Holmes High School - The HHS Hall of Distinction

Lon Cook, Class of 1965, joined the U.S. Navy, became a hospital corpsman and graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps Field Medical Service School. With the Marines, he saw action in the Vietnam War. His twin, Ron Cook, ’65, was also a medical corpsman attached to Marines and is also being honored tonight. Back home, Lon Cook became a Covington police officer, specializing in the investigation of crime scenes. He also became a trainer of other officers, a member of the police force’s Special Weapons and Tactics team, an emergency medical technician, and a teacher of his skills to civilians, all in the service of others. He and his wife, Linda (Bronk), ’67, have two children and two grandchildren.

Ron Cook, Class of 1965, joined the U.S. Navy, became a hospital corpsman and graduated from the U.S. Marine Corps Field Medical Service School. With the Marines, he saw action in the Vietnam War, was wounded, and received the Purple Heart. His twin, Lon Cook, ’65, was also a medical corpsman attached to Marines and is also being honored tonight. Returning home, Ron Cook became an associate of Allison & Rose Funeral Home and has also served in the office of the Kenton County coroner. He has taken an active role for many years in the service of military veterans and has proved an effective advocate for their cause. He and his wife, Janice (Tolliver), ’68, have two children and two grandchildren.

Don Conrad, Class of 1946, enlisted in the U.S. Navy upon graduation and served as a fire controlman aboard U.S.S. Toledo. Returning to his hometown in 1949, he worked for Cincinnati Bell as a switchman. In 1955 he began a service station at 11th and Scott. It would be the first in a chain of stations later known as Waco, the nation’s largest Shell Oil dealer, which he sold last July. Mr. Conrad also became a banker and is a director of Huntington Bancshares Inc. A philanthropist, he has generously endowed scholarships through the Don Conrad Family Trust. He and his wife, Donna, live in Union. They have three daughters and three grandchildren. He hopes “to be able to encourage other Holmes high School graduates to achieve success."

Pamela Mullins, Class of 1971 (and lest we forget, was co-editor of “Lest We Forget”), continued her studies at the University of Cincinnati and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. In 1989 she campaigned for a seat on the Covington Board of Education, drew support in precincts across the city and became the first African American elected to the Board. In 1998 she ran for Covington City Commission and became the first African American woman to be elected to that body. Her terms on the Board of Education saw the rebuilding of John G. Carlisle School and the establishment of the Biggs Early Childhood Center. A single parent, Ms. Mullins has a son, Paul, Class of 1992, and a granddaughter, Ariel.

Oakley Farris joined the Army the day after he graduated from Lafayette High School in Lexington in 1943. He served as a machine gunner in World War II, fighting in Europe, including at The Battle of the Bulge. After the war he settled in Covington and began a 30-year sales career, traveling to 28 states. He has also renovated residential and commercial spaces across the city. He and Mrs. Eva Farris, steadfast friends of Holmes, have generously provided scholarships and cultural opportunities for students, and have sponsored incentives for innovative teaching. Their goal with students, he says, is to “help them a little bit.”

Homer Dick Lewis, Class of 1944, studied metallurgical, nuclear, and chemical engineering and became one of the nation’s leading nuclear scientists. Mr. Lewis has written widely in his field, contributing to various books and presenting and publishing scores of learned papers. His work as a consultant and leader at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in New Mexico has been credited with significantly strengthening U.S. security and reducing tensions of The Cold War. He has cited his experiences at Holmes as the inspiration for his career.

Thurman Owens, Class of 1942½, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in 1943, distinguished himself as a leader in administration and training in peace and in war, and rose to Brigadier General. His decorations include the Legion of Merit and Combat “V” and two gold stars in lieu of second and third awards, the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” and the South Korean Order of Military Merit WHARANG. He became a leading administrator at the University of Cincinnati and directed the UC Foundation. He has served Holmes as a faithful volunteer and steadfast leader of alumni. Click here for his obituary.

Alice Kennelly Roberts, Class of 1938, an educator and woman of letters, has touched countless lives in her community. Mrs. Roberts worked as a teacher and school administrator during half a century in Kentucky and Ohio, including a term as Dean of Girls at Holmes. She made a mark as a columnist for The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Kentucky Post. She has written and published a number of volumes of poetry and prose. Mrs. Roberts also has served her community as an active leader of many organizations.

Ronald L. Sargent, Class of 1973, joined The Kroger Co. while he was a student at Holmes. He stocked shelves, operated the cash register, cut meat and worked in the mail room. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, a master’s degree from Harvard Business School, and, rejoining Kroger, resumed his career in retailing. Mr. Sargent joined Staples, Inc. in 1989 when the “office superstore” industry was in its infancy. In 2002 he became president and chief executive officer of Staples. He has been a leader in the national literacy movement and is active in many volunteer efforts in his community.

Carl C. Faith, Class of 1945, was educated at the University of Kentucky and Purdue University and became one of the world's foremost mathematicians. A specialist in ring theory, he has written more than 10 books and more than 90 articles and has lectured extensively throughout the United States, Europe and India. He was a Fulbright-NATO post-doctoral fellow at Heidelberg University and an NSF post-doctoral fellow and member of the Institute for Advanced Study before joining Rutgers University, where he taught and wrote for more than three decades. He is professor of mathematics emeritus at Rutgers and has served his profession through leadership in a number of learned societies.

Richard G. Howard, Class of 1956, built a career that was from the beginning purposed toward educating the children and young men and women of Covington. Earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Eastern Kentucky University, Mr. Howard returned to Covington and began teaching at John G. Carlisle School. His work in the Covington schools was a lifelong labor of love and saw him in many professional capacities, including teacher, assistant principal, principal, and interim superintendent. His untimely death on June 14, 2002 robbed Holmes High School and the Covington Independent Public Schools of a great supporter and dear friend.

Jim Huff, Class of 1961, became a railroad worker and began to sell houses part-time. Those first sales awakened him to a calling that would lead over the following decades to the pinnacle of business success regionally and nationally. With his wife, Bert Huff, he founded Huff Realty in 1975. The firm grew to one of Greater Cincinnati’s largest, with 14 offices and 550 agents. In 2002, through a merger and subsequent acquisition, Mr. Huff became a partner in the ownership of the third-largest privately owned real estate company in the United States. Loyal to his alma mater, Mr. Huff has spoken to graduating Holmes seniors and has also served on a number of public boards.

Betty Lee Nordheim, Class of 1947, has made great and lasting contributions to Holmes High and to all the Covington schools. She taught art in the city’s schools for 30 years. Upon retirement she developed and coordinated the Holmes Fine Arts Enrichment Program, which includes the Nordheim Gallery. A director of the Behringer-Crawford Museum, her study of public education in Covington, in preparation for a museum exhibit, culminated in the writing and publication of Echoes of the Past: A History of the Covington Public School System. As the foremost authority on the history of education in Covington, she has spoken to many groups about the heritage of Covington schools.

William C. Whitson, Class of 1940, was president of his graduating class and is credited with saving The Holmespun student newspaper. As a navigator on a B-24 bomber in combat over Germany, he was shot down and became a prisoner of war. Upon his return, he entered the family business and devoted himself to his community. Our area, said The Cincinnati Post, “owes a debt of gratitude” to him for more than 30 years service on the airport board, where he “dedicated much of his life toward helping Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport grow from a small regional facility into the world class hub it is today.” He continues to lead alumni activities for his cherished Class of ’40.