Alumni Hall of Fame
The Port Jervis
School District established the Alumni Hall of Fame to recognize
individuals who were educated and inspired by our school system.
Those selected for this honor have achieved personal success and
have made a significant contribution to society. They will serve
as role models to inspire current and future generations of
students.
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2009 Hall of Fame
- Inaugural Class |
The 2009 inductees were honored Oct. 11 at the first annual
Alumni Hall of Fame banquet at the Erie Trackside Manor. Pictured (left to right) are
Ed Banach. '78;
Marion Rohner, '35; Brigid
Gray,'78, who accepted the award for her father
Senator E. Arthur Gray, '43; Dr. Sam Levinson, '47,
who accepted the award for his brother
Dr.
Harry Levinson, '39;
General William Norris, '45;
Philip Chase,
'50; and
Lou Banach, '78.
Click here to see more photos of the Hall of
Fame Banquet & to watch the
Channel 6 news segment about the
inaugural induction ceremony.
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Marion Rohner,
Class of 1935
The scouting icon is listed in the 2001 edition
of the Guinness
World Records for being the
longest-serving den mother in the
world. Her dedication to the youth of our community was also
recognized by the City of Port Jervis which erected an official historic
marker in her honor. Rohner was also named Citizen of the Year for
both her hometown and Orange County, Age hasn't stopped . Rohner
- who is now a
youthful 92 years old - from volunteering. She is still active in scouts and teaches
Sunday school. The Port Jervis graduate also left
a legacy for generations
of alumni by writing the lyrics for our High School
Alma Mater
in the 1930s.
Dr. Harry Levinson,
Class of
1939
A pioneer in the study of the psychological aspects
of
management and the workplace, the professor emeritus of
psychology at Harvard Medical School founded the Levinson
Institute and authored 18 books.
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Senator E. Arthur Gray,
Class of 1943
A dedicated public servant, the late Arthur Gray
spent his life
serving the people of Port Jervis -
as a local businessman and
owner of Gray-Parker Funeral Home, as the longest-serving mayor
in
Port Jervis history and as a New York State senator for the 39th
Congressional District. He was also a former member and
chairman of the Port Jervis Community Development Agency, former
member of the Orange County Economic Development Agency and
former chairman of the National League of Small Cities Advisory
Council. Other affiliations include St. Mary’s RC Church; Bon
Secours Community Hospital Advisory Board; and the Port Jervis
Lions Club. He was recognized as a living legend of Colorado
Baseball. Senator Gray passed away in 2007 at the age of 82.
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General William Norris,
Class of 1945
A decorated flight pilot, the retired U. S. Air Force major
general completed over 100 flights in both
the Korean and
Vietnam Wars, and held numerous commands during his illustrious
career including leading all 50,000 Air Force troops stationed
in
Europe.
Philip Chase,
Class of 1950
The beloved educator taught science at Port Jervis High School
for 34 years and coached several sports - none of
which had a losing season. A trailblazing conservationist and former sports columnist, Phil Chase is also a
strong advocate for the Delaware River. In February 2009, Field
and Stream magazine recognized his long-standing efforts by
naming him one of the country's leading conservationists.
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Ed Banach,
Lou Banach
Class of 1978
After winning their respective New York State high school
wrestling championship titles, the twin brothers went on to the
University of Iowa where they collectively won five NCAA and six
Big Ten titles. In 1984, the former Raider heavy-weight
wrestlers represented the United States in the Olympics, winning
gold medals in their weight classes. Considered to be two of the
greatest New York State wrestlers of all time, the Banachs are
members of the Wrestling Hall of Fame.
2009 Hall of Fame Committee
The district wants to thank the
following alumni, teachers, staff, school board members, and
community members for serving on the Hall of Fame Committee:
Christine Addy
Tom Hoppey
Frank Bell
Jared Kahmar
John Bell
Lori Lawrence
Kevin Birmingham Tom Leek
Tom Bongiovi
Luann McCarthy
Deb Cassara
Mike McCarthy
Phil Chase
Deb Meerdink
Mike Cordisco
Peter Osborne
Kelly Decker
Richard Roberts
Nancy Dunn
George Rollman
John Faggione
Dan Ronson
Chris Farlekas
Ron Semerano
Lynn Hendershot
Bill Smith
Jim Hendry
Hugh Spangenberg
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