EVSC Foundation to Induct 12 Members into First Hall of Fame

Sunday, Sept. 12, marks an important date for EVSC Foundation. Twelve individuals who have contributed to bettering the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, as well as the community will be honored for their time, work, generosity, and contributions to society during EVSC Foundation’s first Hall of Fame ceremony. The inductees’ ceremony will take place inside the WNIN Studios in a private luncheon. The event will be recorded for future broadcast on WNIN. Following the ceremony, the newly inducted honorees will be publicly recognized outside at the EVSC Foundation’s EVSC Reunion.

Honorees will include:

Brent Beeler, Harrison High School alumnus and recently retired Chief Operation Officer for Berry Plastics

Beeler graduated from Indiana State University with a BS in marketing and management. He dedicated his career to building Berry Plastics into a $4.1 billion business with 75 manufacturing facilities and more than 14,000 employees worldwide. Beeler serves on the executive board of the Rigid Plastic Packaging Group and leads the National Plastics Recycling Stakeholder Group of the American Chemistry Council. He serves on the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, EVSC Foundation Board of Directors and the EVSC Superintendent’s Business Council. He also is involved in the University of Evansville’s Institute for Global Enterprise in Indiana and the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville. He chairs the steering committee of the Harrison High Schools’ capital campaign.

Chuck Bundrant, North High School alumnus and founder of Trident Seafoods Corporation

Bundrant revolutionized the fishing industry and now owns the world’s largest seafood processor. He began his career working in a cannery earning $1.59 an hour and leveraged his earnings to purchase his first fishing vessel. Trident Seafoods has a fleet of 40 fishing vessels with 18 locations throughout the world. Among his philanthropic endeavors is support of the American Cancer Society and education in Seattle where he resides. He also provides scholarships for students in Alaska interested in the maritime business.

Gayle Cook, Bosse High School alumna, and founder of Cook Group, Inc., in partnership with her husband

Cook and her husband, Bill Cook, founded the medical manufacturing company Cook Group, Inc. She is dedicated to preserving communities through restoring historic landmarks across America. She worked to restore the West Baden Springs Hotel and the French Lick Springs Hotel, saving a historic structure once considered the Eighth Wonder of the World. She has been honored by the Indiana Landmarks Foundation and received the Distinguished Achievement in the Advancement of Education Award from IU’s School of Education.

Lee Hamilton, Central High School alumnus, and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Indiana’s Ninth District

Hamilton served from 1965-1999 as congressman for Indiana’s 9th district. He is a member of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, the Homeland Security Advisory Council, FBI Director’s Advisory Board, and CIA Director’s Advisory Board. He also is co-chair of the National Security Preparedness Group. He serves as the director of the Center on Congress at IU and as the president and director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. He has authored several books including “How Congress Works and Why You Should Care” and “Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission.”

Don Korb, Bosse High School alumnus and retired from 38-year career with Crescent Plastics, Cresline Plastic Pipe Company, and Wabash Plastics

Korb attended Wabash College until called into active duty in the Navy. Later he was transferred to the Navy Supply Corps Midshipmen Officers School at Harvard Business School. He also holds an MBA degree from Harvard. He served as a lieutenant aboard the USS Tallulah A050 in the Pacific Theatre/Okinawa Campaign and in the occupations of Japan and Korea. He has been an instructor of economics at Colgate University and worked for many years at Crescent, Cresline and Wabash Plastics companies in Evansville. He serves on the board of directors of numerous agencies and has served on the Evansville Redevelopment Commission, Board of Directors for Family and Children’s Services and Evansville Federal Savings and Loan. He is currently on the EVSC Foundation Honorary Board, Board of Directors of the Historic New Harmony, and is a life trustee of the Nature Conservancy, Indiana Chapter.

William Mays, Lincoln High School alumnus and owner of the Indianapolis Recorder and founder of Mays Chemical Company

Mays holds a bachelors’ degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in business administration from IU. He founded Mays Chemical Company which provides chemical products to the food, Pharmaceutical and automotive industry and owns the nation’s 4th oldest surviving African American newspaper, The Indianapolis Recorder. Mays was the first African American chairman of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and first African American appointed chairman of the Indiana Lottery Commission. He serves on the board of directors of numerous organizations and corporations and is a trustee of the Indiana University Foundation and Indianapolis Museum of Art.

