Southwestern College Collegian

Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Campus Life

Southwestern College will induct three new members into the Southwestern College Educators Hall of Fame April 19. The ceremony will take place inside Memorial Library. A reception at 3:30 p.m. will be followed by the induction of new hall of fame members at 4 p.m. New inductees include Larry Williams, Bruce Williams, and H. Bertram Keller. Kathy Cavalier will receive the Marilyn McNeish Special Education award. Larry Williams, class of 1960, taught music in elementary, junior high, high school, and college for 45 years. In his first 18 years of teaching, he taught band, orchestra, and humanities in Ottawa, Topeka, and Lawrence. He then spent two years as assistant professor of orchestra at the University of Kansas. He returned to his hometown of Winfield to rebuild the Winfield High School and Southwestern College orchestra. The programs grew to the point that two more teachers were needed. He then accepted a position in Kansas City as an orchestra/humanities teacher at Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences and as a string specialist for the school district. During his teaching years, he also found time to serve as guest conductor/clinician for school orchestras in 10 midwestern states. Some of his honors include being named Kansas Outstanding Young Educator by the Kansas Jaycees in 1972, and induction into the Kansas Music Educators Hall of Fame and the Kansas American String Teachers Association Hall of Fame in 2002. From 1986-1988, Williams served as president of the 1,600 member Kansas Music Educators Association and is a past board member of the National School Orchestra Association. Bruce Williams, class of 1962, taught strings and orchestra in the public schools of South Dakota, Kansas, and Texas. As a music educator, he has taken students and groups to state competitions and music festivals. Williams has served as Kansas State Orchestra Chairman and as the Regional Orchestra Chair of his district in Texas. He has served numerous times as an adjudicator at music competitions and for placement in honor orchestras. He also has served as conductor of the Overland Park Orchestra. H. Bertram Keller, class of 1938, (deceased) spent nearly all of his 89 years teaching, guiding, and encouraging young people. Following graduation from Southwestern College, Keller returned to his hometown of Valley Stream, N.Y., to teach English, drama, public speaking, debate, and journalism at Central High School. In addition to often being voted "Best Teacher" he founded "The Crier" (the school newspaper), and founded and served as director of Central's drama club and produced more than 70 sell-out and plays and musicals and over 100 one-act plays. He also founded and directed the Central High School Talent Troupe which gave hundreds of performances for area hospitals, schools, churches, synagogues, civic groups, and organizations. He then founded and served as president of the school's alumni association. He became assistant principle of Central High in 1955 and retired in 1986. Bert of "Sesame Street" got his name from Bert Keller from a former student, Ray Sipherd, who was one of the four original writers for the acclaimed children's show. Kathryn (Heitschmidt) Cavalier, class of 1969, graduated with a degree in elementary education. She began her teaching career in Mulvane with the task of starting their special education program. After attaining her master's degree and teaching for six years, Cavalier moved to Pampa, Texas, to raise four children. In 1991, she went back to work, this time with students diagnosed as emotionally disturbed. Cavalier says she fell in love with the challenge and has been in that position for the past 17 years. Along with working with emotionally disturbed high school students, she teaches two core subjects of English and math education but spends most of her time working on social skills and study skills.

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