2016 Hall of Fame Members

Post date: Nov 15, 2016 3:38:36 AM

Orr Fisher

Distinguished Alumnus (Delphos)

Orr Fisher was born on 1885 on a farm southwest of Delphos. He received his education at country schools in the Delphos area. He went on to study art through correspondence courses, and later at the Cumming School of Art and at Drake University. He also studied under the tutelage of another celebrated Iowa artist, Grant Wood.

Fisher worked for a time with J.N. “Ding” Darling, famed cartoonist for the Des Moines Register. Throughout his career Fisher produced articles, cartoons, and illustrations for various publications, he operated a picture postcard business, he worked in advertising, and he wrote sermons. He supplemented his art income with a job on the railroad, as well as driving a six-horse freight team in Wyoming. Fisher was also an accomplished inventor, obtaining United States, Canadian, and British patents for an automatic train whistle used on steam locomotives.

Fisher became known for his work with oil paint, and it is estimated that he produced over 1000 oil paintings in his career. Much of his work centered on landscapes, including a number of famous paintings depicting scenes from state and national parks. He was also noted for his whimsical and humorous paintings & sketches, as well as others that portrayed religious & spiritual themes. In the 1940s, he was commissioned by the Works Progress Administration to paint murals in newly constructed federal post offices buildings in Mount Ayr and Forest City, Iowa.

In the 1950s, he built a studio in Woodstock, New York, living and working in that artists’ colony for 10 years. Mr. Fisher then moved to Fresno, California where he passed away in 1974.

David McDaniel

Distinguished Graduate – Class of 1969

David McDaniel is a 1969 graduate of Mount Ayr Community Schools. He furthered his education at Northwest Missouri State University, earning a Bachelors Degree in Physics and a minor in Mathematics. He was awarded a National Science Foundation grant for a physics research project at Kansas State University, and went on to earn Masters and Doctoral degrees in Nuclear Physics from the University of Wisconsin. After serving as a research associate in the physics department at Wisconsin, he accepted a postdoctoral fellowship in Radiology at the University of Texas Medical School.

In 1983, he started a career with General Electric Medical Systems (now GE Healthcare), where he currently holds the title of Senior Detector Physicist & Principal Engineer in the Positron Emission Tomography (PET Scan) Department. Since that time, McDaniel’s designs and specifications have been at the heart of every PET scanner developed by GE Healthcare. He is revered as the “Godfather” of every advance in PET detection in the last 30 years, with over 50 patents and 18 PET scan projects to his credit. An estimated 225 million patient exams have been performed on scanners designed by Dr. McDaniel, and his work has impacted millions of people who have received PET scans to diagnose illness and evaluate treatment.

Dr. McDaniel is recognized as the world’s foremost expert in nuclear medical technology, and he is considered one of the top three nuclear physicists in the world. In 2015 he was received the prestigious Edison Award.

Bruce Ricker

Distinguished Graduate – Class of 1975

Bruce Ricker is a 1975 graduate of Mount Ayr Community Schools. He played on Raider basketball teams that qualified for the state tournament in 1973 and 1975. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Iowa in 1979, and he earned his medical degree from the University of Osteopathic Medicine & Health Sciences in 1983. Dr. Ricker completed his internship in Arizona at Phoenix General Hospital, and following that he operated a solo practice in Phoenix for 12 years.

Dr. Ricker returned to Mount Ayr in 1997 to accept a position at the Mount Ayr Medical Clinic. In addition to his practice at the clinic, he serves as Ringgold County Hospital Chief of Staff as well as the medical director. Dr. Ricker is the Ringgold County Medical Examiner, and is the medical director for Hospice as well as both of the local nursing homes. He also serves as a clinical instructor for 3rd and 4th year medical students at several schools of Osteopathic medicine.

In 2003 he was selected as the Iowa Osteopathic Medicine Physician of the Year, and he received the 2003 Spirit of Hospice Award from the Iowa Hospice Association. Dr. Ricker is currently serving a second term as president of the Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association, and is the past President of the Iowa Chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.

Michell (Holmes) Ricker

Distinguished Graduate – Class of 1975

Michell (Holmes) Ricker is a 1975 graduate of Mount Ayr Community Schools. Michell earned both her Bachelor of Science degree and Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Iowa. She served as a social worker for Ringgold County Public Health, but she found her true calling in volunteer work, striving to improve the quality of life in Ringgold County.

Michell has written grants to provide funding to numerous organizations in Ringgold County. She is a member of the South Central Iowa Community Foundation Board and also serves on their Executive Board. She is on the Board of Directors for the Princess Theater and the Teen Center, and has established endowment funds for both of those organizations. Michell serves on the Board of Directors for Blessman Ministries as well as the Iowa Chapter of International Cooperating Ministries, and she is a member of the Iowa Board of Health.

In 1983, Michell received the Governors Lifesaving Award for rescuing two young men from their burning car. She was also named as the recipient of the Governors Volunteer Award in 2014.

Dr. Bruce and Michell established the Margaret Ricker Memorial Fund, which supports the Raider Reader and Maroon Reader programs at the Mount Ayr and Diagonal elementary schools. Between the two of them, they have gone on 12 mission trips, serving the medical and spiritual needs of people in all parts of the world. They have partnered with International Cooperating Ministries to build 12 churches, orphanages, and Hope Centers in nine different countries . In addition to these causes, the Rickers have been silent benefactors to many projects and organizations in the community, including Mount Ayr Community Schools, the First Christian Church, and the Neighborhood Center.

Ron Scott

Science Teacher, Guidance Counselor, Wrestling Coach

Ron Scott is a 1961 graduate of Tulsa Webster High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Northwest Missouri State University, earning his Education degree in 1966. He was also a wrestling letter winner for the nationally ranked Bearcats. Mr. Scott came to Mount Ayr in 1966, and taught PE for 4 years before moving to the Biology classroom for the next 16 years. In 1986 he became the guidance counselor and would serve in that position for 16 years. During their time in Mount Ayr, Mr. Scott and his wife Dana had one son, adopted two more boys, and opened their home to a number of at-risk students for extended periods of time.

At various times during his tenure at Mount Ayr, Scott coached football, baseball, and of course, wrestling. Coach Scott served as the head wrestling coach for 30 years, compiling a record of 198-137-4. He coached one undefeated team, and two other teams that had just one loss. Under the direction of Coach Scott, 57 Raiders qualified for the state wrestling tournament, including 3 wrestlers who finished as state runner-up, and 1 state champion. He was one of the pioneers of the Iowa Wrestling Coaches Association, and he started the first wrestling coaches and officials clinic in the state of Iowa. Coach Scott was elected to the IHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994, and in 2008 he received the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lifetime Service Award.

After 36 years of service, Coach Scott retired from the Mount Ayr School system in 2002 to start a new career at the Iowa Institute of Character Development, working with coaches and athletes in the Pursuing Victory With Honor program.

Saying the he wanted to “finish strong for the Lord”, Scotty began his third career in 2009 when he became the Midwest Director of International Cooperating Ministries. In this position he found his true calling, helping build churches in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He was serving in this capacity at the time of his death in 2012.

Former students, athletes, and colleagues praise his leadership, loyalty, dedication, and his commitment to building strong character. Many cite him as the most influential person in their life.