Our Mentors and Teachers

Last Updated: September 27, 2011

They taught us to think, they influenced us, they helped shape who we are today

Excerpts from the Hoof Print 1971 Senior Issue ~ Our Favorite Teachers

Teacher Roster

please send your memories to Toni Schmid or FAX 512.329.5949

scroll down memory lane . . .

Mrs. Bowman ~ Biology - Deceased
Mrs.Carpenter ~ Science - Deceased (see Mrs Olson)
Mr. Comer
~ Biology - Deceased
Mrs. Durham
~ English
Mr. Ellerbee ~ Distributive Education - Deceased
Mr. Eng ~ Spanish RETIRED MAY 2003 - Obituary
Mr. Foerster ~ Math RETIRED MAY 2011
Miss. Gilmer ~ English ~ Obituary ~ Memories
Mr. MacKeen ~ Science
Mrs. Montellano ~ Spanish - Deceased
Mrs. Nixon ~ Biology
Mrs. Olson ~ Science - Deceased
Mr. Orem ~ Principal - Deceased
Mrs. Ranson ~ English
Miss Ernest Mae Seaholm ~ English - Deceased
Mary Thompson ~ Library
Mrs. Tibbets ~ English - Deceased
Mr. Williams ~ 7th Grade Texas History ~ Obituary
Miss Wise ~ Business - Currently practicing Law
Mrs. Zuschlag ~ Social Studies

FACT: As we entered

in 1967, Ms. Mary Zuschlag, Social Studies, and Mr. Johnnie Eng, Spanish, began their teaching careers at Alamo Heights as well. We enjoyed seeing both Mr. Eng and Mr. & Mrs. Zushlag at our 30th Reunion. Mrs. Z retired in 2002, Mr. Eng in 2003. Mr. Eng passed away in 2003
Fond Remembrances . . .


Favorite Teacher? It's an interesting question.

Since the 30th reunion I have thought a lot about many of my teachers, all of which played important roles in my life. But one person stands out because a very brief comment and a wonderful smile. Mrs. Nixon (biology) -- It was one of those beautiful spring afternoons --windows open and a slight breeze coming into the classroom. I was standing at the window a few minutes before class was over (probably thinking about what I would rather be doing). Mrs. Nixon had a Jade plant sitting on the ledge and I began to look at it very closely noticing the order and symmetry in the branches and the leaves as Mrs. Nixon walked up. She asked me what I was looking at and I told her about the jade plants precise pattern. She said with such a wonderful smile "you know Gordon, one only has to look to see order in all of nature and life -- most people never take enough time to study a plant or a problem to see the logic and order that is really there, many times you will have to look hard but the order is there - its up to you to find it. You will be way ahead in life if you open your eyes to the order in your environment!"

It's interesting how one comment after class can have so much impact on your life - I began to think about the jade plant whenever I was confronted with a problem or task. Few days go by that I do not flash back to that afternoon in Mrs. Nixon's class and the jade plant to help me look and see what many times is obvious but overlooked by most who never had a teacher that encouraged them to look and see not just look. Not too many years ago I read about physicists and chaos theory explained - guess they had Mrs. Nixon for biology too!

Thank you Mrs. Nixon ~ Gordon Stevenson, November 2002
Miss Gilmer ~ My sister Anne is telling me about a memory of Miss G ....
Some background: The year after we graduated, with the gap widening between 'war-mongers' and 'peace-niks'...the School Board and administration drew their lines....in favor of sports, sports, sports....It was a safe bet for all the Bubbas out there in '09 land! So, curriculum and library services (my Mom's domain) were suffering for lack of funding that was being put into more sports. I can remember late night 'confabs' she would have with Zuschlag, Ranson, Loving, etc (all liberal arts, literally and figuratively) at their 'quandary', that education/technology was being made secondary!
So, in a mild protest, my Mom painted the library doors a vibrant ORANGE and put a bench in the hall, painted the same color. It was Peter Maxx era, you remember...so it was a big hit with the students, and she drew them into the library in record numbers!! But Administration did not like it - looking down from the front main hall, you couldn't miss it!! So, they gave her some flack...
Well, along comes Miss Gilmer and she has a group (including my sister) paint her door too!! Only, in her sweet, mild manner she chose LAVENDER!! A 'soft' protest, but one nonetheless! ~ Pat Thompson Hrdlicka

I can't seem to remember but a few teachers: Miss Gambrell, Mrs. Cope, Mr. Boyd, Mrs. Boswell, Coaches Haas, Young, and Ivy. Was that English teacher's name . . . Mrs. Hopper? Of course, I can't forget the "way too serious" math teacher Mr. Miller. Fall of 1969 - I started my junior year in the Industrial Cooperative Training program. Mr. Guy Cope was the ICT coordinator. I guess Mr. Corner, the shop teacher, and Mr. Cope were the two teachers who made the biggest impression on me. I really did like Mr. Middleton though. In my senior year I really had to get busy. I made some fair grades that year and graduated with my class. What a time, what a ceremony, I never thought I would make it ~ William Dinius
my "list" includes Simo, Mrs. Reid, Mrs. Holleran (an elem PE teacher), Mrs. Earle, HS Home Economics & Teaching, Ms. Gray, PE, Mrs. Montellano (HS Spanish), Mrs. Hamilton Tastsch (Math) . . . .and more ~ Lynn Erben Gillaspy

