2023 Induction

Ramona Church Bennett, class of 1956 -

Ms. Ramona Bennett, class of ‘56, is a venerated Puyallup Tribal Elder who has dedicated a lifetime of service on behalf of the Puyallup people and Indigenous people across the nation. She is a national Indian rights activist and continues to directly support cultural integrity, connectedness and revitalization. She holds a Master’s degree in education as well as an honorary Doctorate of Public Affairs, both from the University of Puget Sound.

In 2003, the Native Action Network awarded her with its Enduring Spirit Award. The Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project (University of Washington, 2021) states that as “… a pioneering activist on behalf of Indian fishing rights, she was instrumental in the development and continuation of the Survival of American Indians Association in 1964, the organization helped bring local “fish-ins” to national prominence.

Bennett was elected to the Puyallup Tribal Council in 1968, and elected as Tribal Chairwoman in 1971, a position she held until 1979. In 1978 Ramona was named one of Washington State’s most powerful women; she opened doors for women activists by actively fighting attempts during the 1970s to exclude her from National Tribal Chairmen’s Conferences. Much of Bennett’s leadership has focused on issues of social welfare, having begun her social service work in Seattle’s American Indian Women’s Service League in the 1960s. 

In 1972, Bennett co-founded the Local Indian Child Welfare Act Committee. Through the Committee, she developed a model for childhood and family service in Washington State that she used to help her co-author and secure a national Indian Child Welfare Act in 1978.” 

After her time as Tribal Chairperson, Bennett worked at the Wa-He-Lut Indian School in Olympia and with the Rainbow Youth and Family Services in 1989. As reflected by her work for youth, she herself has stated that "virtually everything constructive I've done has been because children might need it.”

Sharon Tomiko Santos, class of 1979 -

A community activist for more than 30 years, Sharon Tomiko Santos, class of ‘79, was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 1998. She chairs the House Education committee and serves on the House Business & Financial Services and the Community and Economic Development & Housing committees. She also serves appointments to the Washington State Investment Board and the Washington State Education Opportunity Gap Accountability and Oversight committee. Her legislative proposals reflect her strong advocacy for providing quality early learning programs for young kids, ensuring a well-trained educator workforce, and closing the opportunity gap. 

Rep. Santos believes Washington state must strive for providing education excellence and opportunities for all students to learn. Outside of education, her key policy interests include civil rights, women’s rights, economic and environmental justice, affordable housing, and quality public education. She believes in providing level playing fields that allow those who work hard to succeed. Rep. Santos has served on dozens of boards and foundations including the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, and the University of Washington Business and Economic Development Program Board of Ambassadors. She has received numerous awards for her legislative and community work including the Kip Tokuda Community Leadership Award from the Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation and the Leadership and Vision Award from Junior Achievement of Washington. 

A graduate of the Evergreen State College and of Northeastern University, Santos has worked in the banking industry, on staff to local public elected officials, and in senior management positions for non-profit organizations.

She resides with her husband, Bob, in the Rainier Beach neighborhood (Seattle) located in one of the nation’s most diverse zip code areas.

Noah Purcell, class of 1997

Noah Purcell, class of ‘97, has long been an advocate for justice and equity. His impressive law career includes serving as the Solicitor General for the Washington State Attorney General's Office since 2013 and litigation experience in constitutional issues, antitrust claims, environmental law, preemption, campaign finance, and administrative law. 

In 2016, under Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Purcell led the state's challenge to Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769, which restricted travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority nations. Purcell argued the state's case before Judge James Robart of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington and a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Purcell’s wife is the daughter of Iranian immigrants who fled their country in the 1970s, and he often spoke of how this brought the ban close to home. Following his work on the travel ban, Purcell was named one of the most influential Seattleites of 2017 by Seattle Magazine and was awarded the Friend of the Legal Profession Award by the King County Bar Association.

Purcell also served in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office of General Counsel from 2009-2010, advising on security and immigration issues and working extensively on the federal government's challenge to Arizona's immigration law.

After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review, Purcell worked as a law clerk to former U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge David Tatel of the D.C. Circuit.

Purcell was introduced to the law at Franklin High School by renowned teacher and mock trial coach Rick Nagel. He completed his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, where he received a Mary Gates Leadership Award for his work founding and running Affordable Tuition Now!, a student advocacy group dedicated to keeping tuition at UW and other state universities affordable. 

HERBERT MINOURI TSUCHIYA ‘50

Herb graduated from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy in 1955. After completing his degree, he worked as a Seattle area pharmacist for more than 50 years — almost 30 of which were spent as the owner, manager and preceptor at Genesee Street Pharmacy in southeast Seattle. Today, he still runs into former clients who recognize him from his time there.

CRAIG MACGOWAN ‘59

Craig is renowned for his passion as an innovative educator. With over 45 years of experience as a Marine Biology his career focused on developing exciting science field experiences for all students. His teaching career in Seattle Public Schools began at Jane Addams Jr. High in 1967. He taught at Garfield and was Science Department Chair from 1978-1995. While there he worked with a team of teachers to develop a marine biology magnet program that included field opportunities for students in Washington, Florida, Hawaii, Mexico, Australia, Africa, Ecuador, and Papua New Guinea.

