Ottawa High School announces 2022 Hall of Fame inductees

The Ottawa Township High School Hall of Fame was established in 2006 by the OTHS District 140 Educational Foundation, Inc. The focus of the Hall of Fame is to recognize excellence in achievement while a high school student, after leaving OTHS, or a combination of both. Further, honorees may or may not have attended Ottawa High but were significant and accomplished contributors to OTHS. Also considered are OTHS teams or groups.

As a result of a nomination and selection process, four individuals and one team have been selected as 2022 inductees to the Ottawa Township High School Hall of Fame. A banquet will be held to present and honor inductees on Saturday, Feb. 5. The inductees for 2022 are as follows:

S. Isabella Sanders: (Class of 1904) S. Isabella Sanders graduated from Ottawa High School in 1904 at the age of 16. She continued her education with two years of undergraduate studies at Northwestern University and then graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. degree. She then attended the University of Illinois and received her M.A. from Columbia. She then began teaching at Ottawa High School in 1919 but took several leaves of absence for post-graduate studies at Oxford University in England, Breadloaf in Connecticut, the Art Institute in Chicago and the University of Mexico. She was a member of the Ottawa High faculty until 1959 and declined opportunities to teach at the university level in order to stay at Ottawa High School. She challenged and inspired her students, encouraging them to begin publishing the “Pirateer,” which is a supplement to the “Buccaneer.” After her retirement the 1960 senior yearbook was dedicated to her and in 1962 the S. Isabella Sanders Chapter of the National Honor Society was established at Ottawa High. She was instrumental in the founding of the art collection at Ottawa High and many of the oil paintings that she created are on display.

Thomas (Tom) Grady: (Class of 1964) Tom Grady was a multi-sport athlete at Ottawa High School competing in football, basketball and track. He was also active in intramurals, the military program attaining the rank of captain, and in numerous Ottawa High clubs. After graduation from Ottawa High he received a B.S. degree in Physical Education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and a M.S. degree in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University. He was inducted in the U.S. Army in 1968 and served in Vietnam for 15 months. He attained the rank of sergeant and was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with V Device for heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force in the Republic of Vietnam, and the Purple Heart. Grady began a teaching career at Milton Pope Elementary School in Marseilles where he taught for 33 years. He taught numerous subjects at Milton Pope, including science, world history, language arts, math, art and PE and coached boys and girls basketball, boys softball, boys and girls track, and girls volleyball, and also served as athletic director. In 2007 he was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for outstanding achievement in basketball, with an overall record of 1,022 wins and 623 losses and 19 boys Fox Valley Conference Championships and 16 girls Championships in his 32 years of coaching. In 1989 and 2002 he received the Excellence in Education Award for Outstanding Contribution and Dedication to the Students of La Salle County.

Robert (Bob) Burns: (Class of 1967) Bob Burns was named as a prep All-America football player in 1966, his senior year as the Ottawa High School varsity quarterback. He also received All-State honors. He was co-captain of the 9-0, 1966-67 football team that has been previously inducted into the Ottawa High School Hall of Fame. As quarterback, he threw for 1,567 yards during his nine-game senior season, a record which still stands. Burns was also a two-year starter on the Ottawa High basketball team, and a standout track athlete. He was in the national honor society, and represented Ottawa High School at boys state. Burns received an athletic scholarship to the University of Illinois to play football, was switched to wide receiver, earned three varsity letters, and started in both his junior and senior years. After graduation from the University of Illinois, Burns began teaching and coaching at Hillcrest High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. He coached both basketball and football for six years, and served for three years as the head football coach, winning a regional championship and playing in the state tournament. He then moved to Park City, Utah as the head football coach. He took over a struggling program and within two years defeated both arch-rival teams, and played for the state championship in his third year. During his tenure the school won seven regional championships, reached the state semi-finals seven times, and won two state championships. He also coached tennis, winning four state championships in five years. The Utah Football Officials Association selected him as Coach of the Year in 1980 and the Utah High School Activities Association selected him as 3A Class Coach of the Year in 1993. He also was elected and served as president of the Utah Football Coaches Association for two years.

Adam Rowe (Class of 1998) At Ottawa High School Adam Rowe participated in Opus 28, Speech, Drama, plays, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, honor society, fine arts, and was the mascot “Sudsy” for football and basketball games. After graduation he attended the University of Platteville, in Wisconsin, Bond University in Australia, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater, with an emphasis in Theater Design, from the Southern Illinois University in Carbondale in 2002. He received a Master of Fine Arts in Theater degree, again with an emphasis in Theater Design, from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana in 2005. He worked as a charge painter and then assistant production manager at Seaside Music Theater helping to create the scenery for the would be hit “Million Dollar Quartet” before it made it to Broadway. He painted operas for two seasons at the Santa Fe Opera, receiving the Bauman young artist’s scholarship for the outstanding crew member who demonstrated teamwork and excellent craftsmanship. He began a television career with the show “Mad Men” for which the scenery was acclaimed for its exceptional period accuracy. He also worked on “Dexter,” “House MD,” Nickelodeon’s “Victorious” and “iCarly,” “Love Bites,” “Parks and Recreation,” “The Good Place,” “Criminal Minds,” and “Rizzoli & Isles” – as well as live television events including Kennedy Center Honors, The Super Bowl, The Democratic National Convention, The Grammys, XQ Super School, Billboard Awards and The Golden Globes. He was nominated in 2009 and 2014 for an Art Director’s Guild Award, nominated for two Emmys in 2009, and nominated in 2010 for The LA Weekly Theater Awards. Adam Rowe was the art director for best miniseries Emmy winning “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” In 2019 he won an Emmy for Exceptional Production Design for a Live Televised Event — the musical “Rent” on Fox.

1965-66 varsity boys tennis team: The 1965-66 boys tennis team finished fourth in the state in its single class tournament. The team had a dual meet record of 20-3, with each loss from teams that finished ahead of them at the state tournament. The team won the Illinois Valley Conference championship, the NCIC Conference championship, the IHSA District Championship (now Sectional), and finished fourth in the IHSA State Tournament. The Pirates defeated Oak Park and Hinsdale, and tied New Trier and Decatur MacArthur during regular season play — with Hinsdale later winning the IHSA state championship, Oak Park finishing second, Decatur MacArthur third, Ottawa fourth, and New Trier fifth. Senior Terry Rosborough made it to the quarterfinals at the IHSA state tournament, as well as winning the Illinois Valley Conference title, the North Central Conference title, and the district singles championship. Each of the three tournament titles were to his sophomore teammate, Jeff Claus, runner-up in each event. Jim Reynolds and Gary Stevenson, in doubles, were district and NCIC champions, and runners-up in the Illinois Valley Conference tournament. Tom Makeever and Don Ninness, in doubles, won the Illinois Valley Conference championship over their teammates, and were runners-up to their teammate in the district and NCIC championship matches. The team was coached by Tom Henderson, and assisted by Lyle Guenther. Team members were Terry Rosborough, Jim Reynolds, Gary Stevenson, Tom Makeever, Don Ninness, Jeff Claus, Dave Marsh and Paul Muus.