E. Richard Hottenroth

Class of 1954 

 According to his sister and 2010 inductee, A. Elaine Hottenroth, E. Richard Hottenroth  has always been a steady, supportive member of the Galion community and the organizations of  which he has been a member." A look at his life and career illustrates this.

Born in Galion in 1936, Dick attended Galion schools and graduated in 1954. While in high school, he played football and baseball, was a 4-year class officer and student government president. Dick was selected to attend Boys State and earned induction into the National Honor Society. Following his high school graduation, he attended Capital University, earning a BA degree and again served as a class officer and as a member of the student government while continuing to play football and baseball. He then moved on to the Ohio State University College of Law where he earned his LLB and JD degrees.

He was admitted to the practice of law before the Supreme Court of Ohio in 1962 and was later admitted to practice in Federal Northern and Southern District Courts in Ohio and finally before the Supreme Court of the United States. He is a longtime member and past officer of the Crawford County Bar Association as well as holding membership in the Ohio State Bar Association. As a member of the OSBA, he has served on special committees dealing with the adoption of oil and gas drilling regulations.

In his hometown of Galion, Dick has held a multitude of positions and served on various boards. Among these are Chairman and 20 year member of the Galion Planning and Zoning Commission; member of the Galion City Charter Commission and the First Review Committee of the Galion City Charter; and member of the founding body and continuing officer of the Galion Community Improvement Corporation (CIC). Other positions include formerly serving as a director on the First

Federal Bank Board; as a member of the Galion YMCA Board, helping to merge this organization with the Community Center; as the former chairman and member of the Peace Lutheran Church Council; as the past president (1983-89) and member (1974 - 1989) of the Galion Community Hospital Board; as a former director of PECO II; and as a former member of the Ohio Bar Title Insurance Company.

Currently, Dick is a partner in Hottenroth, Garverick, Tilson and Garverick (formerly Petri, Hottenroth; later Petri, Hottenroth, Garverick). He is serving on the board of the Crawford County Council on Aging and sits as a board member and chairman of the Egbert M. Freese Foundation.

He and his wife Carol celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in August. They are parents of three children, David (New York City); Gail (Sunbury, OH); and Marc (Louisville, KY); all three are Galion High School graduates.

As Elaine has said, "His devotion and contributions to his family, profession, and the community certainly qualify him for induction into the GHS Hall of Fame

Richard L. Ekin

Class of 1955

Galion industrialist and civic leader Richard L. Ekin is a 1955 graduate of Galion High School. As a student, he participated in track and basketball all four years, played the trombone for six years, and was involved in a variety of school activities such as Hi-Y, National Honor Society, The Spy staff, and he also played the lead part in a drama department production his junior year.

Following his graduation from GHS, Dick enrolled in the University of Illinois and graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Administration and Engineering. While at Illinois, he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and also served as the manager of the Fighting Illini basketball team for four years. A member of ROTC, he graduated and was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the US Army Reserves. After serving his active duty requirement, he served with the Ohio National Guard and became the Battery Commander of the Galion unit, 1st Bn 136th Artillery.

During high school, Dick worked with his father at Cemco Industries, Crestline, and later in the Rensch Avenue building that was to become the original home of Elliott Machine Works. Having graduated from college and completing his military service, Dick took a position as an Industrial Engineer at North Electric Company. In 1964 he decided that he wanted to work for himself, and he and his father Hursel Ekin formed Elliott Machine Works, Inc, which today is located in Galion's Industrial Park on SR 598. His sons Brad and Brent have joined their father as a third generation involved in the family's manufacturing operation in Galion.

