The James A. Garfield High School Hall of Fame returns. Honorees in this year’s class total six, with one a holdover from a previous flight who will finally face the music (Fight Song, anyone?)after being deferred from a previous ceremony.
Who are these worthy individuals? Read on.
First up : Daniel James Gallagher, Class of 1970. Dan made his mark in three sports, baseball, wrestling and football. Baseball had the shortest run (ha), with appearances on the Crestwood Hot Stove All-Star teams in ’63 & ’64 and Garfield varsity ball in his freshman year. Work in the family business intervened and Dan’s time was then limited to wrestling and football.
Some limits! Dan wrestled–and lettered–in his freshman, sophomore and senior years in four different weight classes (junior year went to work), placing 4th in the county in 1967 & 1970. Football was his real passion and it showed. His junior high team (nobody had middle schools then) was undefeated. He played on the freshman team (Yes, there was a separate freshman team ), then earned three varsity letters. The 1969 season saw ten G-Men placed on the county squad, with Dan Gallagher as 1st team defensive middle guard (alongside Jack Lambert, of Steeler fame). The Record-Courier recognized Dan on its all-star team and he picked up a trophy for “Most Improved “.Dan then spent seven years in the Army National Guard, serving stateside as the Viet Nam era ended.
The Soap Box Derby in Portage County owes much to Dan’s involvement. He led the push to stage the event in Mantua and smiled to see his children–Shannon, 4th place in international competition, Tyler, World Title in 2005–and neighbor RickiLea Murphy bring home honors.
What does he do for fun? Well, guess how the National Honor Society got the rock placed in front of the high school building. Guess who competed–at age 43–and took first place in his age class in the Badger Open Wrestling Tournament at 167 lbs. And he still runs the family business ( twenty years in the student employment program). Worthy of recognition in many areas.
Chronologically, next comes Gary Brunn, Class of 1973. Gary was nominated by friend and team-mate Mike Paul, who played with him on the Hot Stove baseball team, mostly Freedom boys, which rode Gary’s pitching abilities to become state qualifiers. Gary set a school rushing record–since surpassed– in football, earned a total of 12 letters (football, baseball, basketball, wrestling) , was named to the all-county team in football, played on county championship teams in football and basketball. Moving on to college, Gary played defensive middle guard for the feared Bearcats of Cincinnati and achieved recognition by the Cincinnati Enquirer and Post as a player who was “coming of age”, “one to watch”
Instead of taking that route, Gary went into business, eventually operating his own construction company in the Cincinnati area. Too soon, the hazards of the construction industry brought an end to his career. He died in an industrial accident on March 26, 1999. He was forty-four years old. Gone but not forgotten, he will be honored at this year’s Hall of Fame ceremonies.
