North Stonington Education Foundation
Funding Innovation. For Our Children. For Our Community.
Wheeler High School Distinguished Alumni
As it is the mission of Wheeler High School to mold students to live a life of accomplishment and satisfaction in a changing and complex world, it is the mission of the Distinguished Alumni Committee to recognize and honor these Alumni of Wheeler High School who have put themselves forward as the paradigm of that ideal.
It is also the mission of the Distinguished Alumni to inspire current WHS students to aspire to similar achievements, and to underscore the importance of exploiting the fine educational opportunities offered by the North Stonington School System.
2011 Distinguished Alumni Inductees
The North Stonington Education Foundation, in conjunction with the North Stonington School District, is proud to announce the 2011 distinguished alumni inductees: Judge Thomas Weissmuller (Class of 1983)and Mr. James Patton (Class of 1988) These two inductees were selected as they best recognized WHS graduates who have made significant achievements in any of many occupations and professions.
Mr. Thomas Weissmuller
His extracurricular activities included swimming and martial arts. He was (and remains) a member of the North Stonington Grange and Fair Committee. Tom graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in political science and earned his juris doctorate from Washington University School of Law before practicing law in Washington State where he continued to volunteer as a swimming coach and martial arts instructor.
Astounded by the poverty, drug abuse, and violent crime on western Indian reservations, and concerned about corruption within emerging Indian gaming establishments, Tom joined an effort to ensure justice on Indian lands. He earned an appointment to the tribal bench in Washington and assisted in developing the Tulalip and Swimomish tribal courts. He ultimately returned to Connecticut to assume the position of Chief Judge on the Mashantucket (Western) Pequot Indian Reservation.
Tom served on the Board of Directors of several national justice organizations. He has worked with various offices of the federal government, advised the United States Attorney General, and testified before the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Tom continues to consult and lecture on justice matters, he teaches martial arts, and works to combat bullying and violence. His dedication to the law and his community exemplifies the spirit and accomplishments of Wheeler High School Distinguished Alumni.
James Patton
He graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1994 with degrees in Biology, Philosophy and Art. From 2000 to 2004 he simultaneously completed a Master of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University's Fletcher School and a Master of Divinity at Harvard Divinity School.
Throughout his career, Mr. Patton has continually worked to support peaceful development aspirations throughout the world. As a member of the United States Peace Corps he spent several years in rural Paraguay teaching beekeeping and other sustainable development programs. He later conducted field research in Bolivia and in Cambodia on human rights issues. He spent four years in Colombia coordinating human rights and conflict transformation projects throughout the Andean region as Deputy Regional Director for the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Quaker organization, the American Friends Service Committee. In addition, as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the United States Department of State, James worked as a member of expeditionary diplomacy teams to analyze and support stabilization in southern Sudan during their historic Referendum for Independence.
Mr. Patton has been awarded several grants and fellowships. These have allowed him to work around the world to assess needs and support the generation of appropriate resources to help people help themselves develop economically and mitigate the sources of violent conflict. He has stated that his effort is a small one alongside the extraordinary, difficult and unsung work done by many others, but he hopes that it might one day serve as inspiration for his infant daughter.
2010 Distinguished Alumni Inductees
Mr. Larry Chappell
Mr. Larry Chappell graduated from Wheeler High
School in 1970 and attended Central Connecticut State University and
graduated with a degree in education.
Upon graduating, he spent 32 years teaching physical education at
North Stonington Elementary School.
He retired from the teaching profession in 2006.
In addition to his time as a physical education teacher, Larry
served as the Girls Cross-Country Coach, winning to state championships
in 1999 and 2000.
Upon his retirement the North Stonington Education
Foundation dedicated a track behind the Elementary School in his honor
as a testament to his commitment to physical fitness for all the youth
in North Stonington. Larry continues to work for the betterment of
children through his service on the Juvenile Review Board.
In addition to his service to the school system,
Larry has dedicated himself to the community of North Stonington.
He is the minister of the North Stonington Bible Church and has
served as the Chaplin of the North Stonington Volunteer Fire Department.
Larry Chappell’s dedication to education and the youth of North Stonington exemplifies the spirit and accomplishments of the Wheeler High School Distinguished Alumni.
