W. Lawrence Cannon, Principal - W. Lawrence Cannon, 95, of Overland Park, KS, died Friday, May 24, 2002, at Shawnee Mission Medical Center.  Mr. Cannon was born September 28, 1906, in Grain Valley, MO. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Methodist College at Fayette, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Kansas, and did graduate work at the University of Chicago and Columbia University in New York City. He became a teacher of sciences and mathematics at Southwest High School. He was Vice Principal at Paseo High School for five years and then returned to Southwest High School in 1950, where he served as Principal for 21 years. Mr. Cannon's memberships in the field of education included Phi Delta Kappa (Honorary Education Fraternity), Theta Chi Delta (Honorary Chemistry Fraternity), Missouri State Board of High School Activities Association, Board of Directors of the Junior Red Cross, and President of the School Masters Association. After his retirement from the Kansas City School System, Mr. Cannon was associated with the Columbia Union Bank and the University Bank. He was also Vice President of the Bank of Grain Valley for 55 years.

Robert F. Bibens, Vice Principal - (1927-1990), Teacher, coach, academician, role model professor; Chair, Department of Educational Leadership, University of Oklahoma; nationally recognized author of the cluster plan for urban education. Authored several books on education, including: Teachers Should Care: Social Perspectives of Teaching. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame in 1989.

Marjorie S. Patterson, Counselor - Marjorie Steele Patterson was born in Nebraska in 1896. She attended KC Junior College, then received her BA in Spanish at the University of Kansas in 1922; and a Masters degree in Spanish from KU in 1925. Her master’s thesis is titled "William Dean Howell's Relation to Spanish Literature." Marjorie married Paul B. Patterson Sept 24, 1922 in Kansas City.

Margaret L. Taylor, Counselor -Margaret Livingston Taylor was born in California on July 10, 1900 to Eudora Russell Taylor and Ralph Livingston Taylor. She graduated from Emporia High School in 1917. In 1921 she graduated with a Ph. B. degree from The University of Chicago, where she was First Cabinet YWCA, vice-president of the W.A.A. board, and also played on the school’s baseball, hockey and basketball teams. She was on the faculty at Paseo and Northeast high schools before coming to Southwest. Margaret passed away in October 1972 in Lees Summit, Missouri.

William M Greenstreet, Director of Activities  

James C. Reneau, Counselor  

Mabel B. Adams, Secretary - Mrs. Adams died Friday, May 25, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. She was born on March 26, 1911, in Greensboro, NC, daughter of Nannie Lee Ore and Jerry Edgar Loman. She moved to Wellsville, KS, when she was one month old, later to Ottawa, KS, and lived the rest of her life in Missouri and Kansas. She married Alfred Adams on September 27, 1930. He died in 1983. Mrs. Adams was employed by the Kansas City School District and became Registrar at Southwest High School. She was a member of Countryside United Methodist Church of Raytown.

Helen I. Afflick, English - Born Helen Isabell Hird on February 25, 1925, in Douglas County, KS, to Ethel Richardson Hird and Arthur Hird, she graduated from the University of Kansas in 1946 with a degree in Spanish. She married James Radcliffe Afflick III on April 19, 1946. "Helen has retired from her career as a language arts teacher in the Shawnee Mission school district and has relocated to Lake Oswego, Oregon. She now enjoys community and church work, book discussion groups, and travel. Through the years, she has held various offices in organizations, including the association of University Women, Daughters of the American Revolution, and Colonial Dames.

Robert B. Armour, Social Studies - Robert B. Armour, 91, south Kansas City, MO, died Wednesday, May 17, 1995. Mr. Armour was born in Kansas City, MO. He was a teacher and coach in the Kansas City Missouri School District for 49 years (1923-1972). He coached at Paseo High School and taught at Southwest High School. He was minister of Budd Park Christian Church, past Grand Patron of Grand Chapter of Missouri O.E.S. 1944. He was 33rd Degree Mason and a member of the Scottish Rite Bodies. He was past YDad Z Order of Rainbow Girls and Legion of Honor Demolay, past W.O.S. of Nazarene Shrine, past Master York Lodge w563 AF & AM.

Caroline Atwood, Mathematics - Daughter of Sarah Frances Harrington Bell and stepdaughter of Alexander Selkirk Atwood. Her birth name was Carrie Bell, but over the years she also used the first name of either Carolyn or Caroline. (When she began teaching at Southwest High School in 1925, she was Carrie Atwood.) She was born on August 21, 1891 in Missouri; her first teaching assignment was in a grade school in Liberty, Missouri. She received a BA from the University of Kansas and an MA from the University of Kansas City. After retiring from the Kansas City school district, she taught geometry at Barstow School. Carrie Bell Atwood passed away in January, 1983 in Kansas City.

Glen A. Ballinger, Engineer-Custodian - Glen Andrew Ballinger was born in Spickard, Missouri, on January 11, 1907 to John W. Ballinger and Maggie Ballinger. Glen married Imo Jean Pease and had 2 children.

Ruth M. Beck, Art -Ruth M. Beck was born on June 9, 1910. She received a degree in Public School Art in 1931 from the University of Kansas. She taught at Westport High for several years, obtaining her Masters degree from Columbia University during that time. Ruth passed away in Lees Summit on February 26, 1994.

