MORGANTOWN — Things don’t begin and end with Barney Fife at Morgantown High School.
Or, Don Knotts (Class of 1942), the comedic actor who won five Emmys for his portrayal of the aforementioned bumbling character on the Andy Griffith television show in the 1960s.
The late Knotts is among the many alumni of the school on Wilson Avenue who have achieved in all professional walks.
Those names adorn the Distinguished Alumni Wall in the main hallway and eight more are about to be added — Mohigans who went forth to make their reputations in business, music and science.
The newest inductees:
- Priscilla Miller Haden (1954). She is a longtime educator and counselor who also served as president of the state Board of Education.
- James Snyder (1954). He got his start in Morgantown radio as a teenager and later traveled the world covering the United States space program for ABC News.
- Neil Bucklew (1958). WVU’s 21st president had a distinguished career in academia before coming home in 1986 to help lead the state’s flagship university.
- Michael Toothman (1966). He’s a globe-trotting business consultant, serving his many clients across the U.S., Europe, Bermuda and Canada.
- Bill Titus (1970). Titus is a college basketball referee who has worked 18 consecutive NCAA regional tournaments, including a Division I Final Four in the women’s division.
- Peter Wilson (1986). A violinist and conductor, he was a senior music advisor to the White House and five presidents. He is also a master gunnery sergeant and Legion of Merit recipient.
- Emily Calandrelli (2005). She went on to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is the host and executive producer of the Netflix series, “Emily’s Wonder Lab,” introducing science and engineering concepts to young viewers.
- Trevor Nicholas (2001). He’s a star on Broadway and London’s West End, and is known most notably for his portrayal of the Genie in the stage adaptation of the Disney “Aladdin” film.
The above will be honored at halftime during tonight’s homecoming game with Musselman at Pony Lewis Field.
Other graduates on the MHS wall include filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan, MIT president emeritus Charles Vest, and Thomas Bennett, a conscientious objector who went to Vietnam as a combat medic. He was killed in action while trying to rescue a group of wounded buddies.
Bennett was recognized posthumously with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery.
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