Each year, the Foundation solicits nominations from the public. The Class of 2011 nominations will be accepted through Oct. 29, 2010, and inductees will be selected by December. The Class of 2011 will be inducted April 16 in the Cultural Centre.

Eric Bryant (2010): 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.

 

Elizabeth Cummings: (2008): co-author of The First 70 Years of IVCC History; 40-year IVCC librarian.

 

Bill Danley (2008): award-winning newspaper reporter; IVCC public information director (1968-94); co-author of college history.

 

Dr. Francis "Phil” Dolan (2008): LPO director 1947-67 and renowned "Godfather” of movement to establish comprehensive community colleges in the mid-1960s.

 

Dr. Bernard Doyle (2010): 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.

 

Harry F. Erlenborn (2008): LPO ‘35. In 47-year career at Peru’s American Nickeloid rose to CEO and maintains a 70-year affiliation with the company today.

 

Dr. William Farley (2008): the 1940 LPO alum delivered an estimated 15,000 babies in Peru over a 57-year career.

 

Don Fike (2010): 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.

Joseph W. Franco (2009): successful medical clinic builder and developer in Kankakee. A native of DePue, Franco graduated from LPO in 1956. Franco, IVCC’s 2007 Alumnus of the Year, was the driving force behind downtown turnarounds in Kankakee and Moline.

Donald James Haas (2010): 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.

 

Dr. Henrietta Herbolsheimer (2008): LPO ‘32. As an instructor at the University of Chicago School of Medicine (1951-80), she was a nationally acclaimed healthcare advocate for women and premature infants.

 

Les Hoenscheid (2008): LPO '26; LPO’s first football coach and 43-year psychology and physical education instructor. He left the college temporarily in 1942 to fight in World War II and later served 36 years as Peru Recreation Director.

William R. Kaiser (2009): co-captain of the legendary Gold Dust Bowl football team at LPO in 1950, went on to play football and baseball at New Mexico University. He returned home to teach and coach at Logan Jr. High in Princeton.

Dr. E. Glenn Marshall (2009): LPO chemistry instructor 1924-1955. "E.G.” died in 1982 at the age of 94 after teaching at LPO, Franklin (Ind.) College and Eureka College.

Donald E. Mayszak (2009): a 1955 LPO alum, was the MVP of an undefeated state champion football team, MVP and co-captain of the basketball team and MVP of the 1955 baseball team. Mayszak, now of Villa Park, was also an outstanding student who went on to a successful career as a design engineer and developer in the petro chemical industry.

 

Dr. Thomas J. McCormack (2008): Princeton University-educated scholar was LPO’s first director. Recognized as one of the nation’s outstanding educators, Dr. McCormack came to La Salle-Peru High School in 1903 as Superintendent.

Dr. Jim Mini (2010): 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 (2010): 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.

 

Don Menne (2010): 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.

 

Rhonda Morel (2008): IVCC’s first great female athlete led the ‘78-79 basketball team to a 21-4 record; earned a full-ride to Eastern Illinois University.

 

Rollie Morris (2008): member of LPO’s 1950 Gold Dust Bowl team and 1952 New Mexico State Hall of Fame football team; 30-year football and track coach at Hall High School.

John J. Pierro (2009): an LPO alum, he spent his entire 45-year career in the aerospace industry at Rockwell International. Starting in the mailroom as a mimeograph operator, he rose through the ranks to become President of the North American Aircraft Division. In retirement in Irvine, Cal., he has worked as a consultant on a variety of aerospace programs including the International Space Station and the AC-130 gun ship.

Dr. Peter S. Pierro (2009): a 1948 LPO graduate, began his teaching career at Deer Park Grade School in 1950 and taught at nine other schools and universities before retiring from Oklahoma University as a professor of elementary/secondary history in 2002. He is also an author and consultant living in Oklahoma City, Ok.

 

Anthony C. "Tony” Raccuglia (2008): LPO ‘56; successful personal injury attorney and lead prosecutor in the Starved Rock Murders case.

Steve Rigazio (2009): an IVCC alumnus and Oglesby native who went on to become President of Nevada Power Co. After being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 1999, he helped found Nevadans for the Prevention of ALS to raise money and awareness of the incurable disease. A married father of two, he died in 2001 at the age 47.

Hon. Howard C. Ryan (2008): retired Illinois Supreme Court Justice and 1934-35 LPO debate champion.

 

Lanny Slevin (2010): 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.

Tony J. Sorcic (2009): president and chief executive officer of Citizens First National Bank. Sorcic, an IVCC alumnus, was named to the Illinois State University College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame in 2007.

Dr. Robert Spetzler (2008): world renowned Arizona neurosurgeon who studied pre-medicine at LPO in 1964; performs 500 high-risk surgeries a year.

 

John Strell (2008): athletic director 1946-1976; coached football, baseball, basketball, cross country, track and tennis at various times. Strell led the 1950 football team to the Gold Dust Bowl in Vallejo, Cal., and the 1959 basketball team to the NJCAA championships in Hutchinson, Ks.

 

William "Bill” Strong (2008): leading Foundation contributor and advocate has a near 40-year affiliation with the college as a Foundation director and elected trustee.

 

Helen Taylor (2008): Peru elementary school teacher left $100,000 to the college in 1975 to create the IVCC Foundation.

William E. Taylor (2009): a native of La Salle and 1962 LPO graduate, went onto a successful 38-year career with Big Four accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. He led Deloitte’s Chicago tax practice for ten years and later specialized in mergers and acquisitions around the world. Taylor, of Winnetka, was IVCC’s 2008 Alumnus of the Year.

 

R. Earl Trobaugh (2008): first IVCC President 1969-74; instrumental in the creation of IVCC; started at LPO in 1936 as a Spanish instructor.

 

Dr. Mary Margaret Weeg (2008): beloved humanities division chair from the 1960s to the ‘80s; editor of the first yearbook in 1951.

 

Dr. Harry Wilmot (2008): founding dean of LPO Junior College 1924-61.

 

Dr. Al Wisgoski (2010): 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.