Twila Stackhouse Carman, Minerva High School Class of 1924, was nominated for the Hall of Fame by her son, Dale, and by Marilyn Bartley. Dale listed her occupation as wife, mother, nurse, writer and broadcaster.
Twila was born on her family's fruit farm near Kensington. After her marriage to Chalmer Carman, who was also a member of the Class of 1924, she worked for Dr. Taylor at his clinic in East Rochester. Following the birth of her two sons, Dale and Don, and during World War II, she assisted Dr. Whiteleather when he performed home baby deliveries.
Next, Twila became the Minerva correspondent for The Canton Repository and continued this until her death. She also wrote feature articles for publications such as The Ford Times. She published a book of poetry called A Miracle for Breakfast that was published in 1948 and a pamphlet called "Buried Treasures in Ohio? Yes." As a newspaper writer, she made the AP news with "Miracle, the Asbestos Cat."
In 1953 she became affiliated with radio station WAND in Canton. Later she moved to WSOM of Salem and did a daily newscast from Minerva and about Minerva until her death in 1986. As a broadcast journalist, she turned out 100,000 words per year. Three of the people who substituted for Twila in her broadcasts, Richard Brock, Thomas Carnahan and Roger Bartley, all second her nomination, as does Carol Whiteleather Thomas.
Two tributes to her life were and are as follows: "Our number one citizen," said former Mayor Dick Mount, "she was not only active in developing the city, but in boosting all our citizens.”
“She was the most caring and understanding person I ever knew," said Harold Wunderle.
"Twila was an innovator, a journalist, a writer of prose and poetry, one never afraid to scan new horizons, a world traveler who would never foresake her modest home, her hometown, and her myriad friends," said Bartley.
Her interest in flying dated from her childhood on her father's Carroll County farm. When she would see planes flying overhead she wished they would land and take her with them. Her first flight was in 1927 in a barnstormer's plane, and she went on to log more than 127,000 air miles traveling to Alaska, Africa, the Holy Land and Hawaii. In 1983, to salute her interest in the frontier of the sky, two hundred of her friends surprised her with $1,645 to go to Florida to cover the launch of the first woman into space, Sally Ride, on the Challenger STS-7 for The Canton Repository.
In all her travels and experiences, Twila said, "My favorite place is right here. This is what gives me my biggest thrill." The Canton Repository chose her as the first person in the series of important contributors to the area. Twila was an institution in Minerva. A visit to her home could be something of a tour of an art gallery (she was an oil painting student of Jean Callerdine Browne), perhaps a history lesson, or it could mean the perusal of a chapter of the latest book she was putting together. You could count on it being a porch swing, apple pie, and ice cream type get together.
Twila is very proud of Minerva and her roots in Minerva, pointing out that the town was founded by the Whitacres and Taylors. Her mother was a Whitacre.
Dr. Palmer Cook, class of 1957, was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by Joan Hart Henninger, also of the class of 1957. Dr. Cook definitely fills the definition of what a member of the Minerva Alumni Hall of Fame should be . . . someone who has brought honor and distinction to Minerva High School through his career or his community service or both.
Dr. Cook's mother, Bryda Cook was a first grade teacher in Minerva, and his father owned Cook's Tire and Repair on S. Market St. where young Palmer enjoyed spending time listening to the discussions among the customers. His mother and one of his favorite teachers, Mrs. Dorothy Heath, particularly encouraged his love of reading. Other Minerva teachers that he remembers with high regard are Mrs. Hammond, and Miss Hogue in eighth grade and Wendell Smith in high school chemistry and physics. "Mr. Smith," Dr. Cook recalled, “had a sense of humor and an honest and enduring quest for doing the best possible job of teaching.”
After high school graduation he was an apprentice printer for the Canton Repository, then worked as an ad compositor at the Ravenna Record Courier, and at a printing shop in Kent. In 1959, he became a full time student in pre-optometry at Kent State and married a high school classmate, Linda Hawn from the New Franklin area. He remained a student at Kent State, Ohio State, or the University of Houston from 1959 through the spring semester of 1965. During those years they had a daughter Susan and a son Christopher.
