OTTAWA — The Ottawa High School Wall of Honor will induct three people this fall. The newest additions to the wall are Richard “Dick” Powell, John Lee and Kathy Waymire. Powell, Colorado Springs, Colo., is a 1949 graduate who became a teacher and coach. He spent 32 years as a high school biology teacher, basketball coach, athletic director and assistant principal. He coached two national high school all-star basketball teams and two Serbian youth teams. He also was director of the U.S. Junior Olympic volleyball program. He also organized the Rotary Champions Awards Program, designed to recognize outstanding scholar/athletes in the Pikes Peak region of Colorado.
In its 26-year history, the program has grown to include 33 high schools, has honored 10,000 scholar/athletes, and has awarded $200,000 in scholarships.
John Lee, Kansas City, is a 1959 graduate. He is a retired newspaper executive. He started his career as a reporter for the Hutchinson News, where he won several awards. He was named editor and publisher of the Hays Daily News and later vice president of Harris Enterprises, which owns the Hutch News, Hays Daily News and the Ottawa Herald. Lee became the company’s president and chief executive officer in 1997. Kathy Waymire, Memphis, graduated in 1973. She is a professional pilot and flight instructor.
At the age of 23, she was the seventh female pilot hired by Federal Express. She has more than 10,000 hours of flying in a wide variety of large jets. She has also been a flight instructor. She now flies international trips as a Boeing 777 captain for FedEx. She has also served on mission trips to Kenya, Belize and Panama. Wall of Honor events are Sept. 15-16. Sharon Geiss, Wall of Honor coordinator, said tickets go on sale for the Sept. 15 banquet in mid-August.
Thursday, July 28, 4 p.m.