Dick has served Galion agencies, organizations and the community as a whole in many ways. He became an active member of the Active 20-30 young men's service club and was the Ohio Governer representing the state at the National Convention in Eugene, Oregon, where he was selected Governor of the Year. He helped form and served as president of the Ohio Quarter Pony Association. He has chaired the local United Fund organization, co-chaired school levy campaigns, and worked to facilitate the merger of the YMCA and the Community Center to form the current Center-Y. Dick has been a director and/or chaired various boards including the Galion Hospital Board, the Chamber of Commerce, First Federal Bank of Ohio, and the Crawford County Economic and Education Partnership. As a member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church, he has been the chair of the trustees and led the project to build the Center for Life addition to the church. In 2013, he was inducted into the North Central Ohio Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

Dick and his wife Sandy, formerly a Galion teacher, reside in Galion and spend part of their time in Hilton Head, SC. They are the proud parents of five children, Beth Ann, Becky, Richelle, Brad and Brent. Richard Ekin illustrates very well the ideal of Connections Weekend --- giving back to your school and community

Herbert L. Miller, P.E.

Class of 1955 

Herbert L. Miller, son of Harold and Mary (Howser) Miller, was born in Galion in 1937 and graduated from GHS in 1955. That year’s Spy lists his school activities as “Football Manager 1,2,3,4; Track 1,2,3,4; Boy’s State Alternate 3; Hi-Y 3; Chaplain 4; Varsity G 3,4; College Club 2.”  Omitted from the list is Basketball 1, 2, 3, 4. Following high school, Herb moved on to Ohio Northern University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) in 1959. At ONU he was a four-year member of the track team, undefeated in the pole vault, and qualified for the AIAA National Track Tournament. He then enrolled at Northwestern University where he received his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) in 1962. In addition, he completed Ph.D. courses and Language requirements in Mechanical Engineering (1962) and Advanced Management course work at Case Western Reserve University (1978). Miller has been a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.), Ohio, since 1968.

Miller’s career runs from 1962 until his retirement in 2003. Between 1962 and 1973 he was the Senior Engineer and Supervisor of Analysis groups related to the fossil and nuclear power generation industry. From 1973 to 1979 he was a Manager of Nuclear Programs and Director of Quality Assurance for Bailey Control Inc. (now ABB ELSAG Bailey). In this position he was responsible for the control systems and instrumentation for nuclear power plants in the United States. Beginning in 1979 when he took the position of Vice President of Engineering and Operations at Control Components Inc., he was responsible for the custom design and manufacture of severe service control valves for the electrical power generation and oil/gas industries. Although he retired in 2003, Herb has continued to serve as a consultant for Control Components Inc. As a member since 1962 of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and The Instruments, Systems and Automation Society (ISA) since 1968, Miller has volunteered his time, talent and expertise, serving on numerous committees related to his field with emphasis on organizational management and the writing of industry standards.

Miller’s work in the “Severe Service” Control Valve Industry in the areas of Fossil/ Nuclear Power and the Oil/Gas High Pressure Transmission production industries have earned him international recognition. His more than 70 articles in technical journals on Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow have been published worldwide, having been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Spanish. Herb has given presentations in six countries as well as all over the United States. He has served on various boards of directors, ranging from such far-away places at Galion to California; the Netherlands; and the Republic of South Korea.

Herb and his wife Darlene reside in Laguna Hills, California. One of his goals is to “Spend time with his family,” which includes three grown children: Scott (Kelley) Miller, Melissa Miller and husband Floyd Duell, and Lisa (Darren) Rose and four granddaughters. Also, his brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Betty Miller, and nephew Steven Miller still reside in Galion. His sister Janet Miller, well-known former GHS staffer, passed away in February.

Mr. Miller has the following advice for today’s youth: Always try to build up the other person. The only price you may pay is an impact to your ego and you have control of that.

Dr. Victor M. Cooley

Class of 1972 

In nominating Dr. Victor M. Cooley for induction into Galion’s Alumni Hall of Fame, his friend and hiking buddy, fellow mechanical engineer Matt Smith wrote about Vic’s life and career and their impact on the world today.Smith noted that Cooley is “…passionate about improving the future through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)” and that he tries “… to attract students to STEM careers.”