SARA THOMPSON ‘68

Sara worked as a family physician and medical educator at Group Health for 30 years. Sara attended Oberlin College and then received her MD from the University of Washington. She was a family doctor at Group Health and joined the Group Health Family Medicine Residency as faculty before becoming its program director. In 2008 she received the Jerome Beekman Physician Leadership Award for her work in re-building the residency program. When her son and daughter attended Franklin (they graduated in 2003 and 2004) she became active in the Franklin Alumni Association and Foundation. She served as secretary and then president of the board, and during her tenure she established the FAA&F website and current database. She wrote a book, Franklin High School: 100 Years to mark Franklin’s centennial in 2012. It is available at The Rainier Valley Historical Society and on Amazon.

TOM IKEDA ‘74

Tom is the Executive Director of Densho, a non-profit organization he helped start in 1996. Densho’s mission is to inspire action for equity by keeping alive the personal stories of Japanese Americans forcibly removed from their homes and unjustly incarcerated during World War II. Tom has conducted over 250 video oral history interviews with Japanese Americans to examine the personal impact of racial discrimination during a time of fear. Tom has also created online curriculum exploring racial discrimination and has spoken against the Muslim travel bans and the family detention centers on our southern border.

RHONDA SMITH BANCHERO ‘91

Rhonda was an all-state center as a senior at Franklin and held the record for most rebounds in a state tournament game. At the University of Washington she was selected to the All-Pac-10 first team three times and finished her four years as the all-time top scorer. She played for the American Basketball League as a founding member of Seattle Reign and was the first player from Washington state to be drafted into the WNBA. She was elected to the Husky Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the Seattle Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.

AL HOFFMAN (1902-1960) ‘21

Born in Russia, Al moved to the US at age six with his family. He started his own band, playing drums, and moved to New York in 1928 to pursue his music career. He began composing and over the course of his career he wrote more than 1500 songs. He wrote for the stage in London from 1934-37 and then returned to New York. His songs were performed by nearly every major singer of the time, and continue to be recorded today. Hits included Mairzy Doats, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo, I'm Gonna Live Until I Die, Papa Loves Mambo, and I'm Gonna Live Til I Die. In 1984 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

KEARNEY BARTON (1931-2012) ‘49

Kearney was an audio engineer credited with creating the Northwest Sound. In a career spanning over five decades, he recorded multiple genres including rock, opera, jazz, folk, bluegrass, classical, cabaret and gospel; and he recorded the soundtrack for 1984 Summer Olympics Gold Medalist swimmers. Among the artists he recorded were Little Bill, the Frantics, the Counts, the Kingsmen, Don and the Goodtimes, and Merilee Rush and the Turnabouts. He trained and mentored an entire generation of students in the arts and sciences of audio engineering in his studio. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Northwest Music Association in 1992.

ED ALMQUIST ‘54

Ed may be best remembered by friends for heroic action that led to the rescue of his high school classmate from an avalanche in 1953. He went on to become an orthopedic hand surgeon respected for his surgical skill, ability to innovate and role as an educator. While maintaining a busy private practice he taught at the University of Washington, and helped to establish Hand Fellowship Program. Over the course of his career he served as Director of the Hand Clinic at Children's Hospital Medical Center, president of the University of Washington Medical School Alumni, and Chief of Staff at Children's Hospital. He has multiple publications and made many presentations at the national and international level in his field.

STEVEN LOUGH ‘62

A tireless advocate for electric cars, Steve got interested in electronics at Franklin when his teacher Victor McClellan got all of his student ham radio licenses. With the gas crisis of 1979 he brought electric cars to his family-owned car dealership in Seattle. He soon joined and then became president of the Seattle EV Association (SEVA) with the goal to "Educate, Demonstrate, and Proliferate" the use of EVs through rallies, contests, car shows, and public speaking. He never wavered from that passion and has been recognized by Mayor Greg Nickels, Governor Jay Inslee and King County Executive Ron Sims. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Electric Auto Association in 2013.

LORI TAN CHINN ‘66

Lori left Seattle in 1969 to pursue a dance career, adding acting and singing later. Recipient of the Helen Hayes Award for her portrayal of Bloody Mary in South Pacific, she is considered by many R&H devotees as “the definitive Bloody Mary”. She has performed opposite: Diane Keaton, Hugh Grant, Glenn Close, Harry Connick, Jr., Al Pacino, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mark Ruffalo, Roseanne, Bill Murray, and BD Wong. A new prison streaming series pulled her from retirement plans, as did a fourth Broadway show, opening in 2017, where she will be dancing again – full circle.

JOHN PRIM 1898-1961 ‘18

John attended the University of Washington received his law degree in 1927. He worked in private practice until 1943 when he assumed the responsibilities as deputy prosecutor of King County. He returned to private practice in 1951. In 1954, Mayor Allan Pomeroy appointed him judge pro tem of Seattle Municipal Court. He was one of the founders of the Urban League, was the first African American to serve as deputy prosecuting attorney for King County, the first African American judge in the state and the first African American member of the Washington State Board of Prisons and Parole.

