Published: May 05, 2008 09:08 am         

High school to honor Outstanding, Distinguished Alumni

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By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Each year, Mt. Vernon Township High School honors those who have made their mark on the area, the nation and even the world with the Outstanding and Distinguished Alumni awards.

The 2008 inductees are no different. Those chosen as Outstanding Alumni are Tom Archer, Toni Federici, Regina Flecter, Lee Ann Garrison, Alan Sledge and Michael Moreton. The Distinguished Alumni are Rolla Anderson, Al Avant, Wright King, Dr. A.W. Modert, Col. Michael Morris and W. Scott Kent.

As an Outstanding Alumni, Federici graduated from MVTHS in 1982. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in textile design and apparel management from the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. She spent five years in bridal sales and design, learning the bridal retail business, then started her own business, operating on the square in downtown Mt. Vernon.

In 12 years, the Toni Federici collection has emerged as the leading veil manufacturer and innovative custom design house in the bridal industry. Her products can be seen in the top bridal salons nationwide and in select countries abroad. The couture design house was honored as one of the three winners of the 2004 Distinct Excellence in the Bridal Industry awards selected by the vote of industrywide bridal retailers.

Moreton is an internationally known artist whose work has won numerous awards. Now living in Adelphi, Md., Moreton is an associate professor and librarian at the University of Maryland at College Park, Md.

Moreton received an associate’s degree from Washington University in 1965, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1971 from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois in 1974.

The year 2008 has been a doubly active year for Anderson, who will not only be inducted as a Distinguished Alumni, but was earlier inducted into the MVTHS Sports Hall of Fame.

Anderson graduated from MVTHS in 1938 and went on earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Michigan University in 1944, spend three semesters in the Marine Corps, attend Southeast Missouri University at Cape Girardeau, Mo., attend Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss., and receive a Master of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1951.

He went on to teach high school and coach at Marshall High School in Marshall, Mich., and at Battle Creek Lakeview High School in Michigan. He was the chairman of the physical education department, a coach and the athletic director at Kalamazoo College from 1953 to 1995, and was the director of the U.S. Tennis Association boys 18 and 16 tennis championships at Kalamazoo College from 1957 to 1995.

His list of achievements is long. He has served as president of the Kiwanis Club of Kalamazoo and the Constance Brown Speech and Hearing Center, chairman of the Provisional Division of the United Way, a member of the Pretty Lake Vacation Camp for needy children, a member of the Big Brothers Committee, a member of the NCAA selection committee for baseball and football and a member of the NCAA tennis committee, serving two years as its chairman — the only Division III college person to hold the position. He is a member of Kalamazoo 2000 committee, chairman of the recreation committee, member of Plaza Arts Board of Western Michigan University, a member of the American Cancer Board, the Kalamazoo YMCA board of directors, chair of the house committee of First Baptist Church and chair of the endowment committee of First Baptist Church.

Avant, another member of the MVTHS Sports Hall of Fame, contributed the Rams’ 1954 state championship. He’s the director of the men’s fellowship ministry and is a Sunday school teacher at Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago. He now lives in Tinley Park.

King has made his mark in the field of acting, best known for his role in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” both on Broadway and the film version.

Some of the movies he was featured in have included “Finian’s Rainbow,” “Planet of the Apes,” “King Rat” and “Young Guns.” Television series include “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “Johnny Jupiter,” “Mannix,” “F.B.I.,” “Gunsmoke,” “Dragnet,” “The Fugitive” and others.

Modert was born in 1890 in Michigan, and moved to Mt. Vernon at the age of 2 with the rest of his family. The family home was located where Opal’s Restaurant once stood. He graduated from MVTHS in 1912.

He attended Ewing Baptist Seminary after graduation, hoping to become a Baptist minister; however, when the school closed, he attended St. Louis School of Physicians and Surgeons in 1913.

After attending the University of Chicago-Loyola University School of Medicine, he attained his license to practice in 1916. He continued training as an intern at Living-In-Hospital in Chicago and later was hired by the Detroit City Hospital.

In 1918, Modert returned to Mt. Vernon with his wife and son to set up a medical practice. He served as county physician during the 1918-1919 flu epidemic. From 1929 to 1939, Modert served as chief surgeon at the West Frankfort Union Hospital while living and practicing in Mt. Vernon.

In 1944, he became chief surgeon and medical doctor for Good Samaritan Hospital. His career moved forward, with him opening the Modert Clinic and serving as president of Mt. Vernon City Schools and as an ORC in World War I. He was a 32nd Degree Mason, a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Knights Templar, the IOOF Lodge and the Rebekah Lodge, as well as a Shriner and other distinctions. On his 84th birthday, then-Mayor Rolland Lewis awarded him the distinction of Dr. A.W. Modert Day. Modert died on Feb. 8, 1978, leaving behind four children, 10 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.

On June 3, 1977, he stood in Changnon Gym one final time to witness his two youngest grandchildren graduate from MVTHS. This year, his great-grandson will graduate from the school.

The banquet will be held May 16.

     

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