The son of Charles and Mabel Cooley, Vic completed his high school education in 1972. While a student at GHS, he held a number of leadership positions including serving as President of the Student Council his senior year. An active member of Junior Achievement, he earned the distinction of “Salesman of the Year” in 1971. As a two-year school representative to the Hi-Y Youth in Government Program, Vic served as a Senator in 1971 and as a Supreme Court Justice in 1972.

Following high school, Dr. Cooley started college at Mansfield-OSU, planning to attend medical school. After two years, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving two years and earning Expert Rifle and Grenade Ratings, with Decoration. Then using the provisions of the GI Bill, he returned to school, this time enrolling in the College of Engineering on the OSU main campus. He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering (1980). He continued his studies and completed the requirements for his MS in 1981. Then, taking a position with Structural Dynamics Research Corporation near Cincinnati, he began working at the University of Cincinnati on his Ph.D, which he completed in 1996. However, before finishing his Ph.D, Vic earned an MS in Oceanography from Old Dominion University in 1989.

After hearing a presentation on the space program at a conference where he was to deliver a presentation, he began researching the requirements for becoming an astronaut. A professor introduced him to a fellow Bearcat who a NASA employee. This led to his going to work for NASA, doing research on scale models of the Space Station Freedom, which in 1993 became the International Space Station (ISS) Program. While continuing to pursue his dream of becoming an astronaut (which sadly did not happen due to his eyesight), Cooley took a position with the ISS

program and, in 1994, moved to Houston to lead the Loads and Dynamic Analysis Team. In 1999 Cooley became the “Lead Increment Scientist” in the ISS Payloads Office. His current position involves prioritizing the use of limited resources such as crew time and bandwidth for experiments.

In concluding his comments about Cooley, Smith noted that “Vic has a gift for explaining science principles in clear terms” and that “Vic’s own personal story about goals and continuous improvement is compelling and will likely inspire other Galionites to imagine they might contribute to our scientific future,”

Mark Rodman

Class of 1973 

Describing himself as a “business owner, entrepreneur, and community servant,” Mark Rodman’s objective is “To be the best person I can be, specializing in the following: Father, Husband, Community Servant, Christian, Coach, Business Owner.” These traits are all reflected in his life and experiences.

Born in Buffalo, NY, in 1955 to Harry and Janet Rodman, Mark moved with his family to Galion in the summer of 1967. He finished school here and graduated in 1973. He was employed at Flick

Lumber from 1973 to 1975 and then moved on to Butler University in Indiana and earned his degree in 1979.

After graduation from Butler, he was employed as a Sales Engineer at FMC Link Belt (1979-1981). Then, in 1981, he took time off and canoed the Yukon River, later returning to the workforce as a Sales Engineer for Dresser Industries (1981-1984). He went on hiatus a second time in 1984 and bicycled across the United States. Between 1984 and 1989, he was the National Sales Manager for Danfoss Electronics. 

In 1989 he formed Midwest Controls, a sales agency in Industrial Motion Control and Material Handling. Today, he continues to own and operate this seven-employee company that serves a five-state area. In 2004 Mark saw a need in the industry, so he formed Talon Design, a custom engineering business that manufactures lift assist products used for material handling. He operated this firm until 2009 when he sold it. In 2014 he recognized another gap and formed Tracking Tech, a company that specializes in industrial data acquisition and monitoring products. About this business, he said, “We offer a unique service. That helps lower the risk. But it’s another start up...... so, here we go again.”

As this illustrates, Mark is a man of vision. His awareness led him to his involvement with the Trinity Free Clinic in Carmel, IN. According to an October 28, 2000, article published in The Indianapolis Star, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish had opened a new Medical Clinic. The article noted that during that year the parish’s outreach had grown to 200 volunteers serving the medical needs of low-income individuals in the surrounding area. All for FREE.

