LEAF to honor Graduates of Distinction

The Lehighton Education and Athletic Foundation will be hosting its fourth annual Graduates of Distinction Dinner and Induction Ceremonies on June 15 at the American Legion Home in Lehighton. The doors will open at 6 p.m. for a social and cocktail hour followed by the dinner at 7 p.m. This year five new inductees will join the 16 members already enshrined.

Applicants are elected by a seven-person committee consisting of educators, businessmen and professionals. The candidates are selected based on committed service to his or her community, recognition at the local, state, national or international levels, and outstanding accomplishments in his or her occupational field.

Tickets for the event cost $30 per person and may be purchased at the Larry Markley Insurance Agency in Lehighton or from Tim Tkach at 570-657-6700 or from Hugh Dugan at 610-554-4864. Classmates of the candidates are welcome to attend this event to help celebrate their induction into this notable group

The candidates selected for induction this year are:

Dr. Angela Houser Christman

Dr. Angela Houser Christman (1982) is co-owner of the Houser-Newman Associates, a full-service vision/eye and surgery center with three offices serving Mahoning Valley, Nesquehoning and Palmerton. She is board certified in ophthalmology and is a third generation doctor in her family following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather.

Houser Christman is a 1986 graduate of Ursinus College and a 1990 graduate of Jefferson Medical College. In 1991 she served an internship at West Reading Hospital, and in 1992 she was the medical officer for Grenfell Regional Health services in Newfoundland, Canada. In 1995 she completed her three-year residency at Wills Eye Hospital Ophthalmology in Philadelphia.

Christman has participated in a vision project with the Lions and Gnaden Huetten Hospital involving students in the Lehighton Area School District who had failed eye exams but could not afford vision care. She provided glasses to these students at no cost.

She is an active member of the Lehighton Area Band Boosters Association, where she was a past vice president and is currently serving as president.

Christman has helped many students interested in pursuing a career in medicine and ophthalmology by providing mentoring to those students both in the office and surgical suite.

She is married to Brad Christman. They are the parents of two daughters, Hannah and Abigail. They also have two stepdaughters, Brandie and Nicole, and five grandchildren.

Maj. Gen. Bert A. David Sr.

Maj. Gen. David (1942) received his appointment to the United States Military Academy from Congressman Francis E. Walter in 1943. He graduated in 1946 with a B.S. degree in engineering and military science. His assignments took him to various military posts and schools in the United States. He also served in Japan, Korea, Germany, South Vietnam and Okinawa. He retired from active duty in 1977 after 31 years of service with the permanent rank of major general. Some of his assignments were: Assistant Division Commander, 3rd Infantry Division, Germany, Commanding General, First Republic of Korea Army Detachment, Wonju Korea, Commander, U.S. Army training Center, Infantry, Fort Dix, New Jersey, Commanding General, U.S. Army Base Command, Okinawa, and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C.

After retirement from the Army, David was employed as a District Representative for Lutheran Brotherhood. He was also a broker for the American National Insurance Company. Some of his other activities were: Member of the West Shore Rotary Club, The Executives Club of Central Pennsylvania, Lehighton Elks Lodge 1284, Lehighton Masonic Lodge F. and A.M. No. 621, Fort Leavenworth Consistory, and Advisory Board of Cumberland County National Bank.

He is one of only three people to be honored by the town of Lehighton with a large testimonial dinner. Lehighton Mayor Wilbur Bauchspies issued the proclamation and the event was held in 1972 at the Lehighton Elks Club.

Bert Alison David was listed in “Who’s Who in America” several times during the 1970s and he was also listed in “The National Register of Prominent Americans and International Notables” in 1976-77.

Maj. Gen. David was married to Shirley Faye Fagan. They are the parents of four sons, Bert A. David Jr., Scott C. David and Jon R. David (twins) and Lance B. David. At the time of his death, his family established the “Major General Bert A. David award” at Lehighton Area High School, which gives an annual monetary award to a graduating senior.

A member of Shoemaker-Haydt American Legion Post 314, Lehighton, he was the only member to belong to the Last Man’s Club of World War II, the Korean conflict and the Vietnam War. A trophy cabinet containing his memorabilia was dedicated in June 1992 at the Legion Post.

Willard C. Doll

Willard Doll (1953), upon graduation from high school, enlisted in the Army, where he served his country from 1953-56, ascending to the rank of sergeant. From 1956-57 he attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering, where he earned an Associate Degree in metals fabrication.

