Toledo: Standouts inducted into Libbey hall

4/20/2005

In an age where critics complain that too many experienced teachers are leaving inner-city schools, Charles Cornwell decided to teach at one when he began his second career as a teacher 19 years ago.

Mr. Cornwell, a 1960 graduate of Libbey High School and its longtime marketing teacher, will be honored tomorrow as one of five new inductees into the Libbey High School Hall of Fame.

The 12th annual Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held at the Brandywine Country Club in Monclova Township. The doors will open at 6 p.m. with a reception and 7 p.m. and induction ceremonies begin at 8 p.m., Mr. Cornwell said.

Former WTOL-TV, Channel 11, sports anchor Orris Tabner, a 1950 graduate of Libbey, will be the master of ceremonies.

Mr. Cornwell will be honored with:

●Henry "Hank" Williams, Class of 1950, a standout football and basketball player living in California;

●Dr. William Stine, Class of 1957, a standout athlete who played football at the University of Michigan;

●Lavelle A. Willinger, Class of 1931, a former Libbey-Owens-Ford executive and an attorney, who will be inducted posthumously;

●George Henry Miley, Class of 1945, standout athlete and former Libbey coach, who also will be inducted posthumously.

Mr. Willinger, who died in 2000, was an attorney who was instrumental in developing the Toledo Bar Association's Pro Bono Legal Services Program, Libbey Hall of Fame committee members said. He was one of the first volunteers for the Lucas County Juvenile Court's Court-Appointed Special Advocates program to speak for abused, neglected and dependent children.

Mr. Miley earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Toledo where he played football and ran track. He was a former principal at Bowsher High School and coached football, basketball, track and baseball at Libbey. He also helped operated Miley's Resort, a family business at Lake Bellaire, Mich.

Mr. Williams set records in the 100-yard and 200-yard dashes in track and starred in football at Libbey. He joined the Air Force where he played and coached football for Air Force teams in Europe.

He now owns Quinnell Enterprises in Los Angeles, focusing on real estate, advertising and security services.

Dr. Stine starred in football, track and basketball at Libbey and started two years in football at the University of Michigan. Despite being drafted by the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, Dr. Stine chose medical school.

He served two years in the Navy, completed his residency at the Henry Ford Hospital and opened a private practice in Port Huron, Mich. After moving to Key West, Fla. in 1987, he worked as a radiologist at Naval hospitals in California, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida before his retirement in 1999.

Mr. Cornwell earned a marketing and communication associate's degree from the University of Toledo in 1964 and began his first career in the retail marketing field. He said friends started encouraging him to think about teaching, and he remained close to Libbey High School.

"I love Libbey and the area, and this is where I wanted to be," said Mr. Cornwell, who has taught at Libbey for 15 years. "This is like home. Everyone does an outstanding job here and I enjoy the students."

Mr. Cornwell returned to school to earn a second bachelor's degree in marketing management in 1985 and a master's in education in 1992. He taught at Scott and Woodward high schools before returning to Libbey.

He is currently the president of the Ohio Association for Career and Technical Education.

He helped establish the high school's Hall of Fame and has served as its chairman since it started. He said committee members still managed to surprise him with the induction honor.

"I didn't even know I was nominated," Mr. Cornwell said. "I was shocked and it was an honor. The Hall of Fame is something I enjoy doing and they keep asking me to do it again."

Howard Brown, principal of Libbey's Gateway Academy, said the school is thankful for people like Mr. Cornwell who take an interest not only in Libbey, but in making sure former graduates are honored.

"I know he and his wife have put a tremendous amount of time and effort in keeping this going," Mr. Brown said. "They have been tremendously dedicated to the school and to the Hall of Fame. He has also been an outstanding teacher here for a long time."

Mr. Brown said he sees the Hall of Fame as not only an opportunity to honor past students but to encourage current students. He said students can pick up on what they need to do by learning the stories of the honorees.

"Many of the honorees started in the same position our kids are in now," Mr. Brown said. "Many of them are quite successful and it gives students the opportunity to see the things they did."

Contact Clyde Hughes at:

chughes@theblade.com

or 419-724-6095.