Melvin P. Bishop Jr. -Melvin P. Bishop Jr., 63, Millbrook, N.Y., a former teacher in Kansas City, died May 11, 1992, at a hospital in New York City

Mr. Bishop was music director at Southwest High School from 1958 to 1960. He was music director at Pembroke-Country Day School and the Barstow School from 1960 to 1965 and at Pembroke and Sunset Hill schools from 1965 to 1973. He was director of admissions at Pembroke from 1971 to 1973. He was choir director for St. Andrew's Episcopal Church from 1960 to 1970 and for Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral from 1970 to 1973. He founded the Camellot Academy Inc. in 1967. He was headmaster at the Midland (Texas) Prep School from 1973 to 1975 and later was director of development at the Riverdale Country School in New York City and at the Wood Mere (N.Y.) Academy. He had co-owned the Red School House of Antiques Ltd., Millbrook, for five years. He was born in Overland Park and moved to New York in 1975.

Audrey Bodner, Language - 1903-1976. MRS. ANDREW E. BODNER, artist, author; b. Sedalia, Mo.; d. Charles Edward and Elizabeth Jane (Johnson) Miller; B.M., U. Ill., 1927, M. Music, Northwestern U., 1939; postgrad. Kansas City Art Inst., 1953, 55-56, U. Hawaii, 1954; m. Andrew E. Bodner, Dec. 28, 1957. One-man shows C. C. Carstenson Studio, Rock Hill Club, Am. Assn. U. Women, 1955, 56, 66, 74; represented in permanent collections U. Kansas City, Western Electric Offices Santa Fe; supervisor of music Woodstock, Ill., 1930-44; teacher art, art cons., Kansas City, Mo., 1944-59; teacher French and German, Kansas City, Mo., 1959-73; lecturer in education U. Kansas City, 1956; producer, narrator Art for Everyone, KMBC-TV, 1954-57, Portrait, KCMO-TV, 1957-60, Treasure, Pride in Kansas City, WDAF-TV, 1957, Three Star Gifts for Halls Inc., Sta. KCMO-TV, 1958. Recipient 1st place award in watercolor Nat. League Pen Women State Contest, 1967, 73; 1st place award ink and pencil drawing state contest, 1969; 1st place award State Free Verse Contest. Member Nat. League Am. Pen Women, Am. Women in Radio and TV, Friend of Art of Nelson Gallery, People to People Greater Kansas City, Friends Seville-Kansas City Sisters City Commission, Federated Women's Clubs Mo., Women's Kansas City Mayor's Commission of International Relations and Trade, Gamma Phi Beta, Gamma Alpha Chi. Republican.

Alice L. Boicourt, Social Studies - Born Alice Lucille Spain on May 8, 1906 in Jewell, Kansas, to Mary Hill Spain and Clifford Robert Spain. She married Howard Ray Boicourt on March 28, 1948. In 1955, while on the faculty at Paseo High School, she participated in an international teacher exchange program in which she taught for one year at a girl’s school in Sussex, England. Her counterpart from the UK, Dorothy Knapp, taught home economics for one year at JC Nichols school. Alice passed away in Colville, Washington, on December 1, 1999.

Vesta Bolliger, nurse - Vesta M. Bolliger, 84, Kansas City, died Thursday, Aug. 20, 1987, at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Kansas City. Miss Bolliger was born July 23, 1903, in Cosby, Mo. She moved to Dickinson County, Kansas in 1908, where she grew up. Vesta received a BS in Education from Ohio State University in 1940. She was a registered nurse in Kansas City area hospitals and for the Kansas City, Mo., School Systems. She was a member of the Lees Summit Presbyterian Church and several professional organizations.

Grace Breen, English, Speech - Grace Marie Breen, 106, a longtime Kansas City educator, died November 14, 2004, at the Little Sisters of the Poor's Jeanne Jugan Center. During a life that spanned portions of three centuries, she touched the lives of thousands of students and six generations of her family. Miss Breen and her twin brother Charles were born in Parkville, MO, on August 27, 1898. Grace and Charles grew up in Parkville together with their older brothers Edward, Emmett, and Howard. After attending the local grade school, Miss Breen graduated from Loretto Academy in Kansas City in 1917, and she went on to receive an AB degree from Park College in 1931, and a Masters Degree in Speech from the State University of Iowa in 1938. Her teaching career began when she was offered positions at the Kansas State School for the Blind and the Kansas City Conservatory Drama Dept. in the early 1920's. She taught at the schools until 1936, when she entered the University of Iowa. In 1938, she accepted a position in the Kansas City School District as a Speech teacher at East High School. In 1946, she transferred to Southwest High School, where she taught Speech and Drama, until retiring in 1970. In 1988, Miss Breen moved to Our Lady of Mercy County Home, a retirement residence in Liberty, MO, and then to the Jeanne Jugan Center in 1992. After being featured in a newspaper article as she approached her 100th birthday, Miss Breen was delighted to receive letters from many former students who wanted her to know how much they appreciated having her as a teacher. Many attended her 100th birthday party, one traveling all the way from North Carolina for the occasion.

