I'd be interested in seeing a list of teachers, as I think that would help spur more memories.

Who was your favorite teacher?  Pam

I'll work on a list of teachers soon, Jeff.  I'm catching up from being out of town this week.  I'm wondering about your title, though--"Hot for Teacher?"  I hope you plan to keep this discussion appropriate to our distinguished age!!  ;-) 

Cindy:

At  my age, hot is a relative term. I was hoping a controversial title would boost readership.

Pam Goodman asked who my favorite teachers were, I remember Joyce Leighty our debate coach fondly. When I think about the hours she put in helping us practice, travel and attend tournaments, I know she deserves a spot in teacher heaven. Mr. Willmuth was very inspirational to me, even though I wound up not being an engineer, as he advised. My favorite classes were in science and English, but most the teachers names escape me. Probably time to dust off my old yearbooks and do a little research.

Jeff

How about Mr. Sandstrom, Mr. Hurt and Mr. Fitzmaurice?  Those are some of my favorites that I remember.  I think the first two taught some type of creative writing class and Mr. Fitzmaurice had an everyday law or government class of some type.  I also remember Mr. Bistline who was my Driver's Ed. teacher.  Fun times. 

   I remember Mrs. Petr (Biology), Mrs. Gardner and Mrs. Abbott (math), Mr. Willmeth (chemistry and astronomy), Coach Springs (health and phys ed), and hmmm... my memory isn't as good as I thought it was! It's funny though, I can remember all my teachers from grade school!

Fortunately (and unfortunately) with my mother working the front office I got to know most all of the teachers, support staff (including Security and lunch room) and administrators fairly well as a non-student.  Some of my favorites were Glenn Nierman (instrumental) and Tim Ricketts (vocal) - our music teachers.  I don't know how many got to know George Bistline as I did, but he was the most ornery man I ever knew.  Every single day was started with a practical joke.  Connie Reynolds was great in her class on movie history.  Buster Keaton rocks!   Roberta Monteith (Sarge) was a rock, helpful, and I liked her a lot.  The gals in P.E. - Dixie Barb, Marcia Doman, Babette Pierce (Babs) - were great.  Dixie and Marcia tolerated a lot of antics from Chiddix and me.  Dixie smoked like a fiend!  There are very few teachers I didn't like, but there were a few.  Of course, there were the administrators - Kem McHugh (very nice), Jess Lykins, Cushinberry (Cush), and Ron Epps.  Did you know that Madge Williams, one of the secretaries, could whistle like a songbird?  I've got loads of stuff,  but any of the people you'd like to add to the site would be great!

I saw Ms. McHugh recently; she still lives here in Topeka.  A couple of years ago I saw Dixie Barb (Girls PE) at the HP Alumni dinner.  She was elected into the Teacher Hall of Fame.  I also saw Mr Merryman (History & coach)  that year.

Of course, my father-in-law was Coach Ed Hailey (Boys PE, Football & Golf coach).  He retired back in 1986.  He passed away in 2006 at the age of 83.  He was still golfing up until about a year before he died!!

I saw Coach Springs very recently as he is also in KC area - was at Wyandotte High School for years, where my daughter in law now teaches.  Didn't one of our classmates hook up with Mr. Fitzmaurice ?  I remember Mr Nierman (band), Mr Ricketts (vocal music - also ended up in KC area) and Mr. Wilmeth, of course.  Guess I ought to get out the yearbook and refresh my memory - can't even remember my debate coach's name right now.....I must be getting old...LOL

I think the student that "hooked up" with Mr. Fitzmaurice was Patty Magner.  Since I was a proctor for Division III, Miss McHugh and her secretary, Mrs. Williams, were my favorite.   For all young typists out there, you can actually flunk out of beginning typing and make a living typing.  I did it so there is hope.

It was Patty that married Mr. Fitzmaurice. One of my fellow grad students at KU worked for him at the Olathe Medical Regional Center. She reported that his wife was named Patty, who should be our classmate.

Michelle -- the debate coach was Joyce Leighty.

