Dupo Community High School has many graduates who have become very successful, in their own way, destiny had

special plans for others . . . some of those are listed here having excelled far beyond expectations for a small

community.

 

Hilda Dyroff Dodson and Esther Dyroff Barrett were the first graduates of Dupo High School in 1919. They

went on to earn degrees from the University of Illinois.

 

August F. Weinel – Class of 1932 – served as Commander in the U. S. Navy on the submarine “Cisco” during WWII.

The ship and all aboard were lost at sea in September, 1943. He was awarded the Silver Star, a Citation, The Bronze

Star, and The Purple Heart. There is a memorial plaque at his parents grave site at St. Paul’s Cemetery in Columbia,

Illinois.

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Dolores Gray Howell – Class of 1943, Columbia High School. Even though Dolores did not attend Dupo High

School, she had spent her formative years at Dupo Grade School. Delores was born in Herrin, Illinois and still lives in

Eastern Illinois. Delores appeared in some movies but it took lots of money to have all the necessary agents and she

said hers ran out. Her granddaughter appeared in Apollo 13 as Tom Hanks oldest child.

 

Doris Price – Class of 1945 – Her stage name was Doris Lee. She served in the USG during WWII and Vietnam Conflict.

Appeared as a singer in Las Vegas and other venues. Also, appeared in a Hollywood movie “Women of Lost Horizon.”

She is Nate and Eva’s sister.

 

Lester Ralph Sitton – served in the U. S. Naval Reserves in WWII. “Puzzle” was assigned to LST 967 later converted to

the USS Ulysses, ARB #9. He returned to civilian life in June 9, 1946 . He joined the U.S. Army in 1949. He died while

a prisoner of war in Korea in 1951. He was 23. He was the son of Vera Veatrice (Morris) Vierling of East Carondelet.

1947, B.S. in Educations at SIU-E. Catcher for the Chicago Cubs.

 

Admiral Carlisle A. H. Trost – Class of 1948, attended Columbia Elementary School, Dupo High School, Washington

University – St. Louis, and graduated first in his class from U. S. Naval Academy in 1953 commissioned as an Ensign.

In 1954 once again graduated first in his class from Submarine School in New London, CT. Admiral Trost is a retired

U. S. Navy Officer who served as the Navy’s 23rd Chief of Naval Operations and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

from July 1, 1986 to June 29, 1990. He was born in Valmeyer, Illinois. He is active in the Boy Scouts of America as an

adult, an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distringuished Eagle Scout Award. There is a Scholarship in his honor at

Dupo High School and the street in front of the school is named in his honor. Admiral Memorial Circle in Columbia

City Park honors Admiral Carlisle A. H. Trost and Admiral John P. Weinel.

 

 

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Class of 1948, was instrumental in developing the first space suit as a NASA employee. He worked on the Mercury

and Gemini Space Capsules. However he was most proud of his work with “Habitat for Humanity” and “Children in

Crisis.”

 

Earl Neeman, Class of 1948, BS in Educationa at Illinois State.

 

Louis Mund – Class of 1949, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. Endowed a chair at the University of

Illinois for his mother, Josephine Mund, a teacher. Donated a computer lab for medical consultation throughout the U. S. to Cardinal Glennon’s Children Hospital and furniture for the high school library.

 

Robert Clarkson – Class of 1950 – Purchased Mineweld in 1968, sold industrial gaseous and welding equipment with 5

employees. Grew it to 85 employees with 5 locations in Illinois and Missouri and sold to Proxair in 1991 at Sauget. In

1987 started a new company named Industrial Gas Products at Sauget produces hydrogen gas sold to Solutia and

Cerro Copper by pipeline. Fill tube trailers and cylinders with hydrogen gas for all major air supply companies. In

1996, Industrial Gas Products built an Air Separation Plant to produce large volumes of nitrogen gas sold to Afton 100

years in the making! Chemical and Cerro Copper by pipeline. He also built a Steam Plant to produce steam for Afton Chemical.

 

Eugene Gregory – Class of 1950, Three years in the U.S. Marine Corps, including 13 months in Korea. B.S. in

Engineering Physics in 1958 at Washington University. Awarded a fellowship for graduate school by Howard Hughes

and attended UCLA for seven years receiving a M.S. in Physics in 1961 and a Ph.D. in 1965. Served on the faculty of

Physics at UCLA for one year and as a Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for three

years. In 1969 joined the technical staff of the Radar Systems Group (RSG) at Hughes Aircraft Company in Los

Angeles, CA. Served as the Technical Director of RSG until 1993. Dean in the College of Engineering at University of

Illinois at Urbana/Champaign (U1UC) in 1993 until retirement. Dale Kurtz – Class of 1950, AVP at First National Bank of St. Louis and Boatmen’s.