GORDON BJORK '53

Gordon attended Dartmouth after graduating from Franklin, and then Oxford (Rhodes Scholar) before receiving his PhD in Economics at the UW. He taught at UBC, Carleton, and Columbia before becoming president of Linfield College (Oregon) at the age of 32. During his 42 years of teaching, he wrote four books and many articles; he contributed to ten additional books. His last book (2000) was an explanation of how structural and demographic change in the US economy would slow down the rate of economic growth and cause problems for the US in the 21st century. He has been an advisor to many corporations and government agencies including the EPA where he served on the citizen’s advisory panel from 2001-2005. After his retirement from Claremont McKenna College, where he was the Lovelace Professor of Economics for 27 years, he was honored by the alumni who endowed a Gordon Bjork Professorial Chair in Economics and Finance and a Gordon Bjork Scholarship Fund for students

TRENT JOHNSON '74

Trent played basketball at Boise State University where he graduated as one of the top ten career leaders in scoring, rebounding, and minutes played. A tenacious competitor, he was a four-year starter and an All Big Sky Conference selection his senior year. An assistant basketball coach for over a decade at the high school and collegiate level, he earned a reputation for recruiting, developing players, and being a tireless worker. He then began a decorated career as a head coach leading programs at Nevada, Stanford, LSU and TCU to multiple NCAA tournament berths and conference championships. Widely recognized for his integrity, he has been named coach of the year in three conferences: the WAC Coach of Year in 2003, the PAC 10 Coach of Year in 2008, and the SEC Coach of Year in 2009. A true ambassador for the sport of basketball. Trent is greatly respected by his players and peers.

PAOLA MARANAN '80

After graduating from Harvard Paola worked in Alabama doing research on voting rights. She returned to Seattle in 1989, working first with the Washington State Family Policy Council and the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs. She joined the Children’s Alliance in 1993 and became the executive director in 2004. The Children’s Alliance, a child advocacy organization has developed a national reputation for its work in institutional racism under her leadership. Paola has won many awards recognizing her work, including Advocacy Award, Minority Executive Directors Coalition, 2001; Excellence in Advocacy, Seattle Human Services Coalition, 2002; Citizen of the Year, Seattle-King County Municipal League, 2011; and Bill Grace Legacy Award, Center for Ethical Leadership, 2011.

KEYE LUKE (1904-1991) ‘22

Keye was born in China and moved to Seattle as a child, becoming a citizen in 1944. Before becoming an actor he was a local artist in Seattle and later in Hollywood, working on several of the murals inside Grauman's Chinese Theater. He was best known for playing Lee Chan, the "Number One Son" in the Charlie Chan films, the original Kato in the 1939-1941 Green Hornet film serials, and Master Po in the television series, Kung Fu. He was the first Chinese-American contract player signed with RKO, Universal, and MGM and was one of the most prominent Asian actors of American cinema in the mid-twentieth century.

PETE PEDERSEN (1920-2012) ’38

Pete fell in love with horseracing from the moment he sneaked into Longacres as a thirteen-year old. He worked at the racetrack as a high school student and while at the University of Washington where he majored in journalism and rowed for the Husky crew. After his WWII service he returned to the world of racing. He worked at Longacres in publicity and supplemented his income with writing, and then moved to California where became a steward. He retired in 2005, having presided over more than 100,000 races. In 2002 he was honored with Eclipse Award of Merit. In 2008 he received the Laffit Pincay Jr. Award and he was inducted into the Washington Racing Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement

BARRY SAVAGE ‘54

Barry was a star athlete at Franklin, playing football and running track. . During his senior year at Franklin in 1954, he was a member of the All-City Championship Track Team, and was voted captain and most inspirational by his teammates. He graduated from the University of Washington with BA and MS degrees. In 1958, Barry began a teaching and coaching career at Renton High School that spanned nearly thirty years. He played an instrumental role in the lives of many Renton student athletes until he retired. Barry was inducted into the Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1994, and the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005.

GREGORY DEAN ‘68

Gregory joined the Seattle Fire Department in 1970, working initially as a firefighter and advancing to serve as the city’s fire marshal, deputy chief and interim chief before becoming chief in 2004. He retired in 2014 but was hired as chief of the Washington, DC Fire Department. He is known regionally, nationally, and internationally for his vision and leadership of the Seattle Fire Department, praised for building a successful partnership between the firefighters and the community. In 2002 he was selected as selected as Chief Officer of the Year and in 2001 the Seattle Management Association named him Manager of the Year.

CAPPY THOMPSON ‘70

Cappy studied art at Evergreen State College, began her career painting on leaded glass and has become well-known for her painted glass vessels as well as large-scale works for public installations. She is regarded as the major practitioner of the art of transparent enameling in the American Studio Glass Movement. Her work is part of permanent collections in the Corning Museum of Glass, the Museum of Glass and the American Craft Museum. Public installations include windows at SeaTac Airport, Evergreen State College and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts; she has taught and exhibited all over the world. She was awarded the prestigious Libensky Award by the Pilchuck Glass School in 2005.

