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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.
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Morning Star, December 13, 2015, pg. 14 Do you need a Christmas gift for someone who used to live in Albion? How about giving them one of my Albion history books? The titles available are: A History of the Albion Public Schools, Growing Up in Albion, Albion in Review, or Albion [historical postcards]. These are especially available from yours truly. Give me a call at (517) 629-5402, or e-mail me at Albionfp@hotmail.com for further information. You can pick them up, or I can mail them to you. With the apparent demise of the Albion Public Schools system as we know it looming in the near future by its proposed annexation into the Marshall Public Schools, I thought I’d take the time this week to feature some famous graduates of our school system during its history. We all know that the Albion High School Alumni Association has been honoring various graduates each year, such as U.S. Ambassador and 2nd Director of the U.S. Peace Corps, Jack Hood Vaughn (1920-2012) who graduated from AHS in 1939, the year World War II started. What about those who graduated earlier than that? Were there AHS graduates from the early 20th century who attained state, national, and international prominence during their lifetime? The answer of course, is yes. Albion High School had several graduates from the late 19th and early 20th centuries who became famous or prominent for their work or inventions. Let’s quickly review just a few of them. There are more than are listed here. Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960) was a member of AHS Class of 1897. He became one of this country’s greatest periodical wildlife artists. He is best known as a major artist for Field & Stream magazine beginning in 1904, who drew more than 100 covers for this major publication. His work also appeared in many other magazines of his day. He also designed the 1939 Migratory Waterfowl Stamp, nineteen National Wildlife Stamps, and numerous works for Ducks Unlimited. Madeline M. Murray (1878-1958) (no, she didn’t marry someone named O’Hare) was also a graduate of the AHS Class of 1897. An elementary school teacher by profession, she was described as a "genius" in newspaper accounts about her life. She was the inventor of several well-known popular children’s games that were marketed nationally by Parker Brothers. This included the "Cities and States" game, and the "Murrayway Pocket Board Game." Dr. Amos Llewellyn Beaghler (1881-1961) was a 1901 graduate of AHS. He founded the Denver Public Schools Health Department in 1920. His program became a model for public health which initiated the immunization (that’s shots, folks) program in public schools across the country. Dr. Beaghler received numerous local, regional, national and international awards, including the Howe award for outstanding contributions in school health (1948) and served as a president of the American Public Health Association. Ruth Fairchild Rogers (1893-1978), a 1911 graduate of AHS. She was a dental pioneer of the fluoride treatment program in Michigan. She was a major force in educating parents and teachers about fluoride treatment programs and spent much of her time speaking on the subject. She was one of the organizers of the American Dental Assistants’ Association where she served as its president and was editor of the first four national examinations. Gwen Dew (1903-1993) was a 1920 graduate of AHS. She was a prolific writer, journalist, photographer and world traveler who wrote for the Detroit News. Her photographs and articles were published in national newspapers and magazines. During World War II she was caught in Hong Kong and was taken prisoner by the Japanese. She was released in 1942 as part of a prisoner exchange, and subsequently wrote a series of thrilling eye-witness accounts about her experiences which were published in serial form in newspapers across the country. Her 1943 book "Prisoner of the Japs" was dramatized by NBC radio as part of its anthology series "Words at War." Gwen toured the rest of the War as a War Bond rally speaker and her speeches were credited with raising more than $2 million in War bonds. From our Historical Notebook this week we present a photograph of Lynn Bogue Hunt, and one of the Field & Stream Covers he illustrated with a duck hunting theme. October, 1931 issue. Who are some of the other famous people who graduated from Albion High School?  Lynn Bogue Hunt (1878-1960), AHS Class of 1897
 Field and Stream, October, 1931 cover All text copyright, 2025 © all rights reserved Frank Passic
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