 

William Richardson – Class of 1950, M.D, head of interns at St. Louis University, and Medical Missionary.

 

Lionel Ruhman – Class of 1950, President of the Masonic Lodge four times at three different lodges and Santa Monica

Rotary Club. General Contractor.

 

Kenneth Stroupe – Class of 1950, Field Electrical Engineer at General Electric worked in Aviation Power Systems;

Underground Coal & Lead Mining Systems, installation of production hoists, installation startup of stripping shovel

(with a 200 sq. yd. bucket); and Service Engineer for installation of machines and winders for the paper industry. In

1979 started a consulting and maintenance company named Electrical Assistance, Inc. Operated this company until retirement.

Bob Criswell – Class of 1951, Vice President of Kroger Food Stores throughout the U.S.

Floyd Crowder – Class of 1951, successful attorney and philanthropist to Washington University Law School.

 

Bill Dickerson – Class of 1951, BNG in Engineering and jd Law.

 

Patrick Mudd – Class of 1951, B.A. in Liberal Arts at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale (SIU-C), M.S. in

Educational Administration at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIU-E), graduate work at Bradley University and Washington University-St. Louis. Superintendent of Schools of District 196 from 1968-1991 (23 years). One of the

organizers of the Beck Vocational School and Administrator for 10 years. President of St. Clair County Adminstrators

Association, President of St. Clair County Retired Teachers Assn. and President of Educational Council of 100

representing 33 Southern Illinois counties. Inducted into the Dupo Educators Hall of Fame.

Paul Phillips – Class of 1951, Ph.D. in Mathematics. Taught Mathematics at Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville (SIU-E).

William Reynolds – Class of 1951, B.S. in Education in 1956 at Southern Illinois University -Carbondale (SIU-C) and

M.S. in Vocational Education in 1968 Educational Administration (K-14 Certificate) in 1970 at Southern Illinois

University (SIU-E). Taught Aerospace classes at D.C.H.S. Students learned to fly small aircraft. Many students went

on to become pilots of various aircraft. Started R.O.T.C. classes at Dupo, Cahokia and Columbia high schools.

Administrator for the building of Christ Community Church, Lutheran in Columbia. Presently, a Truant Officer for

Randolph and Monroe Counties. Inducted into the Dupo Educators Hall of Fame.

 

David Dyroff – Class of 1958, D.C.H.S. Valedictorian and Co-Valedictorian and B.S. in Chemistry at University Illinois

in 1962. Ph.D in Chemistry at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1965. Research Scientist and final

position Principal Technologist for Monsanto. Research Scientist from 1994 -2001 at Huntsman Corp. Publications –

28 U.S. Patents and a chapter, “Preparative Inorganic Reactions.”

 

Georgia Wheatley Horn – Class of 1953, B.S. in Elementary Education, M.S. in Educational Administration at

Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, (SIU-E). First woman to serve as principal of East Carondelet, Hough and

Dupo Grade Schools. Inducted in the Dupo Educators Hall of Fame and Dupo Village Walk of Fame.

 

Kathy Nottmeier – Class of 1962, Section Chief of Army Air Support Command at St. Louis.

 

Earl Doerr – Class of 1963, Lead Engineer for constructing the new Jefferson Barracks Bridge and Lewis & Clark Bridge at Alton.

 

Ron Nottmeier – Class of 1964, Vice President with Citi Corp.

 

Dennis Arras – developed RoundUp Herbicide for Monsanto.

 

Kenneth Baldridge – successful real estate developer throughout the U.S.

 

Butch Lockley – Class of 1970, Principal of Olney Elementary School. Contestant in the sixth season of the CBS Reality TV Series “Survivor” –

Survivor: The Amazon in 2003.

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Michael Ferry – Class of 1971, BA at Washington University M.S. at University of Illinois and JD at New York University. An attorney at Gateway

Legal Services.

DUPO, ILLINOIS 1907-2007

Candy Collins Jordan – Class of 1972, D.C.H.S. Valedictorian. A famous model, she was featured as the Playboy Magazine centerfold.

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John Morton – Class of 1973, business man with Verizon.

Linda Ferry – Class of 1976, B.S. in Education and M.S. in Reading Specialist at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville (SIU-E).

Lawrence Morton – Class of 1976, President of the largest music publishing company in the U.S..

Rev. Bernard H. Moorman, Pastor of Sacred Heart Church for 25 years. Pictured at the time he celebrated his silver sacrerdotal jubilee and 25th Ordination Anniversary.

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