Delaware City
Schools
Distinguished Alumni
Hall of Fame
Paul A. Craft
Superintendent of Schools
Thank you for joining us to celebrate the accomplishments of six outstanding individuals who are being
inducted into the Delaware City Schools Distinguished
Alumni Hall of Fame. This joint event recognizes our
alumni and friends of the district who have excelled in
career achievement, athletics and the performing and
visual arts.
Earlier today our students had the opportunity to meet
our inductees. It is my hope that they will be similarly
motivated to achieve in their respective fields of interest and will one day join this illustrious group. Please
join me in thanking our inductees for making us so
proud and for pointing our graduates toward excellence!
Dinner & Ceremony Agenda
Master of Ceremonies - Richard Stranges, Principal
WelcomeRichard Stranges
Buffet Dinner
Adjourn to the Auditorium for Induction Ceremony
Singing of the Hayes Singers
National Anthem & Alma Mater
Posting of the Colors
AFJROTC
RemarksPaul Craft
Superintendent of Schools
Presentation of Awards
Noah Cowan
John E. Dewey
Timothy I. Flahive
Linda Lukas
Bill Rietz
James D. Schlichting
Recognition of Former
Inductees
Richard Stranges
Closing RemarksRichard Stranges
Guests are invited to attend the football game for an
on-field introduction of honorees.
Noah Cowan
Class of 1990
Noah Cowan has always been fascinated by how things move -- from the complex spatial relationships of the pieces on a chess board, to the limitless patterns
of a juggler’s rings. This lifelong fascination has led Noah to become an internationally recognized leader at the intersection of robotics and neuroscience.
Noah’s work takes aim at one of the great mysteries of science and engineering:
why can a computer outwit the world’s best chess player, but yet a child can
move the pieces better than the best robot? Noah’s work on the science of how
the brain controls movement has earned him a Presidential Award and a trip to
the White House to meet Mr. Obama.
In 1978 -- at the age of six -- Noah moved to Delaware with his mother and
two sisters. Noah’s mother passed away a few years later and he and his sisters
were taken in by their loving grandparents who raised them at 269 W. William
Street. Noah spent most of his childhood exploring Blue Limestone Park with
his friends, delivering the Delaware Gazette, juggling, and playing chess with
his grandfather.
At Hayes, Noah led the Hayes Juggling Club to regional and national competition, and played First Board for the Hayes Chess Club, which won the central
Ohio Chess Tournament for two years in a row. His senior year, Noah joined
and lettered in cross country and track (swimming didn’t go so well, but he did
that too). And each Sunday evening, Noah trekked over to Asbury Church at
about 6:30 to play a bit of four-square before hitting the weekly Ecumenical
Youth Group (EYG) meeting where he and fellow youth-groupers discussed
such light-hearted topics as World Peace.
Noah graduated Summa Cum Laude in Electrical Engineering (EE) at Ohio
State in 1995, earned his MS (1998) and PhD (2001), both in EE at the University of Michigan, and performed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Berkeley in
Biology. Noah is now a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins
University, in Baltimore, MD, where he lives with his wife Susan and kids Genevieve, age 9, and Jonah, age 6.
Noah makes his way back to Ohio every year to connect with old friends. He
also stays involved by helping to maintain the EYG’s webpage.
John Edwin Dewey
Class of 1957
Surveyor, history teacher, military officer, Air Force JAG, Justice Department
liaison, practicing attorney for over 40 years, city attorney, chairman of several
non profit corporations, John Edwin Dewey was born in 1939 in Delaware,
Ohio.
Dewey graduated from Delaware Willis High School in 1957 after 1.) his pitching and hitting helped Willis achieve its first ever Central Buckeye League baseball championships in 1954 and 1955, and 2.) his induction into the National
Honor Society.
He played baseball at Ohio State in 1958 and 1959 and graduated from Ohio
State University in 1962. He taught history before being commissioned a Lieutenant in the US Air Force in 1964. He served at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, in the Strategic Air Command and in 1965 was appointed 3902AB
Squadron Section Commander, which had 900 men. For the two year period
of 1967-68, as a Captain, he served as the Squadron Commander of the 3960th
Civil Engineering Squadron on Guam with the Squadron being responsible for
the maintenance and providing the fire crews for the runways where the B52s took off and landed from their Arc-Light and Rolling Thunder missions in
Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Dewey earned his J.D. from the University of Texas and began private practice
in Lake Jackson, TX in 1972, where he also became the city attorney. He served
as the Brazoria County Chairman for Ronald Reagan in 1976 and 1980 serving
as a Reagan delegate to the Republican National Convention and becoming
part of the vanguard of the “Reagan Revolution.” From 1985-1988, he was a
liaison to the U.S. Justice Department and to the Attorney General on issues of
law and personnel concerning Southeast Texas and the Texas Bar Association.
