SHSAA Honored Alumnus
The Salem High School Alumni Association began honoring an outstanding alumnus in 1958. Recipients of this honor are recognized for their outstanding or unusual contributions in areas such as community and/or professional service. The award is presented each year at the Annual Reunion Banquet of the Salem High School Alumni Association.
The Salem High School Alumni Association encourages alumni to nominate a graduate of Salem High School for the Honored Alumnus Award for the coming year. If you have a candidate you would like to nominate, please complete the following form and submit it for consideration by December 1. Nominations are for living alumni who are graduates of Salem Senior High School, Salem, Ohio. Posthumous nominations will not be accepted.
Salem High School Alumni Association Honored Alumni
- 2025 Frank A. Zamarelli, Jr. ’82 - local businessman and founding owner of Salem Computer Center, community leader, and advocate Read More
- 2024 Dr. Joseph A. Shivers ’66 - educator; Salem City School District curriculum director, principal, superintendent, and school board member Read More
- 2023 Melissa Conn ’83 - Director of the Venice office of Save Venice dedicated to preserving the artistic heritage of Venice, Italy Read More
- 2022 Todd D. Olson ’81 - local businessman and owner of BOC Water Hydraulics, Salem community and school advocate; local philanthropist Read More
- 2021 Larry A. Davis ’69 - accomplished artist and Walt Disney Imagineer for 31 years Read More
- 2020 Honorable Dean Hansell ’70 - Superior Court Judge, Los Angeles, CA; Previous partner in two major L.A. law firms; former state and federal prosecutor and police commissioner Read More
- 2019 General Robert Ruark-Marines ’77 and General Jay Santee-Air Force ’77 - Both served with distinction and honors in the military for 36 and 33 years, respectively Read More
- 2018 Dr. Peter Apicella ’82 - Chairman of the Department of Medical Imaging at Salem Regional Medical Center; member of the Board of Directors of SHSAA and community leader/volunteer Read More
- 2017 Helen Marie Potter Hayes ’57 - long term Salem High School math teacher and Office Coordinator of SHSAA Read More
- 2016 Bob Hickey ’50 - local business owner/industrialist and community philanthropist; Family has endowed three scholarships-Hickey Metal Fabrication Vocational Scholarship, Nancy Hickey Memorial Healthcare Scholarship, Lois A. Peters Memorial Business Scholarship Read More
- 2015 Dr. Grace Carolyn Brown ’54 - nurse turned University President; Began teaching nursing at Tri-C, becoming Eastern Campus President. Later served as President at Roxbury Community College Read More
- 2014 Dr. Randy Hanzlick ’70 - chief medical examiner for Fulton County, Georgia; Lead national efforts to improve forensic pathology and death investigation systems Read More
- 2013 Capt. Tim Harrington ’84 - USN, Deputy Chief of Logistics, Fleet Supply and Ordnance for the Commander U.S Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Read More
- 2012 Richard “Dick” Buta ’57 - engineer, international business executive, helped develop advanced energy technologies and policies; Worked on civic boards and associations, published and lectured at international institutions
- 2011 Scott B. Citino ’75 - DVM, veterinarian at White Oak Conservation Center, Yulee, FL, on faculty at University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Comparative Pathology, Diplomat of the American College of Zoological Medicine
- 2010 Dr. J. Cletus Paumier ’82 - orthopedic surgeon, past chief of surgery, past member of SCH Board of Directors
- 2009 Joyce Waddell Bailey ’57 - artist, editor, researcher into Ancient Art/Culture, Principal investigator in the field of Latin American Art
- 2008 Richard A. Tyo ’78 - engineer of innovative applications of new technologies. Developed embedded Web technology for NASA in the 1990’s making remote control of Space Station science technology possible
- 2007 John R. Buta ’56 - engineer and local businessman
- 2006 Gregory R. Smith ’76 - musician and composer, well known for theme music for Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom, Broadway, and children’s concerts
- 2005 Frederick M. Kaiser ’62 - specialist in American National Government at the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan analytical agency of Congress
- 2004 William L. Phillis ’54 - Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Ohio Department of Education, Professor at Ashland University, head of the Equity and Adequacy Coalition
- 2003 Lorie Roth ’69 - educator, Vice-Chancellor of academic affairs for California State University, author of a dozen publications ranging from technical writing to word processing concepts, faculty education and communication skills
- 2002 Dr. William E. “Bill” Ward III, chairman of Southern Group on Student Affairs, a consortium of 40 medical schools, Associate Dean Emeritus at College of Medicine, Texas A & M University, Lt. Col retired from Air Force
- 2001 Bruce Gordon ’52 - co-owner and chairman of Gordon Bros. Water Co.
- 2000 Louis Slaby ’59 - athlete, engineer, founder of Louis R. Slaby Engineering
- 1999 Rich Karlis ’77 - NFL athlete and co-founder of Salem Hall of Fame Foundation
- 1998 Carl Gartner ’44 - CEO General Color and Chemical Co.
- 1997 J.Robert Sebo ’54 - founder of Paychex
- 1996 Dr. John W. (Jack) Alexander ’56 - educator
- 1995 Raymond J. Lowry ’41 - businessman
- 1994 Richard J. Theiss ’48 - video, filmmaker
- 1993 Dr. William L. Hoppes, M.D. ’57 - AIDS specialist
- 1992 Donald DeJane ’47 - youth worker
- 1991 Dr. Lowell R. King ’49 - academic, urologist
- 1990 William M. Schaeffer ’39 - UCT, international president
- 1989 Joseph F. Ferreri ’47 - EPA engineer
- 1988 Harvey M. Walken ’46 - real estate management
- 1987 Mary Mercer Krogness ’56 - teacher, writer
- 1986 Charles Gibbs ’43 - banker, alumni treasurer
- 1985 Daniel E. Smith ’46 - jeweler, alumni officer
- 1984 Tom Berger ’41 - artist, western painter
- 1983 Dr. C. James Callahan ’51 - veterinary medicine
- 1982 Herbert J. Hansell ’43 - attorney
- 1981 Dorothy Pozniko Beam ’52 - music professor
- 1980 Lt. Col. Richard Coppock ’56 - Air Force
- 1979 Alta Peterson ’14 - teacher, principal
- 1978 Andrew J. Chitiea ’42 - corporate financial executive
- 1977 Dr. Paul Corso ’24 - physician
- 1976 Joseph Hajcak ’54 - blimp pilot
- 1975 Donald Getz ’52 - artist
- 1974 Gail Herron ’36 - businessman
- 1973 Dr. Jerry Miller ’49 - minister, university president
- 1972 Max M. Fisher ’26 - financier
- 1971 Jay Hanna ’45 - telephone executive
- 1970 Captain S. R. Chessman ’43 - Navy officer
- 1969 Dr. Joseph D. Morris ’39 - surgeon
- 1968 Dale Leipper ’33 - oceanographer
- 1967 Fred J. (Jack) Mullins ’35 - airline executive
- 1966 Lowell Fleischer ’55 - U. S. diplomatic service
- 1965 Holland Cameron ’14 - founder, Salem Tech School
- 1964 Laura Mae Hovermale Whinnery ’30 - alumni historian
- 1963 Lloyd Yoder ’21 - radio executive
- 1962 W. Eugene Young ’27 - scholarship fund treasurer
- 1961 Chester Smith ’16 - sportswriter
- 1960 Natalie Sharpnack ’01 - teacher, principal
- 1959 Joel H. Sharp ’14 - judge, scholarship chairman
- 1958 Fred E. Cope ’25 - teacher, coach, athletic director