BAHS Alumni Website

1885 Club

In 1998, members of the Bangor Area High School Alumni Association began to search for a way for to honor graduates of Bangor High School who have distinguished themselves through public service, scholarship, and recognition in their chosen fields of work. Discussions naturally led to creating a hall of fame for such individuals. Concerned about possible confusion with the new Athletic Hall of Fame, however, the committee began to seek ways to create a different type of recognition with its own unique distinction. From their collaboration, the 1885 Club was born. Named in honor of the first year in which a class of students graduated from Bangor High School, this exclusive club will honor distinguished alumni and hold these individuals as outstanding examples for others to follow. Through the creation of the 1885 Club the Alumni Association underscores and upholds the fact that graduates of Bangor Area High School have been making contributions to mankind throughout the past 100 years.

2006 Members of the 1885 Club

MaryAnne Catino - 1950


Ms. Catino received her degree from East Stroudsburg State Teacher's College in 1955. In the summer of 1956 she studied abroad for seven weeks in eleven countries in Temple University's Study Abroad Program. She received her M.S. in Education from Temple in 1967, and her Masters in Library Science from Vilanova University in 1972. She also became a licensed cosmetologist in 1978. She taught 31 years in the Bangor School District in seven elementary schools and the junior and senior high school. She taught many subjects including reading arithmetic, music, special education, and she was school librarian. She also taught English as a Second Language and knitting in the adult education program from 1967-1975. At Bangor High School, she served as Library Club Advisor, American Field Service Exchange Student Program Advisor, and Cheerleader Advisor. Ms. Catino was the first elementary teacher to be President of the Bangor Area Education Association (1963-1965). She was Bangor's representative to the Lehigh Valley School Study Council, and the Fourth Grade In-Services Chairperson. She was a member of the Pennsylvania Librarians' Association and on the Advisory Board of the Library Technical Program at NCACC. She was the first elected vice-president of the PSEA-Retired Board of Directors. She is also a member of Kappa Delta Gamma where she has received several awards and served as president of the Alpha Alpha Chapter. She is actively involved in civic organizations as well. She served as 4 th Ward representative on the Bangor Borough Council. She was a member of the Bangor Centennial Committee. She served a 12-year term on the Bangor Public Library Board of Directors. She has served as president of the following organizations: Bangor Business and Professional Women's Club, Northampton County Area on Aging Advisory Board, and the East Stroudsburg Alumni Association. She has received the following awards and recognitions: a lifetime membership in the PTA, the Pennsylvania G. F. Women's Club Star Woman of 2000 Award, and a 2006 nominee for the Jennie Award for outstanding volunteer service. She received a special Honor Recognition Award, presented by the Bangor Area School Disrict in 2005, and her portrait was placed in the Washington School Library. She enjoys reading and knitting. She is well known for the hundreds of mittens and hats she has given to hospitals, Indian tribes, homeless and school children.

Top

Nelson Hill - 1977

Nelson Hill, a Grammy Award winning musician, plays the saxophone, flute and clarinet. He is an artist representative for the Yamaha Corporation of America. He received his degree in Applied Music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. He studied with Phil Woods, Eddie Daniels, Hal Galper, and James Caruso. In the words of Phil Woods, "He is a musician of taste, sensitivity, and the ability to swing a gate off its hinges."

He has performed and recorded with the Phil Woods Big Band; Bob Dorough; the Big Bands of Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich, and Tommy Dorsey; the National Jazz Ensemble; Manny Album; Glen Miller; the Benny Goodman Tribute Band; and Sammy Kaye. He also performed with Christopher Cross, Gladys Knight, the Spinners, the Temptations, Gloria Estefan, Tony Bennett, Frankie Valli, and many others. He has performed for the Crown Prince of Norway and the Queen of England.

He has taught at Lafayette College, Blair Academy, and Montclair University.

In the late 80's, he formed his own band, The Nelson Hill Quartet , and performed in the New York and Philadelphia area.

In 2002, Nelson released his first solo CD entitled Lethal . He won a Grammy Award for the album, Hot, with Maynard Ferguson and was nominated for the CD's, Celebration and Real Life, with Phil Woods.

He is currently playing and recording with his own band, Co-op Bop . He teaches privately, does guest workshops for Yamaha Saxophones, and records music for the soap opera, All My Children.

He and his wife, Mary, have three daughters: Jessica, Talia, and Kendall.

Top

Angelo Polo - 1957 (Deceased)


Angelo Polo was an outstanding figure and shining example for the community of Bangor. He was a veteran, coach, slate splitter and community volunteer. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Slate Belt Heritage Center, the Selective Service Board of the U.S. Marines, the E. H. Evans American Legion Post 378, and the Elks Lodge #1106. He served the community as chairman of the Bangor Halloween Parade for 25 years. He volunteered in youth athletic programs, was co-founder and an officer in the Bangor Booster Club. For many years, he served as statistician for the Bangor Area High School football team. His awards include the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Service Award, Life Member "Legion of Honor" Chapel of Four Chaplains, Slate Belt Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award, and the St. David's Society Service Leadership Award.

Top

William Spangenberg, Ph. D. - 1964


In 1968, William Spangenberg graduated magna cum laude from Gettysburg College. He was class valedictorian and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He received his M.S. in Physics in 1970 and his Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 1975, both from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Spangenberg has over 30 years multidisciplinary experience in fluid dynamics, radiation hydrodynamics, and radiation transport, using computer simulations of complex physical phenomena and systems of interest to the nuclear weapons community. He has applied modern software engineering practices to the IV&V NASA space missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Robotic Servicing and Deorbit Mission real-time flight software, and the Space Shuttle return-to-flight independent technical assessment. He has published over 100 papers and articles on space technology. He currently works as senior computational physicist/systems engineer for Science Application International Corporation in San Diego, CA. From 1972 to 2003 he worked for Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM as a technical staff member. Dr. Spangenberg has received many awards, including: 1975: Lead Scientist on the Husky Pup Event, Nevada test site, Department of Energy 1999: Los Alamos National Laboratory Distinguished Performance Award 1999: ASCI Blue Mountain Performance Benchmark Achievement Milestone 2002: R&D 100 Award, R&D Magazine He is a member of the American Astronomical Society, and since 1972 has held top secret clearance for projects of national interest. He and his wife, Jean, live in Fredericksburg, TX. They have a son, a daughter, and one granddaughter.