Alumni association president, Dr. Linda L. Croushore, right, is shown above with the newest members of the McKeesport High School Hall of Fame. The 2007 Class, from left to right, includes Dr. David C. Neuschwander, Gary J. Yazwa, Kate Rollason, Charles D. Mikell, Bette Dingeldein Ford, and William H. Bechtol.


William H. Bechtol
Class of 1940

William H. Bechtol’s call to public service began with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, one year after he graduated from McKeesport High School.

He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and saw extensive action in the Pacific Theater, most notably on the island of Iwo Jima, where he was recognized for his valor and heroism with both the Purple Heart and a Battlefield Commission to the rank of second lieutenant. It was the first of many commitments he made to his nation and his community.

Upon returning to McKeesport, Mr. Bechtol was employed in the transportation department of Firth Sterling, but he was called to serve again in the Korean War, where his professional skills in the area of transportation proved critical to the American cause. A Major when the armis-tice was reached, Mr. Bechtol returned to private life and resumed his career, this time at Pittsburgh Coke & Chemical.

In 1962, when a vacancy occurred on the McKeesport Area School Board, Mr. Bechtol was asked to serve out the term. He would be elected to two additional terms and would prove to be a voice of reason and fairness in what was a turbulent time in the history of the district and the nation.

Mr. Bechtol also was a force in the civic life of the greater McKeesport community. He served on the Board of Directors of the Carnegie Library of McKeesport, was active in the Boy Scouts of America and the American Legion, and was a Vestryman at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.

In the mid-1960s, he began working with other community leaders on a project that would affect the health and welfare of many area families for years to come: establishment of the Mon-Yough Adult Retardation Center (MYARC), a forerunner of the mental health services so common in communities today.

During this time, he continued to attend a variety of professional schools, maintaining his credentials in the transportation industry. Mr. Bechtol retired from Shenango, Inc., as Director of Transportation.

Although he currently resides in Coraopolis, Pa., his daughter, Lt. Col. Barbara B. Cross, USMCR ret., says he maintains close ties with the community through family members. And, she adds, his Tiger pride is unwavering. “In all his travels and at every opportunity, when asked where he’s from, rather than simply answer Pittsburgh, his reply always is, ‘I was born and raised in McKeesport – that’s my home’.”

Bette Dingeldein Ford
Class of 1945

When Bette Dingeldein graduated from McKeesport High School, she turned down a scholarship to Slippery Rock College and bought a one-way ticket to New York City.

Ambitious, an acknowledged beauty, she was sure that she could launch her career there. It was the kind of fearless decision that has marked her eventful life – as model, stage and screen actress, and skilled matador, whose exploits in the bullring were chronicled in newspapers, newsreel and film.

In New York, she became the model Bette Ford and her image soon appeared on billboards and in magazines as the face and form for Jantzen bathing suit girl, the Camay bride, and the Parliament girl. She was the model for numerous book jacket covers, Catalina swimsuits and scores of other products.

A modeling assignment took her to Bogota, Columbia, where she was invited by Luis Miguel Dominguin, a renowned matador, to see him fight. It was her introduction to the art of bullfighting and the beginning of a lifelong passion for the sport.

Meanwhile, Ms. Ford continued to pursue an acting career and soon became a regular on “The Jackie Gleason Show” and “The Jimmy Durante Show.” She later appeared on Broadway in “The First Lady,” “Pal Joey” and “Time of the Cuckoo,” after which she returned to Mexico City to be married but her friends say she “married the bulls” instead. She had a chance to train with top people in the field, and her preparation and first fight were made into a film, “Beauty and the Bull,” which was nominated for an Academy Award/Short Documentary.

Within three years, her poise, courage, and grace in the ring earned her acclaim as one of the top 10 bullfighters in Central America. She was the only American to fight in the Plaza Mexico, the largest bullring in the world.

She was dubbed Bette “Guts” Ford by the press after being seriously gored in a fight in which she nevertheless killed the bull. Her career was chronicled by the international press and such luminaries as author Norman Mailer and photographer Margaret Bourke-White.

