2011 Inductees
On Saturday, November 12, 2011 the John Muir High School Alumni Association and John Muir
High School inducted into the
Alumni Hall of Fame
Carol Miller Cassell, PhD (1954), Don G. Strametz (1963),
Gerald K. Freeny (1978), Deputy Chief Darryl Qualls (1980),
Andre Coleman (1982), Mamie Coleman (1989), and Nettie
Piggee for the Brownfield Service Award.
The induction program was one of honor,
celebration and recognition of the school and its alums.
Once again, students that hail from John Muir High
School have shown perseverance, intelligence and the
ability to excel in their chosen career. To make a
positive mark on the community and the world at large.
There are writer's, corporate executives, doctors,
lawyers, engineers, bakers, elected officials, leaders
of industry and police chiefs all from one school. A
school that no mater what its detractors have to say,
will continue to turn out scholars and heads of industry
and state. We Are, John Muir!
Congratulations to our Hall of Fame
inductees:
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Dr. Carol Miller Cassell, graduate from John Muir
College, Class of 1954, was inducted in the category of
Science (Medicine/Health). Carol Cassell has
written
several books that have been acclaimed by "USA Today"
newspaper, "Psychology Today" and the "Journal of Sex Research." They have
been excerpted in American and Canadian magazines, cited in
the popular and professional press, and
published in four
languages, Swept Away: Why Women Confuse Love and Sex;
Tender Bargaining: Negotiating an Equal Partnership
with the
Man You Love; Straight From the Heart: How to Talk to your
Teenager about Love and Sex. She is currently the president
of the Western Region for the
Society for the Scientific
Study of Sexuality. |
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Don G. Strametz, Muir Class of
1963, was inducted in the category of Sports & Coaching.
Strametz was the head track and field coach at Locke
High School in Los Angeles from 1974-79. He was voted L.A.
City Coach of the Year in 1979 after leading his boys' team
to first place in the L.A. City Championship and a runner-up
finish in the state championships. He also guided the girls'
team to a state championship in 1977.
Aside from instructing athletes in competition, he has
been a professor at Cal State Northridge since 1985. He
began his teaching career in 1969 at Locke High School in
Los Angeles. After leaving Locke in 1979, he taught at Mount
Vernon Junior High School until 1985. In addition to his
responsibilities at Mount Vernon, he was an associate
professor at Cal State Northridge from 1979-85.
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Gerald K. Freeny is a member of the Class of 1978
and was inducted in the category of Community Service. He
received his B.S. in Business Administration and Finance
from California State University in Los Angeles. He has been
employed by the state of
California/Department of
Corrections for over 20 years. Freeny has served on the
Tournament of Roses board for 23 years. His previous
community involvement includes The Pasadena Police
Foundation Board, Pasadena Police Citizens Academy,
Pasadena
Rose Bowl Aquatics Board, the University Club, Pasadena YMCA
Board, Black Support Group at Cal State LA, Urban League
Board of Governors, United Way Fundraising Committee and the
Pasadena NAACP. |
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Darryl Qualls, Class of 1980, was inducted
in the category of Government Service. Deputy Chief Darryl
Qualls oversees the Pasadena Police departments officers
within Patrol Services. He began his career with the
Pasadena Police Department as an Explorer Scout when he was
18 years of age. He rose through the ranks of Cadet, Police
Officer, Investigator, Sergeant, Lieutenant and in 2008 his
current position as Commander. He has worked with the
Federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He has also
received training with the Israeli National Police on
terrorism. |
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Andre Coleman, Class of 1982,
was inducted
in the category of Writing (Author/Reporter). Coleman has
been a staff writer for various newspapers in the Pasadena
and Los Angeles area for 20 years. He has served the
Pasadena area with his careful, hard-hitting, no-nonsense,
journalism. He received two Los Angeles Press Club awards
for a story he wrote that became the basis for the movie
"Lake View Terrace." His second award was given for the
article, "Body of Evidence," about a missing Pasadena Police
Officer that was first ruled suicide and then a homicide.
Coleman has also written several books. |
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Mamie Coleman, Class of 1989,
was inducted in
the category of Business.
Coleman as vice president of Music and Production, is
responsible for managing the creation and production of the
promotional campaigns for Fox Broadcasting’s television
series, specials and live event programming.
