Third annual Hall of Fame ceremony features ‘exceptional Class'

An inspirational physician, a ballistics expert and the college’s longest serving president were among the individuals honored at the Illinois Valley Community College Foundation’s third annual IVCC-LPO Hall of Fame induction April 24.

"It was an exceptional Class,” said Fran Brolley, director of community relations and development, of the nine individuals and team honored. The ‘hall,’ established in 2008 to honor IVCC’s most influential graduates, employees and benefactors, now has 45 members.

Inductees for 2010 were:

 

 Eric Bryant. One of the stars of the highly-ranked 1967 and 1968 IVCC basketball teams, Bryant coached Hall High School to second place state finishes in 1997 and 1998 and taught in area schools for 39 years. As Village President of De Pue, he is leading the effort to restore Lake De Pue to its once-pristine past.

 

 Dr. Bernard Doyle. A 1940 LPO graduate, Dr. Doyle was one of the first physician specialists to return to the Illinois Valley after World War II. He established one of the area’s first trauma centers at St. Mary’s Hospital in La Salle and would sometimes travel to five hospitals in a single day.

 

 Don Fike. The 1967 IVCC graduate is a pioneer in the development of housing complexes for senior citizens and the developmentally disabled. Fike’s network includes over 200 residential group homes and over 50 projects for senior citizens including Liberty Village complexes in Peru, Princeton and Streator.

 

 Donald James Haas. Haas, LPO ’55, a Chicago Daily News All-Stater at LP, went on to become a star lineman for LPO’s 1954 undefeated state championship team. In a 31-year career in the U.S. Naval Reserves, he achieved the rank of Commander. From 1957 to 1991, Haas taught machine shop at Hall and LP before moving on to develop IVCC’s mechanical technology program.

 Don Menne. After doing ballistics research for the army in the Korean War, Menne (LPO ’48), worked from 1952 to 1986 for Ballistics Research Laboratory in Maryland. For his work developing the armor for the XM-1 Tank, he received BRL’s highest achievement award in 1977 and the army’s second highest achievement award for armor science and technology in 1978. Menne, who died in 2006, also wrote more than 40 publications.

 

 Dr. Jim Mini. Mini led LPO to its only NJC national tournament appearance in 1959 while leading the nation in scoring at 29.7 points per game. He went on to star at Loyola University in Chicago before beginning a 33-year medical career that eventually led to the chairmanship of the department of pediatrics at Central DuPage Hospital. The Dalzell native is a member of the St. Bede, Loyola and IBCA halls of fame.

 

 Dr. Joe Mini. The late older brother of Jim Mini, Joe (LPO ’42), was a 20-year Regional Superintendent of Schools for La Salle County (1967-87) and a member of the committee that helped create IVCC in the mid-1960s. His accomplishments include creation of a scholarship fund that has awarded over $1 million to 2,000 students, developing LEASE (La Salle County Educational Alliance for Special Education), and starting Lighted Way in La Salle. An IVCC Foundation scholarship honors his memory.

 

 Lanny Slevin. WLPO’s sports director has covered IVCC athletics for 37 years including every football game from 1974 to 1996. Slevin is the only media member in the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame. For 35 straight years he broadcast both the Class A and Double A state tournament games from Champaign and later Peoria.

 

 Dr. Al Wisgoski. As IVCC President from 1974 to 1996, "Doc” was the college’s longest serving chief executive officer. A Foundation benefactor, Wisgoski helped IVCC become a premier institution for high technology training in the 1980s. He created the Foundation in 1976 and brought Project NOA, The Illinois Valley Senior Center, Small Business Development Center and Dislocated Workers Center to campus. He also worked effectively with district chamber offices to recruit industry to the region.

 1979 IVCC football team. The only modern-era team to go undefeated (11-0), Vince McMahon’s squad finished third in the nation, the highest end-of-season ranking for any IVCC squad. Players and coaches included Head Coach Vincent McMahon; Assistant Coaches Gene Eggleston, Joseph Furlan, Larry Johnson, Robert J. Mueller; Trainers Ron Miller, Albert Varoni, Don Walters; Captains Kurt Bruno, Anthony W. Harcar's family, Dan Seckler, Jeff Selburg, Andy Senica; Players Chuck Alvarado, Kyle Anderson, David Bath, Chris Bell, Timothy P. Bernitt, Dr. Ted Brady, Don Brandner, Ed Brown, Mark Coriaty, Curt Cox, Mike Cutler, Thomas L. Dentino, John F. DiCarlo, Jimmy Dietz, Richard Essman, Mark Fields, Eric Gibson, Steve Goffner, Jean Gordon, Daniel Gregorich, Jim Haeffele, John Haeffele, Selwyn Harris, Jim Hart, Lance Hawkins, Mike Hurst, Bill Ince, Jr., Carlyn Jackson, Michael R. Johnson, Bruce Miller, Brett Miller, Steve Munson, Doug Neff, Jim O’Connor, Dr. Greg Ostrowski, Rich Payne, Scott Piercy, Tom Pomije, Greg Ratajczak, Jeff Segobiano, Woodrow Shaw, Mike Toney, Thomas W. Turner, Mark Weinzierl, Richard Whidden, Jimmy Williams, Mark Witek, Bob Zumbahlen and Mark Zwilling.

Bold name indicate those in attendance at the induction ceremony. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here for 2011 nomination information.

Click here to view the Hall of Fame inductees from 2008-2010.

Click here to view the Hall of Fame composite picture from 2008-2010.

For Hall of Fame information contact Susan Monroe, Foundation Assistant/Alumni Coordinator, at (815)224-0253 / susan_monroe@ivcc.edu or Fran Brolley, Director of Community Relations and Development at (815) 224-0466 / fran_brolley@ivcc.edu.