Fallen Falcons | Never Forgotten

For 34 years, the incomparable Richard Thompson was Harlan’s indisputable guiding light. He arrived in 1963, one year after launching his teaching career at Wells High School. Fondly called “Mr. T,” he influenced thousands of students, as well as colleagues. Any student in trouble knew he would greet them with both compassion and no-nonsense tough love. For many, he was a trusted confidante.

Mr. T grew up in Gary, Indiana. He and his twin brother, Roscoe, were the youngest of nine children. After graduating from Gary Roosevelt High School, he attended Indiana University. After two years, he joined the Army, where he rose to the rank of sergeant. True to his philosophy that education and excellence are the keys to success, he completed his college education at Chicago’s Roosevelt University, earning a bachelor’s degree in history (1962) and a master’s degree in education (1966). In 1973, he completed a second master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from DePaul University (1973).

For four consecutive years, from 1966 to 1969, he was awarded Harlan’s Teacher of the Year honor. After serving as acting assistant principal in 1969, he became assistant principal in 1970, a position he retained until his retirement in 1997. He is the only faculty member to have had two graduating classes dedicate their yearbook to him, and the first faculty inductee into Harlan’s Hall of Fame.

His strong work ethic was evidenced in his varied work history: Prior to teaching, Mr. T worked in the steel mills and the postal service. He served as a psychiatric aide, a childcare counselor, and an employment counselor with the Illinois Department of Employment Security. During his teaching career, he worked evenings in the Chicago Public Schools’ adult education program.

After retirement, Mr. T joined the board of the John Marshall Harlan High School Alumni Association, NFP. He actively recruited alumni and raised funds for the school, citing the mantra: “Never forget from whence you came and remember to support those yet to come.”

Harlan probably owes internationally renowned singer, actor and black activist Paul Robeson for steering Sherman Howard back to Chicago after his NFL career ended. Robeson, whom he’d met in New York while playing with the New York Yankees football club, urged him to return to Chicago to “give back to the community.” Mr. Howard started Harlan’s football team in 1960 and was the school’s only football coach when he retired in 1985.

“He cared about us as if we were his children,” said attorney Charles B. Sklarsky (’64) of the soft-spoken coach. “He’s one of my heroes.”

Born in New Orleans, Mr. Howard grew up near Bronzeville, where heavyweight boxing champ Jack Johnson gave the young people inspirational speeches and Olympian Jesse Owens shared tips on running track. After graduating from Wendell Phillips High School, where he was a star in three sports, Mr. Howard played football for the University of Iowa and the University of Nevada. According to a University of Nevada publication, he was the first black player to ever play in a college football game in the state of Oklahoma between two predominantly white universities.

Mr. Howard’s professional football career began in New York, where future Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry was a teammate and trailblazer Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers was a mentor. He later played in Cleveland, where the team’s namesake, Paul Brown, was one of his coaches.

Mr. Howard was one of the NFL’s oldest living Black former players when he died in 2019, at the age of 95.

