David H. Overmyer

Artist. David Hicks Overmyer (1889-1973) was a Topeka High student, but might not have formally graduated. That was a norm back then. What is indisputable, David Overmyer is the first in a very long line of distinguished artists from Topeka High School. Beginning his art career, he first studied under pioneer Topeka artist George M. Stone, then attended the famed Chicago Art Institute and later the Art Students’ League in New York. Overmyer became well known as a muralist with some of his best examples at Ferrell Library, K-State, and historical murals for the capitol rotunda in Topeka (1951-53). Three important works are found at THS: “Pageant of Old England” in the English Room (1936), untitled Mediterranean seascape in the Faculty Dining Room (1937), and “Pioneers” in the Woodward Library (1939). An Army veteran of WWI, during WWII he was an illustrator for both Boeing and Douglas aircraft companies. Overmyer and noted American artist Maxfield Parrish were friends (their styles quite similar), and he and fellow THS Hall of Famer, Rex Stout, were cousins.

T.C. Broadnax, Jr. (THS 1987)

2019 Hall of Fame Inductee

Public Administrator.

A Trojan winner; from the 1986 State Basketball Championship squad and 1987 Homecoming King to “king of Dallas”! After Topeka High, Mr. Broadnax earned bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Communications at Washburn University and later a master’s in Public Administration from the University of North Texas at Denton. His career in public administration has spanned the continent beginning in Pompano Beach, FL, where he headed the city’s housing and community revitalization program. Next, Mr. Broadnax went to San Antonio as Asst. City Manager and from there to the Pacific Northwest as City Manager of Tacoma, WA, where, among other activities, he oversaw a community visioning process. On February 1, 2017, the Kansas native became City Manager of Dallas, the second Trojan to do so. George Schrader (1949) was the first. In effect, the CEO of a $3.6 billion enterprise with 13,000 employees.

Dewayne Dirks

2018 Distinguished Staff

Dewayne Dirks taught mathematics at Topeka High School from 1964 – 1997. He was a graduate of Durham High School and earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Kansas State Teacher’s College in Emporia with a double major in Mathematics and Physical Education and Recreation (1960). In 1966 he earned a master’s degree in Mathematics from Kansas State Teacher’s College in Emporia through the National Science Foundation Summer Institute. During his 33 years at Topeka High School he taught the full range of mathematics classes. He was the first teacher to teach a computer class and the first to teach a calculus class. He continued as Topeka High School’s calculus teacher until he retired. Dewayne was also the time keeper for all of the men’s JV and Varsity basketball games. In 33 years he missed only 2 games. Following his final game he was given an autographed basketball and a THS Letter Jacket. The Topeka High School Honor Society honored Dewayne for outstanding devotion to individual educational needs of students. The Kansas State Board of Education honored him for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching.

Stephen G. Young (1989)

2018 Hall of Fame Inductee

Music and school politics is the stuff that makes medical researchers; or, in the case of Stephen Young. At Topeka High Dr. Young was on Student Council as Speaker of Representative Council, but he was also Concert Master in the student orchestra. From THS Young went to Princeton University where he majored in history and the philosophy of science. His next stop was Washington University in St. Louis for his medical degree. Though trained as a cardiologist, he became more interested in medical research, in particular regarding pediatric diseases. His primary focus is “Lipid Metabolism and Progeria, which is a rare genetic condition that causes accelerated aging in children.” Presently a Professor of Medicine at UCLA, he has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and in 2010 won the Ernst Jung Medical Award from Germany. Dr. Young has written or co-authored scores of articles in books and journals and in 2010 was honored by the Topeka Capitol-Journal as a Kansan of the Year for his medical research achievements.

Brinton W. “Pete” Woodward Jr. (1958)

2018 Hall of Fame Inductee

If it weren’t for Pete Woodward’s grandfather on the Board of Education, Chester Woodward, he and all Trojans would have graduated from an “ordinary” high school and the Hall of Fame ceremony would have had a far more mundane setting. Woodward was the quintessential B.M.O.C.: President of Student Congress, Pres. Boys Pep, Math Club, Cross Country, Co-Captain Basketball squad, State AA Class tennis singles champion, Honor T, All-School Party King candidate, and so forth. After THS, Woodward attended KU where he majored in English History (of course) and Renaissance Humanities but was also a tennis letterman and a letterman on the varsity basketball team which reached the NCAA quarter finals. Next was the General Theological Seminary for a Masters of Divinity (1965). Ordained an Episcopal priest, he was curate of St. David’s in Topeka (1965 – 1967). Serving at several eastern prep schools during the 1970s, Woodward became Headmaster at Holderness School in Plymouth, NH, in 1977 stepping down in 2001.

