• Two new SHSAA scholarships: Arthur and Gladys Wright Votaw Memorial First Responder Scholarship and the Cindy O’Brian Memorial Education Scholarship
• New Named Grant: Kelly Janofa K-8 Gifted and Talented Education Grant - gifted by Drs. Austin & Liz Fredrickson, graduates of the SHS Class of 2008
• Always a Quaker – Sustained Monthly Giving Program
• 2026 recognition societies and alumni donations
• Salem Schools break ground for new K-8 Building
• Sylvia Torti ’86 named 2026 SHS Honored Alumnus
• Alumni notes & moments
• SHS reunion events
• In Memoriam - remembering our alumni
• Calendar of Events

Sylvia Torti, SHS Class of 1986, has been chosen as the 2026 SHS Honored Alumnus.

Torti is an ecologist, author, and higher education leader who serves as president of the College of the Atlantic. Torti earned her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Utah, where her research examined the little-understood ecological phenomenon of tropical monodominance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In addition to her scientific work, Dr. Torti is an accomplished creative writer. Her debut novel, The Scorpion’s Tail, received the Miguel Mármol Award for best first work of fiction by an American Latino/a writer. Her second novel, Cages, earned the Nicholas Schaffner Award. Her short stories and essays have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies.

From 2012 to 2023, Dr. Torti served as dean of the Honors College at the University of Utah. Her earlier leadership and academic roles include directing the university’s Bonderman Field Station near Moab, serving as president and vice president of Writers at Work, and working as conservation biologist for Red Butte Garden. A native English speaker, she is also fluent in Spanish and Danish.

Torti will be honored at the SHSAA Scholarship Award Ceremony -145th Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Salem High School auditorium. A catered Open House reception in the cafeteria will follow.

The SHSAA Scholarship Award Ceremony will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Salem High School auditorium. A catered Open House reception in the cafeteria will follow. Everyone is welcome to these events to support and congratulate our students.

The Salem High School Alumni Association was organized in 1882 and created the first high school alumni scholarship fund in Ohio in 1903. On April 26, 2025, the Salem High School Alumni Association awarded 116 scholarships totaling $405,500 to 49 Salem High School graduating seniors and 52 alumni.

Since 1908, more than $10 million in scholarships have been awarded to 2730 students to help them pursue their career aspirations through the generosity of alumni and friends.

Join us on Saturday, July 1, 2026, for a special concert, "America Remembers" featuring the Dave Banks Big Band and a USO-style variety show.

The event is free and sponsored by the Salem High School Alumni Association as part of the America250 semiquincentennial celebration.

Membership for sustained monthly donors that supports the association with our greatest needs throughout the year.

As a member of the Always a Quaker Society, you will

• Create a year-round impact with effortless monthly contributions.
• “Pay it Forward” for alumni who received scholarships and now wish to help the next generation of students succeed.
• Help ensure consistent support for Salem students, classroom grants, and other sponsored programs.
• Be part of a dedicated group of alumni investing in what comes next.

Arthur Votaw '47 was a well-respected firefighter in the Salem Fire Department for 32 years. He was a proud Army veteran who served in a MASH unit during the Korean War. Gladys Wright Votaw '50 was a well-known beautician who worked at Bonfert’s Beauty Shoppe for many years.

This scholarship provides past Salem High School graduates funds to assist in education and/or initial certification as a first responder.

First responders, who are among the first to arrive and to help at the scene of an emergency, have diverse careers requiring specialized education, training, and examinations that lead to a certificate, a license, an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree.

First responders include fire service members such as firefighters; law enforcement officers such as police officers; emergency medical services members such as EMTs and paramedics; search and rescue members; technical/heavy rescue members; and public works employees such as heavy equipment operators and tree department personnel.

Applications are accepted year-round with specialty education funding providing up to $1000 per applicant and initial certification examination funding providing up to $500 per applicant, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Note, applications for Salem High School graduating and current college-enrolled postsecondary students are provided through the annual scholarship process of the SHSAA (see scholarship menu above).

