Heritage Award
The Heritage Award is given annually to individuals who have made a significant impact on Adlai E. Stevenson High School. Since its inception in 1985, Heritage Award recipients have included former faculty and staff, community members, and alumni. Their contributions have been vast and varied, providing powerful legacies for the current members of the Stevenson community, and for those to come.
2012-13 Heritage Award Recipient: Dolores Fischer
Dolores Fischer has spent the majority of her life at Stevenson. She taught mathematics for 33 years, was head cheerleading coach for 10 seasons and head poms coach for three, was a Peer Jury coordinator and also found time to be manager for the boys ice hockey program.
Her greatest legacy, however, will be as one of the founders of the Freshmen Mentor Program (FMP). Beginning as a pilot program in 1990 with 108 freshmen and five faculty advisors, FMP has grown to serve the entire freshman class, more than 200 junior and senior mentors, and about 60 faculty advisors. Her role in developing and nurturing the FMP program led to Fischer becoming the first member of the Stevenson community to receive the Illinois Directors of Student Activities Distinguished Service Award in 2007.
She has been a guiding light behind this exemplary program, which transitions freshmen into high school and provides opportunities to foster and develop leadership for upperclassmen. Dolores continued to lead FMP for nearly 10 years after retiring from the classroom in 2005, an extraordinary act of dedication and love for Stevenson students that embodies what the Heritage Award is all about.
District 125 Heritage Award Recipients
| 2012-13 |
Dolores Fischer (former teacher) |
| 2011-12 |
Aaron Elster (resident) |
| 2010-11 |
Chris Franken (former teacher, administrator) |
| 2009-10 |
John and Dottie Westerberg (residents) |
| 2008-09 |
Oscar Muniz (former staff member) |
| 2007-08 |
Dr. Richard DuFour (former superintendent and principal) |
| 2006-07 |
Elliott Hartstein and Barbara LaPiana (former school board members) |
| 2005-06 |
Sam Ritchie (former teacher and academic division director) |
| 2004-05 |
Richard Cromartie, Roger Nelson, Travis Nelson, William Salzman,
Daniel Schuffman, Lorenz Schmidt and George Weiland (founding school board) |
| 2003-04 |
Tom Hoyne (resident) and Bill Misik (former teacher) |
| 2002-03 |
Andrea Jaeger (alumnus) |
| 2001-02 |
Tom Baumann and Jim McGrath (former teachers) |
| 2000-01 |
Inez Freed (resident and former Patriot Parent Association president) |
| 1999-00 |
Kelly Cox (former teacher and athletic director) |
| 1998-99 |
Pat Wilder (former school board member) |
| 1997-98 |
Dr. Harold Banser (first superintendent) |
| 1996-97 |
Frank and Verna Clayton (former school board member - Frank) |
| 1995-96 |
Dr. Milton R. Herzog (former superintendent) |
| 1994-95 |
Bill Salzman (former school board member) |
| 1993-94 |
Dave Hanson (former teacher) |
| 1992-93 |
Ralph and Bev Valdes (residents) |
| 1991-92 |
Bill Ebenezer and June Bergquist (former teachers) |
| 1990-91 |
Alice Moody (former school board member) |
| 1989-90 |
Ed Ellis (former business manager) |
| 1988-89 |
William and Virginia Park (residents) |
| 1987-88 |
Conrad Thorne and Gloria Helke (former school board members) |
| 1986-87 |
Lydia Jesse (former staff member) |
| 1985-86 |
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Ward (residents) |