FMHS selects two Hall of Honor Alumnus

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - Two 1950s Fort Madison High School alumni were selected last week to join the school's prestigious Hall of Honor.

Darrell D. Wyrick, a 1951 graduate, and Harvey Rothenberg, a 1955 graduate, were both honored at Tuesday's Senior Scholarship ceremony in the high school's MPR.

Rothenberg attended Wentworth Military Academy after high school and the then-called State University of Iowa where he earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration, then a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Northern Colorado before getting his Ph.D in Administration from Colorado State University.

He went on to a teaching career that spanned several schools and levels from 1962 to 1997 when he retired as Regis University's Dean of Faculty and Curriculum. While there, he penned the textbook Conducting Successful Business Research. He has been recognized as Teacher of the Year, Vocational Educator of the Year, and was a finalist for the National Vocational Education Teacher of the Year in 1992. He was also active with the Junior Chamber of Commerce and served on the Board of the Colorado Economics Council and the Denver Area Boy Scouts Career Exploring Division. He is currently on the board of the Sun City, Arizona retirement Association where he lives during the winter.

Duane Sherwood, who nominated Rothenberg for the honor, said he was an outstanding educator and spoke on behalf of Rothenberg, who wasn't in attendance.

"Kids, what you are in high school doesn't necessarily mean what you will be after high school. Good luck," Sherwood said.

Wyrick, who was represented at the event by his family, attended The State University of Iowa after high school, where he earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Chemical Engineering. He went to work for Archer Daniels Midland for about five years before returning to Iowa City where he was hired as the first full-time employee of the University of Iowa Foundation, a non-profit corporation whose purpose was raising private funds for the University.

Wyrick helped raise funding for the university's Museum of Art, Health Sciences Library, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Blank Honors Center, restoration of the Old Capitol, and the Seamans Center for the Engineering Arts and Sciences. Wyrick died in May of 2015.

His wife Shirley Wyrick spoke on his behalf at the ceremony.

"He believed in loyalty. Loyalty to the school and loyalty to the Hawkeyes," she said. "And from what I've heard here today, this town must breed people like him. He was filled with kindness, consideration, and good humor and those are qualities of team builders. He had a plan of what he wanted to do and then did a 360-degree turn and ended up in fundraising, so when you hear 'what are you going to do when you grow up', it probably won't be what you're planning now."

Above, left to right: Shirley Wyrick, wife, Anne Wyrick, daughter, and Vera Hellweg, sister, pose with the Distinguished Alumnus plaque for 1951 graduate Darrell D. Wyrick. Wyrick died in May 2015 but was known throughout the University of Iowa for his fundraising efforts. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC.

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