Name alpha sort by Last Name in 1971

Vernon Adams
John Adams - Deceased
Bill Andrews
Courtney Baetz
Mel Barborak
Roy Benavides
Edward Bennett
Henry Bicehouse
Mary Jo Biediger
George Blackaller - Deceased
Mary Bluhm - Deceased
Robert Boggan
Lou Renee Bond
Maxine Botelho
Waneta Bowman - Deceased
Margaret Brann
Jill Breeding
Linda Brekke
Bessie Brigham - Deceased
Joseph Buckley - Deceased
John Carlson
Elaine Carol - Deceased
Caroline Carpenter (same as Caroline Olson) - Deceased
Lucille Chipley - Deceased
Joan Christophel - Deceased
Ray Clapp
Kathleen Clarke
Andy Cobb
Robert Comer - Deceased
Carol Ann Conway Maguire
Guy Cope - Deceased
John Corner - Deceased
Peggy Cox Jared
Mrs. Cox
Richard Cranford - Deceased
Col. Walter DeBill - Deceased
Bob Denison
? Donaldson
Almeda Doughty Hodge
Mary Durham - Deceased
Nila Keese Earle. - Deceased
Denson Ellerbee - Deceased
Daniel Ellis
Johnnie Eng Retired - Deceased
Claude Fest
Kenneth Fisher
Sylvia Flores
Paul Foerster - Retired 2011
Bonnie Fontenot
Sandra Frasier
William Funk
Mrs. Gates
Anna Gilmer - Deceased
Robin Gray
Harold Greenlee - Deceased
Clara Gregg
Joe Guillory - Deceased
Joyce Ann Guyer
Rhetta Hamilton Tatsch - Deceased
Jacobina Harding - Deceased
Douglas Harlan
James Harnish
James Hassman
Ned Hays
John Heffner
Frank Heintzen -Deceased
Caroline Henderson
Dean Hesse
Martha Hicks - Deceased
Roy Hillenbach- Deceased
Johnnie Inscore
Joyce Jackson
George Jared - Deceased
Ann Jones
Jean Joseph Patton
Sandra Ketter Willis
Gertrude Krueger
Frieda Krueger - Deceased
Edward LaGrone - Deceased
Penelope Lakich Miekow
Amy LaPresto
Mrs Lee (first grade, Woodridge Elementary)
Mary Ellen Leyva
Roger Loving - Deceased
Annette Loyd
Charles MacKeen - Deceased
Jodie Mahan
Karen Martin Davis
Ted Masser
William Massey
Kathleen Maxwell - Deceased
Harry Jr. McBain
Peggy McCaskill (Mrs Paul Foerster)
Johnnie McCaughn
Harriette Mergele
Janine Meyer
Charles Mickey
Ned Middleton
Thelma Montellano - Deceased
Paul Morris - Deceased
Gale Nelson
James Nelson
Countess Nixon
Mary Norman
Louise Oliver - Deceased
Caroline Olson Flannery - Deceased
Harry Orem - Retired - Deceased
Carlos Ortiz - Retired
Elsie Padron
Kathleen Parma
Penny Perry
J. Selby Peter
Velma Pridgen - Deceased
Abram Prince - Deceased
Norma Quarles - Deceased
Rose E. Ranson
Dorothy Rees
John Helen Reid
Dale Rewers
Guy Riggs
Barbara Ritter
Rita Rives
Frances Ross
Patricia Saenz Serna
Mary Ann Sauls
Marie Schwarz - Deceased
Ms Ernest Mae Seaholm - Deceased
Joyce Shafer
Grace Sheffield - Deceased
Frances Sims - Deceased
Stewart Slater
Katherine Steele
Julia Sturdivant- Deceased
La Faye Sutkin
Wanda Tassos - Deceased
Damon Tassos - Deceased
James Tatsch
Jill Thaughber Mulloy
Mary Thompson - Deceased
Ann Tibbets - Deceased
John Torbert - Deceased
Rosland Tumlinson
Virginia Uhrich- Deceased
Oma Vordenbaum - Deceased
Edith Walker
James Jr. Walkup - Deceased
Helen Wallace
Edwin Walthall
Myrna West
Larry Williams (7th Grade Junior School) - Deceased 2004
Linda Wise - Retired
Sarah Withers
Charles Worrel
Veta Wright
Mary Zuschlag - Retired

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