And The Oscar May Go To … Richards Alum Jeff Hermann

OAK LAWN, IL — Before he was nominated for an Academy Award, Oak Lawn native Jeff Hermann may have had his first brush with the elevator pitch as editor-in-chief of the Richards High School yearbook.

The 1986 Richards alum is hoping to grab a golden statuette this Sunday, March 2, at the 97th Academy Awards ceremony in the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles. Hermann shares the best animated feature nomination for “The Wild Robot” by DreamWorks, with director and co-writer Chris Sanders.

Jeff Hermann's senior picture in the 1986 Richards yearbook

One of the biggest family films of 2024, “The Wild Robot” has been lauded for its artistry and sophisticated storytelling. The film is based on a book by Peter Brown. The animated film tells the story of Roz (voiced by Lupito Nyonglo) who is stranded on a desert island after a shipwreck. To survive the harsh environment, Roz befriends the wildlife and cares for an orphaned baby goose. It's a film with big feelings and a strong message of found family.

As a Richards student, Hermann was involved in the art club, a student aide and Quill and Scroll, that recognizes students’ achievements in journalism. He also played an active role on the Richards yearbook staff as the art editor and photographer, and student life editor, according to his high school bio in the yearbook.

Jeff Hermann in 1986 as executive editor of the Richards yearbook.

During his senior year, Hermann served as editor-in-chief of “The Golden Year.” Faced with deficits, Hermann immediately set about raising money to turn the yearbook’s fortunes around, by organizing candy sales and selling classified ads to local businesses.

“It was an experiment. Most other schools sell ads do it the first thing,” Hermann told the student newspaper in 1986. “We had to feel our way through, but I think it was worth the effort and learned something about how to do it. I wanted to leave the book financially sound. Someday we hope to purchase our own computer.”

Variety, the trade magazine for the movie industry, gives the edge for the Oscar to “The Wild Robot” and “Flow” in the animated feature category. The 97th Academy Awards starts at 7 p.m. on ABC. The ceremony will also be streaming via Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV and FuboTV, with several of these services offering free trials.