Named for a rocky crossing (ford) on the Rock River, Rockford, Illinois is home to our alma mater and the seat of Illinois’ Winnebago County. The County was named for native settlers who lived near Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago.
Because of its strong fishy odor, Algonquian Indians called the Lake and its residents "Winnebago," meaning Smelly Water; but the "Winnebago" called themselves "Ho-Chunk," meaning Big Voice, their original tribal name. Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) women, farmed corn, beans, and squash while the men fished and hunted deer, buffalo, and small game. They lived in rectangular houses with Birch bark shingles. Some of the "un-landed" Ho-Chunk were given homesteads instead of being sent to reservations. Others, weakened by disease and tribal wars, intermarried with tribal enemies or moved near the Rock, Fox, Black, and Wisconsin Rivers.
The culture of the Great Lakes area, including Northern Illinois, is an amalgam of traditions of former slaves, French Canadian and European immigrants, and
"Indians" who were actually diverse clans and tribes of farmers, hunters, warriors, river people, and mound people connected by languages of, alliances with, and intermarriage into Sauk, Sioux, and Iroquis affiliates.
When West was a High School, the mascot was "Chief Wahoo," caricature of a "typical" Indian warrior; that was about all many of us knew if we thought about it at all. Actually, a few miles down the Rock River was the homeland of a "real" Warrior, Chief Black Hawk. Born around 1767, Ma-ca-tai-me-she-kia-kiak (Black Sparrow Hawk), his Thunder Clan affiliated with the Sauk Nation and Fox River tribes. They also occupied lands along the Rock River. By age 15 Black Hawk had earned the right to wear paint and feathers, and in defending his Rock River homelands, he became a trusted leader of large war parties and an ally of Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee in Southern Illinois. Eventually defeated when betrayed by a rival tribe, Black Hawk was forced to move to Iowa. At about age 70 he died in what is now southern Iowa's Davis County. It's said he was buried in a sitting position in a grave near the Des Moines River. The Iowa museum housing his relics burned, and his grave was robbed, but his Illinois homeland honored him with a statute and park overlooking his beloved Rock River.
School mascots usually represent loyalty, dominance, pride, tenacity, power, courage, and skill. Those are also traits of soldiers, pioneers, and other leaders, who, like Chief Black Hawk, break trail, advocate, and fight for causes - much like the Indian soldiers and the pathfinder "Warrior" Classmates to your right.
WARRIORS
LESSONS FROM "WAHOO" - THEN AND NOW
The late Colonel John Andrle was a professional Warrior, a career Army officer serving in Turkey, Thailand, Vietnam, Germany, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, Washington State, and the Pentagon. As the Army's Chief of Enlisted Recruiting, the photogenic John was featured in "Army Strong" media campaigns. His kudos include Meritorious Service Medals from several Army Commands. He also earned his Parachute Badge.
Helen was an internationally known violinist who founded Armstrong Chamber Concerts, a nonprofit organization, that took music to over 100,000 school children. Over her career she performed with Itshak Perlman, Skitch Henderson, Martha Graham, Peter Duchin, and Senator Christopher Dodd. She is deceased.
The late Pete CECCHINELLI, retired from United Airlines with the rank of Captain. He and WHS '61 classmate, Bob MAYES co-piloted a 747 on Pete's final flight. Wow! Two airline Captains from the same high school class piloting the same plane. How many of us flew with at least one of them without knowing. He is deceased.
A graduate of the U. of IL with an M.A. from the U. of Chicago, Joseph was also an Air Force Captain and Vietnam Veteran. After the military, for 20 years he was a financial executive in NY, Rome, London, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Before retiring to Tarpon Springs, FL, he worked another 10 years as President and CEO of his own executive head-hunting firm. Married 53 years to June Brown, they have 2 sons: David a Urologist, and Michael a Dentist, and best of all - 2 grandchildren. Well done, Joe!
