Arnold Cohen
1950
While at Jefferson High School, Arni played varsity football and
baseball for four years and intramural sports. He was also on the
senior committee. He was on the Booster staff (sports reporting) and a
member of Quill and Scroll. He graduated from Jefferson High School in
1950. He graduated from Indiana University in 1954 with a degree in
history. He joined the Army as a second lieutenant and after his
discharge returned to Lafayette to become a manager for Sarge Biltz
restaurant. He bought the Market Square Pizza King in 1965.
Arni created the pizza empire of Arni’s restaurants and gave rise to
the familiar slogan “Meet Me At Arni’s.” Arni’s has become one of the
largest independently-owned restaurant chains in Indiana with 18
locations statewide.
Along with building his business, Arni made time for many community
activities. He was an active member of the community, having served in
the following capacities: president of his synagogue, the Temple of
Israel, president of United Way, vice-president of the Indiana
Restaurant Association, elected member of the West Lafayette City
Council, Greater Lafayette Museum of Art Foundation Board, United Stand
for Children Board, Greater Lafayette Community Development Board,
Tippecanoe County Historical Association Board, Lyn Treece Boys and
Girls Club Board, John Purdue Club, West Lafayette Parks and Recreation
Foundation Board, Friends of Convocations Board and Bank One Board. He
was the first chairman of Project Commitment of Lafayette.
He was the recipient of the Rotary International Award, the Paul Harris Fellow and the Marquis de Lafayette Award.
Vernon S. Denney
1958
While at Jefferson High School, Vernon was a member of the band, Hoof
Beats, master of ceremonies of the Red and Black Revue, Audio Visual
Club, Performers Club, Hi-Y and Student Council. After graduating,
Vernon received an A.B. Degree from the University of Indianapolis
(Indiana Central College) and a Master of Divinity Degree from United
Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Vernon served EUB and United Methodist churches in Ohio and Indiana
during the 1960’s and 1970’s focusing his work on youth and Christian
Education. He led numerous youth travel and work camps in Europe,
Africa and the United States. In 1973, he became the director of the
Crescent Avenue United Methodist Church weekday school serving preschool
and kindergarten children. In 1977, he began a twenty year career at
the United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville, Tennessee as an
editor of children’s Sunday school curriculum. He also held positions
in marketing and electronic publishing.
In 1982, Vern became a member of the first elected Metro Nashville
School Board serving for 19 years. He was elected chairman three
years. He is seen as a reconciler within the Nashville community,
especially during school desegregation activities in the late 1970’s and
1980’s. Vern was a member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee
School Board Association, serving as state president in 1998. Vern was a
member of the board of directors of the Tennessee Performing Arts
Center, the Rape and Sexual Abuse Center, Project PENCIL and the
Nashville Institute for the Arts.
In 1998, Vern co-founded and was the director of the Learning Plus
Foundation which financed and operated a program for academically
at-risk elementary children called Project Starfish. This program served
over 500 children every summer for five years. Ultimately, the Project
Starfish concept was incorporated into the Metro Nashville Public
Schools enhanced option elementary schools.
In 2002, Vern was employed by Metro Nashville Public Schools as the
director of student assignments. In 2005, he became the director of
customer service, establishing the first-ever, full-service public
education customer service center serving the families of over 70,000
students.
Vern is a graduate of Leadership Nashville and received the Phi Delta
Kappa Educator of the Year Award along with numerous recognitions for
his leadership in the public education of Nashville’s children. Vern
retired from public service in May 2007 but remains a strong advocate of
public education.
Paul E. “Spider” Fields
1945
While attending Jefferson High School, Fields played varsity
baseball. “Spider” graduated in January 1945 and in February, was
stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina in the U.S. Field Artillery,
serving two years. He played on the Fort Bragg baseball team before
being discharged from the army as a Technician Fifth Class (Corporal).
Fields enrolled in the Purdue University School of Physical Education
receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in 1952 and Master’s Degree in 1960.
After teaching one year in the Otterbein School Systems, “Spider” was
hired as a teacher and coach in the Lafayette School Corporation. He
taught social studies, coached football and basketball at Sunnyside
Junior High School and served as Jefferson High School assistant varsity
baseball coach. Fields was named head baseball coach in 1960. The
“Red and Black” compiled a record of 404 wins, 69 losses and 1 tie, a
.855 winning percentage in his 16 years at the helm. During this
period, the Bronchos were North Central Conference Champions eight times
and made three state finals appearances, winning state championship
titles in 1969 and 1973 as well as state runner up in 1971. Fields was
named North Central Conference “Coach of the Year” eight times during
his coaching tenure. Other achievements include being named District 2
National High School Baseball Coach (1974) and Indiana High School
Baseball Coaches Association “Coach of the Year” (1974). He has been
inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame (1979), Lafayette School
Corporation Wall of Fame (2003) and Loeb Stadium Wall of Fame (2007).
