MHSAA Hall of Fame banquet May 2 to be historic

          On May 2, history will be made and a tradition established as the Malden High School Alumni Association welcomes its first members into the new Hall of Fame.

          On that date, relatives, friends, dignitaries and alumni will gather at Anthony’s restaurant as seven graduates – one posthumously -- are formally inducted into the Hall of Fame.

          The banquet and induction ceremony will be recognizing these outstanding but for the most part unsung graduates who have distinguished themselves in their chosen careers.

          Such as Emma Fall Schofield, a leader in the fight for women’s rights early in the 1900s and throughout her life. A graduate in the Class of 1902, Judge Schofield became the first woman appointed as Assistant District Attorney in Massachusetts, and one of two women first appointed to the bench in New England.

          Another judge among this year’s inaugural class is Phillip Weiner, a prosecutor whose experience putting away criminals in this state earned him a place on the world stage. The 1972 graduate became a United Nations judge in The Hague, Netherlands, prosecuting those accused of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

          Living a newsman’s dream, Class of 1977 grad Kevin Cullen has been on the front line of history recording the human condition in such places as Ireland, England, Yugoslavia and his own home town, Boston. The award-winning Boston Globe columnist wrote extensively about the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal and the FBI’s No. 1 Most Wanted serial murderer James “Whitey” Bulger.

          From the Class of 1954 is James Matisoff, a professor emeritus of linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Matisoff speaks about a dozen languages and, trekking the jungles of Thailand and other exotic locales, is considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on Southeast Asian languages.

          Cartoonist Keith Knight Jr. has won numerous awards for his cartoon strips, “The K Chronicles” and “(Th)ink,” which appear regularly in newspapers and websites. The 1984 graduate’s work is considered both humorous and universal, often dealing with political, social and racial issues.

          In the field of performing arts, Gary Cherone, is a rock singer-songwriter best known for his work with the rock group Extreme, and a Billboard #1 hit “More than Words.”  The Class of 1979 grad was also lead singer for a time with Van Halen, one of the world’s most famous rock bands.

          From the Class of 1985, Heather Kahn made her mark in broadcast journalism as a news anchor for ABC Channel 5 in Boston. She also raised four daughters and a son, and continues to appear on TV and radio as a healthcare spokesperson for Boston’s Beth Israel-Deaconess Medical Center.

          The MHSAA urges anyone who wishes to attend the banquet to reserve a $40 seat by visiting www.maldenhighalumni.com or by calling Diane Lind at 781-944-1368 or dlind420@verizon.net.

          The deadline for tickets is April 25, but requests received by April 28 will be considered.

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Contact:

David D. Haskell

781-324-2725

Dhaskell2@verizon.net