2020 HALL of FAME Inductees

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be hosting a fall luncheon to honor our newest inductees into the Hall of Fame. However, we will take this opportunity to announce and introduce this year’s inductees. They will be honored at a future event when we can all gather to celebrate and honor their selection. This year’s inductees include a NASA research engineer Thomas J. Horvath and two career educators Wesley Anderson and Michael J. Skavnak. This article will merely highlight a small peek into the many accomplishments of these inductees. A full picture of their very full life stories may be accessed at PHHSFoundation.org under the Hall of Fame tab along with all previous inductees.

Wesley Anderson will be fondly remembered by many as he spent thirty years bringing Social Studies and American History alive to numerous Patriot students. Anderson was born in Buffalo, MN and unfortunately lost both of his parents at an early age to tuberculosis, after which, he moved to Minneapolis to be raised by an aunt and uncle. After graduating from Minnehaha Academy, he joined the U.S. Navy and was active during World War II and the Korean War. After serving seven years, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota and earned his B.A. in Education. He started teaching at Patrick Henry in 1955. After his military and education careers, he took on the duties of maintenance for his church. As a lifetime active church member, Anderson was merely taking the next step in his life of service to others. Wes will celebrate 70 years of marriage to his wife this fall.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration research engineer Thomas J. Horvath is a 1980 graduate. After graduation, Horvath earned a B.A. in Physics from Ripon College, followed by a M.S. degree in Aeronautics from George Washington University. He is now in his 33rd year working with NASA. Besides his research work, Horvath has been published in over 100 agency, conference and journal publications. Please check the website as his awards are too numerous to list here. Most significant is his contributions to the understanding of Space Shuttle Orbiter aero thermodynamic phenomena which was critical to the Columbia Accident Investigation and the subsequent safe entry of Discovery’s Return-to-Flight mission. Thomas and his wife and daughters are very involved in their local church coordinating the children’s service as well as finding time to be a community volunteer.

Our third inductee is a 1956 graduate, Michael J. Skavnak. Skavnak earned his education degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth in science and physical education. After graduation, he and his wife both began their teaching careers in Princeton, MN. Our honoree spent 35 years teaching science and coaching, and served another 12 years as a substitute teacher. He coached football, baseball and hockey, but still found time to work games as a referee, umpire, timer or score keeper. Michael has been the humble recipient of numerous Lions Club awards, as well as a frequent volunteer at his church. He enjoys wood working and has used his skills as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer. A quote from Michael Skavnak that seems to apply to all three of this year’s inductees: “I believe in paying back for all blessings I have received in my life.” Congratulations to our 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees! 

Congratulations to our 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees!