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By Mila Besich-Lira
For the fifth straight year the Superior High School Hall of Fame organization has inducted students and teachers from SHS who have made significant impacts in this world. The event has become an annual tradition that most do not want to miss.
The 2012 induction will be held at the original Superior High School in the gymnasium. The event will begin at 4 p.m. and is expected to run until 6 p.m.
Tours of the building for ticket holders will begin at 2:30 p.m. Those wishing to attend should contact a member of the Hall of Fame Committee at 520-689-5430.
This year the organization will induct six new members. Those being inducted this year are Pack-BatesPack-Bates, Steven Besich, Rita Carrillo, Bill Ong Hing, Joe Osuna Tameron and Ray West.
The purpose of the hall of fame is to preserve the history of the Superior Unified School District. The 2012 inductees all have a different background and have made their own unique marks on the world.
Evelyn Pack-Bates was a Teaching Assistant for the PE Department at Arizona State University for two years before she took a teaching position in the Superior Unified School District where she taught until her retirement in 1988.
Although she taught first grade when she first came to Superior, Pack-Bates’ legacy is in coaching boys’ and girls’ sports and teaching physical education. Pack-Bates helped influence women’s sports on the national stage. She was a member of the Arizona Committee on Title IX that was the landmark case insuring women’s sports equal rights with men’s sports.
During her time in Superior, Pack-Batescoached archery, badminton, basketball, cheerleading, tennis and volleyball. She is best known for encouraging her athletes and students to never give up.
Steven Besich worked for Gila County Government where he eventually became Deputy Director, Gila County Development Office in Globe. In this capacity he represented the Gila County Board of Supervisors in various intergovernmental activities including presentations to congressional and state representatives. He also coordinated intergovernmental and departmental efforts to assist the 1993 flood disaster victims.
After serving as policy advisor to Governor Janet Napolitano for seven months, Besich moved into the job of Deputy County Manager for Gila County and for five years before his death he served as the County Manager.
Rita Carrillo was active in Arizona government most of her adult life, Rita served in the Bruce Babbitt administration from 1979 until 1986was responsible for bringing Governor Babbitt to speak at Superior High School’s commencement in 1982.
She has also served on the staff of Phoenix’ Mayor Terry Goddard where she was liaison to the community for transportation and planning and zoning issues. From 1993-2006 Carrillo was Executive Director of Neighborhood Housing Services of Phoenix, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the revitalization of central city neighbor hoods through the development of home ownership opportunities.
She is currently a board member of The Industrial Development Authority of the City of Phoenix and SeedCo Financial Services, a community development corporation based in New York City. She has also served on the Board of Directors of Bank One, Nordstrom Bank, Phoenix Aviation Board, the Arizona Housing Finance Authority and Neighborhood Housing Service of America.
Bill Ong Hing has pursued social justice throughout his career with a combination of community work, litigation and scholarship. He started his legal career as a legal services attorney in San Francisco, but has been a fulltime law professor since 1979.
Over the years he has been on the faculties at Stanford Law School and the University of California, Davis. Currently, Bill is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco, where he teaches “Rebellious Lawyering”, “Immigration Law & Policy” to name a couple of courses.
He is the author of many academic and practice-oriented books and articles on immigration policy and community lawyering. During his career, Professor Hing has been a prolific author writing numerous books and articles that have been recognized internationally.
His most recent book is Ethical Borders: NAFTA, Globalization and Mexican Migration (Temple Univ. Press, 2010).
Joe Osuna Tameron was a member of the Arizona State University baseball team and in 1951 was named Most Valuable Player. During college he was president of the “A” Club, Los Conquistadores, and Delta Chi. He was listed in the “Who’s Who” in American Universities and Colleges.
Tameron also served as a Blue Key member for his academic achievements and served on the Men’s Judiciary Council.
Tameron career in education started as a classroom teacher at Wilson and Kenilworth Schools. He later served as principal at Kenilworth and Grand Avenue Schools. Under his leadership Kenilworth School a rating of “A plus.”
After 38 years in education, Joe retired and lives in Phoenix where he and his wife attend St. Thomas Catholic Church and strongly supports the Kenilworth Foundation.
Ray West was born Feb. 22, 1911 and passed away April 9, 1964. He is buried in Superior Fairview Cemetery beside his beloved wife, Merle, who also taught at Roosevelt School for many years.
He taught general math, algebra, geometry, orchestra, band and glee club. He served as chair of the music department, coached tennis and sponsored the Drum & Bugle Corps. West built the SHS chorus into one of the finest in the Arizona. SHS’ chorus consistently won Superior and Excellent Ratings at the Pinal County Music Festival while he was at Superior.
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