William J. Brewster, Driver Education -  William J. Brewster, 85, of Independence, passed from this life to his eternal peace with almighty God on Friday, July 23, 2010. Born on September 20, 1924, in North Little Rock, Arkansas, to Murphy and Katie Brewster, Bill was the second of their five children. He grew up in Saint Louis where a neighbor, Dorothy Patterson, captured his heart at 16. After proudly serving his country in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II as a gunner in a B-24 Liberator (called "The Shack") of the 458th Bombardment Group from 1942 to 1944, he safely returned home to marry his childhood sweetheart in 1946. While finishing his B.S. degree in Education from Central Missouri State University, he and Dorothy welcomed the first of four children. Upon graduating in 1949, Bill went on to teach school at Greenwood School, Bishop Glennon High School, and then Southwest High School. During summers, he went to Kansas University to obtain his M.S. degree in 1957. His teaching honors included Missouri State Teacher of the Year in 1966. He began a part-time job with the City of Independence Department of Parks and Recreation in 1956, which then led to his promotion and full-time career as the Director of Parks and Recreation for some 36 years. Bill was the driving force behind the development of numerous parks and programs for the youth of Independence, and he personally touched the lives of many young people during his tenure. He retired in 1994. The City recently honored his commitment by naming the baseball field at Crysler Stadium "Bill Brewster Field".

Charlotte E. Brooke, Common Learnings - Born Charlotte Evelyn Brooke on August 18, 1913 in Nebraska, she was the daughter of Carl Bruke and Emma Hubenbecker Bruke (later, Brooke). Charlotte received a BA in education from the University of Nebraska in 1935. She passed away on March 11, 1989 at the age of 75 in Lees Summit, Missouri.

George A. Campbell, Mathematics - George A. Campbell, 64, southwest Kansas City , a former teacher, died May 20, 1991, at St. Luke's Hospital. Mr. Campbell taught mathematics in the Kansas City School District from 1958 until he retired from Southwest High School in 1988. He taught biology in the Independence School District from 1951 to 1957. He received a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Kansas City in 1951 and a master's degree in mathematics from Washington University, St. Louis. He was a standup comic and comedy writer and performed in the last year at Stanford's Comedy House. He was a lifelong area resident.

Joe S. Cirrincione, Driver Education  

Ethel V. Cooper, Common Learnings
 

Frances Pence Deets, Physical Education -Born Frances E. Pence on May 24, 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri, she received a BA in Physical Education from the University of Kansas in 1951. She married Herbert S. Deets on January 26, 1956 in Kansas City. Frances is retired and resides in Prairie Village, Kansas.

Elinor Dolson, Science, English - Born Elinor Margaret McMahon on October 27, 1904, she married Ralph H. Dolson on July 3, 1929. Elinor taught at JC Nichols school before joining the faculty at Southwest. She passed away in February 1978 in Kansas City.
 

J. C. Edwards, Science - Jesse C. (Prof) Edwards, 100, of Edgerton, MO, formerly of Smithville, MO, passed away, Sunday, June 4, 2006. He was born on February 16, 1906 to Jesse James and Myrta (Burnett) Edwards, in Platte County, Missouri. He graduated from Smithville High School in 1923, Central Missouri State in Warrensburg in 1929 and later received his Masters in Education at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO.  Jesse taught at Trimble and Smithville for 13 years. He then served his country in the U.S. Navy during W.W. II as a lieutenant commander. After his honorable discharge he served as Superintendent at Alma, Kansas for 10 years and later taught Physics at Southwest High School in Kansas City for 16 years. Jesse was a member of the First Christian Church in Smithville.

Pauline Eggleston, Accompanist  

Marjorie Elliott, Common Learnings, Science - Marjorie Jeanne Elliott, 96, of Lee's Summit, MO, died Sunday, May 16, 2004, at John Knox Village Care Center. Marjorie was preceded in death by her husband, Ashley Dwinnell ("Dee") Elliott, her sister, Laura Edwards and her brother, Bill Tarwater. Marjorie, born Marjorie Tarwater on April 22, 1908, was a lifelong resident of metropolitan Kansas City . She graduated from Northeast High School and Kansas City Teachers' College and held degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia (B.S.) and U.M.K.C. (M.A.). She taught 45 years in the Kansas City , MO, School District, finishing her career as a teacher of science at Southwest High School . She also taught at Border Star, Blenheim, Seven Oaks and J.S. Chick Schools. She was a member of Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral and belonged to numerous organizations, including American Association of University Women, Sigma Delta Epsilon (graduate women in sciences), Tau Kappa Delta Sorority, Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club, Heart of America Geology Club, the Sierra Club, Association of High School Women (past president) and Kansas City Science Teachers (past president). After retirement, she devoted several thousand hours as a volunteer at Trinity Lutheran Hospital. From 1978 to 1983, she served as mayor of the Village of Theodosia Hills (also known as Sundown), MO. She was a lifelong traveler and, even after she lost most of her sight, was known for the interesting travelogues she produced and presented from her own slides taken all around the world.

Viona Ewalt, English - Viona E. Ewalt, 95, Great Bend, KS, passed away February 23, 2001, at Central Kansas Medical Center-St. Rose Campus, Great Bend. Graveside service will be 10 a.m. Friday, March 2, at Great Bend Cemetery, with the Reverend Tom Robson officiating. Miss Ewalt was born August 8, 1905, in Great Bend, KS, to Lot L. & Marie Schaeffer Ewalt. She was a retired school teacher who taught in Osage City, Fredonia, and Kansas City. She had moved to Great Bend from Prairie Village, KS, in 1994. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Rebekah Circle, Jeremiah Howard Chapter of the D.A.R., Portia Club, and Barton County Retired Teachers.

