This former Blossom Time Queen blossomed into one of our state’s best educators. In 1997, Suzanne became Ohio’s first recipient of the Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award. In 1994, she received the Outstanding Special Educator Award from the Northwest Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center. Suzanne has been instrumental in curriculum development in adapted aquatics. She is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where she is a part-time instructor. She is also co-founder of Wood Lane Travel, which offers recreational activities for students with special needs.

A career of distinction was John Thomas’ 34-year experience with J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. He served for twelve years as a member of the board of directors, five years as president of J.P. Morgan Trust Bank, the group’s operating company in Japan, and nine years as head of marketing. Currently, he is president of JRT Research of San Francisco, providing international management investment consultant services to private industry. He is a visiting professor at the Golden State University Graduate School of Business and is director of The Japan Society of Northern California. He has had several articles published in the Japan Security Analysts Journal. John earned a B.A. in economics from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1961. He received his M.B.A., with distinction, from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1963. He was a superb athlete at CFHS and at Ohio Wesleyan, where as a halfback and linebacker, he was a two-time All-Ohio Conference selection.

The valedictorian of the class of 1951 chose the field of medicine to continue his practice of excellence. A graduate of Denison University (1955) and Harvard University (1959), Dr. Rodgers is a recognized expert in lipid research and has been published widely in medical journals. His research efforts were recognized by his election to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the New York Academy of Science. For the past 36 years, he has been associated with Albany Medical College, where he earned the position of Professor of Medicine in 1974. He continues to be active in clinical research involving abnormalities in lipid metabolism and also in the area of liver disease. The Albany Medical Center recently honored him by establishing the Dr. John B. Rodgers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education in Gastroenterology.