Fryeburg Academy is proud to introduce seven new members who will be inducted into the 2014 Hall of Excellence at a ceremony during Homecoming weekend on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 10:30 a.m. in the Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center.

The public is welcome to attend this free admission presentation.

The six alumni and one supporter being inducted this year are: Robyn Dunham Ela ’87, Gregory Sanborn ’84, Asa O. Pike ’57, James A. Osgood ’56, Brett Russell ’56, Raymond “Lanky” Jordan ’11, and Daniel Turner (Significant Supporter).

Raymond Jordan

Raymond Jordan

Raymond “Lanky or Rip” Jordan, the class of 1911, was an outstanding varsity player in both football and baseball. Because of his amazing talent as a pitcher, it led him to start his professional baseball career in 1912 as a member of the American League’s Chicago White Sox.

Jordan went down to the minors in 1913 and played for the Western League’s Lincoln club for two seasons. He pitched over 200 innings during both campaigns. After winning 10 games in 1914, he went to the New England League’s Portland Duffs for a season and then joined the New York State League’s Elmira Colonels.

In 1919, Jordan started off with the Buffalo Bisons of the Class AA International League. Lanky had one of his best seasons, which led him that fall to the major leagues for the second time, when he started a game for the Washington Senators on Sept. 27, pitching against the Boston Red Sox. He lasted four innings and gave up five earned runs to take a no-decision. Boston outfielder Babe Ruth set a Major League Baseball record that year by hitting 29 home runs, and the last one came off of Jordan. Jordan never pitched in the majors after 1919.

In 1920, he moved west to join the Pacific Coast League’s San Francisco Seals. He finished his playing career the following season in the Texas League.

Jordan was a baseball manager in 1946, when he ran the New England League’s Portland Gulls. After his baseball career ended, he worked for General Electric. He died in Meriden, Conn. in 1960.

His baseball career lead to his induction into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame in August of 1971.

Brett Russell

Brett Russell

Bretton Russell is a 1956 graduate of Fryeburg Academy. Brett participated in 11 sports while at the Academy including tennis, baseball, football and skiing. A versatile style in skiing guided him to a State Class B Championship as a Ski Meister. He was also a two-time champion in jumping. He also was involved in One-Act plays.

After receiving a B.A. in history from the University of Maine in 1961, he continued his skiing as a four-year member of the ski team, serving as a captain. He began a career in teaching, first at Kent’s Hill School and then at Fryeburg Academy. He coached the Maine State Junior Alpine Team. His teams won three state championships and two prep titles.

After leaving the teaching profession, Brett spent 34 years in the ski and recreation industry, both retail and wholesale.

Brett has been a Fryeburg Academy trustee and was the co-chairman of the Capital Campaign (Phoenix Project), a founding member of the Fryeburg Academy Hall of Excellence Committee, on the Board of Directors of Jen’s Friends and president of the North Conway Country Club.

In 2011, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Brett is now retired and living in Center Conway, N.H., with his wife, Cindy. Brett includes skiing, golf, reading and opera among his major interests.

James A. Osgood

James Osgood

James A. Osgood is a 1956 graduate of Fryeburg Academy. Jim was a 12-sport standout at the Academy, where he played football, basketball and baseball, earning letters in eight of those seasons and was the co-captain and named Honorable Mention to the All State Football Team.

While attending the Academy, the Gibson Medal winner was the senior class president, the junior and sophomore class vice president, served three years in the Student Council and was active in the drama productions.

Jim has a degree in business administration from the University of Maine, Portland; and was part-owner of Osgood Bros. John Deere dealership until he retired in 2000.

Recipient of the 2006 Fryeburg Academy Distinguished Alumni Award, Jim is a Fryeburg Fair and Fryeburg Academy trustee, a past president of the Fryeburg-Lovell Kiwanis Club and past member of the SAD 72 School Board. Also within the community, Jim was the co-chairman of the Vincent Manoriti baseball field, and the Clarence Walker Industrial Arts Building Committee.  Jim has been a youth baseball and basketball coach, a member of the Fryeburg/Lovell Kiwanis Club and the Fryeburg Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Osgood is currently retired and living in Fryeburg with his wife, Donna.

Asa O. Pike IV

Asa O. “A.O.” Pike IV, a graduate of the Class of 1957, was outstanding in academics as well as athletics in 14 sport seasons, doubling tennis and baseball along with basketball and skiing.

Asa O. Pike

While at the Academy, he served on the newspaper, the One Acts and was a member of the National Honor Society. A.O. was inducted into the National Honor Society in 1954.He received the school’s highest graduation award, the Gibson Medal.

Following graduation, A.O. attended Bowdoin College, where he participated in football for a year and skiing for three, while receiving his B.A.

