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Haddonfield Alumni Society Honors Lifetime Achievement Awards

2016 LAA Recipients

The Haddonfield Alumni Society Annual Meeting and Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremony was conducted in the Haddonfield Memorial High School Library on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. The alumni and the public were invited to honor the 2017 recipients: Raymond H. Holloway ‘43, Gail Lanier Phillips Houlihan ‘54; Franklin P. Jackson ‘56, Bill Rauch ‘80; and Frank DeLano, Teacher/Coach.

Raymond H. Holloway ‘43

Holloway, better known as “Lefty” is truly one of Haddonfield’s “Greatest Sons.” After high school, he joined the Army Air Corps during WWII, served in England as a waist gunner and flew on raids over Germany. After the war, Lefty served as a Haddonfield Police Officer for over 37 years, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. Throughout the years, he served the community in numerous organizations such as the little league, American Legion Post 38, the Lions Club and the Haddonfield Fire Co. 1 for 57 years. Lefty worked hard his entire life and gave his all to the Haddonfield Community.

Gail Lanier Phillips Houlihan ‘54

Houlihan has devoted her adult life to advocacy for children in foster care. After graduation from Douglas College in 1958, Gail embarked on a lifetime service to New Jersey and her town. She was a PTA president, a leader in the League of Women’s Voters, an active Rutgers alumni and Mayor of Bordentown. One of Gail’s signature achievements occurred in 1978 when she helped establish the New Jersey’s Child Placement Review (CPR) system. Gail wanted to make sure that foster children relying on the state for their well-being would find a permanent home in which they could grow and thrive. Gail’s service to CPR has continued through the years as she remains a member of the Burlington CPR and an emeritus member of the statewide CPR Advisory Board that she chaired for two terms. Gail was recognized earlier this year for these efforts when it was announced that she had been named a recipient of the prestigious New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award for her service to youth.

Franklin P. Jackson IV ‘56

Jackson is recognized for his accomplishments as a very successful businessman; as a leader of his community; for his service and leadership in Westmont Fire Company ?1; for his service and leadership in the Westmont Lions Club; and for his service and leadership in the Masonic Lodge. In addition, Frank has been a great supporter and participant in youth programs including the Cub Scout and Explorer Scout Programs. Frank Jackson has indeed truly been one of the Westmont’s “Favorite Sons” and benefactors. In his 50 plus years as a member and leader of the Westmont Lions Club, Frank exemplifies the Lions motto, “We Serve.”

Bill Rauch ‘80

Bill Rauch is recognized as a remarkable advocate for social justice and his brilliance in the theater. During his years at HMHS, his involvement in the school’s Drama Club fueled his passion for theater. Subsequently, Bill attended Harvard University where he directed 26 plays and received the Louis Sudler Prize as the “outstanding graduating artist.” After graduation, he cofounded the Cornerstone Theater Company and directed over 40 productions receiving great acclaim. In 2007, he became the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and directed several their plays. In 2012, Bill directed “All the Way,” a play focusing on President Johnson’s pivotal first year in office, which later journeyed to Broadway and won the Tony Award for Best Play of 2014. A winner of numerous national awards, Rauch is the recipient of the 2009 Margo Jones Award, founded by Inherit the Wind authors Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee which annually honors “that citizen-of- the theatre who has demonstrated a significant impact, understanding, and affirmation of the craft of playwriting, with a lifetime commitment to the encouragement of the living theatre everywhere”. In 2015, Bill was named a Ford Foundation, Art of Change Fellow.

Frank DeLano Teacher and Coach

DeLano has taught in the Haddonfield Public Schools for over 15 years and been the football coach for 15 seasons. As a Haddonfield Middle School science and math teacher, DeLano has stressed hard work, ethics, dedication, being the best you can be and respecting your parents. Coach DeLano employs those same traits on the football field. He leads by example and his enthusiasm is infectious. He instills a strong work ethic, respect for self and others, confidence, and a drive to be your best. During his tenure as football coach, he has amassed 109 victories, as of Oct. 24 2016, and led the Bulldawgs to nine state playoff appearances. In their five trips to the South Jersey Group II Finals, they were champions in 2010, 2013 and 2014. He was named New Jersey State Coach of the Year in 2010 and inducted into the South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2015. DeLano makes Haddonfield proud by preaching “Team First” and mantras of “Together we will” and “Haddonfield Football Family.”