Streator High to induct 7 to Hall of Fame

Seven names will be added to the Dr. Worthy Streator Hall of Fame this year.

In its ninth year, the Hall of Fame will add Gerald Gutek, Class of 1953; James Moynihan, Class of 1962; Jack Noonan, Class of 1965; Ralph Harbach, Class of 1967; Everett Solon, Class of 1970; Mark Brown, Class of 1974; and Kevin Bean, Class of 1975. A reception will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, with appetizers and refreshments followed by the hour-long induction ceremony at 6 p.m. at Streator High School.

The ceremony is handled by students in Rob Tyne’s Western Civilization class, according to a news release from the high school. The 2019-20 class is in charge of the ceremony, with the 2018-19 class having done the research and video preparation for the inductees. The work of the 2018 class will be displayed during the ceremony.

This year's class will begin work on its projects in January. Students work in groups to research nominees, whose names are submitted by the public to create short documentaries on each person.

The STHS Educational Foundation partners with the Worthy Hall of Fame to help support efforts to create awareness of alumni who have made a difference in their communities and the world.

Gerald Gutek

Following high school, Gutek furthered his education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Ph.D., specializing in the history of education. Gutek is a professor emeritus of educational policy studies at Loyola University in Chicago, with his academic specialization in the philosophy, social and educational theory and the history of education. He enjoyed a long teaching career at Loyola including a joint appointment in history from 1963 to 1997. He also acted as dean of education there from 1979 to 1985.

In 1969 he served as an international education instructor in South Korea, Costa Rica and Italy. From 1974-75, he taught at the Loyola Rome Center in Italy. He has been a visiting professor at Loyola University of Los Angeles (now Loyola Marymount), Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University, Otterbein University and the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He is the author of more than 20 books in the history of education, philosophy of education, biographies of educational historical leaders, educational ideologies and theories as well as historical travel. Additionally, with his wife, he has written several historical travel guides.

Gutek is a member of the Philosophy of Education Society, the History of Education Society and the Organization of Educational Historians.

James Moynihan

Moynihan attended and graduated from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where he received his bachelor’s degree in science and architecture and his master’s degree in science and architectural administration. In 1972, Moynihan joined the State of Illinois Capital Development Board. He later became a director for Heery International, Architect and Engineers (HOK), based in Atlanta, Ga. The firm was named by The Engineering News Record as one of 100 Top Design Building and Construction Management companies in 2017.

During his tenure at Heery, Moynihan played a role in its rebuilding when he stepped in as the chairman and CEO. At Heery, Moynihan helped the company widen its scope to provide program management and construction management as well as at-risk and facility scheduling services. Heery became a leading K-12 program management firm assisting both public and private institutions improve their learning environments for nearly 3 million students. The firm has been involved in numerous projects in the U.S. and worldwide.

Moynihan also was responsible for international projects such as the Taiwan Trade Center, the Saudi Arabia Royal Naval facilities, King Khalid International Airport, and the Defense Military headquarters in Saudi Arabia. In 2007, he was named chairman and CEO of Balfour Beatty Construction LLC, which acquired Heery International. Balfour Beatty has nearly 6,000 U.S. employees and responsibility for billions in design, construction and management programs.

Moynihan believes in the importance of improved job-site safety and became an expert in the field of construction risk management. He implemented the program “Zero Harm.” He also encouraged children’s education with his support for the Best Friends Camp in Atlanta, Ga.

Jack Noonan

During high school, Noonan participated in wrestling, band, student council and several other activities. After high school, he attended Rockford University School of Business and Engineering, where he earned his bachelor's degree. Following college graduation, he began his computer industry career in 1967, working in field engineering and systems development for International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). He remained at IBM for the next decade before moving to Amdahl Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., makers of large computer systems.

In 1985, Noonan joined Candle Corporation as vice president of technical services, its engineering and support services division. Noonan oversaw marketing, product development, planning and delivery until 1990. In 1991, he became the president and CEO of the Microrim Corporation, a privately held developer of database software products in Bellevue, Wash. where he served until 1992. From January 1992 to October 2009, he was president and CEO of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, Inc.), a software company specializing in predictive analytics, which would eventually be acquired by IBM. There he managed to triple the company’s profits, along with helping several businesses and universities throughout his career there.

Noonan also served as a member of the advisory board of Morningstar Inc. starting in 1998 and was elected to its Board of Trustees in August 1999. Morningstar is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Noonan formerly served as a member of the Board of Directors of Lionbridge Technologies Inc. and Fleetmatics Group PLC.

Ralph Harbach

As a child, Harbach had a keen interest in nature and science. He was an Eagle Scout and earned 43 merit badges, earning the nickname “Eagle.” During high school, he was involved in Latin Club and Photography Club. After graduation, he attended Highland Freeport Community College where he was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society and received his associate degree in 1969. Harbach graduated from Western Illinois University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science and a master’s degree in zoology and biology. He furthered his education at the University of Illinois where he received his Ph.D. in entomology.

After receiving his Ph.D., Harbach became a research associate at North Carolina State University. In 1980, he joined the United States Medical Army Corps., conducting research in the prevention of diseases. Harbach served as research entomologist at Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit, Department of Entomology from 1980-1984; research entomologist at the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences in Bangkok from 1985-1988; and as manager at Walter Reed Biosystematics Unit from 1988-1992.

He moved to London in 1993 and became a research entomologist at the London Natural History Museum, where a main emphasis of his work involves the medical entomology of malaria.