Ms. Ford retired after more than 200 fights and returned to acting, appearing in numerous Clint Eastwood and Steven Segal movies and on TV’s “Cheers,” “L.A. Law” and “Hunter,” among others. Ms. Ford continues to pursue her acting career  today. She and her husband Scott Wolkoff reside in the Toluca Lake area of Los Angeles, Calif.

Charles D. Mikell, M.P.H.
Class of 1952

Charles D. Mikell has had a long career in public health administration coupled with years of service to the McKeesport community.

He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania; his Master’s Degree in Public Health and Health Administration from the University of Pittsburgh; and his Diploma, Public Affairs, from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

From 1998 to the present, he has been a Public Health Consultant for Primary Care Health Services in Pittsburgh, Pa. He served as Clinical Services Supervisor for Family Health Council, Inc., of Pittsburgh from 1989-91 and Program Director of the Women, Infants Development Project there from 1991-98.

Mr. Mikell was Assistant Administrator for McKeesport Area Health System from 1978-88. He served Community Action Pittsburgh, Inc., first as Director, Comprehensive Program for Minority Alcoholics (1970-74), and then as Executive Director (1974-78).

In the early years of his career, he held positions with the Hill Rehabilitation Center, Hill District Community Action Program, Hill House Association, and Allegheny County Health Department.

Mr. Mikell also has served as a consultant to the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health on methadone maintenance programs (1974) and to the National Institute of Alcohol and Alcohol Abuse, Department of Health and Human Services (1975).

He has extensive experience in the areas of drug and alcohol abuse and HIV prevention and has received numerous awards for his work in these areas. He has authored various publications and papers and has received or participated in several research grants.

Mr. Mikell was a leading spokesman in the McKeesport community during the 1960s and has held seats on City Council, McKeesport Housing and Redevelopment Authorities, and McKeesport Hospital Authority. He also served on the boards of the McKeesport YMCA and Allegheny County Mental Health, Mental Retardation. He is a past president of the McKeesport N.A.A.C.P. and McKeesport Kiwanis.

Currently, he is a member of the Pennsylvania HIV State Planning Committee and HIV Planning Council.

Mr. Mikell served in the U.S. Navy Active Reserve from 1950 to 1952 and in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1952-1955.

He currently resides in Monroeville.

With the 2007 group, the number of people in the Hall of Fame climbs to 135.

Gary J. Yazwa
Class of 1964

When Gary Yazwa was eight years old, he joined the McKeesport Boys & Girls Club, unwittingly taking the first steps to a career as a dynamic and visionary leader for this national network of youth organizations.

It was the staff at the McKeesport club that eventually steered him away from the steel mills and toward college, first in Oklahoma and then at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. And it was the McKeesport club to which he returned as physical education director, beginning a 35-year commitment to young people that has earned him the title of “The Wizard of Yaz.”

Mr. Yazwa’s skills in working with youth and his ability to communicate and attract people and resources made him one of the top performers in the Boys & Girls Clubs in the Western Pennsylvania system. He soon became a “troubleshooter” sent to help struggling clubs with program and staff development and community engagement issues.

In 1978 Mr. Yazwa made the move that changed his life, accepting a position in Tempe, Arizona, as Executive Director of a small Boys Club of around 300 kids, a budget of $54,000, a 3,000 square foot building, and an outdoor basketball court. By 1980, he had guided the Tempe Boys Club into a merger with the Girls Club and nailed down an impressive fund-raising venture – securing concession rights at training sites for two major league baseball teams that generated a million dollars net revenue in one month and firmly established the Club’s position in the community.

Mr. Yazwa spent 18 years building the Arizona Club into one of the best in the country before leaving in 1996 for Tacoma, Washington. He currently is President/CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound (BGCSPS) in Tacoma, Washington, where he merged five separate Clubs and changed a struggling organization with little board and community support to one that brought  in $7.2 million in its initial fund-raising campaign, a 15% increase over goal.

In October of 2004, Mr. Yazwa was honored by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Pacific Region with the prestigious Horizon Award, given to individuals who have made a difference in the lives of our kids by their lifetime commitment to the movement and accomplishments achieved as a member of the BGCA team.

