Lifetime Achievement Awards

TAC’s Annual Lifetime Achievement Program

Since the last Saturday in September, 2013, we Tiger Alumni Center Volunteers have been pleased to honor alumni and district education employees, both retired and active, with our Lifetime Achievement Award (LTA). That's six years and counting!

Before Richard Williams started the website now called by its nickname, TAC, he knew that his theme was going to be that of connections, one of which would be to honor those known for their commitment to public service for their community. They might be still among us, retired, or still serving others -- or now part of our history, perhaps unknown by our youngest alumni.

TAC had to age a few years before having the ability to provide the program.

To read more details check our use of terms below.

Tiger Alumni Center's

Lifetime Achievement -- Hall of Fame

Click on the list below to review recipients

Suggested / Nominated: Our members define the term, LifeTime Achievement

Members have asked in the past what we mean by the term "Lifetime Achievement." The answer is that it's those who recommend or nominate a person who are making the definition -- we TAC adm support the member's thinking by our actions of inducting the person as one of our Lifetime Achievement Honorees.

Posthumous

We all live in our own time -- if a wonderful, history-making person lived generations ago, 'Before our Time," then we who wish to honor their contribtions can do so Posthumously only. We believe in the value of our making a connection - "Bridging Time" - with the ones who have slipped into history. They can teach us much.

Now - Expressing our Apprections to the Living

Richard and the other volunteers much prefer to honor recipients while they are alive. While we do enjoy seeing the love in the faces of the living family members of a deceased honoree, and that is a joy, we would rather honor people in their lifetime. Let me share a few examples.

Click on the name to visit the ceremony page.

2013 Recipient Mary Lou Brown

Mrs. Brown attended the Liberty Lawn one-room, rural school for three years before going to Central School in Olney where she finished 8th grade. She graduated from Olney Township High School in 1937 and received a Lifetime Elementary Teaching Certificate from Eastern Illinois University in 1940. Mrs. Brown taught art for 33 1/2 years, doing so both as a teacher assigned to one classroom (such as her ten-years as a fourth grade teacher at Central) and as a traveling art teacher with assignments in most of the county schools. She was my art teacher in junior high. She died August 8th, 2018.

2017 Recipient Harry Hillis, Jr.

The ceremony in which we honored Mr. Hillis occurred just months before he passed. If you click on his name you can see the joy of him and his family. I did not know Mr. Hillis before the ceremony, but on reading his contributions, I was pleased to know him and thankful for his service.

Mrs. Marilyn Holt, retired East Richland school district superintendent wrote the following:

"Harry has been the Board’s recording secretary for the past ten years. Of course before that time Harry served East Richland School District for many years and in many ways. He is our resident Historian and we love it! He is just a wealth of knowledge. He has a memory that keeps on going. He is like the Everyready Battery Bunny! He keeps us on our toes with parliament procedure and helps us keep our board meetings on track. He is a supporter of East Richland athletics and we are so pleased and happy to have Mr. Hillis serve as our Board’s Recording Secretary. Thank you Harry for all you do!"

2014 Bernard Eagleton

Bernard was a teacher, a coach, and the County Superintendent of Schools for a period of more than 35 years.

We were able to honor Mr. Eagleton when he was one hundred years old! He amazed all with his recall of students, stories, and sharp wit. He thanked the audience and TAC for the honor and ended by quoting some scripture that had guided him throughout his life. Richard was personally pleased as he had Mr. Eagleton in mind years for the LTA before when he started TAC.

The Gift of Teachers to Motivated Students

"The Only Certainty is Nothing is Certain"

If you look under Richard Williams' name in the 1060 Olnean, will find the above quotation. Those responsible for putting that phrase under my name, had good reason for doing so: my high school behavior was totally without luster. I was not a motivated student. But my educators, including my family, had served me well enough.

I got motivated after I met my future wife and wanted to "win" her as a wife. Motivation! Reminds me of my high school hero, General Dwight D. Eisenhower. You see, given the time of my youth in the 1940's and 50's, he was a natural leader to admire. I point out, however, that no one could have predicted his achievements, given the evidence of his short application letter to his U.S. Senator for an appointment to West Point. (Seeing his very poor penmanship and one grammar error in one of his youthful letters helped me see him as a teenager.) As a youth he was the product of his educators. Obviously he was ready and motivated. The rest was mostly, largely, up to him.

Every single person honored by the Tiger Alumni Center is the same in a few ways: they got a good education and then they served their community. TAC's joy is sharing that and thus bridging us in time and connecting us to those who helped prepare our community / world for us.

Clarence "Smitty" Smith

LTA Chair and Master of Ceremony

TAC LTA Committee Members

TAC Administrator Nancy Runsey -- with 2013 Honoree Mary Lou Brown

Christen Bishop Nikidas (ERHS Class of 1987) with Past Superintendent and Current TAC Administrator Marilyn Holt

Judy Walker LTA Presenter, 2013-15

TAC Founder Richard Williams

with reception guests --

Sisters:

Herma Belle Jenner Dycus (Olney Township High School, Class of 1936)

and

Helen Jenner Bauman (OTHS, Class of 1940)

Happy Days!

The Tiger Alumni Center volunteers are pleased to report that the Tiger Pride Alumni Association Directors when asked volunteer to assist the LTA program. Thanks!

	Kellie Cook, 2018 (Returning) TPAA Director Class of 1964 Founding President, 2014-16
	Janet McKinney Everette, 2014- TPAA Treasurer Class of 1977 Founding Director, 2014
	Lisa Hough Hemrich, TPAA President Class of 1990 Founding Director, 2014
	Glenda Hinkle, TPAA Director, 2017 Class of 1982
	Marilyn Holt TAC Admin -- 2018 Superintendent, Retired, RCCU1 (Richland County Community Unit School District #1)
	Amanda Houching, TPAA Director, 2017 Class of 1997
	Ann Weesner King TAC "Olney Memories" Class of 1960 (First Volunteer of TAC)
	Chad Miller, 2018 TPAA Director Attorney Class of 2002
	Nancy O'Connell TAC Veterans Administrator Class of 1975
	Nancy Rumsey, TAC Administrator “In Memories/Obits” Class of 1966 Founding TPAA Director, 2014-18
	Amy Cummins Rusk, TPAA Secretary Class of 2004
	Clarence "Smitty" Smith, TPAA Director and TAC Admin Class of 1960 Founding Director
	Brenda Stallard, TPAA Vice-President and TPAA Webmaster WRHS, Class of 1988
	Richard Ray Williams, Founder, TAC, Owner Class of 1960 Founder of TPAA