Salem High School sophomores took a significant step toward their futures at the annual SHS Career Day held at the Kent State University at Salem campus on Friday, November 7.

The event, designed to provide students with insights into various career paths, was a collaboration between the Salem High School Alumni Association and the Rotary Club of Salem.

128 students gathered for a day of career exploration, engaging with professionals and gaining valuable knowledge to help shape their career decisions.

Thanks to Salem Regional Medical Center for the sponsorship of refreshments.

To support our mission of fostering student development, the Salem High School Alumni Association is now offering grants in the amount of $100-$500 to eligible K-12 teachers in the Salem City School District.

This past fall 2025, SHSAA provided $11,282.82 to 28 classrooms to expand, improve, or provide unique educational insights while enhancing educational opportunities, environment, and the physical and mental growth of students.

Since 2024 SHSAA has provided $22,821.61 to 56 classrooms.

Applications for Fall 2026 will be available in September.

Planning a reunion or gathering of alumni? Let us know what you have planned, and we will post it for others.

Alumni Craig Berger '02, Aaron Berger '05, and Ed Butch '02 are co-hosting a podcast named "Quaker Success: Redefining What It Means to Succeed."

They are partnering with the Salem High School Alumni Association on this initiative and speaking with Quaker alumni about their various journeys since graduation, including discussing personal/professional accomplishments, reflecting on SHS memories, and identifying how growing up in Salem contributed to their success.

To accentuate this focus on "success," they spent the first season interviewing guests who were voted "Most Likely to Succeed" their senior year.

They then added episodes of "Quaker Success Shorts: Stories Among Friends." In these narrative-driven stories, they bring alumni journeys to life in our own words, weaving together the details they've shared into a short-form experience. These episodes are snapshots—quieter, tighter, and a little different from our interviews, but rooted in the same spirit of community, curiosity, and Quaker pride.

The Quaker Success podcast for Season Two is taking a new approach that shines a light on one of Salem’s proudest legacies: education. Titled Quakers Teaching Quakers, this season features interviews with alumni who returned to serve Salem as teachers, coaches, and mentors, helping to shape the next generation of Quaker graduates.

Quaker Success is available on all major podcast platforms. They hope you will listen, enjoy, and reflect on what it means to be a Salem Quaker!

We are happy to welcome visitors to the office. Come and explore more than 100 years of Salem High School memories. Visit our newly renovated lobby and a second-floor room featuring the SHS Alumni Art Wall.

Our regular office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. We are also open on select Second Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Alumni and friends may also call the office at 330-332-1427 for assistance and to request an afternoon or weekend visit.

The SHSAA Mission Statement:
The mission of the Salem High School Alumni Association of Ohio shall be to award scholarships to qualified students, manage assets including memorabilia for future generations, foster student and alumni development, and honor the organization’s past by nurturing friendships and enriching memories.

The Salem High School Alumni Association Societies recognize the generosity of our donors who have made a difference in the lives of Salem High School graduates for more than 100 years.

For more information, please contact us at 330-332-1427.

Our database includes 20,000 alumni from as far back as the first graduation class of 1865.

We also have an extensive collection of Salem High School yearbooks back to 1893 both online and at our office.

We honor our past members and look forward to our future.

The Salem High School Alumni Association has a database of more than 20,000 alumni dating back to the first graduating class of 1865.

Consider a memorial donation which will help fund our scholarships for the benefit of future alumni.

Memorial Society recognition is bestowed on individuals or families who have given or bequeathed funds or for whom memorial donations have been made totaling at least $10,000 but less than $100,000.

Named Scholarships and higher-levels of recognition are bestowed for donations of $100,000 or more.

Salem High School Alumni Association is proud of the rich military experience of our alumni.

We have information on hundreds of alumni who have served in the military.

Feel free to search and admire the distinguished careers and accomplishments of our alumni.

Please encourage other alumni or their families to submit their military information.