Neenah’s annual Hall of Fame banquet, which took place at the Bridgewood Conference Center on

Sept. 30, welcomed five new members.

Bill Dunwiddle, Kathy Hagerstrom, Robert Keller, David McLaren and John Schneller were all honored at the ceremony, joining the 17 previous inductees. “We have the opportunity to thank Hall of Fame inductees for leaving their legacy,” Superintendent Dr. Mary Pfeiffer began, “212 degrees create steam and steam can power a train.”

The honorees’ steam allowed them to create change during their time at Neenah High School (NHS). Later on, it caused a community member to nominate them for the Hall of Fame.

The first honoree, Dunwiddie, taught social studies at NHS from 1948-’83. “He approached teaching at Neenah the way he approached everything else in life . . . really plunging in, fully engaged, always looking at the bright side of things, ” his son, Peter, said while accepting the nomination. He made a much broader impact by entering the City of Neenah Park and Recreation Commission in 1964.

Hagerstrom scored 1,219 points in girls’ basketball while at NHS, successfully leading the team to the 1978 WIAA state championship. “Life is to be lived forward and looked at backwards,” Haegerstrom said humbly while accepting her place in the Hall of Fame. She fought tears while expressing her gratitude toward teammates and coaches from her past. “Create a culture, be positive and be excellent,” Haegerstrom concluded.

Keller, another honoree, is the chairman of J.J. Keller and Associates; however, many students are thankful for his position with the J.J. Keller Foundation because of the gracious distribution of scholarships for higher education. In a message to inspire students, Keller said “work ethic and dedication are key.”

The fourth honoree, McLaren, was a WIAA state champion in shot put during track and field season. Notably, he also played football and made it to state semifinals in 1988. Later in his career, he earned two national titles in shot put.

Finally, Schneller’s son spoke on his behalf. Schneller passed away in 1978, though not before influencing the community. Schneller played for the Detroit Lions championship team in 1938, even after earning a basketball scholarship while at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He supported the United States in wartime aboard the U.S.S. South Dakota. During his battles, he survived seven bullet wounds and mustard gas. Even at home, Schneller found himself in interesting situations. He wound up “after hours with a local gangster,” according to his son. Of course, Schneller is most known for his company, Schneller and Associates.

Touch of Class performed at the ceremony in front of the honorees, community members and fellow students. Megan Altekruse, Caleb Feavel, Eddison Flottemesch, Mindara Krueger-Olson, Abbegayle Lane, Grass Moss, Emily Roberts, Mckenna Seegers and Jaxon Spiegelberg represented NHS thanks to the array of extracurricular activities in which they involve themselves.

“We’ve had some really amazing people that graduated from here and it’s nice for them to get recognition for their accomplishments,” Altekruse said.

Dunwiddle, Hagerstrom, Keller, McLaren and Schneller join the ranks of George Edmund Bergstrom, Tom Berven, Joe Braun, Theresa Cheng, Laura Ryan, Ron Einerson, Wellington Hsu, Zuhdi Jasser, Ole Jorgensen, James Keating, John Keating, Jean Kessler, Wayne Kreklow, Patricia Westphal, John Whitlinger, Thomas Weisner and Ivan Williams.

To recognize someone formerly or currently in the Neenah Joint School District who has contributed to athletics, the arts, or academics, nomination forms are available online.