Ottawa Hills Foundation to add to Hall of Fame
10/8/2008The Ottawa Hills Foundation will add members to its Hall of Fame at a reception at the Inverness Club.
Those who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame are:
•James Brennan, businessman and former head of the Lucas County Republican Party.
•Evan Galbraith, ambassador to France and investment banker.
•Norm Niedermeier, teacher and longtime football coach at Ottawa Hills High School.
•Dr. Elizabeth Rupert, a pediatrician, teacher, and child advocate.
•Jay and Clara Shuer, pioneers in advocacy for children with developmental disabilities.
In addition, Milton Olander will be inducted into the Century Circle, which is designed to recognize those who made an early contribution to the character of Ottawa Hills.
Mr. Olander was a football coach and an innovator in industrial relations.
Over 21 years, Mr. Brennan was chairmanof the local Republican Party three different times. He also served on the Ohio Board of Regents and was chairman of the Ohio Turnpike Commission and the Lucas County Board of Elections.
He was a member of the Ottawa Hills Village Council, founded the school's varsity ice hockey program, and was president of the Boosters Club. Mr. Brennan was also president of the Toledo Opera Association and a member of a number of civic organizations. He started
Brennan Industrial Truck Co. and remained active in the business until his death.
A number of scholarships have been established in his memory, and the varsity softball field at Ottawa Hills High School is named Brennan Field in honor of his memory and of his wife, Betty.
Mr. Galbraith was ambassador to France from 1981 to 1985 and served as European representative of the secretary of defense.
Mr. Galbraith was a 1946 graduate of Ottawa Hills High School. He then graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School.
He was in the U.S. Navy, attached to the Central Intelligence Agency from 1953 to 1957. Mr. Galbraith served as confidential assistance to the secretary of commerce in 1960 and 1961.
The former ambassador was a managing director of Dillon Reed in London, advisory director of Morgan Stanley in New York, and chairman of the board of National Review. He was also a member of the board of Groupe Lagardere S.A., Paris, and chairman of the board of the New York subsidiary of LVMH.
Mr. Galbraith died earlier this year.
Mr. Niedermeier was lauded in 2005 when the refurbished Ottawa Hills High School football stadium was named in his honor. He was remembered by former players at the high school as a man of patience and discipline, and a coach with an interest in the young men that went beyond the football field.
Mr. Niedermeier attended the University of Michigan where he played football and participated in gymnastics. He also received a master's degree with a specialty in counseling.
He began a long career at Ottawa Hills High School beginning in 1957, where he was a biology teacher and, at one time, the athletic director.
He was the football coach for 40 years and led the Green Bears to 210 victories. His teams won eight league championships, enjoyed four undefeated seasons, and at one time had a 23-game winning streak.
The foundation notes that Mr. Neidermeier always stressed academics over athletics and that his interest was not in preparing players for the next game, but for life.
Dr. Rupert, a pediatrician at the former Medical College of Ohio for 16 years, was recognized as a teacher, researcher, and writer. She has been a force for the protection of vulnerable and disadvantaged children, according to the hall of fame citation.
The annual award given to the pediatrician of the year by the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is given in her name.
Dr. Rupert is a graduate of Tulane University and received her medical training at Ohio State University.
In addition to the hall of fame honor, Dr. Rupert has been cited for her achievements by Easter Seals, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the state of Ohio, the YWCA, the Free Masons of Ohio, and Camp Courageous.
She has volunteered and been on the board of numerous local agencies, most of which address the needs of children or the disabled.
A day-treatment program for children with complex medical problems, the Prescribed Pediatric Center, was founded by her and she remains active in it.
Mr. and Mrs. Shuer are being cited for the programs and facilities that they have made available to help the families of children with developmental disabilities.
In the late 1940s, Mr. and Mrs. Shuer had a child who was diagnosed with mental retardation. The couple found that there were no viable resources available and set about to change the situation.
They began to raise public awareness, draft legislation, and work to pass levies to aid those with developmental disabilities.
In 1961, Lucas County saw the opening of the LARC Lane School, and in 1971 the Jay Shuer School opened in Oregon.
Mr. Shuer was instrumental in the founding of the Association for Retarded Children on the county, state, and national levels, and has headed them all.
Mr. and Mrs. Shuer have received numerous awards by organizations dedicated to those with developmental disabilities.
Mr. Olander is being named to the Century Circle.
Mr. Olander received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and a master's degree in education from the University of Illinois.
He was football coach at the former Western Michigan College before returning to Illinois and his former coach Bob Zuppke to work as an assistant for the next 10 years.
In 1934 he became director of industrial relations for Owens-Illinois Glass Co. His success was evident by his seven appointments by various U.S. presidents to conferences of international labor organizations.
He also was appointed to the former federal Wage Stabilization Board.
He was a board member and director of several University of Illinois organizations, a member of the Ottawa Hills Board of Education, and the board of the Sylvania Library.
He was also instrumental in acquiring the property which is now known as Olander Park.
The Hall of Fame reception will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at Inverness Club.