KATIE HOULAHAN DOLAN (1924–2006) ‘43

As a Franklin senior Katie travelled to Camp Harmony in Puyallup, a Japanese internment camp, to deliver graduation diplomas to her friends Jane and Beth Sugura. She later earned a degree in drama, was a stage actress and fashion model, and hosted two local television shows —Women's World and Eye on Seattle. When her son Patrick was diagnosed with autism there were no options for educating children with disabilities. Katie and her husband Duane, with other parents, founded the Northwest Center in Seattle in 1965 to address that need. They went on to author the Washington State Education for All Act, which mandated public schooling for developmentally disabled children in Washington. This legislation was a model for the 1975 federal Education for All Handicapped Children Act.

FELIX SKOWRONEK (1934-2006) ‘52

Felix received a degree in Flute Performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied flute and chamber music after graduating from Franklin. He served as principal flute with the Seattle Symphony, then with the Orquestra Sinfonica de Puerto Rico and the St. Louis Symphony. From 1968 he was a professor at the UW School of Music, best known for his revival of the wooden Boehm-system flute at a time when the field was dominated by flutes made of fine metals. He served as president of the Seattle Flute Society, president and board chairman of the National Flute Association and Music Director of Belle Arte Concerts, a professional chamber music series in Bellevue.

TERRY DEENY’58

Terry studied civil engineering at the University of Washington and business at the University of Puget Sound. During high school he worked in the family business, Deeny Construction, as a pipe layer and rose to the position of general superintendent, and then served as the company’s president and CEO in 1970 until he retired to emeritus status in 2000. He was president of the Association of General Contractors of Washington in 1979 and president of the Association of General Contractors of America in 1999. Awards include the SIR Award from the AGCA in 2007, the Outstanding Leadership Award from the Association of Utility Contractors of Washington and the UW Construction Hall of Fame in 1996.

ALBERT R. COHEN ’61

Al earned degrees in education at the University of Washington, and a PhD at Seattle University. He worked from 1965 to 1979 in the Seattle School District as an elementary teacher and as a principal, then moved to the Northshore School District first as a principal and then as Executive Director for Elementary and Secondary Education. From 1990 to 2001 he was Superintendent of Schools for the Olympia School District. He was then recruited by the Clover Park School District where he served as superintendent for seven years. Al’s service to the community included work on many boards, including United Way of Thurston County, Washington Center for the Performing Arts, Providence St. Peter Hospital, and Rotary Club of Olympia.

EDWIN LEE ’70

Ed graduated from Bowdoin College and went to UC Berkeley for a law degree. He worked as managing attorney for the San Francisco Asian Law Caucus as an advocate for affordable housing and the rights of immigrants and renters. In 1989, Ed was appointed as San Francisco’s first investigator under the city's Whistleblower Ordinance. He worked as executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, as Director of Public Works for the City, and then was appointed as City Administrator. When the San Francisco mayor resigned 2011, Ed was appointed to complete the term. He ran for office and was elected in 2012, the first Asian-American to be elected to that office. In 2011 he was awarded the inaugural Coro Community Catalyst Award.

BILL SPEIDEL (1912–1988) ‘30

Bill graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in literature. He was first a journalist and then became a publicist. In the 1950s he became passionate about the preservation of Pioneer Square and founded the Underground Tour. He wrote many books, including his most famous, The Sons of the Profits, about early Seattle history. Emmett Watson wrote at the time of his death: “He was many things in this city: preservationist, promoter, writer, historian, entrepreneur, press agent, political operator, adman, lecturer and publisher. Few if any of the Seattle Pioneers, the movers and shakers that he wrote about in a half-dozen historical books, gave as much to this city as the author.”

LARRY GOSSETT ‘63

After leaving Franklin Larry worked as a VISTA volunteer in Harlem, then returned to the University of Washington, where he was one of the founders of the Black Student Union. He fought to eliminate racial discrimination and increase the enrollment of students of color at the university. He became the first supervisor of the Black Student Division in the Office of Minority Affair, then served as the executive director of the Central Area Motivation Project. He was elected to the King County Council in 1993 and in 2012 was appointed chair for a second term. In 2008 the University of Washington Alumni Association named him one of the “Wondrous 100,” one of the most influential UW graduates over the past one hundred years.

RON CHEW ‘71

Ron studied journalism at the University of Washington. He left during his senior year when he was denied the position of editor at the Daily; he won a lawsuit when a white student who had not applied was offered the position. He became editor of the International Examiner covering the covering social concerns and political issues faced by residents in Seattle’s International District. He served as director of Wing Luke Asian Museum from 1991-2008. In 2002 the University of Washington awarded him an honorary BA. Awards include: Ford Foundation’s Leadership for a Changing World Award in 2004 and the American Association of Museums Centennial Honor Roll in 2005. He published his book Remembering Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes: The Legacy of Filipino American Labor Activism in 2012.

IFAYE MONDSCHEIN SARKOWSKY ‘51

Faye served as an active board member and leader of many major arts and nonprofit organizations, including the Seattle Art Museum, Children's Hospital, and the Washington Women's Foundation, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and ArtsFund. She was the first female president of PONCHO and the 5th Avenue Theater Association. In 1991 she received the Isabelle Coleman Pierce Award from the YWCA for excellence in community service. Faye received the Pennington award from Children's Hospital and was honored with the Jewish Federation Woman of Distinction Award.

