella Blu, where he guided the latter to distinction as Bella Blu was named “Best New Restaurant” in 1996.  Mr. Vetri returned to the Philadelphia area where he was a winner of the James Beard Award for “Best Chef Mid-Atlantic” and consistently named among the top chefs and restaurateurs in the region.  He has opened two highly regarded and quite successful restaurants in Center City, Vetri and Osteria.
• Nancy Hislop McPeek ’57 (Service).  Mrs. McPeek earned a BA from Cornell University in 1961 and has pursued numerous courses in leadership, graduate studies and business for non-profits since that achievement.  She has been a lifelong advocate and activist for a variety of social service causes and organizations including, but not limited to, Kent State University, the Association of Junior Leagues, the Stark County (OH) Humane Society, the Canton YWCA, the American Red Cross, Child and Adolescent Services Center, the United Way and the Area Agency on Aging.  Mrs. McPeek has served in a leadership capacity in most, if not all, of those organizations and has been recognized and marked for distinction in her field by the United Way in 1990, the Stark County Women’s Hall of Fame in 1990, the Canton Woman of the Year in 1984 and the State of Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 2007.
• Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Verbeck ’69 (Government).  Gen. Verbeck earned a BS from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA in 1974 and an MS from the University of Southern California, San Diego.  He is a distinguished graduate of the Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base and Air Command and Staff College also at Maxwell AFB in Alabama.  He served with distinction as Chief of Staff for two of the largest Air Forces’ commands Air Combat Command and Central Command Air Forces.  Gen. Verbeck has won numerous commendations, decorations and citations over his long and invaluable service in defense of his country.
• Susan Francia ’00 (Athletics).  Ms. Francia earned a BA and Master’s degree in criminology from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004 and earned All-American honors rowing for the university.  Ms. Francia has been on five national teams and has won four world championship titles.  In 2008, Ms. Francia was a member of the gold medal winning women’s team at the Beijing Olympics.  She continues to compete at the highest levels internationally and in 2009 won two gold medals in international competition.
• Carol B. Saylor ’55 (Arts).  Mrs. Saylor is a visual artist who gradually turned to sculpture during 25 years of progressive deafness and blindness.  She is a cum laude graduate of Tyler School of Art where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and later taught humanities and fine arts in Bucks County.  Mrs. Saylor has won numerous honors over the past 25 years including three “Best in Show” at the Armory Show from the Women’s Committee of Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and will be having major shows at the Michener Museum and Villanova University in 2010.
• Arnold J. Malerman, DDS ’61 (Science).  Dr. Malerman earned a Doctorate of Dental Science with a certification in Orthodontics from the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Dental Medicine in 1972.  He was later a clinical instructor and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania and has worked to develop curriculum for schools of dental medicine.   A veteran of the United States Air Force, Dr. Malerman was voted “Best Dentist/Orthodontist” five times between 1998 and 2002 in Montgomery County Newspapers.   He has dedicated his professional life to the furthering of dental medical science and has worked tirelessly to educate new members of his profession.
• Michael W. Gillespie ’56 (Posthumous).   Mr. Gillespie was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who joined the Abington Township Police Force following his honorable discharge as a corporal from the Corps.  He served 26 years as a member of the force with numerous commendations for performance.  He was the Abington Township Commissioner from Ward 13 and was serving his fifth term when he passed away on June 24, 2009.  He served as a board member or leader in the Abington Township Republican Organization, the Glenside Kiwanis, the Glenside Patriotic Association, Citizens and Police Together along with numerous other philanthropies, social service societies and associations.  In the words of Commissioner Carol DiJoseph as quoted in the Times Chronicle of July 1-7, 2009: Mr. Gillespie was a “quintessential public servant.”

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