Jean Eberhart Dubofsky (1960)

2018 Hall of Fame Inductee

Jean Eberhart’s THS resume under “school activities” may well have been the longest for any member of the Class of 1960: Debate letterman, Honor Pep, A.F.S., World staff, Quill and Scroll, Usher Club, French Club V-P, Math Club, Science Club, Kansas Council on Foreign and Domestic Affairs, Masque and Wig, etc. A National Merit Semi-Finalist and winner of a Betty Crocker Homemaker of America Award, she used her scholarships to attend Stanford University (1964) and from there Harvard Law School (1967). For two years Eberhart was a legislative assistant to Walter Mondale (1967 – 1969), but then moved to Colorado to practice law. From 1975 to 1977 she served as Deputy Attorney General of the State of Colorado and then appointed (1979) a Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court – the youngest and first woman to that post. Upon retiring from the Court in 1987, Mrs. Dubofsky entered academia at the University of Colorado and by the 1990s back in private practice where she is known for her involvement in civil rights, women’s issues and gay rights.

Pam McComas

2017 Distinguished Staff

Topeka High School has long been recognized as a national leader in debate and forensics, a major reason being Mrs. Pam McComas who taught at THS from 1978 – 2014. Mrs. McComas graduated from Shawnee Heights H.S. and subsequently received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Emporia State University (1972) and Master’s degree from there in 1973. Before coming to Topeka High she taught at Highland Park, Capper and Boswell junior highs and Highland Park H.S. During her 35-year THS career she was Director of Forensics and taught Speech, Acting, Debate, Forensics, History of Film, Humanities and pre-AP 9th English. Mrs. McComas had numerous other responsibilities including Co-chair for North Central Accreditation. Honors include: her teams winning 6A State Debate 5 times; winning 6A State Speech Championship 13 times; coaching 5 national champions; National Coach of the Year (1999) and Kansas Teacher’s Hall of Fame (2017).

Raymond L. Powers (1964)

2017 Hall of Fame Inductee

Business executive.

At Topeka High Ray Powers played the clarinet in the “Gold Band”. After graduation, like many a male Trojan, he entered the Army for two years (1965-67). Upon his discharge he returned home taking a job at Hallmark Cards as Group Leader in the Quality Dept. (the Topeka warehouse). Slowly but surely he rose through the ranks, along the way earning his Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Arts Technology/Management from Central Missouri State University (1982) and a Master’s in Management from Baker University (1995). Upon moving to Kansas City, Mr. Powers enjoyed growing responsibilities including graphic arts engineer, proofing & testing manager, safety & environmental manager, and so forth. He then became Production Manager at the Leavenworth plant and next Plant Manager in Kansas City. In 1995 Hallmark elevated him to Vice President – North American Production and as a corporate officer (first African-American as a vice president) and still later (2002) Vice President of Manufacturing. He retired in 2007.

Bradley K. Garlinghouse (1989)

2017 Hall of Fame Inductee

President of Student Council, World editor, Homecoming King candidate; of course, it all meant one day Mr. Garlinghouse would be featured, with picture, on the front page of the Wall Street Journal. At the University of Kansas, where he was elected Student Body President, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics (1993). After a brief stint with SBC Communications in Kansas City in 1997, Mr. Garlinghouse was awarded a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard. Then it was off to California and Silicon Valley. From 2003 to 2008 he was with Yahoo! becoming its Senior Vice President, Communications & Communities. Other business experience includes AOL, Inc. and being CEO of Hightail, a leading provider of cloud based file management services. Today (2017) he is CEO of Ripple, a San Francisco company that provides “secure, instant and nearly free global financial transactions of any size.” As for the Wall Street Journal story, see Kevin J. Delaney, “As Yahoo Falters, Executive’s Memo Calls for Overhaul,” November 18-19, 2006, p. A1.P.S., his memo was titled “The Peanut Butter Manifesto.”

J.W. Jones (THS Physics)

2016 Distinguished Staff

THS Physics.

J.W. Jones was and is a Topeka High legend, period. No student of his ever forgot his unique personality and mannerisms. A Nebraska native, he graduated from Peru State Teachers College, NB, later earning his Masters’ degree from Northwestern University. Jones was an instructor in Nebraska and South Dakota and Superintendent of Schools for Viborg, SD, before coming to Topeka High where he taught from 1935 to 1970. In his first years at Troy he oversaw biology as well as physics classes and for a time headed the THS Science Dept., also sponsoring JETS, the Junior Engineering Society. Many of J.W.’s students went on to science or engineering careers including the late Dr. James Gordon (1952), a nuclear physicist at Los Alamos. Known to all only by his initials, “J.W.”, a mystery has been recently solved: they stand for “John William.”