Sheriff, Radio Broadcaster, and Butterfly Painter get Honored by OHS

September 23, 2009  
Filed under Feature

The time of year has come around again where a select group of Ottawa High School alumni will be honored for giving life great meaning and excelling in their field of work. People who have been recognized range from a man who risked his life minesweeping in World War II to a woman who lent a helping hand to Ottawa in every way possible like serving on improvement committees. This is the highest honor Ottawa High School gives out and is only granted to those who truly deserve it.

These people get selected by a board made up of OHS students and alumni. They send in applications telling about their life, and the committee reads each one. The Wall of Honor board ranks each candidate and the three with the best scores are accepted.

This year’s inductees include Bill Howe, Rex Bowling and Brad Howard. These extraordinary men will join the exclusive ranks on the Wall of Honor during a banquet on Sept. 24 and at the football game on the 25.

Every spring you can see vivid butterflies prancing daintily from flower to flower. Bill Howe found an intense interest in these colorful insects and turned his love for them into his career and hobby. After he graduated OHS in 1947, this internationally recognized butterfly expert, ventured to Mexico 83 times and various places around the world collecting butterflies to use in his paintings and illustrated books. One of his well known masterpieces is his mural of all kinds of butterflies on a wall in the multi-purpose room of the old Ottawa Junior High School. Howe was featured in newspapers across the country and earned the Kansas Artist of the Year in 1987. Though he is no longer living, he left a creative touch to many places in the world.

The second inductee is Rex Bowling. Unlike the prior, his name didn’t become world renown.  Instead he concentrated on serving his community by working to make it a better and safer place to live. He graduated from Ottawa in 1965 and then served in Vietnam with the U.S. Air Force. After that, he was elected as the sheriff of Franklin County. Throughout the 27 years he worked in this occupation, he played a big part in programs such as Crime Stoppers, D.A.R.E. and Neighborhood Watch. He was chosen as the “Outstanding Young Public Protector” by the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce. Bowling also served as the President of the Kansas Sheriff’s Association before he passed away in 2004.

Our third honored member is the father of OHS senior Kylene Howard. Brad Howard finished high school in 1979; however, he found an interest in radio broadcasting before he became a Cyclone graduate. Throughout school, he worked for KOFO and was involved in the radio club. Afterwards, he graduated from Pittsburgh State University and worked for six different radio stations. He then picked up work in his alma mater town of Ottawa when he bought KOFO.

“It’s really exciting that he’s getting honored for what he does. He works really hard for the radio station and loves what he does,” Kylene Howard said.

Mr. Howard led KOFO to receive many awards from the Kansas Association of Broadcasters. He has had many other accomplishments and has worked very hard, making his daughter proud of him.

“My dad is on or at the radio station almost all of the time to make sure that news and events are announced for all listeners to know about. He is there when the weather is bad to make sure everyone knows what to do, and he goes to many events that we have in Ottawa so you are more informed about them,” Howard said.

Very soon, if you go into the Cyclone room you will notice three new plaques on the Wall of Honor. Check it out! Look for the new honorees.

Who’s on the wall of honor at OHS?

Bud Gollier
Graduated from OHS in 1962
Served in Vietnam and at Fort Riley
Worked as a doctor in Ottawa like his father

Gwen Poss
Graduated from Highschool in 1977
Named her area’s Number one principal of the year
President of the Sunflower League

Gary N. Mavity
Graduated in 1965
Teacher , coach, and assistant principal at Ottawa Junior High
Oxford School’s superintendant

Jerry D. Thompson
Graduated in 1958
Served in the United States Air Force
Involved in stress testing of new weapon systems and re-entry vehicles for U.S. space programs

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Kali Hinman

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