ALAN DENNIS VICKERY ‘63

Alan Dennis Vickery held a distinguished four decade history with the Seattle Fire Department, where he currently served as the assistant chief of operations. Prior to this he was responsible for all operational issues for the department's specialty teams. He is recognized for his proactive role in preparing firefighters to safely perform their jobs, using the latest technology available.

GERARD TSUTAKAWA ‘65

Gerard Tsutakawa is a world-renowned sculptor whose major works can be seen in private collection and in public spaces. He apprenticed with his father, the late George Tsutakawa, and later oversaw his father's fountain sculpture fabrication and installation. He then established himself as an accomplished sculptor in his own right, recognized for his elegant bronze fountains, with installations throughout the Northwest and Japan. One of his most famous public pieces is his nine-foot-tall bronze mitt, named "The Mitt," located at the northwest entrance of Safeco Field.

AL ULBRICKSON, SR (1903-1976) ‘21

Al rowed across Lake Washington from Mercer Island to attend Franklin each day. With the encouragement of his Franklin teachers encouraged him to attend the University of Washington. He graduated and coached the rowing team at the University of Washington for thirty-one years, leading his team to six national titles. His two biggest wins were the 1936 Olympic Gold Medal in Berlin, featured in the book The Boys in the Boat, and defeating the Soviet Union in Moscow in 1958. He was Seattle's Man of the Year in 1936, was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 1979, and was named by the Seattle Times as one of Seattle's top twenty-five coaches of the century.

JOHN WHITE (1916–1997) ‘32

After graduation, John White worked for two years, saving his money to enroll at the University of Washington. He graduated with a degree in metallurgical engineering. While at the UW he rowed with the varsity crew for four years and was a member of the team that won the gold medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He inducted into the UW Husky Hall of Fame in 1979.

AL MOEN (1916–2001) ‘34

Al invented the single-handle mixing faucet, inspired in 1937 after nearly burning himself at a standard two-handle faucet. He was able to begin production after the end of WW II. In 1959 Fortune magazine named his faucet one of the top one hundred best-designed products of modern times. He went on to hold seventy-five patents, including the screen aerator and the push-button shower diverter. He headed Moen Incorporated's research and development group until his retirement in 1982.

BONNIE MCDONALD RIACH ‘48

Bonnie graduated from Franklin with a sense of civic activism, and is nationally recognized as a leader in the prevention of child abuse. In the 1970s, she organized every county in Washington and helped coordinate at the national level with Prevent Child Abuse America. Her efforts led to the creation of the Council for Children and Families and the Children's Trust Foundation, both focusing on prevention of child abuse. In the late 1990s, concerned that the Franklin Band did not have uniforms, she took the lead in raising money purchase new uniforms, the first major fund raising effort of the Franklin Alumni Association.

RON SANTO 1940–2010 ‘58

Ron played in major league baseball from 1960 to 1974, most notably as the third baseman for the Chicago Cubs. He won five Golden Glove Awards and was a nine-time National League All-Star. He joined the Cubs' broadcast booth in 1990 and gained renown for his enthusiasm, including groans and cheers during the game. Diagnosed with diabetes when he was twenty, he concealed his diagnosis for most of his playing career. He was active in fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, ultimately or raising over $60 million. He was named Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's "Person of the Year in 2002. In 2012 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

LEWIS ALBANESE (1946-1966) ‘64

“Lewie” was born in 1946 in Italy and at the age of 2 immigrated to the United States with his parents settling in Rainier Valley. He graduated from Franklin in 1964 and entered the armed forces. He was killed while serving in Vietnam and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for saving many lives during a sniper attack on his army platoon in Vietnam. A Fort Benning barracks is named in his honor. Of the 1.5 million men and women that served in Vietnam, only 242 were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

KENNETH ALHADEFF ‘66

Kenny graduated from Washington State University and then went to work at Longacres Racetrack, his family business. He immediately became involved in philanthropy and states his number one priority is his family. Kenny has served on the multiple boards including Seattle Symphony, Seattle Repertory Theater, Fifth Avenue Theater, and Northwest School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He chaired the MKL Holiday Commission. He twice chaired the Washington State University Board of Regents. After the sale of Longacres he built the Majestic Bay Theater. He is chairman of Elttaes Enterprises and the Alhadeff Family Foundation. He is a partner in Junkyard Dog Productions which won the 2010 Tony award for Memphis.

SCOTT OKI ‘66

After service in the US Air Force, and attending the University of Colorado, Scott started his own computer software company in San Francisco. He returned to Seattle in 1982 to join Microsoft where he conceived and built their international operation. He then became vice president of domestic operations, retiring in 1992. He and his wife endowed the Oki Foundation and helped found other nonprofit entities, including Sounders for Kids, Social Venture Partners, and Seattle Parks Foundation. They have supported many other organizations, including the Boys and Girls Club, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the YWCA and the Seattle Sounders Soccer Club. The Seattle-King County Association of Realtors named Scott and Laurie Oki First Citizens of 2002.

