Each year the Association names one or two outstanding Alumnus as the recipient of an Outstanding Alumnus Award to be presented at the Annual Banquet.

The Recipient(s) of the award shall be honored by the Association at the banquet held as a part of the Annual Membership Meeting, and shall have their photograph mounted and displayed in Bellaire High School along with past recipients of the Award.

Nominations may be made by any member if the Association by writing in letter form the name of the person to be nominated, the field of endeavor in which they have excelled, and an outline or resume of their achievements, activities and other accomplishments which brings honor to themselves and Bellaire High School. All written nominations must be submitted to a member of the Board of Trustees, or postmarked, not later than the second day of January of the year in which the award is to be given. 

The Bellaire High School Alumni Association honored Robert I. Wallace, Class of 1955, as the 2013 Outstanding Alumnus at the annual banquet held in May.   Mr. Wallace was recognized for his work in the field of education and being a true humanitarian.

Bob attended Ohio University graduating in 1962 with a BS in Education.  He went on to receive his M.A. in Education from Ball State University in 1969 and completed requirements for Specialist in School Administration from Ohio University in 1971.

Bob began his teaching career in 1962 when he accepted a position at Harry E. Davis Junior High in Cleveland as an Industrial Arts teacher.  He moved on to Brookpark Junior High in the Southwestern City School District in Grove City before moving to Fremont to teach at W.W. Ross High School. 

In 1970 Bob relocated to Belpre, Ohio when he accepted the position of Assistant Principal and Athletic Director.  In 1974 he was named Principal of Belpre High School, a position he held until 1993.  Bob taught education classes and supervised student teachers for Ohio University from 1993 - 1995.  In 1995 Bob became a principal at Barlow Vincent Elementary School and in 1997 Little Hocking Elementary School both in the Warren Local School District.

While serving as principal at Belpre High School Bob started the following clubs and organizations.  The Academic Excellence Recognition Organization (AERO) which recognized outstanding students and presented them with pins, medals, and letters similar to athletic letters that they could wear proudly on their jackets.  At the first banquet to honor the AERO students, Bob had Dr. Ed Jennings, President of The Ohio State University as the speaker.

Bob also started the #1 Club at Belpre High School in addition to a Student of the Month program in conjunction with the local Lions Club of which he was a member. The high school faculty selected a student each month.  The nine students were awarded $2,000 in scholarship money for college.  All of these programs are still operating at Belpre High School.

Bob and his wife, Marcia, moved to Tennessee in 2000.  He immediately became involved in the Fairfield Glade Lions Club.  He instituted a Student of the Month program in two county high schools.  Nearly $90,000 has been awarded in both localities with Student of the Month programs.

Over the years Bob has been involved in many community and civic organizations in Belpre including Jaycees, Kiwanis, United Way, Associated Charities, and Lions. While living in Tennessee he was president of the Fairfield Glade Lions, the largest Lions Club in the state.

Bob is a member of the Porterfield Baptist Church and has served the church in a number of capacities over the years.  He ran for public office on several occasions and served as a Belpre Councilman and served two terms on the Board of Education of Belpre City Schools and was a representative to the Washington County Joint Vocational School District.  He was appointed to the 694 Board of Washington County for two terms serving the handicapped students and adults of Washington County.

Bob has received many awards during his tenure as an educator including a crystal apple from Shell Oil Company for being the outstanding educator at Belpre High School and the Melvin Jones Fellow awarded by Lions International.

PAST RECIPIENTS

2013 Robert I. Wallace '55, Education, Humanitarian

2012 Thomas Poe ‘68, Banking & Civic

2011 Dr. Charles T. Mehlman ’80, Medicine

2010 Kathy Hyett ‘71, Public Relations

2009 Martin F. Goetze ‘54, Health Care and Executive Management

2008 L. Dean Giacometti, ‘38, Education

2007 James B. Piatt '83 , Higher Education

2006 Donald A. Ostasiewski '58, Higher Education

2005 Daniel Frizzi, Jr. '70, Civic

2004 Gary Hill, Education

2003 Nancy Crooks Karvellis '66, Business 

2002 Walter M. Calinger '57, Education

2001 Dr. James E. Austin '51, Dentistry

2000 Terry Allen Wallace '65, Administration

1999 Jules J. Duga, Ph.D. '49, Technology and Society

1998 Emil George Riedel, Jr. '50, National Security 

1997 Dr. Rose Z. Starr '60, Teacher/Social Worker

1996 Judge John J. Malik, Jr. '46, Law 

1995 Joseph A. Pitts, Sr., D.O. '49, Medicine

1994 Donald M. Knox '50, Education

1993 Alan E. Riedel '48, Law/Business 

1992 Thomas E. Rataiczak '64, Education

1991 Robert L. Hill '49, Law/Public Service

1990 Daniel Howard Simpson '57, Govt./Public Service, U.S.Ambassador

1989 Dr. Samuel Evans '57, Intl. and Public Insurance, Adjusting, Consulting

1988 Nelson Lancione '36, Law

1987 Metta Miller '69, Advertising/Business

1986 Charles Tod Goodwin '31, Athletics/Military Service

1985 Kelley Archer '40, Civic Achievement/Law

1984 Dr. Peter Lancione '28, Medicine

1983 Benjamin J. Belt '11, Education

1982 Don Ault '47 and Joe Ault '53, Athletics

1981 Mary Fitch '31, Civic Achievement;  Lou Mahacek '31,Commercial Art

1980 John Nosker '29, Banking 

1979 Hilda Humes Burrows '22, Public Service/Education

1978 William R. Yost '44, Major General, U.S. Air Force

1977 A. G. Lancione '24, Ohio State Representative

1976 J. E. Giffin '16 and Lela Daugherty Giffin '14, Banking/Americanism

1975 Albert V. Noice '17, Banking/Education

1974 James DeBlasis '49, Artistic Director, Cincinnati Opera

1973 Frank W. Ault '39, Captain, U.S. Navy

1972 Velma Workman '14, Education

1971 Joe Mack '16, Public Service

1970 David Myers Creamer '23, Medicine

1969 Michael Basrak ‘31, Coaching/Education

1968  George Tyler ‘23, Law; Eleanor Tyler ‘29, Education

1967 Oliver E. Miles ‘25, Business

1966  Dr. W. J. Shepard ‘09, Medicine

1965 Robert Frank Aldridge, Business

1964 Dr. J. F. Wilkinson ‘10, Medicine

1963 Dr. George W. Watt ‘27, Chemistry

1962 Nick Skorich ‘39, Professional Football Coach

1961 Alfred Garrett ‘24, Education

1960 Navy Lt. Raymond H. Dick ‘38, Atomic Powered Submarines

1959 Rabbi Feinberg ‘16, Author

1958 Lane W. Lancaster ‘10, Political Science

1957 James H. McGregor, Education

1956 Walter Russell ‘10, Bio-Chemistry Research

1955 Mabel Cratty 1884, National Secretary, YWCA

1954  Bessie Hoge 1884, Missionary

1953 Erven Somerville ‘26, Major, U.S. Army