This weekend the Friends of District 88 inducted the first six members into a new District 88 Hall of Fame.

We think it’s a wonderful idea, and we can only wonder -?what took so long to create a Hall of Fame for the district?

The first six inductees cover a wide range. They include students and teachers, they come from different eras, and had success in different fields.

A hall of fame is a great way to pay tribute to educators who made a great difference to past generations of children, and to inspire future generations.

The Hall of Fame inductees are:

Wanda Gag, Class of 1912, who went on to fame as an artist and children’s author.

Joe Harman, a teacher and coach from 1928 to 1966, who is considered the Father of the New Ulm Park & Rec system.

Dave Benson, Class of 1961, an inspirational student and classmate who overcame disabilities to teach and work with children with special needs.

Nancy Soyes Silcox, Class of 1963, who became an international educator and librarian through her work with the Peace Corps.

Kirk Gregg, Class of 1977, who has been a successful business executive with General Dynamics Corp. and Corning.

Terry Steinbach, Class of 1980, one of New Ulm’s most outstanding athletes, who went from Johnson Park to a successful Major League Baseball career with the Oakland Athletics and the Minnesota Twins. He is currently a bench coach with the Twins.

Congratulations to all the inductees, and thanks to the Friends of ISD 88. We’re sure they have started a great tradition of recognizing excellence.