He has authored or co-authored numerous works including writing two books. He has discovered 42 mosquito species, and made 250 scientific discoveries. He developed and maintains the online Mosquito Taxonomic Inventory (mosquito-taxonomic-inventory.info).

Everett Solon

From growing up on a grain farm along with nine other siblings, Solon has always known the meaning of hard work. At SHS, he was involved in 4-H, FFA, football, Student Council, S-Club, was president and historian of his class and a member of the Key Club for three years. As a member of 4-H and FFA, he won the state contest his senior year. After high school, he attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he studied animal science.

Following college graduation in 1974, he worked as a farm consultant for a bank, essentially beginning his career in banking and marketing. In 1982, he began working at Union Bank, Streator, serving as assistant farm manager and then as vice president and assistant farm manager and later as vice president of retail and marketing. He eventually became president and COO, a position he held from 1994 to 2000.

During the period from 2000 to 2006, Solon was president and CEO and regional president for the bank. When Union Bank merged with Centrue Bank in 2006, Solon became market president and served in that capacity until 2017 when the bank merged with Midland States Bank. Solon currently is the marketing president of Midland States Bank, Streator. Other positions he held in the banking industry include: executive vice president for Union Bank and Community Bank President of Streator.

Over the years, Solon has played a role in the Streator community being involved in many endeavors. He continues to work with the Streator Chamber of Commerce and Industry where he was involved in the formation of the Streator Industrial Park. This effort encouraged growth of companies such as Vactor and ALM. He was active in the La Salle County Farm Bureau. Solon is the Streator Incorporated Chairman, a member of Streator United Way, served on the St. Mary’s Hospital board for eight years and is on the finance committee at St. Michael Church. Additionally, Solon was a member of the 2010 Starved Rock Country Alliance. He is a past president of the La Salle County Historical Society and is a former board member and president of the Streator YMCA board. He is a member of the Illinois Valley Community College Board of Trustees and serves as its vice president. He was president of the Streator High School Board of Education for 14 of his total 18 years on the board. He is a founding member of the Streator High School Educational Foundation and serves as its treasurer.

Mark Brown

While attending Streator High School, Brown embodied school spirit through his active participation in many extracurricular activities. He was in band, a member of the tennis team, Latin Club, and participated in school plays. Brown furthered his education at St. Olaf College in Indianapolis, Minn., where he studied philosophy, Greek and religion. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978. Through St. Olaf, Brown began his years of service in the Middle East. In 1982, he received his Master of Divinity Degree at Luther Theological Seminary. Upon completion of Luther Seminary, he accepted an internship in Cairo, Egypt at St. Anders Church.

In 1983, he was sent to the Middle East by the Evangelical Lutheran Church where he served as a director of the Jerusalem Council of Churches and also as a pastor and teacher in Lutheran and Quaker institutions in the city of Vermella. In 1991, Brown joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church and Americas Division for Church and Society as the assistant director for international affairs and human rights and the Lutheran office for governmental affairs in Washington, D.C. Brown also coordinated the ELCA’s advocacy work on international affairs in relation to the U.S. government. He served on the national board of directors on the U.S Committee for Peace in the Middle East. Brown headed multiple coalitions including serving as president of the Washington Office in Africa, chairman of the U.S. Campaign to Prevent Landmines.

Through his work overseas, he helped to cancel the debt of small countries while studying Islam, Christian-Muslim relations and Eastern Christianity at the Selly Oak College in Birmingham, United Kingdom. In May 2004, Brown joined the Lutheran World Foundation. Through the LWF, he strove to bring hope and healing through vocational training, scholarships and material assistance, working with Augusta Victoria Hospital, a humanitarian project of the LWF since 1950. He was later named the Regional Representative for World Service Programs in Jerusalem.

His humanitarian and human rights work related to the Middle East resulted in him being awarded the Faithfulness in Ministry Cross in 2008.

After 14 years in Jerusalem as the LWF Representative, Brown returned to the U.S. in May 2018 to serve as senior adviser for advocacy and fundraising for Middle East/Jerusalem for LWF World Service.

Kevin Bean

At Streator High, Kevin was a member of German Club, Hardscrabble staff, Scholastic Bowl, Executive Class Council where he served as Junior Class vice president and Student Advisers to the Board of Education, and he participated in school productions. Bean attended Salzburg College in Austria to study art history and German. In 1980, Bean graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from the University of Illinois. He furthered his education receiving a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Maine in 1986. He completed his academic endeavors at the University of California at Berkeley where he was valedictorian, a teacher's assistant, and received his master’s degree in fine arts in 1990.

Bean then became a drawing and painting instructor at the School of Art in San Francisco from 1997-1999, and subsequently served as an art professor/instructor at Stanford University from 1999-2009.

In a tribute to Bean from the Stanford University Art Department, the following information is listed: “In his 12 years as a lecturer in painting and drawing in the Department of Art & Art History, Kevin helped to define its highest ideals. In the classroom, in his studio and in his life, Kevin gave everything to his art, everything to his students, and still had reserves of time and love to lavish on his family. He was committed to strengthening the skills and self-confidence of his students, eliciting the best they could produce.”

Painting was his passion, and the source of his well-being. Bean found happiness in being an artist, a teacher and a man whose habitual kindness touched all who knew him, according to a news release from Streator High School.

Bean was diagnosed with ALS and lived with the disease for 10 years after diagnosis before he died May 21, 2017, at 60 years old.