Fred was Procurement Manager for both Bechtold and Fluor on multi-national engineering and construction projects: airports, pipelines, and gas and oil separators in Kazakstan, the Turkish fly-zones, the Caspian Sea, and Saudi Arabia. After retirement, he liked to say he spent his time “golfing” the world.
Judy is a Family Physician in Lady Lake, FL. She graduated from Tulane Medical School and did her internship at the University of Southern CA Medical Center.
Ann, was an author and featured Reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Colleagues described her as a "gifted observer and a person of high caliber values and instincts." The Chicago Headline Club recognizes her journalism with the Ann Brunk Keegan Award for Distinguished Journalism. She is deceased.
Chris is a retired professional Warrior (Air Force) and PhD Research Botanist. At the invitation of NASA, he examined quarantined Apollo space equipment and Astronauts for pathogens. Click the link to see additional pictures and read more of his amazing story.
In the summer of 2010, Chuck and Meredith hosted the Wilderness Works’ Maroon Bells Circle at their home on the edge of Colorado’s proposed Assignation Ridge Wilderness. Chuck and Meredith work to protect and conserve Colorado’s wilderness and other natural resources. Their efforts were featured in the Denver Post.
Aline earned a B.A. at Wellesley College, and her M.A. and PhD in Economics from Tufts University. Her impressive credentials include professor at Boston University and State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland. She served as a Senior Staff Economist on President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisors and spent the last 30 years working on Navy and Marine Corps personnel issues.
Becky (with grand-niece), a 1961 academic standout, now lives in Dorchester, MA. She is a self-titled “community activist,” who founded a street outreach organization to promote understanding of systemic racism. She and like-minded friends work the few remaining white Irish-Catholic neighborhoods (now surrounded by diverse communities) probing “inbred assumptions that white people are unconsciously raised with.” They discuss housing issues and disproportionate minority arrest rates.
A retired professional Warrior (Air Force) and highly regarded expert in laser technology, Vern retired as Senior Scientist for laser technology in the Air Force Research Laboratory) where he was principal laser technology scientific authority. He advises the Departments of Defense, Energy, and the National Science Foundation on proposed laser technology projects, grants, and contracts. His B.S., M.S., and PhD degrees are in electrical engineering. He is a Distinguished Alumni of the U. of IL.
A graduate of Rockford College, Janice earned her PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Oklahoma where she also pioneered in the field of cardiac remodeling. In 2009, she was honored by the International Society for Heart Research that established the Janice (Sikorski) Pfeffer Distinguished Lecture. She is deceased.
Ellie is a lawyer. She retired as the first Black woman Regional Forester in the U.S. Forest Service. She was assigned to the Southwestern Region, managing 22 million acres and over 2000 employees in NM, AZ, OK, and TX. Her retirement was noted in the Congressional Record.
Frank Alexander “Dusty” Welsh III, of Bryn Mawr, emeritus professor of Biochemistry in Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, died on Good Friday, April 2, peacefully at home of leukemia. Dr. Welsh also had a secondary appointment as Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Born around 1767, he was named Ma-ca-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, meaning Black Sparrow Hawk.
The statute overlooks his beloved Rock River homeland.
Code Talkers used obscure languages to communicate classified information during wartime. About 500 Native American Marines improved the transmittal speed of front line communications during World War II. Choctaw and Cherokee Code Talkers were used in WW I, but the term most often describes bilingual Navajo speakers who served in the Pacific Theater during WW II.
A tribal member of the Ho-Chunk Nation (Winnebago Indian Tribe) Rice was a Marine and already a Bronze Star WW II Veteran. He died leading his squad in the Korean War. During his funeral on August 28, 1951—at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa, cemetery officials discovered that Rice was Native American, and stopped the burial. President Harry Truman intervened. Sgt. Rice was buried with full military honors on September 5, 1951, between 2 generals, in Arlington National Cemetery.
The Presentation of Colors often signals the start of many of today's Indian events.