George C. Ewing, Physical Education - George Chatham Ewing was born on March 3, 1901 in Odessa, Missouri to Robert Ewing and Sally Lucillia Rice Ewing. He married Frances Mildred Broyles on June 11, 1932 in Lexington, Missouri. Frances also taught school in Kansas City. George was a high school physical education teacher and track coach for 43 years. George passed away in May 1967 in Kansas City.

M. Violet Fairchild, Social Studies
 

Alpheus O. Fisher, Mathematics - Alpheus Oliphant Fisher was born on October 23, 1898, in Henry County, Missouri, to Adam Fisher and Sarah Oliphant Fisher. In 1920, he became one of the founders of Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity at Central Missouri State Teachers College. He was married to Era Leone Asbury. During his teaching days, Alpheus served as the president of local 691, Kansas City Federation of Teachers & School-Related Personnel. Alpheus passed away in February 1985.

Helen Fling, Language - Mary Helen Fling, 93, Kansas City, MO, passed away April 28, 1997, at Kingswood Manor. A Memorial Service will be 11 a.m. Thursday, May 1, at Muehlebach Funeral Home. Mary Helen was born in Duluth, MN. She was the last survivor of eight children, four boys and four girls, of James C. and Mary Swift Fling. She graduated from the University of Missouri, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta Social Fraternity and Sigma Delta Pi, an honorary Spanish Fraternity. Miss Fling was a foreign language teacher in the Jackson County Kansas City School System for 42 years, retiring in 1971. For the last 25 years of her career she taught Spanish at Southwest High School and at one time represented the Spanish teachers of the Missouri State Teacher's Convention.

Cleora Flory, English - Born Cleora Jewell Hutchison in Kansas on January 13, 1893. Cleora received a B.S. in Education from Central Missouri State Teachers College, and a Masters in Education from the University of Missouri in 1938. She married Daniel A. Flory on July 25, 1945. Cleora passed away in September, 1975 in Kansas City.

Clayton Ford, Science - Clayton L. Ford, 59, Mission, KS, passed away Wednesday, June 19, 1996, while vacationing in Hawaii. Mr. Ford was a high school science teacher at the Pembroke Hill School since 1977. He worked for the Kansas City , MO, School District, teaching at Southwest High School from 1960-1977. He was the organist at the Westpark Wesleyan Church.

John D. Fristoe, Jr., Study Hall - John D. Fristoe Jr. was born on June 5, 1888 in Miami, Missouri, to Lucy Burruss Fristoe and John D. Fristoe. He graduated from the University of Missouri with AB and BS degrees in 1910. John began his teaching career at Westport Junior High School. He received an MA from the University of California, Berkeley in 1922. His thesis is titled “A study of failures and retentions in mathematics as compared with failures and retentions in other subjects in the high schools of Kansas City, Missouri.” John married Froncie Gill on August 15, 1917. He taught for many years at Westport High before joining the faculty at Southwest. John passed away in June 1975. 

Samuel P. Gibson, COE
 

Christine Grant, Secretary - Christine M. Grant, 98, passed away on Jan. 26, 2009 at Walnut Grove Nursing Home in Springdale. She was born in Kansas City, Mo., on March 11, 1910 to Ira W. Hubbard and Anna Maria Hubbard. She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Harry M. Grant and brother Ira W. Hubbard II. She served as assistant to the headmaster of the Barstow School in Kansas City for more than 10 years. She was a long time resident of The Gardens at Arkanshire in Springdale..

Mary Margaret Groves, English, Social Studies - Born Mary Margaret Thompson on October 9, 1896 in Missouri to Dr. Oscar N. Thompson and Dr. Emma Arabella Boyington. She attended Howard Payne College in Fayette, Missouri, and the University of Missouri. She married James Tevis Groves on  May 2, 1920 in Breckenridge, Missouri. Mary Margaret died in October 1982 in Kansas City.

Victor Gustafson, Science - Victor Eugene Gustafson, 79, of Overland Park, KS, died Sunday, January 2, 2000, at Indian Creek Nursing Center. Mr. Gustafson was born September 9, 1920, in Spearfish, SD. He received his bachelor of arts degree in education at Black Hills Teachers College in Spearfish and earned his master's degree in school administration at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. He was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge in Spearfish. The day after Pearl Harbor, Mr. Gustafson enlisted in the Navy. He spent four years on the U.S.S. Zeilin, a supply ship, and made all the invasions in the Pacific. Mr. Gustafson was a teacher of music and science, as well a school principal and superintendent of schools in several towns in Nebraska. The family moved to the Kansas City area in the late 1950s, to give their oldest son, Eric, a better musical education. Mr. Gustafson taught chemistry at Southwest High School in Kansas City. His former student, Dr. Richard Smalley, Nobel Prize winner, credited Mr. Gustafson with his interest in chemistry. When he retired from the Kansas City School District in 1983, he taught at the Pembroke Hill School. Then he was asked to join the staff at Longview Community College. He enjoyed that very much and taught until a stroke cut off his productive life. He enjoyed teaching and it was so much a part of him.

