WPSD Alumni Association

Alumni Merit

The member(s) shall be chosen for his/her devoted service to the Alumni Association for at least ten (10) years.

Note: ‘Hall of Fame’ Award begun in 1965 and deprecated in 1990. This new award name, ‘Alumni Merit’, established in 1993.

List of honorable biography of Alumni Merit in based on chronology order for date of the award.

This post is last updated on

Samuel Nicholas – 1965

  • Enrolled WPSD in January 1886
  • Graduated in 1896
  • Entered Gallaudet University in 1896
  • Graduated in 1901
  • Alumni Association
    • One of the Founders of the Alumni Association
    • First Alumni Corresponding Secretary in 1914
    • Recording Secretary (1915-18)
    • President (1920-24)
    • Auxiliary Committee (1930-33 & 1936-39)
    • Served the Alumni Association for 14 years
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1965
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1965

Marion Allen – 1969

  • Enrolled WPSD in 1912
  • Graduated in 1920
  • Alumni Association
    • Recording Secretary (1928-31)
    • Secretary (1931-33 & 1939-46)
    • President (1933-39)
    • Served Alumni Association for 18 years
  • Linotype operator in Greensburg, PA
  • Died on July 31, 1958
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1969

Carmen Ludivico – 1969

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1937
  • Alumni Association
    • Secretary (1949-58 & 1959-65)
    • Served the Alumni Association for 16 years
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1969

Cyril Painter – 1969

  • Enrolled WPSD in November 1887
  • Graduated in 1897
  • Enrolled Gallaudet University in 1897
  • Graduated from Gallaudet University in 1902
  • Alumni Association
    • One of the Founders of the Alumni Association
    • First Auxiliary Committee in 1914
    • Treasurer (1915-18)
    • 1st Vice President (1918-20)
    • President (1926-28)
    • Served the  Alumni Association for 8 years
  • At WPSD
    • Hired as a Supervisor of Boys (1907-32)
    • Assistant Kitchen Staff (1932-42)
  • Retired in 1942 after a total of 35 years of service
  • Died on June 9, 1955 at the age of 77
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1969

Peter Graves – 1975

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1916
  • Alumni Association
    • Recording Secretary (1922-28)
    • Auxiliary Committee (1931-33)
    • Secretary (1936-39)
    • Served Alumni Association for 11 years
  • Foreman of delivery driver, Sun-Telegraph
  • Died on November 8, 1962
  • Recieved the Alumni Merit Award in 1969

Enza Ludovico – 1975

  • Enrolled WPSD in 1910 
  • Graduated in 1926
  • Alumni Association
    • President (1939-46, 1949-52 & 1962-65)
    • Trustee (1946-49 & 1952-60)
    • Served the Alumni Association for 24 years
  • Retired as a printer
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1975

Louis Kieffer – 1978

  • Enrolled at WPSD on January 1918
  • Departed in 1932
  • Alumni Association
    • Trustee ( 1946-52, 1962-65 & 1987-93)
    • 1st Vice President (1952-55)
    • Treasurer (1955-58 & 1965-69)
    • Financial Secretary (1969-81)
    • Member at Large ( 1981-87)
    • Served the Alumni Association for 43 years
  • Retired as a printer at Pittsburgh Press
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1978
  • Received the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 1997

Walter Bosworth – 1981

  • Enrolled WPSD in 1898
  • Graduated in 1908
  • Alumni Association
    • Treasurer (1920-46)
    • Longest-serving treasurer for 26 years
  • Draftsman with American Bridge Company for many years
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1981

Pearl (Canter) Frank – 1984

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1930
  • Alumni Association
    • Financial Secretary (1952-58 & 1960-69)
    • Member at Large (1984-87)
    • Served Alumni Association for 18 years
  • Received the Alumni Merit in 1984

Harry Zhan – 1990

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1919
  • Alumni Association
    • Vice President (1926-28 & 1928-31)
    • Auxiliary Committee (1933-36)
    • Trustee (1946-49)
    • Served Alumni Association for 11 years
  • Retired as a printer
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1990

Dorothy (Marsh) Schwartzman – 1993

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1936
  • Alumni Association
    • 1st Vice President (1946-49)
    • 2nd Vice President (1949-52, 1975-78 & 1984-87)
    • Secretary (1969-72)
    • Served the Alumni Association for 15 years
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1993
  • Received the Distinguished Alumna Award in 2002

