Orem High Hall of Fame

RUSSELL PARK

Russell Park graduated from OHS (Lincoln) in 1940. Russ was captain of the OHS football and basketball teams. He served in the U.S. Navy seabees in W.W. II. He became very involved in the community. In 1947 he established the "Parks Sportsmanship Award" which is still presented to the best athlete in over twenty sports in area high schools. In 1954 he purchased 15 acres and established Park's the largest individually owned and operated store of its kind in Utah.


LAVELL EDWARDS

Lavell Edwards graduated from OHS (Lincoln) in 1948. Lavell was co-captain playing center on the 1947 Lincoln High School Championship Team he lettered in basketball and track. Lavell coached the Granite Farmers then moved to BYU as assisstant football coach. In 1972, he was named as BYU's head coach and has been selected WAC Coach of the Year five times. In 1984 when the Cougars were the national champions, he was named NCAA Coach of the Year.


NORMAN NIELSON

Norman Nielson graduated from OHS (Lincoln) in 1953. Norm is known for his membership in the Utah House of Representatives, as a house chairman of Community and Economic development, and as a member of the health and environment committee. He was President of the Scera Corp. and President of the Miss Utah Pageant. Being involved in Utah's entertainment division, directing and booking shows in over sixty foreign countries and throughout the U.S.


STEVE BAUGH

Steven Baugh graduated from OHS in 1963. Steven was student body president and co-captain of the tennis team at Orem High. After graduating from BYU, Steve taught at Orem High for ten years. He was principal at American Fork, Pleasant Grove, and Mountain View High Schools before becoming the Alpine School District Superintendant of schools in 1988. He was president of the Utah High Superintendants Association and was the 1998 Utah State Superintendant of the Year.


JOHN CHILDS

John Childs graduated from OHS in 1963. John's career began in the Uintah Basin teaching the Ute Indians. He has been the district curriculum director a combination middle and junior high principal, principal of Dixon Middle School where he was named Principal of the Year. In 1987 he became principal of OHS, his Alma Mater. Dr. Childs received the "Principal of Leadership Award" and is a standard to Utah administrators with his positive and imaginative approach to education.


BRENDA PETERSON

Brenda Peterson graduated from OHS in 1969. All three years that Brenda played for OHS, the softball, volleyball, and basketball teams won regional championships. Brenda was a Tigerette and was a team captain for BYU Basketball and Volleyball teams. As a member of the U.S. Womens Volleyball team she played in the world games in Moscow. In 1986 she was the fourth woman to be inducted into BYU Cougar Club Hall of Fame. Brenda has co-authored five textbooks and earned two national prizes for her reference manual for electronic and desk-top publishing.


VAL OVESON

Val Oveson graduated from OHS in 1970. Val was OHS student body president and captain of the football team. In 1970 he was a staff member at a White House conference on children and youth. Val was Utah State Lt. Governor representing the governor in economic devolpment in Utah. Throughout the U.S. and overseas he was the Utah State auditor from 1981 to 1985 and then served as chairman on the Utah State tax commision. He is an accountant and real estate appraiser.


CLAUDIA LAYCOCK

Claudia Laycock graduated from OHS in 1970. At OHS Claudia was orchestra concert mistress, acapella choir accompanist, a student council member, and president of the Sapere Aude Club. Following BYU graduation, Claudia taught English and German at Dixon Jr. High. After graduation from BYU law school in 19855, she began her career in law. Claudia worked with teenagers in juvenile court, with the Utah Co. Attorney's Office, and with the women and children crisis center. She enjoys playing in the Utah Valley Symphony.


PAUL COX

Paul Cox graduated from OHS in 1971. Paul is a world-renowned scientist and educator with a BYU B.S. Degree, University of Wales master degree, and a Harvard Masters and PhD. He was BYU's teacher of the year in 1988, 91, 92, and 93. He says," Only one person can create magic in the classroom; that person is the teacher." Paul is the subject of articles in Discover and TIME and was the center of a 1998 CBS special, "Medicine Man." He helped preserve over 65,000 acres of rain forest in American and Western Samoa.


WILLIAM BACON

William Bacon graduated from OHS in 1972. Bill's classmates remember him for starting the popular eight piece band, "London Bridge." He professionally performs, composes, arranges, produces, and teaches music. He graduated from BYU, began his medical training at the U of U and continued at USC specializing in orthopedic surgery. Bill returned to Utah Valley and established his medical practice in orhtopedic surgery and sports medicine.