Julia Guyer, Social Studies - Miss Julia Guyer, of 21 East Sixty-eighth, for many years a member of the faculty at Southwest high school, died Thursday at a nursing home at 6515 West 103rd, Overland Park, after a long illness. She was born [in 1890] in Springfield, Ill., and had lived here most of her life. Miss Guyer's subject was history. She was selected to take a special course at Yale in preparation for teaching advanced placement or college level classes. Since she retired 10 years ago she had taught similar classes part time at the Barstow school. Before Miss Guyer went to Southwest she was at Northeast high school. She assisted Scott, Foresman, educational publishers, in the preparation of many history textbooks. Miss Guyer was a member of the Country Club Congregational church, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the College club and the Woman's City club.

Charles Harte, Practical Arts - Mr. Charles G. Harte, 69, Overland Park, KS, passed away Saturday, July 24, 1999, at his home. Mr. Harte was born on July 6, 1930, in St. Louis, MO. He received his bachelor's degree in education from Central Missouri State University and his master's degree in guidance and counseling from Pittsburg State University. He was an educator for many years and retired from the Shawnee Mission School District. His hobbies were woodworking, antique auto restoration and buying and selling vintage cars. He loved the outdoors, especially camping and canoeing. Charles was a Navy veteran of the Korean War.

O. L. Hoover, Mathematics, Business Education
 

Mary C. Johnston, Language - Mary C. Johnston, 87, Kansas City, MO, passed away Monday, June 15, 1998, at Baptist Medical Center. Miss Johnston was born in Kansas City, MO. She was an English and Latin teacher at Southwest High School, retiring after 30 years of service. She was a member of St. Peter's Church and was a graduate of the University of Kansas..

Jane Joyce, Science                                                                                                                     

Virginia Kammerer, Registrar  

Thomas E. Kipp, Physical Education - Tom graduated from Kansas State Teachers College in Pittsburg, KS, and received a Masters of Arts in Education from KU in 1955. Tom coached at Bishop Hogan High School before coming to Southwest. He later became the principal of Southwest High School. Tom is currently retired and living in the Kansas City area.

Lucile Koger, Common Learnings - Frances Lucile Koger was born on March 28, 1900 to Benjamin Franklin Koger and Elsie Henderson Koger, in Daviess County Missouri. At age 19 she was teaching in a public school in rural Missouri. She received a master’s degree in education from the University of Missouri in 1937. Lucile passed away in September 1974 in Kansas City. 

Flora Linn, Social Studies - Flora was born on July 18, 1901 in Kansas City to Frederick W. Linn and Alma Braecklein Linn. A 1919 honors graduate of Westport High School, Flora received an AB from Stanford University in 1923 and a Masters degree from Columbia University in 1928. She taught at William Chrisman junior and senior high schools before coming to Southwest in the mid 1930s. Flora passed away on October 8, 1969 in Kansas City.

J. R. Manly, Practical Arts - John Russell Manly was born on November 4, 1901 in Diamond Springs, Kansas, to William M. Manly and Edith Manly. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Emporia, Kansas, and married Roberta Moore on August 7, 1925 in Emporia. They had two children, Robert and Mary Olive. J.R. studied at Stout Institute, Menomonie, Wisconsin, before receiving both a BA and an MA from Colorado State College of Education. He passed away on July 30, 1996 in Loveland, Colorado.

F. W. Mann, Social Studies - Francis Walker Mann, Jr. was born August 8, 1903 in Wellington, Missouri, to Dr. Francis W. Mann, Sr. and Martha May Mann. He married Elizabeth Helen Neale, a graduate of Whitman College, in 1924. He taught high school in St. Maries, Idaho, before receiving a PhD from The University of Southern California in 1935. His thesis: “Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, S.J.: his influence on the history of the Trans-Mississippi West.” He taught at Southwest High School in Kansas City, Missouri, from about 1951 to about 1970. Before teaching at Southwest High, he was at East High in Kansas City. He was an active member of the National Council for the Social Studies. Francis W. Mann passed away on March 5, 1997.

Carder Manning, Vocal Music - Carder Manning is retired and lives in Belton, Missouri. He wrote this message in 2009 to the class of 1969:

 “I retired in 1995 after teaching thirty-nine years, full time, in the music classrooms of the greater Kansas City high schools: William Chrisman (1956-1958), Southeast (1958-1960), Southwest (1960-1969) and Penn Valley Community College (1969-1995). After retirement I taught ten more years as an adjunct faculty member at PVCC through 2005. I have organized and directed several community choirs, and I recently retired from church music after fifty-eight years as a choir director. 

Harriet V. McCaffrey, English - Harriet Velma Northern was born in Illinois on April 22, 1904, to James Brown Northern and Mae Ely Northern. She taught at William Chrisman and East High schools before teaching at Southwest. She married Thomas B. McCaffrey on January 29, 1944. Harriet passed away on January 24, 1990.

James S. McKee, Social Studies - Colonel James Stuart McKee was born on March 2, 1895 in Ray County, Missouri. He received a BS from Central Missouri Teachers College in 1925 and a master’s degree from the University of Missouri in 1929. He was a member of Phi Delta Kappa, a professional education association. His military service, which spanned 37 years, ended in 1955 when he retired from the U.S. Air Force. His last command was the 9719^th air reserve squadron, located in the Kansas City area. He passed away on May 7, 1972.

