J.W. Jones (THS Physics)

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.”

Ruth Hunt

2016 Distinguished Staff

THS Journalism.

“I’m a self-made man,” Journalism teacher and Kansas City, MO. native Ruth Hunt (1889-1964) often declared to her students. After graduating from KU in 1910, she taught at Northwest Missouri State and then for five years at Abilene High school. Miss Hunt came to Topeka High in 1918 as an English teacher, but soon thereafter was drafted as a journalism instructor. Soon she headed both the school paper, The World, and its annual, The Sunflower. Upon retirement in 1950, that year’s Sunflower was dedicated in her honor. Thereafter, for 11 years, Miss Hunt was manager of publications for Topeka’s Harry Turner and Associates, overseeing 15 to 20 publications. Many of her students went on with journalism careers, particularly with Topeka, Kansas City and Omaha papers. At least one of “her boys,” Paul Williams, later won a Pulitzer Prize for the Omaha Sun.

Brig. Gen. Norman Ramsey (June, 1900)

2016 Hall of Fame Inductee

In a career that spans three ward, Brig. Gen. Norman F. Ramsey (1882-1963) dropped out of Topeka High to participate in the Spanish-American War and later the Philippine Insurrection, seeing combat in the latter, Pvt. Ramsey kept a diary but also wrote back to the THS World about his experiences overseas (courtesy of the family, the THSHS has a copy of his diary). Upon discharge, he returned to Topeka High, graduated, and subsequently obtained an appointment to West Point where he was president of his class, 1905. Assigned to the Ordinance Corps, Ramsey was briefly in France in World War I. When World War II broke out he headed the Army Ordinance Arsenal at Rock Island, IL. In 1926 he earned the Soldier’s Medal for heroism when he risked his life to save others at a New Jersey ordinance depot on fire. For his service, Gen. Ramsey received numerous awards including French Legion d’Honneure and made a Commander of the British Empire. He and his wife Minna Bauer, also a THS graduate (June, 1901), had one surviving son, Norman, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1989.

Stewart H. Bailey (1985)

2016 Hall of Fame Inductee

After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in journalism, Stewart Bailey did what any young lad would do finding himself in New York City and interested in show biz; he became an NBC page. Years earlier, Bailey had an active career at Topeka High: A.F.S., Computer Club, Frisbee Club, Tennis, Thespians, with parts in the plays Bus Stop and The Music Man and a senior year topped with selection to National Honor Society and King of Courts. If at Topeka High he was on stage, in New York he became rooted back stage with numerous assignments such as production assistant at Saturday Night Live, executive producer of NBC’s New Year’s Eve from Times Square, and producer of an NBC special of The Voice in LA. All of this he topped as co-executive producer of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart earning Bailey four Emmys and three Peabody Awards. Currently he is executive producer of Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC.

Dr. John Atkinson

2016 Hall of Fame Inductee

What does the quarterback of the Trojan football team become after graduation? A clinical researcher of the human immune system. To quote from his Hall of Fame nomination, Dr. Atkinson at Washington University in St. Louis “has published over 250 peer-reviewed, original scientific publications and over 180 reviews, case reports, editorials and book chapters…. He has 8 active patents and 12 actively funded grants.” He was just as busy his three years at Troy: Co-captain of the football team, forward on the varsity basketball squad, baseball Honor “T”, Sophomore and Junior Class president, President of Student Congress and King of the All-School Party. After Topeka High, he earned his Bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Kansas (Phi Beta Kappa). Since 1971, Dr. Atkinson has been associated with Barnes Hospital, St. Louis, and the Washington University School of Medicine.