Mark Rodman served as the founder and driving force behind this clinic and as its first executive director (2000-2005). During which time the Clinic expanded its services to include full dental care, eye care, and pharmaceutical needs for almost 2000 low income families in Hamilton County. Trinity is a 501-C-3 Health Clinic that has moved from the Mt. Carmel parish school (its original home) to its own 10,000 square foot building which houses not only the medical services program but also a food pantry and a clothing pantry. Mark reports that “As of 2014 the clinic has served over 23,000 patients and has a volunteer staff of 500.”

Mark, says his interests include “Family, Adventure, tennis, water skiing, snow skiing biking, hiking, and absolutely anything with my wife and children.”  He and his wife Laura are the parents of three, Cole (22), Kelly (20), and Jack (16).

In his attempt to be “the best person he can be,” Mark tries to live by these words of Mother  Teresa: “The good you do today will no doubt be forgotten tomorrow... but do it anyway.”

Dr.Tyler K. Huggins, M.D.

 F.A.C.O.G

Class of 1980 

 The Galion City School campus, including the Middle School building in which this year’s Alumni Association Hall of Fame induction ceremony is being held, is the product of the hard work of many within the community. Leading that 2003 “76/24 – Galion Students Get More” campaign as Co-Chairman was Dr. Tyler K. Huggins, Galion High School Class of 1980.

Born in 1961 to Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Marian Huggins in Rolette, ND, Ty came to Galion in 1962 after his father completed a two year commitment in the Public Health Service on an Indian reservation. His academic career and highlights include graduation from Galion, where he was class valedictorian; an athlete who participated in basketball, cross country, track, and tennis; and a student leader who was chosen to attend Buckeye Boys State and earned selection into National Honor Society as a junior. Following his high school graduation, he attended Otterbein College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Life Sciences in 1984 graduating Summa Cum Laude. Ty then earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University in 1988 and completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis. After completing his residency, he earned board certification by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1997 and recently recertified in 2013. He is currently certified in Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery. Ty held many offices as a student and has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout high school, college and medical school. He holds professional membership in the AMA, the Ohio State and Crawford County Medical Associations, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

An active member of the community and a strong supporter of the schools, Dr. Huggins co-chaired the “Pennies for Progress” campaign, a 0.5 mil levy for maintenance of the new school buildings, in May 2005, and chaired the operational levy campaign of 2006. He has held positions on the Galion Community Hospital / Avita board of directors (1998-2010), the Galion Community Education Foundation (2008-2011), and the Galion Community Foundation Board (1995 to the present).  Ty has served as Chief of Staff at Galion Community Hospital and has chaired a

number of hospital committees, including the Executive, Surgery, and Obstetrics Committees. He has even found time to coach AAU basketball for three years. He is a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church.

To facilitate and promote women’s health care in Galion and the surrounding communities, Ty developed and operates The Women’s Center, which opened in 1996. The Center is a facility dedicated to providing a wide range of health services for women in and around Galion and Crawford, Morrow, and Richland counties.

Dr. Huggins is married and he and his wife, Caryl (Mowery) Huggins, M.S., R.D., L.D., have three children, Pearson, Evan, and Lauren. Ty and Caryl can often be found in the home stands cheering on the Galion teams or on the road following their children’s athletic pursuits.

Joice Hayden-Cating 

Class Of 1948

Outstanding Educator 1965 - 1995 

“Show me! Don’t tell me!” Students who went through Joice Hayden-Cating’s English classes may well remember hearing those words or seeing them written in the margin of a composition written for her. (Or perhaps the pencil stuck in her hair!) She asked her students to provide facts, reasons, examples, etc., to back up points made. No just expressing an opinion and getting credit. So, with that in mind, here are the “FACTS.”

Born in Galion to George and Arleen Hayden, Joice attended Galion schools and graduated in 1948. While at GHS, she was involved in numerous activities, playing field hockey and basketball as part of the Girls’ Athletic Association, sang in the choir, led cheers as a member of the cheerleading squad, and performed in productions under the direction of 2009 inductee, Miriam Sayre.