Dorothy S. McLeod, Language - Dorothy Seaver McLeod of central Kansas City, a teacher, died Aug. 20, 1988, at Truman Medical Center East. Miss McLeod taught French at Southwest High School for 40 years before she retired. She received a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass., and a master’s degree from the University of Kansas City. She studied for two summers at the Sorbonne in Paris. Miss McLeod was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church. She was a member of the National Retired Teachers Association, the Woman’s City Club and the Mount Holyoke Club of Kansas City. She was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and had lived in Kansas City since 1922. Born Dorothy Seaver McLeod on January 21, 1896 to William C. McLeod and Bertha McLeod, she attended elementary school in Holyoke, Massachusetts and graduated with an A.B. from Mount Holyoke College in 1916. She taught at an elementary school in Oil City, PA; then taught French and Latin at Connellsville, PA, high school. When her family moved to Kansas City, she accepted an assignment at Joplin High School, where she taught Latin. In 1925 she joined the inaugural teaching staff at Southwest High School. She had one sister, Mary Mills McLeod Hildreth and a brother, William McLeod. Dorothy passed away on August 20, 1988. A scholarship fund in her name has been established at Mount Holyoke College, “The Dorothy Seaver McLeod fund for study in France.”

Mildred Meuser, Language - Mildred Meuser, 85, Monett, Mo., a former teacher in Kansas City, died April 10, 1992, at a hospital in Monett. Miss Meuser taught English and Spanish at Southwest High School in Kansas City from 1950 until she retired in 1971. She taught at Osawatomie High School in Kansas from 1924 to 1944 and at Manual High School in Kansas City from 1944 to 1950. She was a 1926 graduate of Stephens College, Columbia, and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa there. She received a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Kansas in 1929 and was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma there. She received a master's degree in education from the University of Michigan in 1937 and was a member of Pi Lambda Theta there. She studied Spanish at the University of Valencia, Spain, in 1965. She was a member of the American Association of University Women, the College Club and the American Association of Retired Teachers. She was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church of Kansas City and the Perfection chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, Paola. She was born in Paola and moved to this area in 1944.

Blanche Moore, Business Education

Jeanne Neal, Language - Jeanne L. Neal, 72, formerly of Kansas City, MO, passed away Sunday, March 4, 2001, at her home in Green Valley, AZ. Jeanne was born on March 28, 1928 in Arkansas. She was a graduate of Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX and earned her Master's degree at the University of Kansas City. She taught in the Kansas City, Missouri School District from August 9, 1951 to July 11, 1986. Mrs. Neal was initiated March 10, 1957 into the Missouri Alpha Delta Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa. She served as an administrative assistant at the International Headquarters from 1966-1969 and as executive treasurer from 1969-1975. She was active in the Arizona Site Steward Program.

Laurence Nivens, Driver Education - Laurence Lee Nivens, 93, Raytown, MO, passed away August 29, 1997, at Hidden Lake Care Center. Mr. Nivens was born March 6, 1904. He was a teacher of vocal music and driver education for 32 years in Kansas City, MO. He was born in Kansas City, MO, and lived there until 1970, when he retired and moved to Belton, MO. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Kansas City. Mr. Nivens was a graduate of Central High School, received his Bachelors Degree in music from the Conservatory and his Master's Degree from Northwestern University. He taught vocal music at Manual, East and Southwest High. In 1955, he taught Driver's Education, retiring in 1970 from Southwest High School. He was Chancel Choir director of Grand Avenue Temple, Broadway United Methodist Church and St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Mr. Nivens was a member of Alpha Tau Omega, the American Federation of Musicians-Local 34, American Federation of Teachers, Kansas City Association of School Retirees, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, and a former President of the Society of American Magicians.

Katherine Norris, Language - Katherine Hammock graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1932 with a degree in Spanish, and obtained a masters degree in 1935 from the University of New Mexico. She taught in the Santa Fe school district before marrying Dr. Theodore Norris on August 25, 1937 in Albuquerque, NM. He later became dean of the Kansas City College of Osteopathy and Surgery in the 1960s.

 Ernestine Rector, Social Studies, Common Learnings  

Gertrude Redmond, Cafeteria  

Frances B. Richart, Physical Education - Frances C. Richart, 86, Raymore in Cass County, a former high school teacher and counselor, died Feb. 18, 1991, at Research Belton Hospital. Mrs. Richart was a counselor and physical-education teacher at Southwest High School for 27 years, retiring in the late 1960s. She graduated from Stephens College, Columbia, and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas. She received a master's degree in anthropology from New York University. She did doctoral work at the University of California, Washington State University and the University of Missouri, Columbia. She was past president of an Association of High School Women chapter and the Health and Physical Education Club. She was a member of the Stephens College Luncheon Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a member of the Country Club Christian Church and its 50-50 Class. She was a lifelong area resident.

