Wall of Fame Inductees Receive Ceremony at Trenton High School

The three men inducted into the (TEF) Wall of Fame, and their families, were presented with plaques Wednesday night at (THS).

Three plaques were hung in the lobby of THS and three identical plaques were given to inductee Randy Wiseman and to the families of Neil E. Van Riper and Boyd W. Arthurs who are now deceased.

TEF President David French said the men were selected because of their dedication to (TPS).

The inductees were:

• Neil E. Van Riper inducted Nov. 2, 2011: superintendent of TPS 1977-1993, THS principal 1961-1977, THS assistant principal and athletic director 1956-1961, teacher and coach 1951-1956, member of American, Michigan and Wayne County Association of School Administrators, Eastern Michigan Distinguished Alumnus Award 1989, administrative offices renamed Neil E. Van Riper Administration Building 1993, U.S. Marines 1942-1946 and recipient of two purple hearts.
• Boyd W. Arthurs inducted Nov. 2, 2011: Trenton School Board member 1963-2003, Wayne County Regional School Board member 1977-2001, Monguagon Middle School renamed Boyd W. Arthurs Middle School 2000, Trenton Goodfellows member/officer for 45 years, Rotary "Service Above Self Award" 2004, Richard C. Hedke Elementary PTA president 1962, U.S. Army 1951-1953 and THS graduate class of 1946.
• Randy Wiseman inducted Nov. 2, 2011: teacher at Foley and Hedke Elementary schools 1968-2000, Newsweek WDIV Outstanding Elementary Teacher 1993, named to Who's Who Among American Teachers 1990, author of five books and two periodicals, consultant to The Critical Thinking Co. and Glory Publishing, Weekly Reader advisory board member 1994-1997, TEF board member 2008-2011 and THS graduate class of 1964.

The plaques were hung on a large wood wall fixture designed and created by THS teacher Rob Lindsey and will remain in THS indefinitely.

Wives Pauline Arthurs and Kay Van Riper accepted the plaques on behalf of their husbands.

Pauline said she was certain her husband would have been very modest if he were alive to receive the honor.

"He wouldn't be expecting something like this," Arthurs said.

On the other hand, Van Riper said quite the opposite as she joked about how her husband would have responded to the honor.

"People who knew Neil would understand this (he would have said), 'Why wasn't it bigger,'" Van Riper said with a smile and a laugh.

Wiseman gave a touching speech to finish the ceremony in which he thanked several people and offered a list of names of people involved in TPS who he believed also deserved recognition.

"An excellent school system is only going to produce an excellent community," Wiseman said.