James McCarty Sr., Bosse High School alumnus and founder of Colonial Garden Center, Inc., Colonial Enterprises, and Landel Enterprises

McCarty is a graduate of Purdue University and has exhibited his love of education through the development and oversight of Bosse High School C.A.R.E.S. program which encouraged high school students to pursue their college education. He received the Evansville Rotary Civic Award for outstanding civic, charitable, humanitarian, and cultural service to Evansville and was named “Boss of the Year” by the Evansville Business Women’s Association. He has been a major supporter of Ivy Tech, Purdue and the EVSC, and is a successful real estate investor and developer.

Mattie Miller, retired as principal from Harper Elementary School

Miller is a much beloved educator, who retired from teaching English and language arts at Harper Elementary School. She has served as an adjunct professor of English Composition at Ivy Tech Community College and an adjunct professor of multicultural education at the University of Evansville. She has received the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash community service award and the Leadership Evansville Lifetime Achievement Award for 2010. She was considered a pioneer and bridge-builder for race relations in the 1960s and is a member of CYPRESS, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Evansville Rotary, the Fire Merit Commission, Mayor’s Education Roundtable and is active at the Evansville African American Museum.

William Ridgway, Central High School alumnus and retired from long career in ophthalmology

Ridgway attended the University of Evansville and graduated from IU with an MD degree, and completed postgraduate study in Ophthalmology at Northwestern University. He served as the ship surgeon aboard the USS Valencia, AKA-81 in the U.S. Navy from 1945-1946 and active duty with the U.S. Navy as regimental surgeon with the First Marine Division, in Korea from 1953. He had a long career in Ophthalmology and was a former assistant clinical professor at the University of California. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Evansville Museum and the University of Evansville, and on the board of directors of the Harlaxton Society, as well as the EVSC Foundation Honorary Board. He established Harlaxton College in Grantham England for the University of Evansville and the Ridgway Award to ensure Vanderburgh County graduates have the opportunity to attend UE.

Randall Shepard, Harrison High School alumnus and currently Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court

Shepard was appointed to the Indiana Supreme Court in 1985 at the age of 38 and was appointed chief justice in 1987. He graduated cum laude from Princeton University and holds law degrees from Yale Law School and the University of Virginia. He served as Vanderburgh Superior Court judge from 1980 until his appointment to the Supreme Court. He is chair of the ABA Appellate Judges Conference and of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar. He teaches courses at Yale, Indiana and NYU law schools and also at the Randall T. Shepard Academy for Law and Social Justice for high school students, now in its first year in the EVSC.

John H. Schroeder, Bosse High School alumnus and founder and current chairman of Crescent Plastics, Inc., Cresline Plastic Pipe Co., Inc., and Wabash Plastics, Inc.

Schroeder graduated from Wabash College and earned his master’s degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He pioneered the plastics industry and developed Evansville as a nucleus of this country’s “Plastic Valley.” Schroeder is a supporter of multiple organizations within Evansville, including: UE, USI, Ivy Tech Community College; and the Southern Indiana Career and Technical Center through in-kind donations to the plastics program. He has served on the Board of Trustees at numerous organizations as well as sat on the board of directors for local businesses. He currently serves on the EVSC Foundation Honorary Board and is the trustee emeritus of UE and Wabash College and Director Emeritus of Welborn Baptist Hospital.

Matt Williams, FJ Reitz High School alumnus, and founder of Wind Dancer Films

Matt (Mark) Williams, a University of Evansville graduate, has had a lucrative television career, including writing and producing The Cosby Show for three seasons, creating and serving as the executive producer of Roseanne, and serving as co-creator and executive producer of Home Improvement, Carol and Company (starring Carol Burnette), Buddies (starring Dave Chappelle), Thunder Alley, Soul Man, and Costello. In addition, he produced and directed the film Where the Heart Is and produced the film What Women Want. During his career, he has directed more than 30 off-Broadway plays, including his first play, based on a high-school project, Between Daylight and Boonville, which appeared on Off Broadway and was recently produced by the Evansville Civic Theatre.