Bulletin Photo by Bruce Roberts Robert and Evelyn Hackler (right and center) greet Dr. Ed Coulter, Allena Dryer and Kelly Coulter at the Hall of Honors reception Thursday evening at Big Creek Country Club.

Approximately 150 people gathered at Big Creek Country Club Thursday night to honor five teachers and five former students of the Mountain Home School District.

The Mountain Home Education Foundation had selected them as the first persons to be inducted into the Hall of Honor.

They were honored at the foundation's "A night of honors and the roasting of Robert Hackler" which also toasted his wife, Evelyn.

The outstanding teachers recognized included Fanny Pinkston, Jewell Nelson, Mary Hogle and the Hacklers.

Students honored included Linda Beaman Pitts, 1971 graduate; Larry Choate, 1964 graduate; Fran Dryer Coulter, 1961 graduate; Terry Poynter, 1958 graduate; and Nell Powell Wright, a 1935 graduate.

The foundation also recognized First National Bank and Trust Co. of Mountain Home and president and CEO Danny Williams for the $25,000 contribution they gave the foundation last year.

Master of ceremonies Bob Knight said the Arkansas Broadcasters Association also made a contribution of $10,000. The endowment scholarship came from the estate of Lela Stricklen who, along with her husband, Monk, owned KTLO Radio for 30 years. Before she died, she created a scholarship for students interested in broadcasting.

Pinkston taught for several years and spent years working on the Mountain Home Scholarship Committee. Pinkston Middle School is named in honor of her and her husband, Ed Pinkston.

She began her teaching career while she was still a high school student, teaching in a one-room rural classroom. Pinkston also taught at Lone Rock, Flat Rock, Salesville and Norfork before settling in the Mountain Home School District in 1945. She taught at Mountain Home High School for nine years and Midway for 17 more, retiring in 1970. She died nearly a year ago, Feb. 15, 2003, at the age of 96.

Jewell Nelson moved to Mountain Home in 1920. She received her degree from Arkansas State Teachers College. She began teaching in Mountain Home schools in the 1929-30 school year and remained on the MHHS faculty for 31 years, retiring after the 1959-60 school year. She taught in spite of being afflicted with crippling arthritis.

"She served as a role model of courage, perseverance and excellence for all who knew her," said Robert Nelson.

Mary Hogle retired as a teacher from the Mountain Home School District in 1996. She was awarded the Board of Education Teacher of the Year Award in 1990 and the Arkansas State Animal Control Association Teacher of the Year Award in 1994. She taught at Guy Berry Intermediate School until her retirement.

"Thank you very much indeed for this marvelous honor," Hogle said. "I just want you to know that the pleasures of teaching have been endless for me."

Evelyn Hackler graduated from MHHS in 1950 and received her degree from the University of Arkansas. She and husband Robert both came to Mountain Home to teach for a year and left, eventually returning two years later. She went on to teach for 31 years in the Mountain Home school system. She went to Searcy and Cotter, winding up with 39 years of service in public education.

"Knowing of the marvelous accomplishments of the other recipients and having worked with each one of them, I realize how fortunate I am to be a part of this," she said. "I worked with wonderful staff everywhere and we are very fortunate to be able to teach in a district of excellence."

Robert Hackler also graduated from MHHS in 1950 and from the University of Arkansas. He started teaching math in MHHS in 1954. He left to go into business and returned to teach in 1961. He became a school counselor in 1965. He was counselor until 1976. He spent eight years on the Mountain Home School Board, six as president, and two years as a state school board regional director.

In 1985, he returned to teaching as assistant high school principal. In 1988, the Hacklers moved to Searcy, and he was assistant superintendent of schools for two years. In 1990 he became superintendent of Cotter Schools until retiring in 1997.

In 1998, he was appointed to the Arkansas State Board of Education by Gov. Mike Huckabee, serving for more than five years, including one as chairman.

"It is a bit overwhelming to be included in this group of teachers tonight that are being honored," he said. "I had the good fortune to teach with all four of them."

Pitts graduated in 1971 and went on to attend Arkansas State University. She is a successful business person, the president of the Mountain Home School Board and an active member of the Mountain Home Education Foundation.

"There are so many people in this room that have been very important in my life," Pitts said. "The Mountain Home Education Foundation is something that I think is going to be a leap forward for our school district."

Choate was an outstanding student in Mountain Home prior to his 1964 graduation and continued his studies at the Missouri School of Mines and Engineering. Upon graduation from college, he moved to California.

"I am honored and I am humbled by your inclusion of me in this distinguished group of Mountain Home High School graduates," Choate said. "All of us here owe a deep debt of gratitude to all of our teachers and to the entire organization of this school that continues to make this a great high school."

Coulter is a 1961 MHHS graduate. She has won several awards and served on the boards of many associations, museums, councils and institutes. Her work has been published in numerous books and journals. Coulter was also a Fulbright-Hays exchange teacher in Pakistan in 1984. The Honors Program at Arkansas State University Mountain Home recently was named for Coulter.

Accepting the award for Coulter was her daughter, Kelly McCuistion. Coulter is ill. She loves teaching and learning, and this is a great honor, McCuistion said.

Poynter graduated in 1958. He was the city's first attorney and also was a prosecuting attorney. He served on numerous boards and held statewide positions for the Arkansas Bar Association. He also was a center on the Bomber football team while in school.

"I am honored and appreciate this recognition by this group tonight," Poynter said. "I am especially honored because of the group that I am a part of. This is an outstanding group of people, graduates and teachers of Mountain Home public schools."

Wright was an attorney and judge, as well as a founder of the Baxter County Library. She also organized the Mountain Home Scholarship fund.

Wright graduated from MHHS in 1935. She went on to graduate from the University of Arkansas Law School in 1943, the only female member of her class and one of the first women to sit for and pass the Arkansas bar exam.

In February 1976, Wright announced her candidacy for 11th District Chancery Judge. In the May primary and June run-off elections, she defeated two challengers and, in November, she had no opposition. Wright was one of the first women to serve as an Arkansas chancery judge.

Wright died May 28, 1981, at Baxter General Hospital following a lengthy illness. She was 62.

armandor@baxterbulletin.com