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I moved to Shaker Heights at the beginning of 10th grade. My parents sold their little $12,000 home in South Euclid and barely were able to pay the 49,950 for our new home on Brighton. My mother, a past Shaker graduate, wanted my brother and myself to be graduated from Shaker and go forth with what she referred to as "The Shaker Way". We were to learn, in her eyes, the proper way to walk through life. In keeping with that philosophy, I want to propose a challenge to our classmates.
I was amazed when I entered Shaker High how many people knew each other since Kindergarten. Many people knew friends nearly their whole lives. I only mention this because, I think with all the good that great class of 69 did...we may have failed in one area.
I find it hard to believe that our "IN MEMORY" section has so many past classmates with no comments from any of us. I know my friend Joe Roberts, also a transplant, has one comment from me. I think we can each find a comment for the many people who have almost been forgotten.
My challenge to this great class of 69 is this. We should set a goal that no classmate should be forgotten. I know each of us can find someone we know, knew or miss and can have a memory, a story a humorous moment. We should as that hippie...want to make the world better...and set a better standard for those who follow, should go now and honor a fallen classmate. We should show the other classes what my mother would call, "The Shaker Way" of remembering and honoring those who shared our teen years at school.
Thank you for letting me ramble ........ Mike Felder SHHS 69
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https://www.prlog.org/12879239-national-black-distance-running-hall-of-fame-to-induct-michele-tiff-hill.html
National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame to Induct Michele Tiff-Hill
Michele Tiff-Hill, the first African-American woman to run in the US Olympic Marathon Trials and with a marathon best of 2:50:19, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
By: National Black Marathoners Association
Michele Hill
TUCSON, Ariz. - July 29, 2021 - PRLog -- The National Black Marathoners Association is pleased to announce the induction of Michele Tiff-Hill into the National Black Distance Running Hall of Fame. The induction banquet and ceremony will be held during the National Black Marathoners Association's Annual Summit at Cincinnati's Fly Pig Marathon Weekend on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
"We're looking forward to inducting this Cleveland native and current Tucson resident into the Hall of Fame," says NBMA Executive Director Tony Reed. This 1969 Shaker Heights High School graduate earned her Bachelor of Music in piano from Curtis Institute of Music (1974), and was subsequently awarded a Master of Fine Arts in Harpsichord Studies (1989) and a PhD, Summa cum laude, in Historical Musicology (2001), both from UCLA.
She started running at the age of 29 in 1980. She comes from a family of athletes. Her father, Benjamin Tiff, was in the same high school sprint-relay team as Jesse Owens. He was also an accomplished tennis player who was team captain at his alma mater, Wilberforce University. Her brother, Milan Tiff, was world-record holder in the triple jump and also held US records at high-school, college and national levels. He won the triple jump at the inaugural World Cup in 1977. Her sister, Margot Tiff, was a gifted tennis player who played on the professional circuit, and was the first black woman to play in World Team Tennis. She was also part of the Cal State sprint-relay team that won the NCAA championship.
Michele ran her first sub three-hour marathon in Dec, 1982 at the Fiesta Bowl (2:57:14) in Scottsdale, AZ. Shortly afterwards, she met Eino Rompannen, sculptor and running coach. He helped her to realize her goal of achieving the qualifying time for the first US Women's Olympic Marathon Trials. In the process, she became the first African-American women to qualify for and compete in this historic event. She would go on to run several marathons under three hours until the age of 41. The Sri Chinmoy Marathon in Foster City, California would remain her personal best at 2:50:19. Master's Track and Field News gave her a No. 1 U.S. ranking (5k) in the 35-39 age group. Later, she was cited in Running Times, March 2008, for honorable mention in the 55-59 age group for leading U.S. Masters runners of 2007. Along with her husband, Dave Hill, she started the Tucson (AZ) Grinders running group in 2004.
Michele says, "It is such an honor to be recognized by the national running community and I am indeed humbled by the gesture. To be in such esteemed company warms my heart and makes me very proud to have been chosen."
Previously announced inductees include Ingrid Walters, Michele Bush-Cuke, and Shawanna White. Additional inductees will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
About the National Black Marathoners Association
The National Black Marathoners' Association (NBMA) is the largest and oldest nonprofit organization in the U.S. dedicated to encouraging African Americans and others to pursue a healthy lifestyle through distance running and walking, as well as awarding college scholarships to deserving high school distance runners. It is open to everyone, regardless of his or her athletic ability, ethnic background, or previous marathon experience. The NBMA hosts an annual multi-race summit. Previous races and locations have been Lewis & Clark (St. Charles, MO), New Jersey (Long Branch, NJ), Cleveland (OH), Lost Dutchman (Apache Junction, AZ), Cowtown (Fort Worth, TX), Georgia (Atlanta), Bermuda International Race Weekend, Deadwood-Michelson (Deadwood, SD), Madison (WI), Richmond (VA), Windermere (Spokane, WA), Dallas, Columbus (OH), and the Go! St. Louis, Baltimore Running Festival, and Little Rock Marathons.
For more information, visit www.BlackMarathoners.org.
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