Recent Pictures of Interest


Larry Hultgren to be honored at the end of his
55 year career at Virginia Weslyan University

From the university's website:

Honoring a Highly Esteemed and Beloved Faculty Member

Blocker Hall Atrium to bear the name of Dr. Larry Hultgren

University News | January 29, 2024

Dr. Larry Hultgren has had an office in Blocker Hall from the day it first opened. That’s a long time, but he's been at Virginia Wesleyan long before that. As Dr. Hultgren begins his final semester, concluding 55 years as a faculty member, the university is preparing to name the atrium outside his office in his honor.  he "Lawrence D. Hultgren Atrium" will serve as a lasting tribute to his extraordinary service and dedication. To commemorate this momentous occasion, the atrium will be provided with new furnishings, study areas, relaxation amenities for students, and a studio-size portrait of Dr. Hultgren will be commissioned to serve as a constant source of inspiration for the VWU community. 

“Through his tireless efforts, Dr. Hultgren established the philosophy department, infusing it with progressive ideas that transcended traditional boundaries,” says Thomas Taylor '00, Ed.D., Chair of the VWU Alumni Council. “He encouraged students to engage actively and guided them to take leadership roles in shaping university policies and initiatives. His influence was so profound that even our beloved Marlin mascot was chosen under his guidance, reflecting his commitment to student empowerment.” 

Dr. Hultgren’s enduring commitment to Virginia Wesleyan University, combined with his steadfast belief in the power of critical thinking, has shaped countless lives and left an indelible mark on VWU. As a Professor of Philosophy, Dr. Hultgren has taught longer than any faculty member in Virginia Wesleyan history while contributing so much outside of the classroom. 

“First and foremost, he was a pioneer in the faculty,” says VWU President Scott D. Miller. “Arriving on campus in 1969, he set the tone for Virginia Wesleyan faculty and students to come, creating the friendly, inclusive culture that has been the cornerstone of our campus. He has served as our Faculty Athletics Representative, a member of our Athletic Hall of Fame committee, and a faithful scorekeeper for men’s and women’s basketball. He’s been a faculty advisor to numerous clubs and organizations, and a terrific friend and mentor to his colleagues and students.” 

And as might be expected, Dr. Hultgren sees this sort of recognition somewhat philosophically. “To be honored in this way by this space is especially meaningful,” says Dr. Hultgren. “An atrium such as this serves as an opening to classrooms and labs that invites mingling between students, faculty, staff, and visitors.  And, as a philosopher, I have always seen atriums as a kind of public space for learning, sort of like the ancient Greek agora.” 

Congratulations to Dr. Hultgren on this well-deserved honor. A dedication event will be held during Spring Alumni Weekend on the morning of Saturday, April 6, before his alumni lecture. All are welcome to attend.


CONGRATULATIONS TO AN MHS CLASS OF 1962 ALUM

 

Woody Acord provided a picture of a recognition award Tom Herbert recieved recently from the Florida Association of Professional Geologists.  Pretty impressive, Tom.  To still be recognized as "A Hero" is quite an accomplishment.

Tom Herbert sent in an updated recent picture of himself saying, "My beard is shorter now."  Still looking good, Tom.

Tom Herbert sent this picture of himself "working out" recently on his birthday wearing the new Moline High School "Total Effort" shirt he said he got from "Fish".  We think he was referring to Dave Fisher and not the guy on "Hill Street Blues!"



One of our own MHS Class of 1962 basketball heroes was inducted into the "A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame Class of 2023".
The following is from Arizona's athletic newsletter.

Rosborough Inducted Into Assistant Coach Hall of Fame


In his 18 years at Arizona, Jim Rosborough (pronounced ROZZ-burr-oh) proved himself to be one of the top game strategists around - a role he developed in 27 seasons working alongside Lute Olson.
His expertise and familiarity of the Olson system were one of the driving forces that sustained the Arizona program as one of the finest in the country, both on and off the court.
During his time at Arizona, Rosborough helped the Wildcats win 10 Pac-10 championships – eight regular season crowns and two tournament titles – in addition to appearing in the NCAA Tournament all 18 years. In the NCAA Tournament, Rosborough and the Wildcats advanced to three Final Fours (1994, 1997, 2001) and won the National Championship in 1997. When you add in his time with Olson at the University of Iowa, Rosborough made 23 NCAA Tournament appearances and four Final Four trips.
 Arizona's record in Rosborough's 18 seasons in Tucson was an astounding 484-138, good for a .778 winning percentage. That time period also accounted for 25 of the 52 members of the 1,000 career point club at the University of Arizona.
 When it comes to helping student-athletes advance to the next level, Rosborough and Olson were a formidable team, recruiting 29 players that were selected in the NBA Draft, with 12 of those being first round picks. Arizona also had 29 All-American selections in that time period.
Rosborough's often behind-the-scenes efforts were evident in 2004-05, as his steady hand molded the Wildcat perimeter into one of the nation's most productive.  After struggling out of the gate, the Wildcats caught fire, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor over the last 28 games, all while increasing assists and decreasing turnovers as the club won 30 games, claimed the school's 11th Pac-10 championship and advanced to the NCAA regional final for the third time in the last five years.  
His efforts could also be seen in the maturation of Salim Stoudamire, as Rosborough helped the senior become the most accurate and one of the most productive guards in the country.
The 2003-04 season saw the Wildcats use a perimeter-dominant lineup that finished the season as the nation's top-scoring team (87.1 ppg) for the second year in a row and ranked third nationally in assists per game (18.7 apg).  Along the way, Arizona won 20 games for the 17th consecutive year and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the 20th straight season.
The 2002-03 campaign was some of Rosborough's best work in Tucson. He turned a senior, a sophomore and three freshmen into arguably the finest perimeter group, a group that was the driving force behind a club that won 28 games, spent 13 weeks atop the Associated Press' top-25 poll and won the school's 10th Pac-10 championship. 
 Rosborough's cool demeanor was essential in 2001-02, as the Wildcat staff molded a squad made up of three juniors and seven underclassmen into the eventual Pac-10 Tournament Champions and NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 participants.  With Rosborough's assistance as a motivator and strategist, Arizona met the challenge of the nation's most difficult schedule and won more than 20 games for the 15th consecutive season.
One needs to look no further than his performance during Olson's leave of absence in the middle of the 2000-01 season to realize just how crucial Rosborough was to Wildcat basketball. Despite high emotions on and off the court, he led the team to a 3-1 Pac-10 record in Olson's absence, including a road sweep of the Washington schools that many surrounding the team considered the turning point of the season, as the Cats eventually finished as the NCAA runner-up. His strong ability to lead allowed the team to continue with as little interruption as possible.
Rosborough was promoted to associate head coach following Arizona's 1996-97 NCAA championship season, a move that gave him expanded duties within the program and demonstrated his invaluable position in the Arizona basketball program.
Game preparation and defense are Rosborough's main focuses for the Cats and it is no coincidence that those were crucial elements of Arizona's two most recent Final Four appearances. He worked with Arizona's perimeter players and helped the Cats produce 11 backcourt All-Americans over 18 seasons, including 1998-99 National Player of the Year Jason Terry, as well as 1997-98 Player-of-the-Year finalists Mike Bibby and Miles Simon, and 2003 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Player of the Year Jason Gardner. Those four, along with 1994-95 All-American and former NBA Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire, cite Roz's coaching as a reason for their success.  It's no secret that Rosborough has helped turn Arizona basketball into "Point Guard U."  All told, Rosborough has produced 40 NBA Draft picks when including those from his time at Iowa.
Rosborough was a top aide to Olson at Iowa from 1974 to 1983.  While there, he built a solid reputation during the rebirth of Hawkeye basketball in the 1970s that included six 20-win seasons, five NCAA berths, a Big Ten title in 1979 and a Final Four appearance in 1980. As a recruiter on those early Hawkeye teams, he had repeated success in Chicago, drawing four starters from the Windy City for Iowa's Final Four club that included All-Americans Ronnie Lester and Kevin Boyle along with Steve Krafcisin and Kenny Arnold. He was also responsible for recruiting 16 future NBA draft picks to Iowa City and he helped design a defense which twice led the Big Ten in scoring defense.