His advice, along with that of other officials, was sought on nominations from
Texas to the federal bench and other federal vacancies.
As city attorney for Lake Jackson for 34 years, Mr. Dewey worked on some
historic cases regarding annexation and environmental law case that allowed
the city to build its golf course. Mr. Dewey was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas City Attorney’s Association for his achievements
in municipal law and his service and mentoring of other attorneys. In 2007, the
City Council of Lake Jackson, Texas, voted to name the City’s new law building
and courthouse “The John Dewey Municipal Justice Center.”
Timothy I. Flahive
Class of 1975
Timothy I. Flahive graduated with high academic honors from Rutherford B.
Hayes High School in 1975. He was awarded the Frank E. Shannon Award for
outstanding achievements in academics and athletics during his senior year.
During his high school years, Tim was an outstanding athlete, earning three
varsity letters in football, swimming varsity for four years where he also
served as team captain during his senior year, and playing varsity doubles
tennis for three years.
Mr. Flahive graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1979 and entered
law school at Ohio Northern. He earned his J.D. with honors and joined his
father and brothers in their Delaware law practice in 1983. He served the
Delaware community as an attorney until his retirement in 2012.
Tim has also served the Delaware community on various boards including
the Sarah Moore Home (past president), St. Mary School and the Delaware
County Bar Association (past president).
Flahive officiated local, conference and championship swim meets for the
Ohio High School Athletic Association for more than 25 years. He coordinated races for both the summer and winter swim seasons for the Delaware swim
team and remains an active volunteer for local swim meets.
Tim has 2 children: Philip who works in Delaware and Maureen who is
attending law school at Capital University. His eight brothers and sisters are
also graduates of Delaware City Schools.
Linda Lukas
Class of 1974
A native of Delaware, Ohio, Ms. Lukas graduated from Rutherford B Hayes
High School in 1974. She then went on to receive a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Ohio University and a Master’s degree in Flute Performance
from the University of Iowa. In 1980, she was awarded a United States
Foundation Grant and spent a two-year residency studying and performing
in Paris, France. While in Paris, she gave a special performance for Nancy
Reagan at the Petit Palais during the Versailles Summit. Upon returning from
France, she began work towards a Doctoral Degree at Northwestern University, studying with Walfrid Kujala and performing with the Civic Orchestra of
Chicago.
In 1984 she won the position of Second Flute with the San Diego Symphony.
While in San Diego, she also performed with the California Ballet Orchestra, the San Diego Opera Orchestra and as Principal Flute of the San Diego
Chamber Orchestra. In addition, she was Instructor of Flute at San Diego
State University and appeared as a chamber musician at the San Luis Obispo
Mozart Festival and the La Jolla Summerfest.
Linda won the position of Second Flute in the San Francisco Symphony in
1990 and is currently celebrating her 25th season with the Orchestra. She was
Acting Associate Principal Flute for the 2004 and 2005 seasons and has been
a soloist with the orchestra in performances of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto
No.4. In May 2006 she was the featured soloist with the Central Ohio Symphony, performing Mozart’s Concerto in D Major in Grey Chapel. In addition
to her Symphony schedule, she regularly performs as a soloist and chamber
musician, and has been Instructor of Flute at San Francisco State University
since 1991. For the past 20 years during the month of August, she has been
Principal Flute of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony where she has also been
a frequent soloist and performer of chamber music. Linda has appeared as
a soloist at National Flute Conventions in San Diego, Los Angeles, and St.
Louis and for ten years was a member of the Arioso Wind Quintet, which has
recorded two CD’s on the Koch International label.
Currently she is on a month long tour with the San Francisco Symphony, playing concerts in Edinburgh, London, Berlin, Bucharest, Lucerne, Luxembourg,
Amsterdam, and Paris.
Bill Rietz
Class of 1976
A lifelong Pacer, Bill Rietz has been a student, teacher, coach and mentor. Rietz
graduated from Hayes High School in 1976. He was senior class president, a
member of National Honor Society and an accomplished member of the Hayes
swim team. Bill earned 4 varsity letters as a swimmer, was district qualifier for
4 years and served as the team captain for the 1975-76 season.