Dr. Cook received his B.Sc. in physiological optics (OSU 1963), B.Sc. in Optometry (OSU School of Optometry 1964), and his O.D. degree (U.H. College of Optometry 1965). He was licensed to practice optometry by the Ohio State Board of Examiners in Optometry in 1964. At the University of Houston he served as a clinical instructor while pursuing his graduate studies. Upon returning to Ohio he entered private practice in Eaton, near Dayton. In addition to private practice, he began teaching as a part-time clinical instructor and lecturer at OSU's College of Optometry. He taught at OSU 1965-1985, and today occasionally returns to guest lecture.
He built a small clinic in Eaton in 1970, which still remains an eye care facility. In the 1980's the Ohio optometry law was changed, and he undertook the additional education and the state board examination that licensed him to treat eye disease and diagnose and treat eye problems medically. His primary interest in practice was pediatric eye care.
“My first prescription lenses," he said, “were designed by Dr. Fred Jamison who formerly practiced in Minerva in Dr. Weir's medical building."
In 1985 Dr. Cook discontinued his regular teaching at OSU to seek additional challenges outside the field of eye care. In 1989, along with a good friend and partner, he opened what was then a new concept in bookselling- a bookstore café - named Nickleby’s after Dickens' character, Nicholas Nickleby. The store had an indoor café, an outdoor café, a stage with an upright grand piano, and a stream of events and book signings. In 1992 he and his partner were featured on the cover of Publisher's Weekly Magazine as the first booksellers-of-the-year they had ever honored. His partner left Nickleby's in 1992, and shortly after she left, Dr. Cook retired from active practice to turn his full attention to the bookstore. Ultimately he closed the bookstore in 1995. "Nickleby's," he remarked, “was an interesting part of my life. I enjoyed it greatly and still miss it today."
Upon closing the bookstore, Dr. Cook accepted an invitation to join an ophthalmic laboratory, Cincinnati-based Diversified Ophthalmics, as a consultant. Today the company, founded in 1977, is the 9th largest privately owned ophthalmic laboratory in the US. Dr. Cook is a member of the company's Board of Directors and continues to work full time as their Vice President of Professional Education and as a technical consultant. The company supplies optometrists from coast to coast with prescription lenses, ophthalmic equipment, and nearly every kind of product that an eye care office might need.
Dr. Cook has written a monthly column for optometrists and optometric technicians for more than 18 years. He also writes a weekly news bulletin for The ECP Network, a group of more than 1,000 optometrists interested in new developments in vision care. Since 2003 he has been writing technical features related to lens design and vision care for 20/20 Magazine, a global publication produced by New York-based jobson Publishing, Inc.
Books and reading are still an important part of his life, and he enjoys traveling to the UK to visit his daughter Susan who lives in Richmond, a suburb of London. Although he is nearly 76, he actively enjoys woodworking. “Sometimes," he said, “it’s a race between adding books to my library and building more bookcases to hold them.” He tinkers with 0-gauge trains, and hopes to write some fiction when he retires.
Dr. Cook lives in Cincinnati with his partner of many years, Mary Kay Denny – a graduate of Miami University and who is retired Procter and Gamble. “We both,” he said, "believe that life presents a kaleidoscope of challenges and opportunities. Mary Kay and I encourage today's students to use education as their key to meeting life's challenges and the many opportunities that will be available to them as a result of their efforts."
Carol Costello was nominated to the Minerva High School Alumni Hall of Fame by William Palmer. She is an anchor and reporter for the CNN News Group. Based in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta, she anchors "CNN Daybreak," the network's early morning news program.
Costello graduated from Minerva High School in 1980 where she was active in speech and debate, Congressional Council, National Honor Society, and school plays. She qualified for the state speech competition two times. She attended Kent State University and has an honorary doctorate from Thiel College.
Costello joined CNN in October 2001 from WJLA-TV in Washington, D. C. where she had worked five years as an anchor and investigative reporter. Before that, she spent three years at WBAL-TV in Baltimore, as an anchor and co-anchor. She began her career as a weekend anchor and reporter for WAKR-TV in Akron. She then moved to WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio, to work as the station's principal weeknight anchor.
During her time with CNN, Costello has reported on numerous events, including providing live coverage of the D.C.-area sniper case and interviewing former President Jimmy Carter about his 2002 Nobel Peace Prize. She has also guest hosted on America Morning with Paula Zahn, Newsnight with Aaron Brown, and the network's former daily talk show, TalkBack Live.