BRENDA COPELAND Transitioned: 2019 

CORNELL GRADY Transitioned: 2020

COSTELLO SIMMONS Transitioned:2020

ROBERT TRAVIS Transitioned: Dec. 20, 2008

Class of 1961

BETTY BARKSDALE Transitioned: 2018

Class of 1963

GEORGE RABY Transitioned: Oct. 16, 2008

Class of 1964

FLOYD BRADY Transitioned: 2007

DIANE CARTER Transitioned: 2020

LINDA RUTH GAY Transitioned: 2019

COLLIN MILLER Transitioned: June, 2008

WILLIAM PARRISH Transitioned: 2020

NATHANIAL SIMPSON Transitioned: 2020

LE ROI SMITY Transitioned: 2018

Class of 1965

STANLEY ABERNATHY Transitioned: 2016

DWIGHT BROWN Transitioned: 2019

HERBERT WILLIAM DUNN Transitioned: 2018

LOIS JOHNSON Transitioned: May 4, 2020

WILLIAM JONES Transitioned: 2020

MICHAEL LLOYD Transitioned: 2018

GREG LOVE Transitioned: 2020

MADELYN MYRICK NORTON Transitioned: Mar. 13, 2009

LEON SMITH, JR Transitioned: 2019

RUTH ELDER WEBB Transitioned: 2018

Class of 1966

EDWIN ALLEN Transitioned: 2019

CRETORA BARNETT Transitioned: 2020

DAPHNE HENNINGS HARPER Transitioned: 2020

LARRY PINSKY Transitioned: 2019

ROBERT RICHEY Transitioned: Nov. 17, 2020

Class of 1967

RUSSELL GILES Transitioned: 2019

WILLIE JOHNSON Transitioned: 2020

WILLIAM ROSE Transitioned: 2020

LAMONT SCHUSSE Transitioned: 2019

RHONDA TURNER Transitioned: 2020

TIMOTHY WHEELER Transitioned: 2018

JOSEPH WILLIAMS Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1968

LAWRENCE DAVID BROUGHTON Transitioned: 2020

OTHA COLE Transitioned: July 2007

RODISTE ROXIE DEARING Transitioned: 2018

CAROLYN GIPSON Transitioned: 2019

PAT HILL Transitioned: 2017

DAVID LOGAN Transitioned: 2017

SHARON WILLIAMS-MAYFIELD Transitioned: 2019

GREGORY “SHANKY” SPANN Transitioned: 2018

VICKI TURNER Transitioned: 2019

JANETTE HANES YOUNG Transitioned: 2020

GHALIB GHALLAB (Latti Young) Transitioned: 2018

Class of 1969

GREGORN MCCLAM Transitioned: 2018

LEE SMITH JR. Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1970

STEPHEN BROUGHTON Transitioned: 2020

LORETTA JAMES Transitioned: 2019

DOYLE JOHNSON Transitioned: —

MARSHALL LINDSAY Transitioned: 2017

HENRY “HANKY” THOMAS Transitioned: 2018

Class of 1971

JUANITA ASHMORE-COLE Transitioned: 2017

DIANE DYER Transitioned: 2020

JERALD GARY Transitioned: 2020

LAWRENCE HAWTHORN Transitioned: 2018

REGINALD JOHNSON Transitioned: 2020

GILBERT JORDAN Transitioned: 2021

MILTON MCGOWAN Transitioned: 2008

WARREN MORGAN Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1972

JOSEPH ANTHONY BARNES Transitioned: 2019

ARNOLD HUBBARD Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1973

ROBERT BARCLAY Transitioned: 2020

LA VELLE ANDRE-LACY Transitioned: 2018

HERMAN “RICKEY” NIXON Transitioned: 2018

ODESSA WILLIAMS Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1974

BARBARA BLAIR Transitioned: 2020

DERRICK BOYD Transitioned: 2020

SHERRILYNN GIVENS Transitioned: Aug. 21, 2020

DIANE CARROLL-HALE Transitioned: 2019

VICKI PETTIGREW Transitioned: 2020

GABRIELYN WATSON Transitioned: 2019

Class of 1975

ELI ALDRIDGE Transitioned: 2018

JOSEPH BEY Transitioned: 2020

DELBERT DAVIS Transitioned: 2015

FREDRICK GILES Transitioned: 2021

LINDA HAWTHORN Transitioned: 2019

QUINTIN HENDERSON Transitioned: 2018

EMMETT PATTERSON Transitioned: 2017

FRANCES PRATT Transitioned: 2019

MARSHA ROGERS Transitioned: 2019

PAULETTE WILLIAMS Transitioned: 2018

ROBIN “ROBERT” THORPE Transitioned: 2019

Class of 1976

MICHELLE SMITH Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1977

KEVIN HIGGENBOTTOM Transitioned: 2019

Class of 1978

JAMEL BROWN Transitioned: 2021

BLANQUITA TILLMAN Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1979

CHRISTINA WILLIS Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1981

DERRICK WINN Transitioned: 2020

Class of 1982

HATTIE L. STUTTS-BROWLEY Transitioned: 2018

LUCRETIA RATTLIFF Transitioned: 2019

COACH LEE UMBLES, Faculty

Transitioned: 2008

EMMETT BRADBURY, JR. Faculty

Transitioned: January, 2016

HAZEL STRONG, Faculty

Transitioned: 2018

COACH SHERMAN HOWARD, Faculty

Transitioned: 2019

SHARON GIST GILLIAM, Faculty

Transitioned: 2020

JAMES YATES, Faculty

Transitioned: 2020

ANNE ANDERSON BERRY, Faculty

Transitioned: Nov. 14, 2020

JEANETTA SAUNDERS HOWARD, Faculty Transitioned: 2020