Thanks to a note from Classmate Jack Kelly, we were made aware of a great article about one of our other Classmates, Jim Rosborough.  The article says it all.

Greg Hansen: It's time for the invaluable Jim Rosborough to join coaching Hall of Fame
by Greg Hansen March 26, 2019  ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Thirty years ago this spring, 41 college basketball coaches were fired or retired, replaced by, among others, Rick Majerus at Utah, Dana Altman at Marshall, Bill Frieder at Arizona State and Kevin O’Neill at Marquette.
In DeKalb, Illinois, first-year Northern Illinois University athletic director Gerald O’Dell, an old Oklahoma Sooners linebackers coach, examined the three-year, 28-56 record of basketball coach Jim Rosborough and chose to be among the group of 41 schools to “part ways” with their basketball
coach.

In 1989, the terminology of dismissing basketball coaches wasn’t as dignified as it is today. You didn’t part ways, you got fired. It’s not supposed to be as painless as simply parting ways, and for young Jim Rosborough, it wasn’t.

The news did not go down well at NIU. Professor Curt Norton, chairman of the NIU athletic board, resigned in protest of Rosborough’s dismissal. Norton argued that the Huskies were set for a breakout season; Rosborough started five sophomores in 1988-89 — and the man who inherited those sophomores, coach Bill Molinari, used those players to go 25-6 and get the school’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 1990-91.

All these years later, it remains the greatest season in NIU history.

Yet Rosborough has trumped that NIU season many times.

A month after leaving NIU, Rosborough was hired by Lute Olson to be Arizona’s lead assistant coach, saying, “The thing with Roz is that he is a premier sideline assistant, as good as any in the business.”

Over the next 30 years, Tucsonans discovered that Olson’s words were accurate. “Roz” has surely become the most notable assistant coach in Tucson history.

He spent 18 years with Olson at Arizona, which included three Final Fours and eight Pac-10 championships.

He then coached under Pima College men’s basketball coach Karl Pieroway, helping the 2010 Aztecs to what was then the best season in school history, No. 7 in the NJCAA.

Rosborough was not only an Iowa Hawkeyes basketball player and all-state forward at Illinois’ Moline High School, but also a tennis player of some skill. In 2011, he began a four-year stretch as an assistant tennis coach under UA women’s coach Vicky Maes, helping the 2014 Wildcats to a 14-0 home season, their best Pac-10 season since the 1990s.

He then moved back to basketball, an assistant coach for Pima College women’s coach Todd Holthaus. The Aztecs finished No. 3 in the NJCAA in 2016 and No. 5 in the NJCAA finals last week.

After last week’s final NJCAA game in Arkansas, Pima All-American point guard J.J. Nakai spoke about her assistant coach.

“I definitely grew as a player and as a person in my two years at Pima,” she said. “It was so helpful getting all the knowledge from the coaches, especially Roz. He taught me so much over the two years.”

Here’s what I’m getting at: The man who began his coaching career at The Corkery School on Chicago’s southwest side almost 50 years ago — he volunteered to organize and coach an eighth-grade team — should be polishing up a speech for the Hall of Fame.

In 2002, Rosborough flew home to be inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame — but he was honored as a 1960s player, not a latter-day coaching success.

Now, finally, there is an Assistant Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. It was made for coaches like Roz.

In May 7 in Atlanta, the inaugural class of “A STEP UP Assistant Coaches Hall of Fame” will be inducted. It includes Gonzaga’s Donny Daniels, who also coached at UCLA and Utah; UConn’s Chris Dailey, who has been the top assistant to Geno Auriemma for 33 years; and Steve Robinson, the lead assistant to North Carolina’s Roy Williams for 21 years.

Rosborough is one of four men in Pac-12 basketball history supremely qualified for selection. The others:

  • UCLA’s Jerry Norman, who from 1956-68 was John Wooden’s top assistant coach, the man credited with creating the Bruins’ famous 2-2-1 zone press.
  • Oregon State’s Jimmy Anderson, 1965-89, the top assistant to Ralph Miller during three consecutive Pac-10 championships.
  • Gary Cunningham, the man who replaced Norman as UCLA’s top assistant, 1965-75, on the scene for eight national championships.