TOM PETERSON

Tom Peterson graduated from OHS in 1972. Tom was active in Key and Letterman's Clubs, National Honor Society, and was on the tennis team for three years, winning the State Doubles Championship as a senior. He was on the BYU Men's Volleyball team, coached for the U of U, BYU Penn State, and in 1993 coached the Olympic Sports Festival's Gold Medal East team, taking them to win the gold medal in 1995. He achieved first-Team All American status at USVBA Open Nationals and was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as "Coach of the Year."


MARIA THYGERSON SMITH

Maria Thygerson Smith graduated from OHS in 1972. Maria was president of Thespians, a member of the National Honor Society, All-state-Debate, and named "Outstanding Teenager of America." She graduated Magna Lam Lande from BYU, has a Master of Arts from Texas Tech University, and was station manager at KUTV. Her awards include a Presidential Citation for Best Private Sector Initiative and a Rocky Mountain Emmy for Best Community Affairs Campaign.


LLOYD D. NEWELL

Lloyd D. Newell graduated from OHS in 1974. As a speaker, consultant, and writer, Lloyd has addressed audiences in 47 states and more than a dozen countries. He has been a CBS TV news anchorman and news magazine host and has also worked for CNN's Headline News in Atlanta, Georgia. He continues to serve as host and announcer for many local and national programs and events. He is a published author of several best-sellig books. He is well known as the voice and writer for the Mormon Tabernacle choir's weekly inspirational broadcast of "Music and the Spoken Word."


KURT BESTOR

Kurt Bestor graduated from OHS in 1976. Kurt is a talented composer and performer, versatile film scorer and arranger, and is well-known for his popular symphonies and concerts. He has composed over thirty film scores (IMAX also), developed TV show themes, and won numerous awards including an Emmy for his original music for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Calgary. His musical contributions to network TV includes themes for ABC Monday Night Football, National Geographic Explorer, TBS's Wildlife Adventures, and ABC Sunday Night Movie.


BRIAN WIMMER

Brian Wimmer graduated from OHS in 1977. Brian's theatrical career began in ninth gradfe as production assistent in the locally filmed "Footloose," he was discovered to be photogenic. He was in "Nightmare on Elm Street II," "Under the Boardwalk," "Less Than Zero," and "Holy Child in the City." He performed locally, in productions in LA and New York, and trained in the Actor's Repertory Theatre and the Beverly Hills Playhouse. He was in Flipper, late for Dinner, and the TV series , China Beach.


STEVE EAGER

Steve Eager graduated from OHS in 1980. While at Orem High, Steve Eager ws an all-state baseball player. He attended UVSC and BYU on athletic scholarship. A stand-out catcher, Steve signed with the Detroit Tigers and played three years in their organization. Steve graduated from BYU in communications and co-anchored "Focus," a KSL-TV hour long public affairs program.


SUZANNE SAWYER MONTGOMERY

Suzanne Sawyer Montgomery graduated from OHS in 1984. Suzanne started skiing at age 10. At age 14 she was the youngest employed ski instructor ever at Sundance. She coached their alpine racing team and skied for the Utah Valley Ski Team. In 1985 she helped her BYU team win the collegiate NCSA National Championship title in Killington, VT. She modeled ski wear on covers of many ski magazines and skied in many ads. Evian, Ski Internet, Ski Utah, Nordica, K2, Rossignol, etc. She skied in "Black Diamond Rush," "Vertical Reality," "Endless Winter," "Snow Riders," and "Snow Riders 2."


SHELLY SCHRAERRER

Shelly Schraerrer graduated from OHS in 1988. Shelly made headlines as an all-American gymnast at the U of U. As a two-year-all-American, she holds the school's record of 39.225 all-around mark and 9.85 on the bar and floor exercise for a second place at the 1990 NCAA Championship. She holds the school's first 9.90, four of the U's top ten all-around performance awards, and was a finalist for the prestigious Honda Broderick Award. She was honored by Orem City and in 1990 was named the Multiple Sclerosis College Athlete of the Year.


Chad Lewis

Chad Lewis graduated from OHS in 1989. He later walked on to BYU's football team and shortly thereafter became a starter. He was named an Academic All-American Honorable Mention while at BYU and was later signed to play tight end for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was named to the Pro-Bowl during his third year 2000-2001 after leading the NFC in receptions among tight ends. He is married to a former all-american volleyball player from BYU. Chad splits his time between the Philadelphia area and Orem.

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