East Inducts Charter Class into Hall of Fame

	Community residents and members of the district staff who selected the Hall of Fame inductees were, from left: Superintendent of Schools Dr. Alan G. Elko, who served on the final selection committee; Hall of Fame Committee members Carolyn Smith, Benjamin Chappell, Jack Byrne (chairman), Jeff Heim, Diane Horsey, Lee McFadden, and Rick Roberts; and West Chester Borough Mayor Dick Yoder, a member of the final selection committee. Not pictured are U.S. District Court Judge Juan R. Sanchez and West Chester University President Dr. Madeleine Wing Adler, both on the final selection committee; and Hall of Fame Committee members Linda Keeler, Ed Martin, Mike Payton, and Janet Vokoun.

Five East High School graduates were inducted into the Charter Class of the school’s newly formed Hall of Fame in ceremonies that preceded the annual Thanksgiving Eve Turkey Bowl between East and the district’s Henderson High School.

The inductees are William M. McCullough, a member of the Class of 1987; Anne H. Wilkinson, the Class of 1982; James L. Yahraes, Class of 1980; and Joseph R. Baker III and David C. Watts, both Class of 1979.

They were selected in a process that began when a Hall of Fame Committee screened nominations received from the community. Chaired by retired East Athletic Director Jack Byrne, the committee membership included both current and former members of the East staff.

The Hall of Fame Committee then forwarded the names of semifinalists to a Selection Committee of community residents who made the final decision. Serving on that committee were Superintendent of Schools Dr. Alan G. Elko, West Chester University President Dr. Madeleine Wing Adler, U.S. District Court Judge Juan R. Sanchez, and West Chester Borough Mayor Dick Yoder.

To be considered for the Hall of Fame, nominees must have made a significant contribution to the success of East High School or distinguished themselves as members of society. They must have graduated from East at least ten years ago.
The inductees represent a wide range of interests and professions, from medicine to the law to the armed services, filmmaking, and sports’ coaching.

A four-time Emmy winner and an award-winning producer, editor and composer, William McCullough is owner and president of Wonderland Productions. He is a graduate of Susquehanna University and was named to the All Chesmont League Football Team while a student at East.

"It seems like yesterday I was rushing down the halls of East High School, trying to get to class before the bell rang, or hobbling into Doc Rafetto’s (athletic trainer at East) room to get my ankles taped,” McCullough wrote in the Hall of Fame Program booklet. “And now, 17 years later, I look back and appreciate how those experiences have shaped my life and who I am today.”

The head field hockey coach at Ohio State University, Anne Wilkinson is an NCAA National Lacrosse Champion and was named All American in two sports – field hockey and lacrosse. She is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame at the University of Delaware, from which she graduated. She was the Outstanding Senior Female Athlete in her senior year at East.

"In my profession, it is easy to get caught up in wins and losses,” Wilkinson wrote. “I strive to never lose perspective. Family, fond memories, enduring friendships, and an appreciation for one’s roots form the essence of true success. I am grateful for the strong foundation provided by West Chester East and hope to continue to represent the community with Viking Pride.”

Inducted into the Charter Class of the East High School Hall of Fame are, from left: David C. Watts, James L. Yahraes, Anne H. Wilkinson, William McCullough, and Joseph R. Baker III.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class James Yahraes earned bronze stars in both Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He helped develop the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System and was named NCO Officer and Instructor of the Year. He is a member of the highly prestigious Audi Murphy Distinguished Leader’s Club, which recognizes leadership and military tactical skills. Admission to the club is through an Army-wide competition.

"I know that the recognition for any success I have enjoyed belongs to those who prepared me for life’s challenges,” Yahraes wrote. “It began at home with an emphasis on hard work and treating people well. It continued into the classroom with patient teachers and administrators who took the time to mentor and guide me and carried out onto the athletic fields with coaches who were there to deliver the swift kick required to enforce important lessons.”

Joseph Baker III is chief of the Health Bureau in the New York State Attorney General’s Office. A cum laude graduate of the University of Virginia, he formerly served as executive vice president of the Medicare Rights Center, an independent provider of Medicare information and assistance based in New York. He was also an associate director of Legal Services for Gay Men’s Health Crisis, a community-based provider of AIDS prevention and treatment information in New York City. He was a co-founder of Project Resolve, a mediation and dispute resolution service in New York.

A teacher, author, and major in the U.S. Army Reserves, David Watts is in private practice as a plastic surgeon in Vineland, NJ. He formerly served as chief resident of plastic surgery at Rochester General Hospital and as assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at Johns Hopkins University. He was the salutatorian of his class at Cheyney University and received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. He earned ten varsity letters in high school. “My induction into the East Hall of Fame is important to me because of the school’s excellence and reputation,” Watts wrote.

"East gives its student a quality education. Its alumni are comprised of high achievers. The dedication of its faculty and staff results in successful students, and the impact that East has on its community is consistently positive.”

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