Marquette Hall of Fame inducts 3

Marquette Academy in Ottawa inducted three hall of famers during its May 28 commencement.

The graduation venue is used to demonstrate to students a Marquette education combined with appropriate individual effort can produce success in life.

Retired staff member Heinz Dietrich Suppan and graduates Barack Echols and Eugene James Donohue were selected. Donohue was selected posthumously and Echols was unable to attend the ceremony.

Heinz Dietrich Suppan

Suppan joined the Marquette family in 1984 as a German and history teacher. After 36 years, he retired in 2020. He was nominated in 2022 by a long-time colleague.

As a teacher, Suppan instilled a love of all local and world history to his students and demonstrated his love of teaching and for Marquette. He commuted from his home in Springfield for a time. He earned the respect of his students by holding them to the highest standards. His sense of humor and compassion made him popular. Many students have learned to speak German and about German and European culture from him. He has led various groups of students and adults to European trips during the summer.

For many years, Suppan was in charge of the international banquet at Marquette and entertained in his lederhosen.

In addition to teaching, Suppan is a musician and served as band instructed at Marquette for several years. He worked to assemble students and adults into a pep band to perform at Marquette sporting and other events.

His passion for local and Illinois history caused him to become an important source of information for the community. He has authored four blooks, including “Marking Time: The Radium Girls of Ottawa.”

Eugene James Donohue, Class of 1950

Donohue was born in 1930 and by numbers should have graduated high school in 1948. He had a late start at Marquette because he helped on the family farm in Wallace Township after eighth grade graduation. He graduated from Marquette in 1950 in the first co-ed class. His farm background gave him the know how and footing for his 33-year career with International Harvester.

While at Marquette, Donohue played football and was a member of the Sodality and Glee Club. He married classmate Nina Polancic, who died three years after their marriage with two children. In 1956, Donohue married Celie Fowler and together they raised those two children and one of their own. In 1958, Donohue and his wife moved to her hometown of Moline where he started a career with International Harvester.

During those years, he learned all there was to learn in the agricultural engineering field. He became senior lead technician of Worldwide Agricultural Equipment Engineering for test and development. He was of 20 men to see the Axial-Flow Combine evolve from idea in 1958 to production in 1978. For four decades he and his wife traveled the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe and Australia on assignment with IH. In Italy, the combine had to be redesigned for the amount of rock in the ground and special belts were tested for different climates.

He retired in 1992, but then returned to Case-IH as a tour guide where he could show off assembling of “his baby,” the Axial Flow Combine. In 2003, he retired again and was the last man standing and turned off the lights as the 40 acre establishment was torn down.

Other than the Axial Combine, he was instrumental in key improvements for other combines, the corn heads, planters and cotton pickers. He left his mark on agriculture in Illinois.

Donohue spent many retirement years as a volunteer at local hospitals and soup kitchens and as a currier for the Metropolitan Lab, Moline. He held dual citizenship in Ireland., was a life member of the St. Patrick’s Society and Knights of Columbus and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

Donohue made the most of his life from his love of the farm and the love and respect for his Catholic education at Marquette High School. No matter where he was in the world he attended Mass and brought home a bulletin. Nick Donohue accepted the honor on behalf of Gene.

Barack Echols, Class of 1985

The Marquette Class of 1985 saw a young man from Harding Grade School graduate as salutatorian of his class and do great things with his life.

Echols attended the University of Chicago on scholarship after graduation. Financial difficulties in his family caused him to drop out of college and join the Army so he could help out at home. He worked as a Spainish language voice interceptor.

In 1990, he was named U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command Solider of the Year. After his stint in the army, he returned to UIC Law School and graduated with honors in 1999. He joined the Kirkland and Ellis Law firm as a clerk and remained there as a partner for many years. Echols concentrates his practice in complex commercial litigation, class action, bankruptcy and consumer fraud. He has been recognized in America’s Leading Lawyers for business every year since 2014 and was named one of Savoy Magazine’s most influential black lawyers.

As a side job through college, from 1994-1995 Echols worked as executive producer for the Ed Vrdolyak and Ty Wansley radio talk show in Chicago. His nominator said Nichols never had an enemy and always put others first. He was committed to education at Marquette and paid his own tuition to attend.