In addition to President Carter, Costello has interviewed three other former U. S. Presidents: President Ronald Reagan, President George H. W. Bush, and President Bill Clinton.
Costello's work has been honored numerous times, including a 1991 Emmy Award for a special on crack cocaine, a UPI award, several Associated Press awards and an Emmy nomination in 1993.
As for community service, Costello says, "I have tried to give back to the many communities in which I have worked. I've served on the board of an alcohol recovery center and a rape crisis hotline." She has volunteered with United Way and a domestic violence center. Now that she has a national forum, she hopes to do much more.
When asked for advice to teenagers interested in broadcast journalism, she said, "You should keep in mind that it took me 13 years to get to CNN. When I was in Minerva, I never would have thought that I would end up at CNN. Don't take anything for granted. You can do anything you want to do with hard work. Be as smart as you can be. That, more than looks, will get you where you want to be."
The two teachers that she mentioned who were major influences in her life are Paul Vaccani and Carl Michael. She credits them with helping her overcome her fear of speaking in public and always giving her good advice.
Costello said that her work at CNN is her dream job, and that her years at Minerva High School gave her the confidence to give TV news casting a shot.
Don Cross, Class of 1914, was nominated by Tom Kishman. While in high school, Cross served as the editor of the first Minerva High School yearbook. After graduation he attended The University of Michigan.
Tom Kishman said, "Don can best be described as a first class person on all levels . . . to his town, his country, and his family He has also made a name for himself in pharmacy and retail sales. He served in World War I, and took over Cross Drug after the death of his father. He subsequently built a thriving retail business, Cross Wholesale, in Minerva.
Don was a mainstay in Minerva, a charter member of The American Legion, The Community Association, The University of Michigan's alumni clubs, The Masonic Lodge, and Rotary. Also, he played a major part in the formation of the Minerva Merchants semi-pro football team, which was championship-caliber in the tri-state area.
Cross did all this and more, helping people, supporting school projects, and never letting an accident in the 1940’s, which left him sightless, get him down. In 1953 he was named "Man of the Year" at Minerva's homecoming. He made a humble and brief speech of acceptance, “I am honored, and I shall try to keep on being the man you think I am.”
Cross, who is ninety years of age is currently hospitalized, so he couldn't attend the Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony. Dr. Robert Hines accepted for him stating "Cross is a very worthy honor recipient." He followed with this quotation, "The elements so mixed in him that nature would stand up and say to all the world, 'This was a man.' "
Todd A. Crowl, Class of 1978, was nominated by Jeff Betler. His education includes a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, cum laude from The Ohio State University; a Master of Science in Zoology, a Master of Arts in Statistics, and a Ph.D. in Ecology, all from the University of Oklahoma.
Crowl's teaching assignments have included Utah State University, Otago University (New Zealand), the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Notre Dame. He currently sits on twenty-two graduate committees in the College of Natural Resources, Biology, Mathematics and Statistics, and Engineering at Utah State University.
He has chaired four committees: Millville Advisory Board (2003-present); CNR EPC and Graduate Education Committee (2003-2006); Curriculum Committee (2003-2006); and the Graduate Academic Review Committee (1997-2001); and served on many more.
Some of Crowl's professional committees include: Program Chair of the North American Benthological Society, Co-chair of the Consortium of Regional Ecological Observatories, and Ecological Society of America (Program Committee).
Crowl's awards include the Harvard University Bullard Fellow and the University of Notre Dame Environmental Sciences Visiting Fellow, both in 2006; in 1995 he was named Researcher of the Year by the American Fisheries Society; and in 1988 he received the Best Student Presentation by the North American Benthological Society meeting, Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
There are fifty seminars that he has given between the years of 1988 and 2007, and he states that he has presented 123 lectures/seminars at scientific conferences in addition to those fifty. He and his students have written over fifty Federal and State Agency reports. He has received thousands of dollars in research grants.
Crowl is the son of Margery and Francis Crowl of Minerva. He has two sons: Andy, and Ben. Recently he resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a fellow of Harvard University, but now he has begun a new detail in Washington, D.C., in the National Science Foundation, setting science objectives and funding research.