[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 131 (Friday, September 26, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1875]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HAMMOND TECHNICAL VOCATION APPRECIATION SOCIETY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 26, 1997

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to congratulate 
the Hammond Technical Vocation Appreciation Society as it holds its 
first annual ``Thanks for the Memories'' Recognition Dinner tonight, 
September 26, 1997, at the After Four Supper Club in Cedar Lake, IN. I 
would also like to take this opportunity to commend the Society's board 
of directors, Stan Bafia, Dave Carlson, Chester Lobodzinski, Tom 
Martin, and Marvin Snorton, for the work they have put forth in 
planning this special event.
  The Hammond Technical Vocation Society was founded in November 1996, 
for the primary purpose of paying overdue recognition to past faculty 
members of Hammond Technical Vocation High School, Hammond Tech. 
Tonight's dinner will be in recognition of four outstanding former 
educators and coaches of Hammond Tech High School, who have displayed 
the utmost in pride and dedication throughout their careers. Special 
recognition will be given to this year's selected honoree, retired 
educator and coach, George Bereolos. Former coaches, Dale Vieau, the 
late Swede Carlson, and the late Richard Milton Wilson, will also be 
honored on this occasion. Hammond Tech will forever be remembered for 
its 1940 State Championship Basketball Team, whose three remaining 
members, Bob Haack, Richard Haack, and John Thomas, will be recognized 
at the dinner tonight.
  An educator and coach for 42 years in the Hammond School System, 
George Bereolos' accomplishments in the classroom and on the court are 
shining examples of the pride and dedication he exhibited in his work. 
A 1934 graduate of Hammond High School, George earned a degree in 
education from Indiana University after his service with the U.S. Army 
as a first lieutenant during World War II. In addition to teaching 
social studies, George assumed the added responsibility of head 
basketball coach in 1954. George's coaching career also included 
positions with the track and football teams. George currently resides 
in Munster, IN.
  Dale Vieau, Swede Carlson, and Richard Milton Wilson were very 
devoted teachers and coaches at Hammond Tech, as well. Dale Vieau, a 
1944 graduate of Hammond Tech, coached for his alma mater for 
approximately 32 years, and within the Hammond School System for 38 
years. Dale served as coach of the basketball, baseball, and cross 
country teams. Swede Carlson, a 1938 graduate of Ball State University, 
was a history and social studies teacher for Hammond Tech. Before his 
retirement in 1979, he worked with the golf and football teams during 
his 34-year coaching career. Upon earning his teaching degree from 
State Normal School, now the University of Wisconsin, Richard Milton 
Wilson began Hammond Tech's physical education and athletic programs. 
In the early years of the program, Richard coached every sport with one 
assistant. An excellent athlete, Richard played football with the Green 
Bay Packers from 1919 to 1921. In the early 1980's, he was inducted 
into the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame. Although Swede Carlson and 
Richard Milton Wilson have both passed away, memories of their spirit 
and love for teaching will always remain.
  Hammond Tech was founded in 1919, when Fred S. Barrows began a 
vocational high school in the attic of Central High School on Russell 
Street in downtown Hammond, IN. In the first year of the school's 
existence, there was only one teacher and one student. However, only 3 
years later, Hammond Tech students filled the halls of the Central High 
School building when a new Central High School was built on Calumet 
Avenue. Hammond Tech remained at this location until the summer of 
1949, when a new Hammond Tech High School was built on Sohl Avenue. 
Although the State of Indiana closed Hammond Tech in 1980, the school 
will always be held in high esteem for the strong dedication and 
concern of its faculty, as well as the academic and athletic 
accomplishments of its student body. Today, Hammond Tech still holds 
the record for the highest high school graduation rate in the nation, 
at 98.6 percent.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in congratulating the Hammond Technical Vocation Appreciation 
Society and this year's faculty honorees for their lifetime of 
dedication to their school and its students. I commend all of those who 
have played a role in successfully keeping the memory of Hammond Tech 
alive over the years, as the pride and spirit of its faculty and former 
students serves as an inspiration to us all.

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