In 1959 his career took him to Levittown, where he secured employment with U.S. Steel Corp. Fairless Works. While there he attended night school at Drexel University, where he received an Associate Degree in welding engineering and welding metallurgy. He became welding supervisor for U.S. Steel from 1965 to 1972.

In 1972 he took a job at the New Jersey Zinc Co-Horsehead Corp., where he rose through the ranks to become Area Supervisor of Oxide West, General Foreman of the shops, Superintendent of shops, and finally Manager of all shops and services.

While working at NJZ, he was asked to serve on Horsehead Community Development Fund, where for six years he was a member of the board of directors and a four-term treasurer. He retired in 1998.

Willard was a founding member of the Lehighton Knee Hi Football Organization. He was the first head coach of the Navy Team and is honored at the Wall of Honor at Baer Memorial Park

Willard has also served on the Lehighton School Board of Education. He served from 1975-1977 and again from 1985-1993. In his 10 years on the board he served four terms as president and three terms as vice president. Some notable decisions by the board during this period were the closing of the old ward buildings and high school, the renovations and additions to the elementary schools, and the building of the present day high school. Willard is the father of three children: Brad, Lorrie and Susan.

Miles W. Haberman

Miles Haberman (1953): After graduation from Lehighton High School, Haberman enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served from 1954 to 1974. During that period he attended Community College of the Air Force, Colorado Springs, and received an Associate Degree in business administration. From 1964 to 1974 he served as superintendent of the Biomedical Research Laboratory for the U.S. Air Force Space Program. Miles retired from the Air Force in 1974 with the rank of senior master sergeant. He was a Vietnam War-era veteran.

After retiring from the Air Force, he attended Bucknell University, where he obtained a degree in advanced banking. He then secured employment with the Hazleton National Bank during 1989-90, where he became manager/vice president of loans. His next position was with the Jim Thorpe National Bank, where he served as president and CEO.

From 1980 to 1983, Haberman served on Lehighton Borough Council. From 1986 to 1989 he was the mayor of Lehighton, and from 1990-93, Haberman was Lehighton’s Borough Manager.

He also served on the board of directors for the Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital for several years. In 1986 Miles was Person of the Year for the Lehighton Future Business Leaders of America. In 1987 he was The Pennsylvania FBLA Business Person of the Year. In 1990 he was selected as Citizen of the Year by the Lehighton Chamber of Commerce.

Haberman was married Marie J. Scherer Haberman. They were the parents of four children: Dennis, Jeffrey, Terry and Karen Haberman Knappenberger.

Marshall G. Walters

Marshall Walters (1986): After graduation Marshall attended the Penn State University Hazleton Campus for two years. He then transferred to the Penn State Harrisburg Campus and graduated from there in 1991 with a degree in business/humanities. Marshall is the founder of Architectural Polymers, AP Thermoforming and Architectural Polymers of Australia. His companies employ 75 people and are one of the largest Decorative Concrete Form manufacturing Companies in the world.

Architectural Polymers operates in North America and Australia and is a classic case of American entrepreneurism. Walters formed his business in his parents’ basement, making small novelty molds and transformed it into a large concrete form manufacturing company. Marshall holds a total of 10 patents spread over the United States, Canada and Australia.

His products have a central theme of Green Building awareness. The intent of all projects is to increase the building’s overall efficiency in curbing wasteful energy consumption.

Walters is the current treasurer of the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation and is also a board member of the Carbon County Industrial development Authority. He is one of the founders of the Carbon County Community Foundation, whose mission is to improve the quality of life for all Carbon County Residents.

Architectural Polymers has been involved in the construction of many distinguished projects. Some are: the Flight 93 Memorial, Citizens Bank Park, the Statue of Liberty Welcome Center, Texas Rangers Ballpark at Arlington, Museum of the American Revolution, Minnesota Training Facility, and 290 Mulberry SOHO New York.

Some local projects include the decorative panels on the Sgt. A.J. Baddick Bridge, Jim Thorpe; Pennsylvania Turnpike Mahoning Interchange; Pennsylvania Turnpike overpasses and sound walls, Mahoning Interchange to Philadelphia; Pottsville Inter Modal Bus Station and PPL parking garage, Allentown.

Marshall has received 16 Precast Concrete Awards, of which two are the Penn State Millennium Science Building and the Study Hotel in Philadelphia. He also has received the American Concrete Institute Award for his work at the St. Joseph University Book Store.