Bruce Wilkinson
Mr. Bruce Wilkinson graduated from Wheeler High
School in 1973 and from Gordon College in 1977 with a degree in
Economics. He also earned
his MBA in International Management from the University of Cambridge.
Bruce has dedicated his life to the betterment of underprivileged
people around the world.
Bruce, working with his wife Linda, has made doing
missionary type work in Africa his life’s work.
He has worked with the Peace Corp and most recently with World
Vision as the Chief of Party for RAPIDS (Reaching
HIV/AIDS Affected People with Integrated Development and Support).
In this capacity Bruce provides the overall direction and
implementation of many programs benefiting over 350,000 vulnerable
children and 150,000 people living with HIV/AIDS.
An example of his work with international organizations is World
Bicycle Relief, who donated over 26,000 bicycles to volunteer caregivers
in Zambia who travel to the remote areas of the country to service those
people who are the most vulnerable.
Bruce Wilkinson’s dedication to the betterment of
the underprivileged of the world exemplifies the spirit and the
accomplishments of the Wheeler High School Distinguished Alumni.
2009 Distinguished Alumni Inductees
The North Stonington Education Foundation, in conjunction with the North Stonington School District, is proud to announce the 2009 distinguished alumni inductees: Dr. Francis Y. Falck, Jr., M.S., PhD., M.D. (Class of 1969) and Mr. Sean O’Keefe (Class of 1973). These two inductees were selected out of the twelve candidates that were nominated as they best recognized WHS graduates who have made significant achievements in any of many occupations and professions.
Dr. Francis Falck
Dr. Francis Falck graduated from Wheeler High School in 1969 and earned his Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Michigan in 1982. He graduated from the University of Connecticut School Of Medicine in 1986. Dr. Falck is board certified in ophthalmology and is an internationally recognized glaucoma expert and cataract surgeon.
Dr. Falck has dedicated his life to Public Health. Whether serving as a Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Connecticut or holding several patents in the area of medicine. He co-developed the most widely used surgical procedure for glaucoma treatment which he developed at the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan. He wrote over a dozen publications regarding eye disease and received many national awards for his contributions to the cataract surgical procedures. Francis Y. Falck’s commitment to education and public health exemplifies the spirit and accomplishments of the Wheeler High School Distinguished Alumni.
Sean O'Keefe
Mr. Sean O’Keefe graduated from Wheeler High School in 1973 and from Syracuse University in 1978. He taught at several universities, including Pennsylvania State University and Syracuse University. He served many high-level positions within the United States Government. O’Keefe was the Comptroller at the Department of Defense from 1989 – 1992 and the Acting Secretary of the Navy under President George H. W. Bush from 1992-1993. He served as the Administrator of NASA from 2001 – 2005. His tenure at NASA saw many triumphs such as the Mars Exploratory Rovers and his plan to send humans to Mars. After leaving NASA, O’Keefe became the Chancellor of Louisiana State University where he served until 2008.
Mr. O'Keefe's commitment to education and public service exemplifies the spirit and accomplishments of the Wheeler High School Distinguished Alumni.
Eligibility Requirements
Graduates of WHS become eligible for Distinguished Alumni consideration ten years after graduation, and once their name has been placed before the Selection Committee. Eligibility will be reviewed for three consecutive years.
The selection committee is made up from career educators and citizens of the North Stonington community and will consider the applicants for their contributions in the categories of: Academic/Career Accomplishments, Athletic Accomplishments, Cultural/Performing Arts and Major Contributions to Wheeler High School.
If you would like an application for consideration or recommendation as a Distinguished Alumni candidate, please contact the high school. If you or someone you know meets the criteria to become a Distinguished Alumni, we encourage you to apply.
If you have submitted an application previously, your application will be reviewed each year up to three years. At that point, the candidate would need to re-apply. Applications are due by the end of February, selections take place in the beginning of April, and the awards are presented during the senior awards night in June. The Distinguished Alumni Committee received many outstanding applications the first year and hope the numbers will be even higher next year.
The Distinguished Alumni Award, which was supported by the North Stonington Educational Foundation, shined a light on the outstanding achievements Wheeler graduates have accomplished and provided a glimpse of what a Wheeler senior can attain. Like in Mr. O’Keefe’s case, the sky is the limit.
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