Manchester High School Alumni Home Page

Manchester has an impressive legacy of graduates who have left their mark in business, entertainment, medicine, politics, education, the military, athletics, invention, public service, the arts, literature...you name it. The Alumni Association will begin recognizing these achievements through an annual Distinguished Alumni Awards program. Each spring, a Selection Committee will review nominations and choose honorees in five categories: Alumni Achievement, Leadership Excellence, Early Career Achievement, Outstanding Faculty, and a Posthumous Panther Alumni Award.

If you would like to nominate a candidate for consideration, you can download the nomination form here or pick up a copy in the high school guidance office. Deadline for submission is March 31, 2012. The inaugural MHS Distinguished Alumni Awards dinner will be held June 23, 2012 at Prime 93 (formerly Anthe's) on Manchester Road. This event is open to everyone, and ticket information will be available later on this site and in future newsletters. Honorees will receive a commemorative plaque, as well as permanent recognition on a plaque at Manchester High School. Distinguished Alumni will also be featured in press coverage and a special section on this website.

The Manchester High School Music Boosters are hosting a Queen of Heart Card Party on Thursday, February 9 in the Manchester High School cafeteria. Doors open at 6pm. Presale tickets are $5.00 each and can be purchased at Cope Pharmacy and Manchester Hardware. Tickets can also be purchased at the door the day of the event for $7.00 each.

Five new members will be inducted into the Swede Olsson / James France Athletic Hall of Fame during halftime of the Panthers' home opener, Friday, August 26. A post-game Hall of Fame reception will be held at the Alumni tents, just outside the stadium. Everyone is invited to help the honorees and their families celebrate with cake and refreshments.

The 2011 inductees are: Terry Manges (MHS '61), Ed Round ('87), Jennifer (Bennett) Taylor ('91), Ryan Andrick ('95) and Ryan Price ('95).

Burt "Rusty" Miller [MHS '66] lost his life in Vietnam more than four decades ago, and Panther friend Gary Kindig ('67) is spearheading an effort to dedicate a memorial bench in his honor at the new Ohio Veterans' Memorial Park in Clinton. Rusty was drafted into the U.S. Marines after high school and assigned to combat-duty in Vietnam . At the height of the war in November 1968, a live grenade was thrown into his foxhole, and Rusty covered the explosive to save the lives of two soldiers with him. Though South Vietnam awarded him a posthumous Badge of Courage at that time, no details of the incident were provided to Rusty’s family. That is, until approximately 30 years later. One of his fellow Marines in the foxhole promised to find Rusty’s family and explain his friend’s heroism. But personal injuries—and the fact that “Rusty” was a nickname—made the search long and difficult. He finally found a lead thru the Vietnam Memorial Wall, and was able to track down the Millers in Manchester.

Click here to view Rusty's page on the OVMP site. It also includes a link where you can donate toward the memorial bench. If you have any questions, you can email Gary at gary4983@aol.com. Rusty's siblings are also Manchester grads: Billie Jean (Miller) Arny, Darla (Miller) Smith ['72], and Blaine Miller ['79].