Albert Mehl – 1996

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1937
  • North Carolina School for the Deaf
    • Dormitory supervisor (1945-19xx)
    • Teacher (19xx)
    • Retired in 1982 after 37 years
    • Substitute teacher for 15 years
    • Served more than 50 years at NCSD
  • Managing Editor of The Bugler newspaper for the NC deaf people
  • Died on July 14, 2003 at the age of 86
  • Living in North Carolina, he frequently came to the Alumni Reunion
  • Donated to the Sharing the Future at WPSD
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1996
  • Received North Carolina’s Jack Callaghan Cornerstone Award in 1997

Dr. Harold Mowl, Jr. – 1999

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1965
  • Alumni Association
    • President (1969-72 & 1972-75)
    • Members at Large (1984-90)
    • Editor of Alumni Newspaper (1984-90)
    • Served Alumni Association for 12 years
  • Donated to the Sharing the Future at WPSD & Alumni Giving Tree
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 1999
  • Received the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 2000
  • Received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008

Kathy Campero – 2002

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1972
  • Alumni Association
    • Secretary (1990-96)
    • President (1996-99)
    • Member at Large (1999-2002)
    • Served Alumni Association for 12 years
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2002

Stephen Rute – 2002

  • Enrolled WPSD in November 1957
  • Graduated in 1974
  • Alumni Association
    • Financial Secretary (1984-87)
    • 1st Vice President (1987-90)
    • President (1990-93)
    • Treasurer (1993-94)
    • Member at Large (2002-05 & 2017-23)
    • Museum Curator (1987-94)
    • Editor of Alumni Newspaper (1990-94)
    • WPSD Historical Research for over 16 years
    • Author of the Historical Trivia of WPSD, 1st & 2nd Edition (1990 + 2023)
    • Serves Alumni Association for 22 years.
  • Donated to Alumni Giving Tree & Sharing the Future
  • Received the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 1999 and 2021
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2002
  • Received the Athlete Hall of Fame in 2005

James Toner – 2002

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1970
  • Alumni Association
    • Trustee (1981- 2002 & 2008-14)
    • Served Alumni Association for 27 years
  • Donated to Sharing the Future at WPSD & Alumni Giving Tree
  • Received the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 2001
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2002
  • Received the Rev. John G. Brown Service Award in 2014

Wesley Dickson – 2005

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1948
  • Alumni Association
    • President (1960-62)
    • Trustees (1965-72)
    • Member at Large (1993-96 & 2005-11)
    • Served Alumni Association for 18 years
  • Retired as a teacher in 1982 after 27 years of service
    • Board of Trustee Member (1994-2017)
  • Retired in 2017 after a total of 50 years of service to WPSD
  • Died on December 20, 2019 at the age of 90
  • Donated to the Sharing the Future at WPSD
  • Received the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 1995
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2005
  • Received the Athlete Hall of Fame in 2005
  • Received the Rev. John G. Brown Service Award in 2020

Donald Majocha – 2005

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1951
  • Alumni Association
    • 2nd Vice President (1972-75)
    • President (1975-84)
    • Member at Large (1984-90, 1996-99 & 2005-14)
  • Served Alumni Association for 30 years
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2005
  • Receiving the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 2007

Norman Wesoky – 2005

  • Enrolled WPSD and left in 1948
  • Alumni Association
    • 2nd Vice President (1969-72)
    • Member at Large (1996-99)
    • Served Alumni Association for 6 years
    • Attended Alumni Reunion every 3 years
  • Donated to the Alumni Giving Tree
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2005
  • Received the Outstanding Volunteer Award at WPSD in 2013

Verla Majocha – 2008

  • Graduated in 1960
  • Alumni Association
    • Trustees (1978-87 & 2008-11)
    • Member at Large (1987, 1990-93, 1996-99 & 2005-08)
    • Secretary (1988-90)
    • Served Alumni Association for 24 years
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2008
  • Received the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 2010

Lawrence Hast – 2014

  • Graduated in 1975
  • Alumni Association
    • Secretary (1981-84)
    • Treasurer (1984-87, 1990-93 & 2005-08)
    • 1st Vice President (1999-2002)
    • President (1987-90)
    • Trustee ( 1993-96 & 2008-23)
    • Financial Secretary (1996-99)
    • Serves Alumni Association for 39 years
  • Received the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 2009
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2014

Irene Hearn – 2014

  • Graduated in 1959
  • Alumni Association
    • Member at Large (1999-2005 & 2008-23)
    • Trustees (2005-08)
    • Serves Alumni Association for more than 25 years
  • Receiving the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 2006
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2014

John Noschese – 2014

  • Alumni Association
    • Member at Large (1993-2005 & 2014-17)
    • President (2005-2014)
    • 2nd Vice President (2017-23)
    • Serves Alumni Association for 30 years
  • Received the Outstanding Parents Award at WPSD in 1995
  • Receiving the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 2008
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2014