Mr. Rietz attended the University of Tennessee and graduated with honors
with a degree in education. He returned to the Delaware area and began teaching social studies at the Delaware Area Career Center. In 1986, he returned to
his alma mater and taught social studies until he retired in 2009.
His coaching career began in 1980 as an assistant swim and diving coach. In
1988 he assumed the head coaching position and still leads the Pacer Swim and
Diving teams. His many coaching achievements include having state qualifiers
in 23 out of 27 seasons, 35+ athletes who have earned Academic All American
awards and 60 athletes earning Academic All Ohio awards. In boys’ meets,
Mr. Rietz has an overall record of 196-144-1 with undefeated seasons in 1989
and 2005. His boys’ teams have captured 4 OCC Division Championships and
have been runner up 8 times. Rietz was the OCC Division Coach of the Year
in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005 and Central District Coach of the Year in 1990
and 1997.
Equally impressive are the girls’ results over his coaching career. Rietz has
accumulated a 203-151-2 record, captured 3 OCC Division Championships
and have been runner up 7 times. Rietz was named the OCC Division Coach
of the Year in 2002, 2003 and 2004 and the Central District Coach of the Year
in 1989 and 2012. Rietz has been awarded the OHSAA Sportsmanship, Ethics
and Integrity award, Larry Lyons Service Award and the Lou Berliner Award.
Bill is married to fellow Hayes alum Kay Rietz. He is an active member of First
Presbyterian Church and Delaware County Historical Society. He has coached
for DARTS for 37 years and serves as a board member of Greater Columbus
Swim League. Bill serves on the Board of Zoning Appeals for Delaware Township and has served as a committee member for school levies for both Delaware City and Delaware JVS.
James D. Schlichting
Class of 1971
James D. Schlichting has played an instrumental role at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the past three decades in crafting telecommunications policies for the benefit of American consumers. Currently the Senior
Deputy Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Mr. Schlichting has
direct responsibility for mobile wireless competition issues, the mobile wireless
aspects of Open Internet policies and policies facilitating expansion of mobile
broadband service into rural areas.
Schlichting graduated from Hayes High School in 1971. He was class Valedictorian and one of two high school students in the state of Ohio to be named a
Presidential Scholar. He was a member of the Hayes swim team and served as
team captain. Jim continued his swimming career while he attended Yale College where he graduated summa cum laude. He received his J.D. from Harvard
Law School magna cum laude in 1979, where he was a member of the Harvard
Law Review.
Out of law school, Jim clerked for two judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for
the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. He then joined a private law firm in Washington, D.C., where he ended up specializing in telecommunications issues. In
1985, Mr. Schlichting joined the FCC and has served in influential and key
civil service positions, including as an adviser on the personal staff of an FCC
Chairman and as Acting Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau.
Since 1990 he has been a member of the federal Senior Executive Service. During his tenure he has helped pave the way for the expansion of mobile services,
advised on policy that lets consumers keep their phone numbers when they
switch carriers, and regulations that ensure 9-1-1 operators receive important
information and locations from calls made on mobile phones. He received the
Commission’s prestigious Gold Medal Award for distinguished service in 1996.
In addition to his work, Jim enjoys traveling, participating in the annual Hayes
alumni swim meet, volunteering for the local pool club to maintain their database and serving as “Chief Guru” for the FCC staff carolers. Jim and his wife
Jean reside in Arlington, Virginia and have two sons.