ROYAL BROUGHAM (1894–1978) ‘12

Royal began a career as a sports writer with the Seattle Post Intelligencer in 1910 and he served as a Seattle newspaper sports writer and editor, as well as a memorable early TV sports anchor for the nearly seven decades. His contributions to the community were also remarkable. He founded the Royal Brougham Sports Hall of Fame and Museum; served on the board of directors of the Seattle-King County American Red Cross; was Washington director for the National Commission of Living War Memorials; and was twice a member of the Olympic Games Press Committee. Royal was named Port of Seattle's First Citizen in 1946, First Citizen in sports by Greater Seattle, Inc.

GEORGE HITCHINGS (1905–1998) ‘23

George attended the University of Washington before receiving his PhD in biochemistry from Harvard in 1933. He was vice president in charge of research at Burroughs-Wellcome. His own discoveries and research leadership led to developments of drugs to treat such medical problems as gout, malaria, bacterial infections, organ transplantation, and cancer. Considered by many to be a founder of the field of chemotherapeutics, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1988. He said wrote: “My experiences at Franklin High School in Seattle were notable—we had a most heterogeneous population, one that blended upper class and minorities including blacks, Filipinos, Japanese, Chinese and first generation Catanians. As a result, I lost any self-consciousness I felt in dealing with people from different cultures and backgrounds.”

BRICE TAYLOR (1902–1974) ‘23

Brice, orphaned at age five, became an All-American football player despite being born without a left hand. He was captain of Franklin’s winning football teams, and was called “the greatest player ever seen in high school football in Seattle." He attended the University of Southern California (he had hoped to go to the University of Washington but was denied because of his race), where he won All-American honors and anchored the US Olympic gold medal 400-meter relay team. When he left USC he became a teacher and a coach (the first black head high school football coach in Los Angeles). He later became a minister, working with boys' clubs and juvenile delinquents.

VICTOR STEINBREUCK (1911–1985) ‘28

Victor graduated from the University of Washington School of Architecture in 1935 and worked in various architectural firms and served in the military before joining the faculty at the University of Washington in 1946. He is renowned for his advocacy of historic preservation, including Seattle's Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. He was involved in the design of such Seattle landmarks as the Market Park, the Faculty Center on the UW campus, the Exhibition Pavilion for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, and the Space Needle. He received the Washington State Architect of the Year Award in 1960 and was named First Citizen of Seattle in 1977. Shortly after his death Pike Place Park was re-named in his honor.

ELEANOR HADLEY (1916–2007) ‘34

Eleanor Hadley graduated from Mills College in 1938 with a BA in politics, economics, and philosophy. She received her PhD in economics from Radcliffe College in 1947 after serving with the US State Department and on General MacArthur's staff during the initial occupation of Japan following World War II, where she was responsible for the development of the antitrust policies in Japan. She was a professor at Smith College in Massachusetts and George Washington University in Washington, DC. In her writing, she became a leading chronicler of the antitrust experiment in Japan during the Occupation.

GEORGE KOZMETSKY (1917–2003) ‘34

George Kozmetsky had distinguished careers in business and academia. After earning a PhD in commercial science from Harvard, he cofounded Teledyne, Inc., and was the dean of the University of Texas College of Business Administration for sixteen years. He was a technology innovator, businessman, educator, author, and philanthropist. In 1977 Dr. Kozmetsky founded the IC² Institute, a think tank charged with researching the intersection of business, government, ad education. In 1988, he received the University of Washington's Alumnus Summa Dignatus Award, the highest honor accorded alumni of that university. In 1993 he received the National Medal of Technology Award from President Bill Clinton.

EMMETT WATSON (1918–2001) ‘37

For over fifty years, Emmett Watson was a premier columnist for Seattle's major newspapers. Emmett set out to play professional baseball, but when he washed out as a Seattle Rainier, he caught on in 1944 as a sports writer with the old Seattle Star (then Seattle's third newspaper). The Seattle Times hired him as a sports writer in 1947, and he went to the Post Intelligencer in 1950. He remained with the PI for thirty-three years. In 1962 he began to write full time as a columnist, and through his work in "This, Our City” and its later variations, Emmett became the Northwest's best-known columnist and journalist.

FRED HUTCHINSON (1919–1964) ‘37

Fred Hutchinson played multiple positions – pitcher, catcher, first baseman, and outfielder for Franklin’s championship teams from 1934 to 1937. He started his professional baseball career as a pitcher for the Yakima Indians in 1937 and the Seattle Rainiers in 1938; he moved to the majors as pitcher for the Detroit Tigers from 1939 to 1952 and then served as their manager until 1954. He later managed the Seattle Rainiers, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds. He was Seattle’s Man of the Year in 1938; the National League’s Manager of the Year in 1957; and Sport Magazine’s Man of the Year in 1964. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, founded by his brother Bill (‘26), was named in his honor.

JAMES MCCURDY ‘41

A football star while at Franklin, McCurdy went to the University of Washington after graduation and became chairman of the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, later purchased by Lockheed in 1959. While working at Lockheed, McCurdy served as president of the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, and the Rainier Club. After twenty-seven years with Lockheed, he retired as chairman of the board.