Fields served on the Indiana High School Athletic Association Board of
Directors (1974).
Jack A. Hockema
1964
While at Jefferson High School, Jack was in Student Council, J-Club,
cross country, basketball (on the 1964 state basketball team), baseball
and Junior Achievement. Jack attended Purdue University’s College of
Engineering graduating with distinction in civil engineering in 1968 and
with an MBA degree in 1970.
He has since earned a reputation for successfully transforming
underperforming businesses in the metals industry on behalf of Alcoa,
Consolidated Aluminum, Kaiser Aluminum, Gulf + Western Brass Company and
Outokumpu Copper.
In 1992, he founded Hockema Financial Services, an investment
advisory and management consulting firm providing services to
individuals and companies in the metals industry. One consulting
assignment triggered a chain of events that brought him back to the
metals industry, culminating in Jack taking the helm of Kaiser Aluminum
as chairman, president and chief executive officer.
Jack has served on the Civil Engineering Advisory Council,
International Association of Financial Planners and International
Aluminum Institute.
He is currently associate director of Materials Service Center Institute.
He was awarded the Purdue University School of Civil Engineering
Alumni Achievement Award and served on the university’s Civil
Engineering Advisory Council. He also has received Kaiser’s “Best
Operating Team” Award and Gulf + Western “Circle of Excellence” Award.
He and his wife have established the Jack and Kay Hockema Professorship
in Civil Engineering at Purdue.
Robert W. “Bobby” Masters
1948
Bobby attended Lafayette Jefferson High School and participated in
cross country, basketball, track and golf. He earned four letter jackets
as well as maintained a grade point average in the upper 5% of the
graduating class. He was a part of the 1948 basketball team who won the
State of Indiana High School “One Class” basketball championship. In
Bobby’s senior year, he shared the honor of captain of the basketball
team with Dick Robinson. He also was awarded the honor of being the
1948 State of Indiana’s “Mr. Basketball.”
After graduating from Jefferson, Bobby attended Indiana University.
While a student athlete at IU, Bobby was elected and held office in many
of the university’s student societies and organizations. His highest
honor was when he was elected to the “Board of Aeons” which was the
president’s confidential student council. All four years he was a
member of the Dean’s honor roll, received the Big Ten medal and was
named captain his senior year. He also received Big Ten and national
basketball honors in his senior year.
After completing a successful career at IU on and off the basketball
and tennis courts, Bobby decided to make medicine his career and to
decline a draft deal offered with the Minneapolis Lakers. Later Bobby
specialized in the field of anesthesiology for 26 years and continued to
play AAU basketball for 15 to20 years. In 1978, Bobby received the
NCAA College Basketball Coaches Silver Anniversary Award at the 1978
NCAA Basketball Championship in St. Louis. After 26 years in the
practice of anesthesiology, he returned to teaching to become an
associate professor at the Anesthesiology Department of the University
of Illinois-Chicago, Illinois. After a short time, he was named chief
of anesthesiology of the affiliated VAH. While there he had over 26
publications in the medical journals of anesthesiology and regional
anesthesiology. Over the years, Bobby conducted seminars and chaired
many anesthesiology meetings in the USA and abroad, retiring in 1996.
Philip M. Burgess
1957
While at Jefferson High School Philip was in the Latin Club, Spanish
Club, Performers Club, Hi-Y, Hi-Y Council, Student Council, J-Club, Red
and Black Revue, football, track, swimming, Junior Revue, Senior Revue,
Junior Achievement and Purdue legislature. He also was junior and
senior class presidents.
Phil graduated from Knox College with honors and earned his Ph.D from
America University in Washington, D.C. While at Knox College, he was
student body president and was an outstanding scholar-athlete.
He has been president of the National Academy for Public
Administration, president of the Center for the New West, president of
the Western Governor’s Policy Office and Executive Director of the
National Policy Commission. He also is Group Managing Director, Public
Policy of Telstra Ltd. Australia.
He served for 19 years as a faculty member of the Ohio State
University, University of Colorado and the Colorado School of Mines. He
also has served on the board of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
and the Clapham Institute and is a board member and former president of
Camp Blaze. He also has been active in the international arena.
He has served on the U.S. Department of State’s European Advisory
Council and U.S. committee on transportation, telecommunications and
tourism of the Pacific Economic Corporation Council. He has delivered
the annual “American Outlook” lecture series in Tokyo for the Management
Institute of the Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan. He is active in
groups to foster closer relations in the Western Hemisphere, especially
in North America, among the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Phil has written a
weekly column on political and business issues which were distributed
nationally by the Scripps Howard News Service. He has been a guest on
CNN, the Nightly Business Report, National Public Radio, the McLaughlin
Group and the News Hour on PBS.