She works closely with the TV studios and production
companies, major record labels, recording artists, and
agents to secure talent and production materials for FOX's
award-winning on-air promotional campaigns. She became the
first President and founding member of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority Inc., Rho Epsilon Chapter. |
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The
Jim Brownfield Service Award was presented to
Nettie Piggee. For 35
years of service to Muir the ageless "Miss
Nettie" was a fixture at Muir. Tall and slender with a high,
raspy voice that soared forcefully from one end of the
school's campus to the other (even penetrating concrete walls,
according to stage manager Larry Tharp). Nettie Piggee was as
definitive of Muir as the revered "M-Quad" and the aqua tiled
arches of the Rufus Mead Auditorium. Officially, she was
there to protect the school from intruders and to quell
conflicts between students, but coworkers at the alumni
luncheon said Piggee was much more than a campus cop. |
The Rich History
The John Muir High School Alumni Hall of Fame evolved from a special program called the
School Site Council/School Improvement Program that began at Muir in
1980. The program held a Student Leadership Conference in 1983 and,
as a result, the John Muir Pride Task Force was formed. Their
purpose was to improve school pride and campus beautification. They
did this by making spirit buttons, painting the campus, creating
murals, planting projects and various fundraisers.
In 1988, the Pride Task Force established the Alumni
Hall of Fame. The recipients must be graduates of Muir Tech, Muir
College or John Muir High School and not be employed at Muir for at
least one year. They also must have or had an outstanding career
which has resulted in a direct and significant impact in their field
for at least five (5) years. The categories in which the alumni are
recognized include: Community Service; Visual and Performing Arts or
Journalism; Government Service; Sports or Business; and Science or
Education. Up to seven alumni could be inducted into the Hall of
Fame each year. An additional award, entitled the Rufus Mead Award, is bestowed upon alumni who have made
overwhelming contributions in either of the above categories. This
award may or may not be presented annually. In 2010 the Jim
Brownfield Service Award was created to honor non-alumni that have
shown extraordinary and sustained service to the students and the
school. And in 2011 the categories were redefined to reflect the
changes in career types. The categories as of April 2011 are:
Business, Community Service, Education, Government
Service, Performing Arts, Science (Medicine/Health), Sports &
Coaching, Visual Arts, Writing (Author/Reporter).
Since 2004, the John Muir High School
Alumni Association has been responsible for the planning and the organization
of the Alumni Hall of Fame program. The inductees are selected by a
committee which includes teachers, students, administrators, former
inductees and Alumni Association Board members. This committee meets
privately to review the profiles of those nominated and work
independent of any other organization, including the Alumni
Association, to choose the most worthy candidates for the Hall of
Fame.
Nominations for 2012
Nominations for the class of 2012 will be accepted beginning
January 30, 2012. The forms will be available here.
The 2010 Hall of Fame Inductees
2010 Hall of Fame inductees left to right:
Neal H. Brockmeyer, J.D., class
of 1956 selected for the category of Community Service. Dr.
Gloria "Ginger" Cole, Ed.D, class of 1968 selected for
the category of Education. Colonel Alfonso Oseguera, Class of 48
and Muir College class of 1952 selected for the category of
Government Service. Susana Martinez-Stevenson, class 1952 and Muir College 1953 selected for category
of
Business. Hon. Jacque' Robinson, Pasadena Councilmember for the First
District and Muir Alumnae who presented each recipient with
a "Certificate of Appreciation."
And
Warren Brownfield who accepted a special service award
presented and named in honor of his brother, Coach Jim Brownfield
who not only coached his players to great sports achievements,
but coached them onto becoming great human beings.
Unable to attend was Dr. Atilia Martinez-Stewart, M.D., from the class
of 1952 and the Muir College class of 1954 selected for the category
of Science.
We congratulate all of our 2010 inductees and proudly
add their names to the Hall of Fame list and their photos now
grace the halls of Muir as they were placed along side the other
members of the Alumni Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame Ceremony
Here are a few pictures from the 2010 Hall of Fame
ceremony.
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Neal Brockmeyer
&
Lewis Peters |
Brad Jose
Truitt |
Dr. Barbara
Mossberg |
Muir ROTC
Color Guard |
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Muir Student
Presenters |
Singing the
Alma Mater
Linda Lane-White &
Allisonne Crawford-Airtam |
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