John Rolshouse – 2014

  • Enrolled at WPSD in 1878
  • Graduated in 1889
  • Alumni Association
    • One of the founders of the Alumni Association
    • First Alumni Association Recording Secretary in 1914
    • Treasurer (1918-20)
  • Boys’ supervisor at WPSD (1918-25)
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2014

May (Toomey) Havens – 2014

  • Enrolled WPSD in 1889
  • Graduated in 1895
  • Alumni Association
    • First Woman Vice President (1915-18)
    • First Woman Corresponding Secretary (1918-20 & 1922-24)
    • First Woman President (1924-25)
    • Served Alumni Association for 8½ years
  • Worked as dress maker in self-business
  • Died by cancer on November 21, 1925
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2014

Charles Fisher – 2017

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1956
  • Alumni Association
    • Treasurer (1969-75 & 1994-99)
    • Member at Large (1981-94)
    • Served Alumni Association for 24 years
  • Retired as a printer for Pittsburgh Post for 33 years
  • Retired as part-time Media Aide at WPSD for 30 years
  • Died on January 1, 2022 at the age of 84
  • Donated to the Alumni Giving Tree
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2017
  • Received the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2020

Rosemarie Noschese – 2017

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1977
  • Alumni Association
    • Member at Large (1990-96, 2008-11 & 2014-17)
    • 1st Vice President (1996-99)
    • Corresponding Secretary (1999-2008 & 2011-14)
    • Served Alumni Association for 27 years
  • Received the Outstanding Parents Award at WPSD in 1998
  • Receiving the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 2011
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2017
Valentine Wojton

Valentine Wojton – 2017

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1976
  • Alumni Association
    • Member at Large (1987-93 & 1999-2002)
    • President (1993-96)
    • Secretary (1996-99 & 2005-23)
    • Treasurer (2002-05)
    • Served the Alumni Association for 36 years
  • Retired in 2023 after 37 years of service at WPSD
  • Received the Athlete Hall of Fame in 2002
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2017
  • Received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2020

John Friend – 2020

  • Enrolled WPSD in 1888
  • Graduated in 1899
  • Alumni Association
    • One of the founders of the Alumni Association in 1914
    • First Alumni Association President (1914, 1915-18 & 1918-20)
    • Auxiliary Committee (1920-22 & 1926-28)
    • As an Alumni Statistician, he kept information about student enrollments from 1876 to 1923
    • Served Alumni Association for more than 10 years
  • Roll-tuning Machinist at the Edgar Thomson Steel Works in Pittsburgh (1902-21)
  • Printing Teacher (1921-45)
  • Retired in 1945 after 24 years of service
  • Died on February 9, 1947 at the age of 67
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2020

Paul Gum – 2020

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1956
  • Alumni Association
    • Trustee (1960-62)
    • Second Vice President (1962-65)
    • First Vice President (1969-72)
    • Members at Large (1987-90 & 1993-99)
    • Served Alumni Association for 17 years
  • Retired as a printer at the Pittsburgh Press/Post-Gazette for 38 years
  • Died on January 22, 2021 at the age of 83
  • Donated to the Alumni Giving Tree
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2020

Libby (Sparks) Pollard – 2020

  • Graduated from WPSD in 1956
  • Alumni Association
    • Secretary (1972-81)
    • Members at Large (1981-84 & 1990-93)
    • President (1984-87)
    • Served Alumni Association for 18 years
  • Retired in April 2022 after 30 years at the Iron City Sash and Door Company in Pittsburgh
  • Died on April 26, 2020 at the age of 80
  • Donated to the Alumni Giving Tree
  • Received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1993
  • Received the Outstanding Alumni Award at WPSD in 1998
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2020

Paul Blahut – 2023

  • Graduated in 1987
  • Alumni Association
    • Member-at-large (2002-26)
    • Head Committee of Refreshment during the Alumni Night Basketball for many years
  • Chairman of the WPSD Cup (golf) for the Alumni Scholarship Awards  Fundraising to the WPSD students since 2005
  • Serves Alumni Association for 24 years
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2023

Eugene Stangarone – 2023

  • Enrolled WPSD on November 1918
  • Graduated in 1931
  • Post-graduated from WPSD in 1932
  • Alumni Association
    • 2nd Vice President (1952-55)
    • 6-yrs & 3-yrs Trustee (1962-69)
    • 9 yrs. Member at Large (1978-87)
    • Served  Alumni Association for 19 years
  • Worked as an auto repair man for many years
  • Died on March 11, 1986
  • First alumnus to be inducted into the WPSD Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984
  • Received the Alumni Merit Award in 2023

Provided by Stephen Rute, WPSD Class of 1974 who spend his time for the research on alumni awards. This would not have been possible without his support in our WPSD Alumni Association.