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Class of 1958

scott

Anne Grimm Scott

Oakland Community College Trustee for 18 Years

First Woman to Chair Boy’s and Girl’s Club Board

Royal Oak Citizen of the Year, 1987

Elected to Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, 2014

Anne Grimm Scott was a proud product of the Royal Oak schools. She graduated from Kimball in 1958. While in high school she gave a clue to her future success in business by serving as the business manager of the school newspaper, The Herald. Anne went on to graduate from college.

Anne Scott was the founder and owner of two businesses in Royal Oak.: The Scott Group and Temps by Scott. These firms provided support and encouragement to many deserving people in the community by finding them jobs. Her services also met the varied needs of many businesses in the community.

Her work soon got her involved in the community. She was a life-time board member and past president of the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce where she served as a mentor to other business leaders in the community. The executive director of the Chamber described Anne as “…the first to lend her expertise in business or charity work, and the first to open her checkbook, don work gloves and come up with stupendous

Anne Scott was a life time trustee of the Boys and Girls Club of South Oakland County, and the first woman to chair its board. Upon her death in 2013, her friends planted a blue spruce and placed a bronze plaque at the Club’s building in Royal Oak to honor and recognize her many years of leadership and service.

In 1992, Anne Scott was elected to the first of three six-year terms as a trustee of Oakland Community College. She was the founder of a scholarship at the college and represented the school at many state and national conferences during her tenure.

Anne Scott served was an elder in her church and President of the Pontiac Rotary Club. She was on the Board of Directors of the then Wayne-Oakland Bank and was active with the Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority. As a community leader she would often gather people at a local restaurant for a brainstorming session which usually resulted in some form of co-operative action. A colleague on the DDA observed that Anne’s “life was devoted to civic service.”

In 1987 Anne Grimm Scott was recognized as the Royal Oak Citizen of the Year.

Class of 1958

vanek

Gary M. Vanek

Member of Michigan House of Representatives

President and CEO of MEIA Insurance Agency

Judson Center Board of Trustees for 25 Years

Inducted into Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, 2014

Gary Vanek is a life long resident of Royal Oak who had a unique high school experience. He began his high school career at Royal Oak High School, but became a student at Kimball when the building opened it doors for the first time. In high school Gary worked in the print shop, served as President of the Conservation Club and was one of the first co-captains of the Knight’s football team. Because he had lettered at Royal Oak High as a sophomore, Gary has the distinction of earning a varsity letter in football from each high school. Not only did Gary open Kimball High School, but he helped to closed it too. Gary Vanek delivered the commencement address to the last class to graduate from Kimball.

Gary earned college degrees from Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan Universities. In Royal Oak he taught graphic arts for 17 years, and served as a leder of the Royal Oak Education Association. In 1978 the voters in Royal Oak elected Gary to represent them in the Michigan House of Representatives. After three terms, he served five years on the State Liquor Commission.

Gary Vanek holds an insurance license and for nearly ten years he served as president and CEO of MEIA Insurance agency. Since turning to the private sector, Gary has demonstrated tremendous entrepreneurial skills in a wide variety of endeavors.

But, it is not just his business skills or his public service that makes Gary worthy of membership in our hall of fame. It is his service to the community. Gary and his wife Sandie have given countless hours of time and significant financial support to many church, school, and community activities.

Gary coached little league football and served on the Raven High School Hockey Team’s Board of Directors. He is currently a board member of the Royal Oak Foundation for Public Education. He dedicated many years of service to the Royal Oak Boys’ and Girls’ Club, and served 25 years on the board of directors for the Judson Center. In recognition for his efforts, each organization has made him a Lifetime Trustee and the Michigan Federation of Children and Family Services chose Gary Vanek as Board Member of the Year. The Detroit Free Press recognized Gary as its Volunteer of the Week.

Class of 1958

PenneyD

David George Penney, Ph.D.

College Professor of Physiology

Royal Oak Historian

Published Author

David George Penney was a January, 1958, graduate of Royal Oak Dondero High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree from Wayne State University in 1963; a master of science degree in 1966, and a Ph.D. in 1969 from UCLA.

Dr. Penney became a faculty member at the University of Illinois-Chicago before taking a position at the Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1977. He served as a professor of Physiology at Wayne State until his retirement in 2006.

David Penney served as Director of General Surgical Research at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan where he directed the scholarly activities of surgical residents and attending staff physicians.

The dominant interest of Dr. Penney has been the medical and scientific aspects of carbon monoxide. He is regarded as an international expert on the effects of acute carbon monoxide posing as well as chronic, low-level CO poisoning. He has authored several books and scholarly papers and in 1997 was one of twelve international experts invited by the World Health Organization to develop global CO standards.

David George Penney lives with his wife, Linda, in Royal Oak. In fact, he is a fifth generation resident of Royal Oak and a local historian. His great-grandfather, Frank Lincoln Knowles, at one time owned the land on which the Dondero/Royal Oak Middle school now stands. Along with Lois Lance, he authored a Royal Oak history book: Royal Oak Twigs and Acorns. He also serves as webmaster for the "Historic Royal Oak" website. Dr. Penney was inducted into the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame in 2006.

Class of 1958

Kerr

John Kerr

President and CEO – Volkswagen of North America

B.B.A. and M.B.A. –University of Michigan

1962 NCAA Baseball Championship –U of M

Morrison Trophy –8 varsity letters, Dondero High School, 1958

Inducted into Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, 2006

John Kerr graduated with honors from Dondero High School in 1958. He earned eight varsity letters participating in baseball and basketball. For his achievements he was awarded the coveted Morrison Trophy in 1958.

John earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration at The University of Michigan. While in college he was a member of the 1962 NCAA Baseball National Championship team. He played a pivotal role in getting the Wolverines to the national stage by pitching 19 straight innings at the regional and driving in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning of the finals. His two complete game victories over key opponents in the same day prompted his coach, Don Lund, to state that "There is no doubt in my mind that it was one of the greatest athletic feats that I have ever been involved with."

After college, Mr. Kerr began his 36 year career in the auto industry by taking a job at American Motors Corporation as an accountant. He rose to Controller of the AMC plant in Toledo, Ohio. In the 1970's he began work for Volkswagen as Vice President of Finance. After six years in that position he was promoted to Chief Financial Officer of Volkswagen of America. He eventually became the President and CEO of Volkswagen of North America--a position he held for twelve years.

John Kerr was inducted into the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame in 2006.

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