Following graduation, Joice attended Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida, and earned her Bachelor’s degree, majoring in English and minoring in Art and Philosophy. She later earned her Master’s degree from The Ohio State University and did additional work at Bowling Green State University, adding over 30 additional hours of graduate classes to her resume. While at Florida Southern, she met Gus Cating, whom she later married. They now split time between Galion and Lakeland.

After graduation Joice returned to Galion and took a position at the First National Bank. Tiring of banking, Joice began looking for other employment and learned of the need for English teachers from the Galion Superintendent, Harold Blosser. She accepted a position and began her stellar 30-year career teaching eighth and ninth graders at the junior high in the fall of 1964. The next year she moved to the high school where she taught courses ranging from English 9 (the freshmen having come to the high school in 1968) and Senior Composition to Thanatology and Short Stories in the “mini-course” era. Among her other responsibilities, Joice served as the advisor to the National Honor Society and Chair of English Department from 1970 until her retirement in 1995. During her career, she held professional memberships in the Galion Education Association, the Ohio Education Association, the National Education Association and the National Council of Teachers of English; was named a Martha Holden-Jennings Scholar; and presented the commencement address with colleague Denver Wilson for June 2000 service.

In retirement, Joice has continue to serve her school and community, involving herself in the Galion Historical Society, helping to found the current Galion Alumni Association, and serving multiple terms on the Egbert M. Freese Foundation board of directors, coordinating its scholarship program among her other responsibilities.

When she retired, the community, the high school staff, and most importantly, Galion students lost a role model who displayed excellence in the classroom and inspired that same trait in her students and colleagues. Joice Hayden-Cating is one of Galion’s successes who returned to her home town to mold students who’ve gone on to conquer other worlds.

Josephine Tracht

Class of 1974

Outstanding Educator 1934 - 1974

(Posthumously) 

Chatfield, Lorain County Schools, Galion’s West Elementary, the Junior High School, and finally, Galion Senior High School. According to The Galion Inquirer, those were the stops in Josephine Tracht’s distinguished 48-year (40 in the Galion school system) career as an educator.

Jo Tracht was born in 1907, attended Galion schools, and graduated in 1924. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio Northern University in 1935, majoring in English. She later studied at Case Western Reserve and took her Master of Arts degree from The Ohio State University in 1943. According to Leona Gillette’s Inquirer article published upon Jo’s retirement, her degree was “one of the first acquired by a woman teacher.” The same article notes that Jo had added over 50 hours toward a doctorate by the time of her retirement.

Miss Tracht taught at all levels from elementary to high school. At Chatfield, she taught grades 5 and 6. When she came to Galion, she began her stay teaching grades 3 and 4 at West Elementary, which was housed in the junior high building.  She later moved to the junior high level and, finally, progressed to the high school.  At GHS she taught English, Latin, Social Studies, and American history.

Her niece Sally (Tracht) Heximer said of Jo, “Josephine had a passion for teaching, reading, learning and traveling.” Gillette’s article backs this up, indicating Jo had visited many parts of the United States, had traveled to South America, and had chaperoned a group of students on a trip to Mexico the spring before retiring. In retirement she hoped to travel to Europe or Asia and, in her words, “…see some of the things and places I’ve been reading, talking, and teaching about.”

Jo inspired not only Galion students but also reached out to others, once working with Mexican railroad workers living in the Galion area during World War II, instructing them in the English language. She found this very rewarding, noting that the workers were courteous…gracious…and gentlemanly.”

During her years in Galion, Miss Tracht was a member of the Grace Episcopal Church, the Galion Study Club, and the Retired Teachers Association, and also served as a director of the Crawford County Humane Society.

Whether it was helping immigrants learn English, pushing her students to strive for high achievement, preparing young men to attend Buckeye Boys State and speak about the experience at a later date, or chaperoning members of the College Club on visits to nearby colleges and universities or accompanying students in travels beyond the borders of the United States, Josephine Tracht gave of herself to make the lives of others better. According to Heximer, her Aunt Jo ‘”would have been honored by this tribute.”