Washington High School Hall of Fame

Nominations for the HOF Class of 2026 

 

The Washington High School “Hall of Fame” was established to recognize alumni of Washington High School for exceptional work and lifetime achievement that best exemplifies the values and teachings of WHS.

The objective of the Hall of Fame is to present models of inspiration and integrity to the WHS student body and to instill pride in Washington and in alumni achievements.

In addition to having been a WHS student, the nominee must have exhibited high ethical and moral standards, have demonstrated a high level of achievement in life such as (but not limited to) excellence in a chosen profession or exceptional acts of service.  This might be an accrued lifetime of service, a contribution to humanity, or a single act of heroism or inspiration.

Hall of Fame nominations are reviewed every four years.    Individuals may nominate themselves or may nominate others.  Nominees who were not selected in the past may reapply for consideration by completing all requirements.   We will open the Call for Nominations for 2026 in Fall 2024.  Learn more about the process here.

 

Current Members of the WHS Alumni Hall of Fame (poster)
(d. = deceased)

Schomer Lichtner:  Class of 1923 (d.) Artist; Works shown in numerous museums and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s White House

Louise Edna Goeden:  Class of 1925 (d.) WHS English Teacher, Author, Major in Women’s Army Corps in WWII

Edward Harris Heth:  Class of 1926 (d.) Writer of short stories, novels and screenplays; 1936 O’Henry Award winner

Howard O. Johnson:  Class of 1926 (d.) 12th Chief of the Milwaukee Police Department from 1957 to 1963 

Norman N. Gill:  Class of 1928 (d.) Director of Legislative Reference Bureau; Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Marquette University; numerous civic and education awards

Robert W. Hansen:  Class of 1929 (d.) Circuit Judge in family court (1961–1968); Wisconsin State Supreme Court Justice (1968–1978); first candidate in Wisconsin to unseat an incumbent chief justice

Dr. Harry J. Blumenfeld:  Class of 1931 (d.) Dentist; leader in development of Milwaukee dental care and recipient of numerous awards and honors

Major Arthur L. Post:  Class of 1935 (d.) WWII Pilot in Army Air Corps; received Distinguished Service Cross and Distinguished Flying Cross

Glen Barbaras:  Class of 1937 (d.) Supervisor on The Manhattan Project; holds patents at the University of Chicago and as Research Manager at DuPont Experimental Station

Marlin M. (Pat) Harder:  Class of 1940 (d.) NFL Player and first in history to score 100 points in three consecutive seasons

Abner J. Mikva:  Class of 1943 (d.) White House Counsel under President Clinton and recipient of the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom

Lee Sherman Dreyfus:  Class of 1944 (d.) Governor of Wisconsin, 1979–1983; Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point

Newton N. Minow:  Class of 1944 (d.) Annenberg Professor of Communication; Chair of the FCC; extensive leadership for PBS; recipient of the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom

Arthur Thrall:  Class of 1944 (d.) Artist and Teacher; artwork in many collections throughout the world; recipient of numerous awards; represented in Who’s Who in America

Donald J. Hoeppner:  Class of 1949,  Accountant and business owner; elected to Wisconsin Senior Olympics Hall of Fame; earned more than 500 medals in national, state, and local athletic competitions; 70 years as troop leader in Boy Scouts of America

Ruth Kesselman Silver:  Class of 1949 (d.) Author; Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Deaf-Blind Persons, Inc. in Milwaukee

Richard Larsen:  Class of 1949,  Founder of Larsen Electronics; Founder of Seeds of Growth and International Forgiveness Institute; trustee for several nonprofit foundations serving youth and inner-city residents; initiated welding and HVAC courses in two MPS schools

Alfred E. Lunde:  Class of 1949, Professor of music; Pastor of music and worship; Music Chair Emeritus at Cairn University; Conductor; Author; Alumnus of the Year at Western Washington University

Richard Allen Anderson:  Class of 1950, Senior Research Fellow at the Kimberly-Clark Corporation; holder of six patents; Author of poetry and children’s books

Doris Bogen Preucil:  Class of 1950, Professional symphony violinist; Founder of the Preucil School of Music, a Suzuki school with international recognition

Jerome Silberman (Gene Wilder):  Class of 1951 (d.) Actor/Author; starred in many famous movies including Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles

James Basta:  Class of 1952, Graduate of Eastman School of Music; member of United States Marine Band for 20 years as assistant conductor, arranger, and first chair horn, playing for five U.S. presidents; Composer; Founder of two orchestras

Herb Kohl:  Class of 1952 (d.) U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, 1988–2012; Owner of Kohl’s Stores and Milwaukee Bucks; Founder of Herb Kohl Philanthropies

Allan (Bud) Selig:  Class of 1952, Commissioner of Baseball, 1998–2015; inducted into the 2017 National Baseball Hall of Fame