MARTHA (WIEDERRECHT) WRIGHT ‘41

Martha began sang at Franklin and performed on radio and in musical theater in Seattle after graduation. She moved to New York, was chosen as understudy for the lead in an operetta, and ultimately created the role for Broadway. She replaced Mary Martin in South Pacific, and again replaced her in the role of Maria in The Sound of Music. Her career included recordings, regular radio performances, and a weekly television show. She retired in the late 1960s to raise her family but continued to appear in concerts and tributes until the 1980s.

MARVIN "BUZZ" ANDERSON (1928-2013) ‘45

Buzz, a lifelong resident of Rainier Valley, devoted his career to the interests of his community. He founded the Rainier District Little League Baseball organization in 1951. He was a regular member of the Pioneers of Columbia City and became president in 1993. He reorganized the group, eliminated restrictive membership requirements, and changed the name to the Rainier Valley Historical Society. Buzz served as president of the Rainier Chamber of Commerce in 1967, receiving the John Merrill Memorial Service Award in 1994 for his service to the community.

JEAN VELDWYK ‘48

Jean remained in the Franklin community after her graduation, becoming a community leader. She opened a real estate and insurance office, and later a property management company on Rainier Avenue. She was the cofounder and president of Sound Savings and Loan Association, was the first woman president of the Rainier Chamber of Commerce and the Seattle-King County Board of Realtors. She chaired the Seattle Center Advisory Committee and of the Senior Services of Seattle-King County. For her work as cofounder and chair of the Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council she received a 1990 award from the president of the United States for innovation and success in reducing crime.

BILL WRIGHT ‘54

Bill was a star athlete at Franklin, playing golf and with the state championship-winning basketball team. At Western Washington University excelled again in both sports. In 1960 he won the NAIA National Intercollegiate Golf Championship, and he was the first African American golfer to win a USGA title, the 1959 US Amateur Public Links Championship. On his return to Seattle, he was honored as Man of the Year for the state of Washington. He dreamed of becoming a professional golfer, but without the backing of a country club or corporate sponsors, black golfers lacked the resources needed to compete. Wright taught elementary school in Los Angeles and became a successful owner of automobile dealerships. Golf remained his passion – he played in the 1966 US Open in San Francisco and in five US Senior Opens.

GARY LOCKE ‘68

Gary graduated from Yale University and received his law degree from Boston University. He served as a deputy King County prosecuting attorney, then served eleven years in the Washington State House of Representatives, ultimately chairing the Appropriations Committee. He was elected chief executive of King County in 1993 and served as Washington State governor from 1997-2005. He was appointed US Secretary of Commerce by Barack Obama, where he was responsible for the 2010 census. From 2011-2014 he served as the ambassador to the People's Republic of China.

MARK MORRIS ‘73

Mark has been hailed by many critics as the world’s most exciting living choreographer. He founded the Mark Morris Dance Group in New York City (1980), was director of Dance Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels (1988–1991); co-founded the White Oak Dance Project (1990). He has choreographed over 150 works for his company, as well as many opera and classical ballet companies around the world. In 1991, he received a MacArthur genius award. He was named a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation. He received the Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, and the Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.

WILLIAM HUTCHISON (1909–1997) ‘26

Bill was active in the Glee Club and baseball at Franklin. He attended the University of Washington, captained the baseball team and had to choose between a professional baseball or medical career. He chose medicine, received his MD at McGill University, and began his career as a surgeon in Seattle in 1941. In 1956 he became the founding director and president of the Pacific Northwest Research Foundation. He founded the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center (named for his brother who died of lung cancer) in 1975. He received multiple medical and service awards.

JIM ELLIS ‘39

Jim attended Yale, graduated in 1942, and was then sent by the Air Force to a cadet-training program in meteorology. When his brother Bob was killed in action, he vowed to “do something extra” to make up for what his brother might have done had he lived. He worked as a municipal bond attorney after graduating from law school. For more than fifty years he was a citizen activist in Seattle and King County. He led campaigns to clean up Lake Washington in the 1950s; to finance mass transit, parks, pools, and other public facilities through "Forward Thrust" bonds in the 1960s; to preserve farmlands in the 1970s; to build and later expand the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in the 1980s; and to establish the Mountains to Sound Greenway along the I-90 corridor in the 1990s. His achievements are recognized at a national level.

HERB BRIDGE ‘42

Herb joined the Navy after graduation from Franklin, with active service during WWII and the Korean War. He and his brother joined in 1955 to operate the family business, Ben Bridge Jewelers. Herb served as chairman of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce and was a director of Washington Mutual Bank. Known as “Mr. Downtown” for the critical role he played in maintaining a vital downtown in a time of suburban flight in the 1950s and 1960s, Herb received many distinctive honors for his community and business accomplishments, including induction in the National Jeweler Hall of Fame and the 2001 Seattle-King County First Citizen Award.