William C. Robinson, Physical Education, Social Studies - William C. Robinson, age 76, of Kansas City, MO, passed away December 8, 1999, from complications of melanoma. Mr. Robinson was born December 24, 1922, son of Randall and Carrie Robinson, in Lamoni, IA, and attended schools there. He graduated from Graceland College, Lamoni, IA, in 1942, with an Associate of Arts degree. After graduating, he worked in Portland, OR, for two years during World War II. He continued his education, graduating from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor in Physical Education. He also earned a Master's degree in Education and Administration at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He did post-graduate work at UMKC. He was coach and history teacher at Southwest High School from 1954-1985. He became head football coach from 1957 to 1980, when he retired from coaching. He continued teaching until 1985. Mr. Robinson received honors of distinction for his achievements in coaching. Coach of the Year Awards were presented to him from the Optimist Club Sammie Dubin-Nite of Sports in 1968, Knute Rockne award in 1966 and 1972, Cecil O. Patterson award in 1977, WHB in 1968 and 1972, KUDL in 1971. He was named the Interscholastic Coach of the Year several times. He received the Lamoni, IA, Community Schools Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Achievement of Excellence in the Field of Athletics. He has also received plaques of recognition presented by players, parents, and organizations of the Kansas City School District for years of devotion and service to athletes of the district. Honors were given to him by KJLA radio, Greater Kansas City Sports Commission, Big Brothers Association of Kansas City, and a Resolution by the Courts of Jackson County, MO. He was inducted into the Missouri Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1992.

Mary Ross, Librarian

Frances E. Ryan, Secretary
 

Thomas E. Sanders, English - Thomas Edward Sanders obtained a masters degree from the University of Denver in 1951 and a doctorate from Florida State University in 1983. He was a professor of English at Miami-Dade Junior College before moving to the University of South Florida, where he became a distinguished professor of English. Later in his life he became aware of his Native American heritage (his great-grandfather was Cherokee) and he adopted the American Indian name Nippawanock (Dawn Star). Many of his short stories and journal articles were written under the name “Thomas E. Sanders (Nippawanock).” An insight into his life and Native American philosophies is contained in the book Native Heart, written by his protégé, Gabriel Horn (White Deer of Autumn).

Thomas E. Sanders was a professor of literature and creative writing at USF for twenty years until his death on January 1, 1988 at age sixty-one. He was born on April 30, 1926, in Picher, Oklahoma, and attended, among other institutions, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Denver. In addition to writing both poetry and fiction, he was the author of the much acclaimed “Discovery” series of introductory literature textbooks published by Scott Foresman, The Now Reader, and Literature of the American Indian, a widely reviewed and respected scholarly anthology of Native American Literature. At USF, Professor Sanders taught courses in creative writing, Native American literature, and science fiction, and was known by his students for his strong enthusiasms and his keen analytical mind. His untimely death was felt most acutely in the creative writing program. Creative writing students were suddenly bereft not only of an instructor but of a friend and mentor. Known for his demanding standards, he was always available to his students for help and advice—sometimes long after they had left the university. As one of his new students wrote, “his skill as a writer, editor, and teacher coupled with his dedication and willingness to devote himself to his students made him one of the most valuable members of the faculty.” With the impetus of a major gift from Mrs. Louise Forshaw of Baltimore, Maryland, friends and alumni have established a scholarship in his honor.
 

Chelsae B. Sargent, Mathematics - Born Chelsae Maud Boutz in Saltbox, Kansas on May 7, 1903. She graduated from New Mexico State University in 1927 with a degree in general science and mathematics. She was the valedictorian of her class.  She died in Kansas City on February 9, 1996.
 

Esther Schroer, English - Born Hilda Esther Schroer on November 4, 1894 in Kansas City, she graduated in 1918 from Manual Training High School and received a B.S. in Education from the University of Missouri in 1922. She taught high school English at Carthage, Missouri, before coming to Southwest. Esther passed away in November 1980.
 

Juana W. Seymour, Mathematics, Physical Education
 

Alma I. Shipley, Special Math, Algebra - Alma Ione Shipley was born on June 23, 1904 in Sherman, Texas. She graduated in 1925 from the University of Missouri with a degree in education, and received her master’s degree in education from the University of Southern California in 1942. She taught at The Barstow School after leaving Southwest. Alma married Harry L. Crosby on August 19, 1960. She passed away Tuesday, January 4, 2005, at Bethesda Meadows Nursing Home, Ellisville, MO. She was 100 years old.

Naomi C. Simpson, History - From Topeka, Kansas, Naomi C. Simpson was born on November 7, 1892. Naomi graduated from the University of Kansas in 1916 with an AB degree in history. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Gamma Sigma, the honorary society in the department of education. She received her master’s degree from the University of Kansas City in 1945. In 1925 she joined the first teaching staff at Southwest High School, where she taught English and history. She retired after the 1958-1959 school year at Southwest. She passed away in February 1965.

B. D. Silliman, Practical Arts  

Merle E. Smith, Business Education  

Frank L. Stark, Science - Frank Leroy Stark, 76, of 3067 Black Swan Drive, Shawnee, former area teacher, died Thursday, April 15, 1982 at St. Luke’s Hospital. Mr. Stark began his teaching career at the Round Mound rural school in Chautauqua County, Kan., and later was principal of the Cedar Vale (Kan.) Elementary School; superintendent of the Lafontaine, Kan., public schools; and principal of the rural high school in Stanley in Johnson County. He was a biology teacher at Southwest High School, Kansas City, for 20 years, and was television teacher for the Kansas City School District in 1958. Mr. Stark was awarded a certificate of merit in 1962 and received the Outstanding Biology Teacher for Missouri Award in 1966 from the National Association of Biology Teachers. He graduated from Kansas State Teachers College, Pittsburg. t. He was a member of the National Association of Biology Teachers, the National Science Teachers Association, the American Institute of Biological Science, the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, the Science Teachers of Missouri Association, the Kansas City Science Teachers Association, the Missouri State Teachers Association and the Kansas City Education Association, and be was a life member of the National Education Association. He was a member of the National Retired Teachers Association, the American Association of Retired Persons, the Retired Teachers Association of Missouri, the Retired Teachers Association of Kansas City, the Kansas Retired Teachers Association and the Retired Teachers Association of Johnson County. He was born in Hewins, Kan. on December 19, 1905, and had lived in this area 39 years.