Dr. Richard Anderson:  Class of 1953 (d.) President of Waukesha County Technical College; received the Waukesha County Volunteer Center Lifetime Award and Public Policy Forum Lifetime Achievement Award

Thomas Buntrock: Class of 1954 (d.) Chief of Mequon Police Department; died in an act of heroism

Donald T. Lunde:  Class of 1954, Forensic psychiatrist; Author; Navy officer; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus at Stanford University; Founder of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry; Pioneer in mental health support of transplant patients

Martin (Marty) F. Stein:  Class of 1955 (d.) Philanthropist and Founder of Stein Drugs in 1961 and Stein Optical in 1979

Martin Wiviott:  Class of 1955, Theatrical Producer and Manager of theaters such as Melody Top Theatre and Swan Dinner Theater in Milwaukee; Tenthouse Theater in Highland Park, IL; Producer at Long Beach Civic Light Opera; Film Producer; Vice President of Nederlander Hollywood Pantages Theatre

Russell M. (Russ) Darrow, Jr.:  Class of 1958, Chairman & CEO of Russ Darrow Group, Inc.; Business Hall of Fame; involved with Junior Achievement, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Boy Scouts of America

Richard L. (Dick) Weiss:  Class of 1959, Owner, Computer People Unlimited (CPU); Philanthropist & Founder of the Weiss Family Foundation

Dr. Lynn Taussig:  Class of 1960, Renowned authority on respiratory diseases/infections; Author of numerous scientific publications and books

Alyce Gilbert:  Class of 1961, First recipient of the WHS Alumni Scholarship; Production Wardrobe Supervisor; Tony Honoree on Broadway; 2018 Backstage Legend and Master Award, State University of New York–Purchase (The Broadway Technical Theatre History Project)

James (Jim) Kurtz:  Class of 1962 (d.) “Mr. K” was a WHS Teacher, MPS Administrator, and extensively involved with Sherman Park Community Association

Alan Lesgold:  Class of 1963, Dean Emeritus of Education and Professor Emeritus of Education, Psychology, and Intelligent Systems at the University of Pittsburgh; his award-winning research focused on artificial intelligence

J. A. Paulos: Class of 1963, Mathematics Professor at Temple University; Author of articles and books exploring the intersection of math and popular culture; New York Times best-selling author; received several national awards for public understanding of science

Daniel Stepner:  Class of 1964, Professional Violinist and Recording Artist; Artistic Director of the Aston Magna Festival and Foundation

Christopher J. (Chris) Dede:  Class of 1965, Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard Graduate School of Education; internationally known Speaker & Author

Robert Garfinkel:  Class of 1965, Founding member of two successful nonprofits focused on adult literacy and disabled individuals; Awards include Green Bay Packers Give Back Award, Wisconsin Heroes Award, Wisconsin Public Service Leadership

Sheila Parrish-Spence:  Class of 1965, First African American Assistant District Attorney in Racine County; Lawyer, adjunct professor, lecturer, author, mentor, and sole practitioner of her own law firm; serves on multiple boards including Medical College of Wisconsin and NAACP

Michael Feldman:  Class of 1966, Host of Whad’Ya Know? radio program; named King of Small Talk Radio by The Wall Street Journal; Author and Teacher

Gregory Lehman:  Class of 1968, WHS Coach and twice recipient Coach of the Year; Wisconsin High School Coaches Association District

Dr. John Klein, Class of 1969 (d.) Chief Statistical Director of the Statistical Center of the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research and world-renowned expert in biostatistical research methods

David Seebach:  Class of 1969, Magician; taught magic at UWM; won the coveted Best of the Best trophy at the annual National Magic Get-Together

Jeffrey Steren:  Class of 1969, President of Steren Management, Inc. and Owner/Operator of multiple McDonald’s restaurants; involved in many local charities

Christopher Gardner:  Class of 1971, Entrepreneur, Author, and Philanthropist; subject of the book and film The Pursuit of Happyness

Michael Mayo, Sr.:  Class of 1974, Milwaukee 7th District Supervisor for 23 years; served as Trustee on the Milwaukee County Pension Board

Imani Bazzell:  Class of 1977, Founder and Director of Sisternet; involved with numerous social justice and community activist groups

John David Jenkins:  Class of 1977, Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from UW-Madison; Pharmacy manager and role model for youth; member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and Boyz4Life, Inc.; promoter of community health through immunizations and screenings

Mark Sain:  Class of 1977, Retired Assistant Fire Chief; District #1 Director and President of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors (2017–2019)

Rev. Dr. James G. White:  Class of 1980 (d.) Milwaukee County Board Supervisor (1996–2008); Chairman of Milwaukee County Transit Committee; UWM Alumni Gold award; Founder of ENCOMPASS Project

Ranell Washington:  Class of 2000, Board Chair of Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority; Co-founder of Social X, a Diversity Equity Inclusion organization; Community consultant; awards from Milwaukee Business Journal, United Way, and Madison 365 Black Power