Dennis C. Blind
1951
Denny graduated with distinction from Purdue University in 1955 and
received a Master's degree in 1959 in educational administration. He
completed additional administrative graduate studies at Purdue and
Butler Universities. He spent forty-two years in public education as a
teacher, coach, and administrator. He taught and coached in Battle
Creek, Michigan; Attica, Warsaw and Shelbyville, Indiana. He spent four
years as an administrator in Shelbyville. He served 27 years as
administrator in the Lafayette School Corporation, the last eighteen as
principal of Jefferson High School.
Blind participated in basketball and baseball while attending
Jefferson High School and Purdue University. In high school, he was
selected to the Indiana All-Star Basketball Team. He also holds the
distinction of being the first 1000 point scorer in Purdue basketball
history. In his junior and senior years at Purdue, he was named to the
Small All-American Basketball Team for players under 6 feet tall. Upon
graduation, he was the recipient of the Big Ten Award for Scholarship
and Athletic Prowess. In 1976, he was named to the Indiana Silver
Anniversary basketball team, and in March 1992 he was inducted into the
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Under Blind's leadership as principal, Jefferson High School was
recognized by the United States Department of Education as a National
Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 1985 and 1983. In 1993, Jefferson
High School was one of only thirty schools to have received this
distinction twice. In 1991, he was named Indiana Secondary Principal of
the Year. Upon his retirement in 1997, he was named a Sagamore of the
Wabash by Indiana Governor Frank O'Bannon.
Through the years, Blind has been involved in a variety of community
groups and activities. He has served as a board member for the Lynn
Treece Boys' Club, United Way, Family Services, St. Elizabeth Hospital
Board, and as chairman of the Public Service division for the United Way
campaign. In addition, he has been active in a number of professional
educational organizations throughout the state of Indiana.
Since his retirement, Denny continues to be active in education by
conducting beginning teacher workshops in effective instruction. As an
educator he maintains a simple philosophy-"do what is right" and "always
do what is best for the student."
Billie J. Holmes
1941
After graduating from Jefferson High School, Holmes was in the United
States Army Air Corps tram 1942-1945. He was a Bomber Pilot- B24
Liberator and a member of the 93rd Bomber Group, 330th Bomber Squadron.
He flew 35 missions over Germany during World War II. He was a member of
the Indiana National Guard from 1945 - 1976 and attained the rank of
Colonel prior to his retirement in 1976.
Holmes graduated from Purdue University in 1949 with a degree in
education. He earned his Masters Degree from Purdue University in 1955.
From 1949-1969 he was a coach, teacher, principal and superintendent.
Holmes has been involved in veterans' affairs at the national, state,
district and county levels his entire life. He has served as a Deputy
Director of Selective Service - Indiana; as Director of Guardianship
Division for the Veterans' Administration Regional Office -
Indianapolis, Indiana. He has also served as Deputy Director of Indiana
Department of Veterans' Affairs, retiring in 1988 to become State
Commander of the American Legion; from 1989 to 1998 he served as the
Hendricks County Veterans' Affairs Service Officer.
In addition to serving his country honorably during World War II,
Korea, and Vietnam, Holmes has been involved in state and community
activities. He has volunteered his time with the American Legion, the
Disabled Veterans of America, the Red Cross, Lions Club, the USO, and
the Masonic Lodge.
Dr. Sally Downham Miller
1961
Dr. Sally Downham Miller received her bachelor's degree from Purdue
University. Dr. Miller began a thirty year career in public education.
She completed graduate work at the University of Massachusetts and
earned a Ph.D. at Purdue. She has been a teacher, Director of Special
Education, and building principal. She has served in the Department of
Education for the states of Massachusetts and New Jersey, on the
graduate faculties at Regent University in Virginia and Cleveland State
University and as an adjunct faculty member at City College of New York.
She helped develop the monitoring procedures for the Massachusetts
Department of Special Education and the staff development for the
Holocaust Studies curriculum for the state of New Jersey.
Dr. Miller has become best known as a nationally recognized expert on
grief and loss. She has published the popular books Mourning &
Dancing and Mourning & Dancing for Schools. She has appeared often
in the national media and regularly consults with and speaks to groups
across the country.
Charles R. Vaughan
1948
In 1948, Vaughan was a starting forward on the Jefferson High School
state championship basketball team. He was also voted the most valuable
track man.
Vaughan graduated with a business degree from Indiana University in
1952 and was a member of the Indiana University basketball team in 1949
and 1950. After serving two years in the Army, Vaughan attended
Valparaiso University and received a law degree in 1957. He was chosen
as the 1989 Distinguished Alumnus of Valparaiso University.
Vaughan began practicing law with his father, a renowned trial
lawyer. Vaughan served as Tippecanoe County Attorney in 1965 and was the
Area Plan Commission's first attorney. He was President of the Indiana
Trial Lawyers Association in 1966. A veteran of over 200 civil jury
trials, Vaughan is best known for his successful representation of Ryan
White, a Kokomo teen barred from attending school because he had
contracted AIDS. That trial set a national precedent to prevent
discrimination against persons with AIDS. The trial was the subject of a
TV movie. In 1987, Vaughan was chosen one of only ten lawyers to
receive the Lifetime Achievement A ward of the Indiana Trial Lawyers
Association. He is consistently listed in the Best Lawyers in America.
For many years Vaughan raised and trained Arabian horses for reining.
His horse Tykosha won the Arabian National Title of the U.S. and
Canada. For the past twenty years he has bred and shown quarter horses.
The last two years his horses have won the Reining Futurity at the
Quarter Horse Congress.
Jewell Young
1933
After graduating from Jefferson High School, Young attended Purdue.
While at Purdue he lettered in basketball in 1936, 1937 and 1938. He
also lettered in baseball in 1936. He was Purdue's scoring leader in
1937 and 1938. In 1938 he established a Big Ten scoring record of 184
points and was voted Most Outstanding Big Ten Athlete. Young led Purdue
to Big Ten Basketball Championships in 1936 and 1938. Young is the only
former. Jefferson High School student and basketball player to be
selected to an All-American Basketball Team. Young was selected to
Purdue's Centennial All-Time Men's Basketball Team in 1997.
Upon graduation from Purdue University in 1938, Young accepted an
assistant coaching position as Southport High School in Indianapolis. At
the same time he played professional ball for six years. His career at
Southport was interrupted when he entered the Navy as an Ensign in 1943.
After his discharge in 1946 as a Lt. Jr. Grade, Young was made head
basketball coach at Southport High School. In 1998 he was inducted into
the Southport High School Wall of Fame.
Young's additional honors include his induction into the Helms
Foundation Hall of Fame and into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.