Hall of Fame Inductees
Delaware City Schools Hall of Fame
2013 - Combined Hall of Fame
Richard J. Blakeslee - Class of 1970
John C. “Jack” Hilborn - Class of 1967
Christian Howes - Class of 1989
Dan Morrison - Coach
Will Morrison - Class of 2003
Herbert H. “Bill” Williams - Class of 1954
2014 - Hall of Fame
Brent Carson - Class of 1966
Clifford Dochterman - Class of 1943
Larry Eberst - Class of 1973
Charles “Tony” McCleery - Class of 1945
Abigail Nims - Class of 1997
Joseph DiGenova - Friend of the District
Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor
2007 – Inaugural Class
William Hastings Eels – Class of 1942
Esther Jo King – Class of 1977
F. Sherwood Rowland – Class of 1943
John Michael “Mick” Seidl – Class of
1957
Henry Clay Thomson II – Class of 1926
James Tull – Class of 1980
2008
Jeffrey T. Benton – Class of 1971
Christopher “C.D.” Davies – Class of
1983
Douglas H. Dittrick – Class of 1951
Richard E. Lee, Jr. – Class of 1969
2009
Lorraine Bahrick – Class of 1971
Richard D. Gordin II – Class of 1969
Anthony M. Heald – Class of 1967
2010
Cheri Florance – Class of 1966
Douglas Gordin – Class of 1974
Tiffany Lefevre Lillie – Class of 1991
Nicholas Shaheen – Class of 1983
2011
David Fivecoat – Class of 1989
Chris Geesman – Class of 1957
Janet B. Hurst – Class of 1974
Walter D. “Tom” Thomson – Class of 1956
Athletic Hall of Fame
2000 – Inaugural Class
Jerry Cornell - Coach
Liana Coutts - Class of 1984
Roy Henderson - Coach
Julie Schupp Long - Class of 1981
Rick Middleton - Class of 1970
Robert Muirfield - Distinguished Service
2001
T.K. Cellar - Coach
Tiffany Feinberg - Class of 1984
Ray Middleton - Coach
Tom Reed - Class of 1963
Donald Shannon - Class of 1966
Jim Stimmel - Distinguished Service
2002
Gabe Banks - Class of 1991
Jay Coffman - Class of 1976
Jerry Fouts - Distinguished Service
Vance Herrell - Class of 1973
Sheila Martin - Class of 1983
Richard Snouffer - Administrator
2003
Jerome Bohanna - Class of 1972
Tony Heald - Class of 1967
Gary Henery - Distinguished Service
Carrie Houser - Class of 1986
Mike Kinnaird - Class of 1975
Tom Landsittel - Class of 1963
Athletic Hall of Fame
Continued
2004
Jim Burkhart - Class of 1962
Dr. Bob Kedar - Class of 1988
Gary Fivecoat - Coach
Joe Reed - Class of 1952
Dewey Warden, Jr. - Class of 1971
Dr. Tennyson Williams - Distinguished
Service
2009
Steve Aller - Class of 1963
Wilbur Bills - Class of 1944
Roy Clark - Class of 1960
Clifton Davis - Class of 1950
Krista Jacobs - Class of 1988
Tony Rieman - Distinguished Service
2005
Jim Hoffman - Distinguished Service
Don Lockwood - Coach
Bill Middleton - Class of 1968
Frank Montgomery - Class of 1962
Marge Moses - Coach
Fred Terry - Class of 1955
2010
Andy Hull - Class of 1954
Mike Milligan - Class of 1982
Dan Mohr - Class of 1992
Larry Seidl - Class of 1953
Matt Weller - Class of 1986
Mike Stimmel - Distinguished Service
2006
Frank Dalton - Coach
Travis Dalton - Class of 1989
Kris Leslie - Class of 1979
John Talley - Class of 1956
Ralph Young - Athletic Director
Terry Kramer - Distinguished Service
2011
Tom Arnold - Class of 1969
Mike Cornell - Class of 1973
Todd Goebbel - Class of 1994
Bill Williams - Class of 1954
Nancy Young - Distinguished Service
2007
Dave Echols - Coach
Jean O’Connor - Class of 1984
Stacey Reed - Class of 1989
Ed Starling - Coach
Len Visci - Coach
Tom Ackley - Distinguished Service
Al Wood - Distinguished Service
2008
Lou Carozza - Coach
John Dewey - Class of 1957
Jack McKinnie - Class of 1950
Richard Payne - Class of 1955
Lynne Powers Weber - Class of 1978
Tim Burchfield - Distinguished Service
2012
Carthel Ransaw - Class of 1955
Jason Stofel - Class of 1989
Scott Yant - Class of 1981
Dana Minot - Distinguished Service
Performing Arts Wall of Fame
2004
Jay R. Smith - Class of 1970
2006
Eugene Raymond Ross - Band Director 1938 1971
Brad Schroeder - Class of 1970
2007
Amy Eckert - Orchestra Director 1971 - 1997
Erika Eckert - Class of 1982
Special Thanks
Delaware City Schools would like to thank the following people for their contributions to today’s
program.
Honorees and Guests
Hayes High School Music Program
Air Force JROTC
All Occasions Catering
Hayes High School Athletic Staff
Delaware City Schools
248 N. Washington Street
Delaware, OH 43015
740-833-1100
www.dcs.k12.oh.us