By CHRIS MORRIS
Chris.Morris@newsandtribune.com
June 13, 2009 09:27 pm
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Last year, Bette Weber Flock and her husband, Kahler, attended the New Albany High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Their friend, John Reisert, was one of the inductees.
This year, the two will be on the other side of the podium.
The Flocks, along with 10 others, have been elected by the Hall of Fame Committee and will be inducted at a special banquet Sept. 13 in the school cafeteria.
“We feel really honored,” said Bette, who has taught dance in the area for 61 years. “We are quite humbled and are looking forward to it.”
While Bette, a 1949 graduate, is known for her years of teaching dance, her husband was the first New Albany High School graduate to perform on Broadway. Kahler, who has battled lung cancer the past four years, was a 1943 graduate of NAHS.
“He’s doing pretty well right now. I hope he’s able to attend. He will be quite moved by that I’m sure,” Bette said.
Other former graduates or those who have taught at the school elected to the Hall of Fame include: Charles Ruter, class of 1939, who is a world-renowned track and field official and played basketball for Ed Diddle at Western Kentucky; Selman Stewart Bowling, class of 1923, leader of Pacific-area deployment of PT Boats in World War II; Lola K. Sloan, class of 1933, longtime educator; Jeff Woodard, class of 1977, state high jump champion and former world record holder in the high jump while competing at the University of Alabama; Delbert Brown, former principal at the school; Alex Thom, former athletic director, football, track and wrestling coach at NAHS; Guy Mackey, class of 1925, educator and athlete and the man Purdue University’s basketball arena is named after; Tom Weatherston, longtime drama teacher at the school; Robert Willman, longtime teacher and administrator at New Albany who helped start WNAS; and John Moody, class of 1954, former teacher and athlete at New Albany who later began the secondary education program at Indiana University Southeast.
“The committee feels it has another strong group,” said committee member Charles “Boots” Bensing.
This is the third class to be elected.
Moody said to receive such a honor from a school that is 150 years old “makes me feel pretty good.”
“I heard there were 40 [nominees] up this year,” he said. “I guess a lot of the things that you have done over the years makes it worthwhile.”
Moody was in education for 391⁄2 years. At New Albany, he was a scholar and athlete, having played football, baseball and track. Thom, his former coach, is part of the class.
“He was a super guy. Looking back, there are always two or so people who had a tremendous influence over your life,” Moody said. “Alex would be that guy. He always wanted you to work to your fullest ability and if you do something, give 100 percent. That is the way I feel.”
Tickets for the event are available at New Albany High School.
New Albany High School Hall of Fame class of 2009
• Charles M. Ruter, Selman Stewart Bowling, Lola K. Sloan, Jeff Woodard, Delbert Brown, Alex Thom, Guy Mackey, Kahler Flock, Bette Weber Flock, John Moody, Tom Weatherston, Robert Willman
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