Jeff Morris wrote:

Good call Jeff..it got my attention. I found it to be an appropriate title myself since Van Halen were our contemporaries (roughly). There was this creative writing teacher that was fresh out of college. Don't remember her name but she sat on the edge of my desk one time explaining something to me and...oh yeah..sorry..probably inapropriate..oh well.

I really liked Mr. Wilmeth's science classes..I always found him to be a really interesting speaker. He was very patient also as I recall..particularly with Arthur White's robot dance/moves he did regularly.

Mr Lumley was pretty cool...he was probably responsible for my interest in History that carried on over the years. He made it interesting. I loaned him some of my WWII history mags and I swear he never gave them all back. There was a bit of an argument over that but..it was all good in the end.

Montieth was a favorite..also kind of a friend...she taught my parents up in Valley Falls Hish School many moons before and remembered them and my name when I started her class.

So many teachers had such a great influence on me.   I can't recall a class that I didn't like (on some level).    Mr. Willmeth was great for Chemistry and Astronomy.   His overnight trip to Lake Perry to look at stars was a ton of fun.   I don't think there was as much action going on overhead as there was on the ground.    Mr. Lumley was also very memorable.  I loved his Current Events contests every week.   They got rather competitive sometimes.   Journalism (Newspaper and Yearbook) was unforgetable.   It's amazing how people change when you have a camera in your hand.   I got to go to every football and basketball game---home and away---as well as every track meet, wrestling and gymnastics meet, golf and tennis tournament, you name it.   I actually think I spent more time in the photography darkroom than in the classroom.   The various drafting & mechanical drawing teachers started me on my first of many ex-careers.   You can't forget Mr. Bodenheimer either.   He was right when we said we really would need to know algebra "when we grew up".     Of course, now people just Google answers for everything.

One thing that amazed me was how much all the various English classes didn't seem real important to me at the time.   However, I couldn't believe it when I got to college how many students couldn't read but at a 5th grade level and couldn't comprehend what they read.   Again, our teachers knew what we really needed to prepare for life AFTER HPHS if we wanted to make something of ourselves. 

I do recall being "mean" to a few teachers----Mrs. Gardner and Mr. Lykins, to name two.  It was funny at the time, I guess.  Actually, it's still funny today!

Coach Randy Springs was my favorite teacher. He was unbelieveably cool. I'll never forget him telling us that it was OK to be attracted to more than one person. He said that he'd promised his wife his heart, not his eyes. Later, I came to realize what an honest person he was. Most people expect their partner to pretend that no one else in the world exists. That's not possible.

Debate coach, Miss Leighty, was definitely a role model.  She was smart, single and childless.  She treated us like peers.  She taught me skills that I use to this day.  I very much looked forward to heading out of town, spending nights in hotel rooms and earning my ruby.

We had teachers? Wait...what school is this?

 You had to actually go into the building and attend class to see the teachers....

Ahhhh...See, nobody told me that.

Mr. Ricketts was my all-time favorite at HPHS although there were many that helped shape me into the person I am today.

Mr. Willmeth was really cool and I did go on an overnight to look at stars, etc. and I would have to agree with Mike K. about there was more action on the ground that night than in the sky but we won't go into that one on here.  Thank goodness for Gail Craig that had her car there as it was a pretty cold night and a few of us spent the night in the car for warmth. I think Mr. Willmeth was where I got an interest for foreign students and as an adult had a few stay with us.

Frau Zuther and I had some tough times in German but I continued to be in contact with her even after I got out of school for awhile. She was a wonderful, caring woman who remarried someone by the name of Leonard and moved onto a farm somewhere. I probably done her in for teaching.

Mr. Lumley was a very fun and interesting teacher and I remember him playing music to fit the times we were studying at times and loved his classes.  There were others that meant something to me but I will save for another time.

Reverend Augustus Pearson and Mr. Lykins were nearly the death of me and that is all I have to say about that.

I love Ms. Leighty too.  She was incredibly AWESOME!  I kept in touch with her for a little while out of High School, but don't know whatever happened to her.  I owe her a lot.  This quiet, shy, sweet little girl stands up for the world all the time. 

Pammy:

Not to burst your bubble -- I loved Miss Leighty also -- but you ALWAYS stood up to the world, even while being sweet and nice.

Jeff