Earline Strong, Vocal Music - Earline R. Strong, 87, a former teacher in the Kansas City School District, died June 11, 1991, in the Kingswood Manor Health Center, 10000 Wornall Road, where she lived. Mrs. Strong taught vocal music at Central Junior High School and also taught at Southwest High School before she retired. She was a member of the Central United Methodist Church, Kansas City.  She was a member of Mu Phi Epsilon. She was born in Pilot Grove, Mo., and lived in this area for 46 years.

Kathleen N. Torbert, Mathematics - Kathleen Naomi Torbert was born on July 23, 1917 in Denver, Colorado to Constance Anderson Torbert and William Robert Torbert. Kathleen graduated from Southwest High in 1934. She graduated from Kansas City University in 1938 with a degree in mathematics and began her teaching career in Greenwood, Missouri. She received a Master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Kansas in 1942 and began teaching mathematics at Southwest in 1946. After a brief stint at East High School, she returned to Southwest in the early 1950s. Kathleen passed away on January 23, 1971.

Dorothy W. Varney, English - Born Dorothy Whitaker Varney on December 21, 1900 to Lewis Logan Varney and Blanche Whitaker Varney, Dorothy received an A.B. from the University of Illinois in 1922 and a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1938. Her master’s thesis is titled “The Life and Works of Eliza Meteyard.” Dorothy passed away on February 10, 1990 in Kansas City.

Edith N. Weinberg, Language, Social Science  

Thelma Welch, Business Education  

Virginia Welch, English -  Lorna Virginia Welch, southwest Kansas City, MO, died June 10, 2005, at Menorah Medical Center. She was a native Kansas Citian. She was a teacher of English at Ohio University, Athens, OH. She also taught at East, Westport, and Southwest High Schools in Kansas City, MO. She received her BA degree from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and her Masters and Doctors degrees from Columbia University, NY. She also attended the University of London, England. She was listed in Who's Who of American Women and the Dictionary of International Biography. She received the Franklin T. Baker Citation for excellence in scholarship from the English Department of Columbia University, Teachers College. She was a member of the American Association of University Women, the Woman's City Club, the Women's Chamber of Commerce, Gamma Phi Beta, two law fraternities, Phi Delta Delta and Phi Alpha Delta, and the Kansas City Retired Teachers Association. .

Ida S. Wells, English, Mathematics  

Leonard J. Western, Speech - Leonard J. Western, 96, of Kansas City, Mo., passed away Sunday, October 4, 2009.  He spent four years in the US Navy during World War II, two years in the Pacific Ocean war zone. After his military service he returned to Kansas City where he met and married his wife of 64 years, Frances S. Western in 1945. He was an educator at heart, and spent 36 years with the Kansas City School District as a teacher and later a counselor. He was loved by all the students, who called him "Tex," for his genuine caring for their education and future. He was a published writer of novels and poetry and an accomplished orator and vocalist.

Frances Whitmire, Practical Arts - Born on May 26, 1897, to Thomas J. and Jemima M. Whitmire of West Plains, Missouri, Frances graduated from Kansas State University in 1921 with a degree in Home Economics. She was among the inaugural staff at SWHS in 1925-1926, teaching Domestic Art and English. Frances passed away in December 1977.

Chaney O. Williams, English -  Chaney Orton Williams, 88, a former English teacher, died Oct. 12, 1991, at Blue Hills Centre, 12942 Wornall Rd., where he lived. Mr. Williams taught English at Southwest High School in Kansas City for 37 years, retiring in 1968. He was a debate coach and sponsor of Zenda-Vesta Literary Society at Southwest. He taught English at Marshall (Mo.) High School from 1927 to 1931. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia and was a member of Phi Delta Kappa. He attended postgraduate classes at Chicago, Colorado at Boulder and Arizona universities. He was a member of the Ararat Shrine. He was former master of the Orient Masonic Lodge. He was a member of the Royal Arch Masons and the Oriental Commandery. He was a member of the Country Club Christian Church. He was born in Walker, Mo., and lived in Nevada, Mo., Columbia and in Marshall, Mo., before moving to Kansas City.

James H. Woods, Mathematics - James H. Woods was born on December 18, 1927 in Des Moines, Iowa. He attended high school in Kansas City and after graduation served in the US Army for 2 years. Jim married Teresa Marie Dew on June 13, 1949. He attended Kansas City Junior College and in 1951 he graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor’s degree in education. He received his Master’s degree from KU in 1952, and taught mathematics at Central Junior High School from 1952 to 1958. He subsequently joined the faculty at Southwest for the 1958-1959 school year. He was the sponsor of the Sachem yearbook for ten years, beginning in 1961. Jim retired from teaching in 1988, having spent 30 years at Southwest. Jim currently lives in Overland Park, Kansas.