During his 35-year career, Mr. Yazwa has been part of a number of visionary changes, including being one of the first to let girls participate in Clubs; developing a charter school; working to establish a Club on Indian land; implementing the first incentive program and staff development plans within the Boys & Girls Clubs movement; and raising over $100,000,000.

He is a sought-after speaker and consultant throughout the youth development field.

Kathleen Rollason
Class of 1969

Kathleen (Kate) Rollason has devoted her professional life to helping people with disabilities lead productive, contributing lives in typical communities and neighborhoods.

She currently is Executive Director of The Arc of the Central Chesapeake Region (Md.), which advocates for all developmentally disabled people and provides direct services to well over 800 individuals and families annually. Ms. Rollason manages a budget in excess of $10 million and a diverse staff of over 220 people.

She came up through the ranks of the disability system, working first as a counselor teaching people to advocate for themselves, then as an adviser to people in small community homes. She held two program director posts before assuming her first executive director’s position more than 20 years ago. In that job, she merged three county-wide Arcs into one larger organization, reducing overhead costs and delivering more services to more families.

The non-profit organization she now heads serves five counties in the Chesapeake area of Maryland. At the Arc, she develops and manages all fund-raising efforts, public relations campaigns, and fiscal growth plans. She is an experienced and successful grant writer and an effective advocate – at city, county, state and federal levels – for the disabled population.

She has authored legislation for state representatives and has testified frequently before the Maryland legislature. She has been tapped by a number of Maryland’s governors to serve on commissions and task forces and has received formal citations recognizing her work.

Ms. Rollason graduated from West Virginia University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism with an emphasis in public relations. That background has served her well as much of her time is devoted to working with the media, not only to raise public awareness of needs of people with disabilities but also to inform the public of the contributions they can make to the business world and their communities. Her efforts in this area range from producing a weekly radio show for a Baltimore agency to founding newsletters and writing radio and TV spots.

A minor in political science helped prepare her to navigate the complexities of the legislative process and graduate work in guidance and counseling at WVU readied her for direct client work. Her advocacy efforts include grassroots mobilization to support specific legislation and training volunteers to act as advocates.

Ms. Rollason has presented at conferences and meetings and has lectured and provided training nationally and internationally.

She describes herself as “an old hippie.” Her family, friends and colleagues say this “hippie” had the conviction, belief, will and courage to devote her life to making the world a better place.

David C. Neuschwander, M.D.
Class of 1976

David C. Neuschwander, M.D., has an active practice in orthopedics and sports medicine in the Pittsburgh area and is a recognized expert in treating sports injuries.

Valedictorian of his high school class in 1976, he attended Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude in 1980, and then went on to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he received his M.D. in 1984.

He did his internship at Charity Hospital of New Orleans and pursued post-graduate medical training at Louisiana State University (LSU) in New Orleans. He finished his orthopedic residency at Charity Hospital in 1989, and then performed a one-year Knee and Sports Medicine Fellowship at LSU.

Dr. Neuschwander returned to Pittsburgh in 1990 and has been with Orthopedic Associates of Pittsburgh, Inc., to the present day. 

Over the years, Dr. Neuschwander has been active on the medical staff of Forbes Regional Hospital and has served as medical staff president there (2003-04). He also was a member of the Forbes Board of Directors (2002-04) and is one of only four physicians tapped for the West Penn Health System Board of Directors, serving from 2004 to the present.

Dr. Neuschwander also is affiliated with UPMC Shadyside and the UPMC Surgery Center in Monroeville. He is certified with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a Fellow with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery.

He holds membership in numerous professional organizations, including the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the American Medical Association, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society and the Allegheny County Medical Society.

Since 1990, Dr. Neuschwander has been a clinical instructor in the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Orthopaedics.

He has presented at state, national and international conferences and authored journal articles and book chapters. He has been included in various guides of top orthopedic doctors in the country.

Dr. Neuschwander calls on his expertise in treating sports injuries, particularly those involving the knee and shoulder, when he volunteers his time to take care of McKeesport Area High School athletes.

He and his wife Stephanie have two children, Paulina and Nicholas. They reside in Monroeville.