[June 28, 2011] New Albany High School Hall of Fame recognizes graduates, faculty Tweet NEW ALBANY, Jun 27, 2011 (The Evening News and the Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Some of them might not have hit any home runs or scored any touchdowns, but they still help put New Albany High School on the map. The school's fifth-annual Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Oct. 16. The event will recognize 10 graduates and faculty members who have done great things for the school and their communities. Susan Adams, a member of the Hall of Fame Committee, said coaches and athletes are recognized in the program, but they try to give notoriety to people who served in other areas as well. "We try to get a variety of people," Adams said. "Not all sports, not all educators, not all business people, but a variety of them from all different walks of life." This year, seven former students and three faculty members will be recognized. Charlie Ruter, chairman of the committee, said he thinks this year's inductees are worthy of admission. "I think we have a very good group," Ruter said. "They've made a lot of contribution to the school and the community." Adams said nominations are accepted until February of every year. The nominations are kept for five years and narrowed down after about three months of discussions with the nine-member committee. She said nomination forms can be picked up at the high school and they also are included in the program for Hall of Fame events. She said the qualifications are broad, but the committee works to see who makes it in. "They should either be a graduate or have been an active faculty member or friend of the high school," Adams said. "They need to have contributed in high school as well as to their community in some significant way since then." She said the program has been fun for the last five years, even if keeping the inductees to a three-minute maximum on speeches is difficult at times. She said their memories are vivid, even after so much time has passed. "Some of them have been out for 40, 50 years, but they remember their experiences and can look back and see how their memories impacted them, so that's pretty cool," Adams said. THE HONOREES ARE --Gary Austin, teacher/coach -- 1957 graduate; NAHS 1962-98 --Charles "Boots" Bensing, community service -- 1939 graduate --Walt Ferber, communications/sports -- 1974 graduate --Diane Adams Keithley, recreation/coach -- 1961 graduate --Norman Melhiser, business/community service -- 1953 graduate --Etelka Rockenbach, education -- 1901 graduate; NAHS 1914-54 --Dr. Marilyn Schultz, communications/education -- 1963 graduate --Damon Sims, teacher/coach -- NAHS 1955-90 --Camille Wright Thompson, sports -- 1973 graduate --John Willman, education/community service -- 1963 graduate To see more of The Evening News and The Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspapers, go to http://www.news-tribune.net. Copyright (c) 2011, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]