NEWPORT — A military officer,
a former athlete, an educator and a
musician will be inducted tonight
into the Newport High School Hall
of Fame.
Rear Admiral Charles Ray, Jus
tin Wesley Brown, Charles W.
Donaldson and Sonny Burgess are
this year’s honorees. The Newport
Special School District Charitable
Foundation will honor the men at
the fourth annual Newport Alumni
Hall of Fame banquet at 6 p.m. at the
Newport Country Club.
Ray said he’s been able to visit his
hometown of Newport at least once
a year to visit family.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to
be able to come back to Newport at
least once a year most of the years
I’ve been in the Coast Guard,” he
said. “Most of my family is in New
port, and I have strong roots there.” Although Newport has changed,
he said there are some aspects of the
town that remain the same.
“Newport has changed since I
was young, with a lot of the busi
nesses moving further east by the
interstate,” he said. “On the otherhand, some things about Newport are just the same as they always were - strong family connections, good honest people and a slower pace of life than in a lot of big cities. I always feel like I have my batteries chargedwhen I go home to Newport.”
Ray graduated from Newport in 1977, and in 1981, he graduated from the Coast Guard Academy. He later earned a Master of Science degree in industrial administration from Purdue University, as well as a Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C.
“I didn’t start out planning to stay in the Coast Guard for a career,” he said. “One of our JROTC instructors at NHS, Sgt. Gay, helped me apply to the Coast Guard Academy, and I decided to go, primarily to get a good education and a chance to play football. One thing led to another, and I decided I liked the service, and the next thing I knew, here I am 31 years later, still enjoying it. During the first 24 years of my career, I was a Coast Guard helicopter pilot, and that is one of the best jobs in the world.” As far as being selected as a Hall of Fame inductee, Ray said he’s humbled.
“I am really humbled to be selected for the Hall of Fame,” he said.
“It is a great honor, and I sincerely appreciate those back home who nominated me.” The other three honorees are as follows:◊Brown is a 1995 graduate ofNewport. He will receive the award posthumously. Soon after signing to play football for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Brown went in for a football physical in 1997, and doctors discovered that a virus had attacked his heart. He suddenly found himself on a waiting list for an artificial heart. Brown died Sept. 26, 1998. The star athlete won many awards during his high school football career. He was also active in several organizations and was an honor student.
◊Donaldson is a 1965 graduate of W.F. Branch High School, which was Jackson County’s black high school.Donaldson received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Philander Smith College: a Master of Education degree in counseling from State College of Arkansas at Conway, now the University of Central Arkansas; and he earned a Doctorate of Education in counseling from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He also went on to complete the Institute for Management Education at Harvard University.
Donaldson is currently vice chancellor for educational and student services and student life, as well as an associate professor of higher education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He was instrumental in the TRiO Programat UALR. His leadership at UALR resulted in the expansion of the Donaghey Student Center and the creation of the UALR Welcome Center.
◊Burgess graduated from Newport in 1948. Burgess is well known for his music career. In 1954, he formed the group The Pacers with Kern Kennedy, Jack Nance, Joe Lewis, Russ Smith and Johnny Ray Hubbard. The band released several successful singles. Burgess still tours nationwide and internationally. Burgess is also a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame of Europe and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
The Newport High School Hall of Fame was designed to honor people who have made exceptional contributions in their chosen field while exhibiting outstanding leadership, character and service to their communities.
Past inductees include Gov. Mike Beebe, Charles Balentine, Kaneaster Hodges Jr., Joe Miles, Doyle and Raye Rogers, John Mullins, James. E. Simmons, Martha Johnson, John Minor Sr., Bill Keedy Jr., Lt. Lynn Michael Travis, David G. Belva, Billy Warren Jr., Dr. Jabez Jackson and Steve Stephens.
For more information, call Julie Allen at the Newport Chamber of Commerce at (870) 523-3618.
Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.
Three Rivers, Pages 49 on 08/16/2012