Rick Vanderwielen
1974
While Rick Vanderwielen was at
Jefferson High School, he was a three year member of the Jefferson
basketball team which advanced to the state finals in 1974. He was also
the first high jumper at Jeff to use the “Fosberry Flop” and go over
the bar backwards. He won the county high jump championship three years
in a row. At Purdue, he walked onto the basketball team, but a knee
injury ended his career, as a freshman. Rick graduated from Purdue
University in 1978, earning a bachelor’s degree in Electrical
Engineering Technology. In 1985, Rick founded Indiana Automation which
later became integrator.com. Integrator designed and supplied
computerized security systems for prisons, jails, and detention centers
nationwide. He sold the company in 2000 and retired at age 44. He was
also the founder of Flexware Integration and a past owner of a resort.
Today, he’s the owner of HomeTown Television Corporation, channel 19 in
Noblesville, Indiana. Rick’s companies have won the Indiana Blue Chip
award and the IU Kelly School of Business Growth 100 award. He was
named as one of the 100 Most Influential Businessmen in Indiana in
1997. He’s been recognized as the Noblesville’s Person of the Year in
2003 and in 2004 was named Business Person of the Year. In April of
2005, he was named a Distinguished Alumni of Purdue University.
Judy L. Johnson
1974
While attending Jefferson High
School, Judy Johnson was student council president and active in the
French Club, Sunshine Society, National Forensic League, Cheerleader
Advisory Council, Broncho Broadcasters, and National Honor Society.
She graduated fifth out of 550 graduates in the class of 1974. Majoring
in business and minoring in marketing, Judy graduated from Indiana
University with highest distinction, earning a 3.98 grade point
average. Judy has logged 10,000 hours as a volunteer at Home Hospital
and St. Elizabeth Medical Center – a milestone that few volunteers ever
meet. This is especially meaningful because Judy was permanently
disabled in a 1980 car wreck that caused such critical head injuries
that doctors expected her to die or spend her life in a nursing home.
She spent seven months in a coma and did not talk for another six
months. But Judy has always had a positive attitude and never gave up.
She learned to talk, walk, read, and write again and now lives
independently, even doing her own shopping. Judy has also volunteered
at Jefferson High School, Westminster Village, Covenant Presbyterian
Church and at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. She also attends
meetings of “Reach Out,” a support group that she helped establish for
those who have suffered head injuries or strokes. Being disabled has
deepened Judy’s appreciation for life and has changed her perspective.
She savors the little things and is filled with joy and gratitude.
Serving others brings Judy much happiness and satisfaction every day of
her life.
Richard Felix
1956
Dr.Richard Felix graduated from
Jeff in 1956 and received his baccalaureate degree from Olivet Nazarene
University in 1963. His educational career began as a fifth grade
teacher in Beecher, Illinois, and was later an elementary school
principal in Wilmington, Illinois. Following his master’s degree in
education from George Williams College, (now Aurora University), he
began his higher education career as Athletic Director and head
basketball coach at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. His 1969 team
made the national NCCAA tournament. Following the completion of this
PhD in 1974 from the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Felix began his
administrative journey as Vice President at Trevecca Nazarene College in
Nashville, Tennessee, and then Director of Major Gifts at the
University of Florida in Gainesville. In 1978, he received a post
doctoral certificate from Harvard University’s prestigious Institute for
Educational Management. In 1979, he was selected President of Friends
University in Wichita, Kansas. During his eleven year tenure of
leadership, student enrollment doubled, endowments increased, and
graduate as well as adult degree completion programs were introduced.
In 1990, Dr. Felix was elected President of Azusa Pacific University in
California. Under his decade of leadership until his retirement in
2000, seven new buildings were constructed, doctoral programs were begun
in six disciplines, masters programs expanded, and undergraduate
enrollment doubled. In the February 2, 2004, issue of Time magazine,
his leadership was cited in enabling APU to become a “flagship
university” among Christian colleges and universities in America.
After his retirement and the death of this beloved wife, Vivian, he
wrote a book about her remarkable faith as she battled breast cancer.
The School of Dying Graces was released in 2004 by Tyndale House. Dr.
Felix is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. He has received
honorary doctorates from Bethel College (Indiana), Belhaven College
(Mississippi), and Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea. His alma
mater, Olivet, selected him Alumnus of the Year in 1998. He was
presented an Olympic Torch by Park Se Jik, President of the 1988 Olympic
Games.
Raymond C. Ewry
1890
Raymond C. Ewry is considered by
some to be the greatest athlete ever of the modern Olympics, having won
ten gold medals during four different Olympic competitions. As a child,
Ray was stricken with polio and told he would never walk again. Not
only did Ray walk, he became a tremendously gifted athlete in several
jumping events in track. Ray completed high school in 1890 and enrolled
in Purdue University’s Mechanical Engineering school. He joined the
track and field team winning several running and jumping events. He was
the first Big Ten athlete to win an Olympic championship, representing
the United States in the Paris Olympiad in 1900. He became a
sensation,winning three gold medals in jumping events. He set a world
record in the standinghigh jump leaping five feet five inches. The
French newspapers labeled him “The Human Frog.” In 1904 at the St. Louis
Olympics, Ewry added three more gold medals to his collection. He won
two more gold medals at the 10th anniversary Olympics in Athens in
1906. He set world records in the standing broad jump and standing long
jump. He won his last two gold medals at the London Olympiad in 1908.
During the years between Olympics, Ewry participated in AAU meets
across the country, winning numerous national titles up to 1912 when he
retired from competition. He continues to hold world records in some
events because they have been dropped or changed in recent decades. Ewry
received an engineering degree from Purdue University in 1894 and
worked as a civil engineer for the Navy, helping design and build war
ships. He completed his career as the city engineer for New York
City. Ray Ewry’s amazing athletic abilities have earned him numerous
awards. He has been inducted into the Olympic Athletic Hall of Fame and
Purdue University Athletic Hall of Fame.