JOHN ELLIS ‘46

John attended the University of Washington for undergraduate and law school. He joined Puget Power as general counsel, became president and CEO in 1976, and became chairman of the board in 1987. He is best known for leading the effort to keep the Mariners in Seattle and build the team a new baseball stadium. He played a pivotal role in converting the Bellevue Boys Club to a Boys and Girls Club, a precedent later adopted nationwide. Awards include an Outstanding Community Service Award from the Boy Scouts of America and a Civic Commitment Award from the National Council on Aging. The Seattle-King County Association of Realtors named John Ellis as its First Citizen of 1987.

ROBERT BRIDGE ‘48

Bob and his brother Herb were second generation Franklin alumni—their mother was a 1919 graduate. Bob attended the University of Washington, joined the Navy and served during the Korean War. While working in the family jewelry business he sat as board of directors for Jewelers Mutual and was given such honors as the M. B. Zale Meritorious Service to Humanity Award and was been inducted into the National Jeweler Hall of Fame.

OL MITCHELL (1933-2000) ‘53

OL was described by many as being born with green and black blood. He attended Whitworth College and ultimately returned to Franklin in 1968 where he spent the remainder of his career supporting three decades of students. He served as the activities and athletics director – in charge of everything from assemblies, to football games, from student government to prom. Within the community he was a founding member of Central Area Youth Association (CAYA) and was a founding member of the Northwest Black Pioneers. He served on many boards and commissions around the Seattle Area.

CHERYL CHOW (1946-2013) ‘64

Cheryl was an educator and child advocate for most of her career. She worked as a teacher and administrator in more than a dozen different schools in the Seattle School District, including as Franklin’s principal. From 1991 to 1998 she served on the Seattle City Council and was a driving force behind the redevelopment of five community centers. She was elected to the school board and served from 2006 to 2009. She sat on the boards of numerous organizations, including First Place School, the YWCA, and the Girl Scouts Totem Council; she led the award-winning Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team.

FRANKLIN RAINES ‘67

Frank graduated from Harvard and was a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford University, before graduating from Harvard Law School. He served in the Carter Administration from 1977 to 1979. He worked for eleven years with an investment firm; in 1991 he became Fannie's Mae's vice chairman. He joined the Clinton administration as the director of the Office of Management and Budget from 1996 to 1998. In 1999 returned to Fannie Mae as CEO. He retired in 2005 and continues to live in Washington, DC, serving on the boards of corporations and nonprofit organizations.

TERRY METCALF '69

Terry attended Everett Community College and Long Beach State before joining the NFL. He was a successful running back playing for the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Redskins as well as with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL. After he retired he coached high school football at Franklin and then later at Renton. In 1990 he started his teaching career, focusing on early childhood education with at-risk children.

STEPHANIE STOKES OLIVER ‘70

Stephanie graduated from Howard University with a degree in journalism. She worked at Glamour and then moved to Essence, where she became the editor of the magazine. She later was the founding editor in chief of Heart & Soul; in 1998 she formed SSO Communications, Inc., a publishing and new media consulting firm in the New York area. She is the author of Daily Cornbread: 365 Secrets for a Healthy Mind, Body & Spirit, Seven Soulful Secrets For Finding Your Purpose and Minding Your Mission, and Song for My Father: Memoir of an All-American Family.

KENNY GORELICK ‘74

Kenny G started playing saxophone at age 10, and was a key player in Franklin’s jazz band. He first played professionally at age 17, performing with Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra. Later he recorded with Jeff Lorber Fusion and Cold, Bold and Together. In 1982 he launched his solo career – his fourth album, Duotones, made him a star. In 1994 his track "Forever in Love" won a Grammy Award for best instrumental composition for the track. His albums have sold millions of copies.

MARIO BAILEY ‘88

Mario was a basketball and football star at Franklin. He was recruited to play football and basketball at the University of Washington where he still holds the record for receiving touchdowns in a season and career. He was named first team All-American and Pac-10 player of the year in 1991. He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1992. He played 1995–2000 for Frankfurt in the National Football League in Europe, and coached at Franklin from 2004 to 2008. Mario was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 2014.

LYNN KNELL JONES, TEACHER

Lynn Knell Jones was instrumental in creating a cohesive art program open to all students at Franklin in the 1980s. Multiple classes including ceramics, drawing and an advanced placement program became available under her leadership. Franklin’s art program has produced multiple award winning students and pieces. Some of those contests include the PTA reflections contest, METRO, and the Goodwill Art competition. Her tireless work took a set of underachieving art classes and turned them into a rigorous, award-winning program for students.

RICK NAGEL, TEACHER

Although he graduated from Garfield, Rick Nagel spent 30 years as a teacher at Franklin. In that time he created the extremely popular Law and Society program which examined the role of the individual in society and the many aspects of law and justice. In addition, he created the Mock Trial Program. Franklin’s Mock Trial team won the state trophy many times and won the National Championship Mock Trial competition in 2000.

ELLA PITRE, STAFF

Ella Pitre was considered the matriarch of Franklin High School during her 30 years as a staff member. In her role as attendance secretary she interacted with the thousands of students who came to adore her, and she not stop when the school day ended. She was a member of the PTA and was seen at many of Franklin’s sporting events. She was also very involved in her community, receiving the Martin Luther King Jr. Church Community Service award for her work. She was named the Western States Woman of the Year.