Five prominent alumni comprise the Neenah Joint School District’s eighth Hall of Fame class in 2023. Those inducted will be Jack Ankerson, Byron Bell, Tori Bohannon, Andrew Coan and Marty Robinson. The group brings the total members of the Hall of Fame to 49.
The inductees were selected by a committee of 15 individuals that included former and current employees and alumni. The group will be honored at a banquet on Sat., Oct. 7 at 11:30 a.m. For the first time this fall, the banquet will be held at the new Neenah High School. The event is an annual part of the District’s homecoming festivities. Tickets will go on sale in early August.
Jack Ankerson (Class of 1960) - Ankerson was a three-sport standout in high school and at Ripon College, participating in football, basketball and tennis. He was a 16th round draft choice as a quarterback by the St. Louis Cardinals in the NFL and, after a brief professional playing career, he began a career in the front office of professional sports. He was the general manager of the San Antonio Spurs and Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association. He also worked in the front office of the Norfolk Tides minor league baseball team. Ankerson is active in the Norfolk, Va. community and serves as a public address announcer for many of the area’s pro and college teams.
Byron Bell (Class of 1932) - Bell composed the music and wrote the words for the Neenah High School song that is still in use today. He also starred on the court in basketball and tennis, leading Neenah to a consolation title at the 1932 state basketball tournament. He was a member of Neenah’s only American Legion baseball state championship team in 1930. An all-conference and all-state basketball player, he is one of six former Rockets to play at the University of Wisconsin and captained the Badgers as a senior. Bell also played clarinet in the Badger band and taught music for 39 years in the Lake Geneva School District. He passed away in 2008 at age 94.
Tori Bohannon (Class of 2003) - Bohannon was a three-sport athlete in high school and captained the volleyball, basketball and soccer teams as a senior. She was a member of the band and also earned a gold award, the highest honor in girl scouts, while starting a Special Olympics basketball training program. Bohannon was a four-year starter in soccer at Northwestern University and a three-time Academic all-Big Ten selection. She studied abroad in Uganda and worked two years for Teach for America in South Bronx, N.Y. Bohannon is currently the Elementary Head of School at Namaste Charter School in Chicago.
Andrew Coan (Class of 1995) - Coan was a state champion debate student and valedictorian of his graduating class in high school. He also finished at the top of his class at the University of Wisconsin and was one of 20 students nationwide to earn a Beinecke Brothers Memorial Scholarship for graduate study. He won the Mark Mensink Prize for top honors thesis and the Distinguished English Student Award. Coan earned a juris doctorate from Stanford University and has been an assistant law professor at the University of Arizona since 2014 after six years teaching at UW-Madison. He has authored two books and is a frequent contributor to national media outlets.
Marty Robinson (Class of 1987) - An accomplished musician, Robinson is widely regarded in the Midwest as a jazz and classical trumpeter, both as a soloist and in chamber music settings. He earned a degree in trumpet performance from Lawrence University, a Master’s Degree in jazz studies from Eastman School of Music and a doctorate in composition from Florida State University. Robinson was part of the 1990 All-American College Band and was president of National Honor Society in high school. He was an associate professor for 10 years at Florida A&M University and has been a professor of trumpet and jazz at UW-Oshkosh since 2004. He is the composer and trumpeter on numerous recordings that have been aired on national television and radio. Robinson’s work has been performed by orchestras around the country and his jazz music is played by both universities and high schools across the country.
Nominations for future Hall of Fame classes are accepted through the Neenah Joint School District website. Forms are also available at the District Office. Individuals need to be nominated by November 30 to be considered for the upcoming year. Once an individual is nominated, he or she will be considered every year.
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