It’s not that Rosborough, 74, is planning to leave coaching.

“I wish I could do this for 10 more years, but I know it’s not realistic,” he said.

“I look back and there’s been some crazy stuff in there — women’s tennis, coaching for both basketball teams at Pima. There’s no question I get as much fun out of this as anything I’ve done.”

His is a storybook coaching career like few others.

When Olson was hired at Iowa in 1975, he connected with the former Hawkeye forward to talk about potential Iowa recruits in the Chicago area.

“What Jim lacked in experience — which was everything — he made up for with his personality, his willingness to work, his passion for the game, and his knowledge of the Chicago area,” Olson wrote in his book “Lute! The Seasons of My Life.”

“Roz has been with me for 23 years and was one of the main reasons the Iowa and Arizona programs were so successful.”

If that endorsement doesn’t get you into the Hall of Fame, what does?


 

Dan Jeffery writes:
Hello everyone:
Leslie and I took a backroads bicycle trip to Southern Italy in the Puglia area.  It is about a three and a half hour train ride south of Rome. We biked in two UNESCO world heritage cities which were Matera and Alberobello.  Absolutely fantastic and interesting.  We rode 35-40 miles per day in rolling hills and ancient olive tree groves. Some of the trees were a thousand years old.  We helped make fresh mozzarella and burrata as well as cavatelle pasta.  It was our most challenging and interesting trip out of six we have done over the years. 
Prior to starting the bicycle trip, we stayed in Rome two nights and did a walking food dinner tour, and the next day visited the newly opened Castle Gondolpho which is the Pope’s summer home (I think).
Below is one of the many poppy fields we came across so I thought I would get in the picture.  Below that is me and Leslie after we had a biking break for lunch in one of the charming sea side villages near Bari, Italy.
 
Regards to all,
Dan & Leslie

This was on the Moline Police Department's Facebook page after Jim Cunningham's funeral in May 2018:

"We wanted to share this picture of retired Officer Jim Cunningham’s procession to his final resting place today. A single picture couldn’t capture the entire line of vehicles and police cars, but the incredible support for Officer Cunningham and his family today made it clear that he impacted everyone he met in his life in a truly amazing way."  This picture was included:


Recent picture of some MHS Class of '62 girls.  Andy, Nikki, Celia and Linda cutting up a bit.  Still looking good, ladies!

Russ Howard just sent in a picture of his 16" softball team (a Chicago thing!) of his friends after winning a championship right after our reunion.  Again, not bad for an "old guy"! (Ala, Kirk Gustafson.)  Russ said, "The following Saturday after the reunion, our 16" softball team, the Mustangs, won the Dell Webb Sun City Championship in Huntley, IL beating out 11 other teams. I am in the back row, 4th from the left (arrow). All of the guys are 70-75 and can still swing a bat and hustle. We hope this shows that age is only a number."  We agree, Russ, but you always could swing a bat and hustle.

Kirk Gustafson was having fun and making headlines in September 2017 not too long after our
55th Class Reunion.  Not bad for an "old guy"!

Lana Jacobs sent this picture in with a note that explains, "Mini get together of MHS'62 gals. Oct. 24, 2015 at Frank's Pizza/Silvis. Started @ Linda's home with snacks/viewing year books then on to Franks; we laughed for FIVE HOURS!!!  Starting left: Joyce DeCoster, Lana Jacobs, Cecelia Miner, Linda Moffitt, Andy Seitz, Judy Findley and Phyllis Nelson."  I'll bet they had a ball.  Glad they are able to still laugh and enjoy!  Oh, and in case you forgot what Frank's Pizza was like, here's a shot at what was left!


Pam (Saunders) Schofield sent this picture of a recent get together she had with classmate Frank Seydell and his wife, Lynn.  Pam's husband, David, is at right.


Nikki Brown provided some pictures of the gathering of Class of 1962ers for the occasion of Linda Free's recent wedding that was held at Blackhawk Sstate Park in Rock Island.



Rick Court and Stuart Mott stop by the U.S Treasure to pick up there SS check in person. LOL


Jon Schiewe and Tom Herbert frolicking on the beach at St. George Island south of Tallahassee FL (3/24/13)



 

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