After years of deliberation and contemplation, Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools have inducted their Hall of Fame inaugural members and unveiled a sculpture in their honor.
"We didn't want it to be about great athletes or employees of the month, we wanted the Hall of Fame to be for models of faith in action,” said Mark Esper, chair of the Hall of Fame committee, during an induction ceremony held Saturday at St. Francis High School.
"These people are sound examples for us and our students,” said Esper, when speaking of inductees Marie Baynton, James Beckett, Frank and Lillian Ludka, George and Clara McManus, Thomas Plough and Art and Mary Schmuckal.
In addition, special recognition was given to founders and supporters who helped establish a Catholic education system in Traverse City.
• Father George Ziegler, the first resident pastor of St. Francis parish who arrived in 1877 and established the areas first Catholic school.
• Mother M. Aquinata Fiegler, O.P. who, in 1877, accompanied five Dominican Sisters to Traverse City to open a school on the request of Father Ziegler.
• The Religious Sisters of Mercy who staffed the parish school of Immaculate Conception beginning in 1906.
• Father Joseph E. Kohler, noted as the builder priest, who oversaw the construction of a new St. Francis High School and elementary school.
• Monsignor Russell W. Passeno served as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church from 1948 until July 1969 and was instrumental in the consolidation of schools and the creation of the St. Francis school board.
"Jesus Christ radiates loudly through all of our inductees. No one was here just through good times, these are people of great character, compassion and commitment,” said Michael Buell, superintendent of Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools.
"It is humbling to be part of a school system that these people built, they could see the cause of Christ in Catholic education,” Buell said.
Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools Hall of Fame inaugural class inductees:
• Marie (Steinebach) Baynton (1916-2000) - Baynton was born on the Steinebach farm in Hannah. In 1939 she married Louis Baynton, a 1924 graduate of St. Francis High School. They raised four children who also graduated from St. Francis.
She was a food service supervisor in the hot lunch program at St. Francis School for 37 years and was an active member of the St. Francis Altar Society. She often prepared meals for visiting priests, was a church greeter, collection counter, CSA worker and a member of the Catholic Daughters of America. In 2000, the Church Women United honored her with the Valiant Woman of the Year Award.
Baynton supported and volunteered for the Father Fred Foundation, the Carmelite Monastery, Munson Hospital Auxiliary, Northwestern Michigan Fair, GTACS Gladhander and countless school fundraisers and events. Along with her husband, she guided many area youth by serving as Cub Scout, Boy Scout and 4-H leaders.
• James Beckett - Beckett has been the face of the Gladhander Auction for 21 years. The success of this annual event is a direct reflection of his high energy, and enthusiastic leadership. He and his wife Dorothy, whose children graduated from St. Francis High School, recently celebrated their 60th anniversary.
He played a major role as fundraiser during the construction of St. Francis Elementary School and High School, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Middle School as well as the new St. Francis Church and rectory.
He has been an active member of the Traverse City Chamber of Commerce and is the only person to twice be honored with that organization's Distinguished Service Award. He has served on the Northwestern Michigan College board of trustees, co-chaired the University Center campaign and is a charter member of the NMC Foundation Board. He has been a member of the Rotary Club since 1952, serving as president in 1962.
• Frank V. Ludka (1910-1999) and Lillian (Antony) Ludka - Frank played on the St. Francis 1926 District and 1927 District and Regional basketball championship teams while Tony played girls' basketball from 1924-1927. They graduated in 1927 and attended Western State Teachers College. They married in 1933 and raised eight children.
Frank helped form the St. Francis Athletic Association and was the unpaid athletic director for many years, also volunteering as a ticket seller well into his 80s. He served on the St. Francis Parish Council and Tony was a member of the new church building committee. They spearheaded the annual Bishop's Clothing Drive for Catholic Relief Services.
Tony was a 28 year member and president of the Parent Teacher Association as well as a lifetime member of the St. Francis Altar Society. She was elected to the St. Francis School Board in 1967, serving until 1974.
• Senator George McManus, Jr. and Clara (Kratochvil) McManus - George and Clara McManus grew up on family farms miles apart but met as students at St. Francis High School. George studied music at Holy Angels Academy of Music. Clara was junior class vice-president while George was senior class president and salutatorian of their class of 1948.They married in 1949 and raised nine children.
Clara received a nursing degree at St. Lawrence in Lansing. George earned a masters of science at Michigan State College in 1953. Together they built a family agricultural business, McManus Orchards.
A fourth generation cherry farmer, George was the Grand Traverse County Extension director for 25 years and was a Northwestern Michigan College trustee for 20 years. He was a founding member of the Michigan Center for Rural Health and belongs to the Knights of Columbus and Rotary. He served as State Senator for northern Michigan from 1991-2002.
George was the St. Francis school board's first president and served on the Grand Traverse Area Catholic School Board of Education.
Clara initiated the Clara McManus and Friends Fund within the Grand Traverse Pavilions Foundation and was active in 4-H, the Zonta Club and the St. Francis Altar Society. She was named Northwestern Michigan Distinguished Senior Citizen in 2005.
• Thomas R. Plough, PhD - Plough earned salutatorian honors at St. Francis High School in 1959, as had his mother Kathleen (Boehlein) in 1936. He was an alter server and member of the Sodality of Our Lady. He played Gladiator football and was a member of the 1958 and 1959 district basketball championship team.
Plough earned his bachelor, master and doctoral degrees from Michigan State University. In 1966 he became Dean of Students at Alma College before serving as professor of sociology, provost and executive vice-president at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. from 1972 to 1995. He was president of North Dakota State University for three years and was president of Assumption College in Worcester, Mass. from 1998 until his retirement in 2007, where he is now president emeritus.
At Assumption College, he promoted Catholic intellectual traditions and echoed the college's educational outcomes of competence, character and compassion. His leadership style of integrity, consistency, civility and trustworthiness was founded on his Catholic faith and values.
• Art Schmuckal and Mary (Hoffer) Schmuckal (1922-1999) - Art and Mary Schmuckal were married in 1945. Their four children, 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren have graduated from or are attending Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools.
Art served on the first Catholic school board in the area while Mary was on the St. Francis board committee for continuing education. He was part of the advisory committee for the new St. Francis High School in 1963 and both were active in planning and building support for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Middle School. They are honorary chairs for the Gladhander Auction.
The Schmuckals served on the committees to build the new St. Francis Church in 1977 and St. Patrick Church in 1985.
Art was the Blair Township supervisor and chair of the Grand Traverse County board of supervisors from 1956-60 and a member of the County Road Commission for 24 years. He is a longtime member of the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce and served a term as president. He was the recipient of that organization's Distinguished Citizen Award.
Mary served on the Board of Education for the Rennie School and worked with Fr. Kohler and Traverse City Schools superintendent Glenn Loomis to provide bussing for Catholic school students. She also served on the board of the Grand Traverse Pavilions.
The Schmuckal family was instrumental in the development and improvement of Northwestern Michigan College and have raised funds and support for the college, the University Center and the Dennos Museum. Art serves as a member of the NMC Foundation which he and other community leaders helped form in 1980. The Art and Mary Schmuckal Family Foundation support important community causes including health care and education, as well as the endowment of numerous scholarships for GTACS students.