After his graduation, he worked in Boston for Commercial Union Insurance Company until 1963 when he returned to Fryeburg.  He is the former president of Pike-Conway-Dahl Insurance Agency — it is the oldest independently-owned insurance agency in the Mount Washington Valley. He served as president of the Largest National Association of Technology management from 1997–1998. He held directorship as Maine’s Association of Independent Insurance Agents and as Maine’s Director on the board of the National Association of Independent Agents and Brokers.

He has been on the Fryeburg Academy Alumni Association and was president in 1964. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Fryeburg Academy since 1983, serving in the roles of treasurer, vice-president and president. He was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012 by the Alumni Association.

As A.O. says, “Fryeburg Academy…The Academy…has always been an incredibly exciting part of my life, and this will continue to be so.

A.O. lives in Fryeburg with his wife, Karen.

Gregory Sanborn

Gregory Sanborn

Gregory “Gregg” Sanborn was a member of the Class of 1984. He played baseball, golf and was a tri-captain of the basketball team while at Fryeburg Academy.

An avid outdoorsman, this National Honor Society member went on to college at the University of Southern Maine to attain a degree in Industrial Arts and Biology.

Gregg taught at Bingham High School and followed his roots back to Fryeburg to teach and coach at Molly Ockett. Gregg was very active with the community working within the recreation department as a referee and an umpire.

In 1989, Gregg had the opportunity to attend the Criminal Justice Academy for the Maine Department of Inland Fishing and Wildlife. After the Academy, Gregg began his career as a Maine Game Warden, being named a Deputy Chief in 2004 after 15 years of service. During his career of 23 years, Gregg was a two-time recipient of the meritorious service award for conduct above the ordinary course of duty, in 2000 the Maine Warden Service awarded him “Supervisor of the Year,” and in 2011 received the Colonel’s Award. He taught numerous hunter safety classes, and wrote numerous newspaper articles encouraging safety and the love of outdoors.

He was the 2013 Fryeburg Academy Alumni Award recipient.

His family will be receiving the award posthumously in Gregg’s name for not only being an outstanding graduate of Fryeburg Academy, but in the eyes of the Maine Game Warden Service a legend and an officer of high standards who loved the Maine Outdoors.

Robyn Dunham Ela

Robyn Dunham Ela

Robyn Ela, Class of 1987, was a 12-sport athlete. Robyn participated in cross-country, soccer (as a member of the 1990 state championship team), softball and track, but it was her passion for skiing that stood out.

Robyn received the Julie Lynn Grace Award two times and was a state champion in both the slalom (SL) and the giant slalom (GS) in 1986–87. She won the Eastern High School Slalom Champion, the NH Jr.1 SL and Slalom champion, and had a 12th ranking in the USSA SL and 14th in the GS.

Robyn continued her skiing at Keene State where she was a two-time NCAA D2 SL and GS champion. She was nominated as the Portland Press Herald Female Athlete of the year in 1988. After transferring to Plymouth in 1993, she was a two-time USCSA Eastern regional champion, and was named to the USCSA All American Team. She competed in the Junior Olympics, FIS event and the Nor-Ams in US/Canada.

Robyn shared her passion for skiing as coach of the Lake Region Alpine Team, as well as a Junior Coach for King Pine for nine years and at Wildcat for three years.

Robyn received her B.S. degree from Plymouth State.

Robyn is a realtor, who resides in Fryeburg with her husband, Rich, and children, Courtney and Ethan.

Daniel Turner

Daniel Turner

This year, the Significant Supporter is Daniel Turner, longtime educator and coach, as well as a Maine native, graduating from Skowhegan High School and Bowdoin College in 1965.

Dan also earned his master’s of Education degree, majoring in Physics from University of Minnesota in 1971.

Dan was involved in athletics all his life. If he wasn’t playing football, basketball or baseball, he was coaching or refereeing. He first started teaching and coaching football at Fitchburg High School and then at Bridgton Academy before arriving at Fryeburg. He was one of the initial directors for the Fryeburg Academy Hall of Excellence.

Dan roamed the halls of Fryeburg Academy from 1969–2012. In those 43 years, Dan and his wife, Geraldine, lived on campus and raised three sons and a daughter. He was an Athletic Director, Dorm master, head football coach, basketball and baseball coach, Student Council advisor, department head of both the physical science and the math departments, founded the Substance Awareness Abuse Team, ETEP mentor, director of countless blood drives, founding member of the HOE committee and math and science teacher.

Within the community, Dan served as the Little League Commissioner, the Bambino Baseball president, a charter member of the recreation committee, and a Webelos Scout leader, along with having coached youth sports and 12 years of football at Molly Ockett Middle School.

Professionally, Dan was the SYCL Football Coach of the Year, received two yearbook dedications, was nominated as Maine Teacher of the Year, and served as coach in the Lobster Bowl, which included being selected to be the Head Coach in 1996.

Dan was inducted into the Hall of Fame at his alma mater, Skowhegan High School, as well as the Bridgton Academy Hall of Fame as a coach in 2013.

He was “Mr. Red Cross,” working hard every year to run the Red Cross Bloodmobile two times a year from Fryeburg.