ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA – SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 – “Hall of Fame” ceremony to recognize former outstanding students and a rededication of the newly renovated stadium with new synthetic turf on Friday, September 28. The inductees for this year are: Dr. James D. Swift (Class of 1980), Myron McClure (Class of 1994), and Thomas Aney. The Hall of Fame ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Rowland High School library, followed by the football game at 7 p.m. A rededication half-time extravaganza will take place, which will conclude with a fireworks display.
Established in 1991, the Rowland High School Hall of Fame honors the outstanding success of former students. These graduates excel in their chosen fields of endeavor such as business, education, politics, military, sports, entertainment and arts, and/or have made significant contributions to society. “By spotlighting their contributions, we hope to provide motivation for current students to excel,” said Rowland High Principal Robbie Robinson. Nominations arrive from a variety of sources including staff, community members, students, family, and co-workers. A selection committee reviews the nominations and makes the final selection. Below is background information on each inductee:
Dr. James D. Swift
- After graduating from Rowland High, Dr. Swift attended La Verne University, where he graduated summa cum laude. He attended the University of Health Sciences at Chicago Medical School where he earned his M.D. degree. He did his residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center and has held fellowships at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Center in California. In 1994, Dr. Swift was honored with the Outstanding Teaching Fellow award from the Department of Pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine. He is a member of the American Medical Association, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Academy of Physicians, and the American Thoracic Society. Dr. Swift is currently a critical care medicine specialist and medical director of Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is the founder and CEO of the Children’s HealthCare Network. In addition, Dr. Swift has authored several educational textbooks including co-authoring the first textbook to focus exclusively on pediatric inpatient care and the special needs of hospitalized children: “Pediatric Hospital Medicine: Textbook of Inpatient Management.”
Myron D. McClure
- McClure was the diversity coordinator for the College of Agriculture at Purdue University. He has just received a grant that is allowing him to attend Purdue University full time as he pursues a Ph.D. in Agriculture and Biological Engineering; with expected graduation in August 2008. He will then join the ranks as a professor of Agriculture Health and Safety at a Land Grant Institute. Prior to joining Purdue, McClure interned and worked for Archer Daniel Midland, one of the world’s largest agricultural processors, and was a Research Associate at Pennsylvania State University with a dual appointment in Diversity Enhancement Programs and the Alliance for Earth Science, Engineering, & Development in Africa (AESEDA) Institute, in the College of Earth and Mineral Science. He has also studied in Sweden, where he obtained credit in international agriculture studies and Swedish. McClure was the liaison for the first AESEDA symposium in 2003, which brought together more than 17 countries in Africa and eight Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He received the Evan Family Lecture award in 2004 and the Penn State Faculty Mentor Award in 2005. In addition to his many academic and career achievements, McClure is also an outstanding athlete. He earned several awards in track and field while a student at Rowland High School, is a four-year varsity letter winner, a Big Ten Champion, an All-American at Purdue, and has competed in track and field at the Olympic trials.
Thomas M. Aney
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While Aney is technically not a graduate of Rowland High School, he has been an outstanding role model to all RHS students since the school’s inception in 1968, when he served as Vice Principal and then Principal of the school. Under his leadership, Rowland High thrived receiving full accreditations from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and was rated the number one school in California in 1985 by State Superintendent Bill Honig. This resulted in the school receiving a $175,000 award. He was also the driving force behind the building of the school’s football stadium which was named the Thomas M. Aney Stadium in his honor. Though he retired in 1987, Aney continues to serve the school in numerous ways. He worked in tandem with Principal Bill Weirich to develop Rowland High’s Alumni Hall of Fame and, because he keeps in contact with many alumni, has been instrumental in nominating many of them for this honor. In addition, the principals who followed in his footsteps seek out his advice and expertise which he is always willing to provide. Prior to becoming one of the founding fathers of the Rowland Raiders, Aney valiantly served his country as a U.S. air force fighter pilot during the Korean War. He began his career in the field of education in 1950 as a teacher and coach. From 1958-1962, he served as a teacher and the head football coach at Los Altos High School. In 1973, he was recognized as an Outstanding Secondary Educator in America.