Hall of Fame Class of Brief Biographies (Complete biographies coming soon)

OHS class of 1973. Top Ten student in junior year, three-year member of CSF and National Honor Society. GAA Senior Female Athlete of the Year. Earned BA and MA degrees from Chico State, played soccer and ran track. Taught and coached at collegiate level for 36 years, the last nine as Dean of Kinesiology and Athletics at Cosumnes River College. Was first inductee in the Community College Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame and the

first female in the nation to become a men’s collegiate head soccer coach. Elizabeth Belyea Inducted into CSU Chico Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.

OHS class of 1938, played football. Served in the United States Army during WWII, 1943-45, and honorably discharged as a Sergeant. Worked for Western Pacific Railroad, on Oroville Dam, and in power plants in Idaho, New Zealand, and Peru. Spent most of his life in service to his beloved communities of Palermo and Oroville. Was awarded honorary lifetime membership in PTA by California Congress of Parents and Teachers. Founding member of Palermo Volunteer Fire Department.

Father of Nonie Buis. Charles Bidwell LPHS class of 1968. Very active in many student clubs and Jobs Daughters. Had a long and highly successful career as Instructional Assistant in Butte County working with Special Education students. Numerous community honors including 2017 YMCA Community Service Individual of the Year. Named the Annual Ross-Harmon Award and is unofficial Chairperson of the event. Spent countless hours working with OASIS to get Measure G passed to upgrade Harrison Stadium and continues to donate untold numbers of hours to OASIS projects and Nonie Bidwell Buis Oroville.

OHS class of 1938. Senior Class play and journalism. Drew cartoon advertisements for Oroville Mercury-Register and his first punished work was a weekly cartoon published in the M-R. Attended Art School on GI Bill and was stationed all over the Western United States during WWII. Was cartoonist with Walt Disney for many years and was nominated for two Academy Awards and won Academy Award for Best Animated Short for The Cartoon, “The Pink Phink.” Brother Alvin was inducted into OUHSD Hall of Fame in 2018. John Dunn

OHS class of 1956. Won Bank of America Award as a senior and offered a scholarship to the Oakland Arts and Crafts Academy. Was a member of CSF as a junior and senior. Earned his BA degree at Chico State. Taught Visual and Performing Arts at Cabrillo High School for 37 years, helping design campus buildings, establishing school colors and mascot. Was a founding member of the Lompoc Arts Guild and formally recognized by Los Angeles Unified School District for his many years of service to its youth.

Richard Fisher OHS circa 1906. Graduated from Oakland Polytechnic Business College in 1907 and spent six years as bookkeeper at City of Paris in Oroville. In 1914, was the first woman in the State of California to seek and win an elective office, being elected at age 24 as Tax Collector of Butte County. In 1918, was elected to newly combined office of Butte County Tax Collector and Treasurer, serving a total of 47 years and elected to public office 11 times. In 1954, was named Business Woman of the Year in Oroville. Extensive community service in Oroville.

Mattie Lund LPHS class of 1973. Ran track all four years and was the first track and field athlete in school history to qualify for the California State Meet. Was named Outstanding Athlete at LPHS in 1973 and set school records that lasted 45 years. Earned BA degree from Chico State and in 1978, was nominated for Track & Field Most Outstanding Athlete. Worked for Cal Water Service for 37 years serving as District Manager in Oroville for 10 years, and directed numerous fundraising projects for local organizations. Inducted into Chico State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

Toni Ruggle

LPHS employee for 36 years as social studies teacher, department chair and frosh football and wrestling coach. Named OSTA Teacher of the Year and organized and coached the LPHS Mock Trial Team for 27 years. He continues in that role since his retirement and his teams have been highly successful and competed at the State level. Has led an exemplary life of community service to Oroville, serving as president of the Area Democratic Club, teaching classes through Osher Lifelong Learning, and is the published author of three books.

Jim Shelby

LPHS class of 1978. Honor Roll three years, participated in softball and track. Received Soroptimist Club Award for Good Citizenship, Courtesy and Kindness. From 1978 -2010, worked and was owner in Oroville food establishments. Extensive volunteer service with OASIS and Key Club as well as other Oroville groups. Awarded numerous honors as Business and Professional Women’s Club, “Woman of Achievement”, YMCA Service Club Individual if the Year, and Kiwanis Cal-Nev-Ha Distinguished Service

Award, to name a few. President of Oroville Kiwanis 2004- present. Laurie Strang Sousa OHS class of 1927. Member of Honor Society and participated in dramatics. During WWII, 1940-1945, earned rank of Major in the United State Army. From 1945 to 1996, served as a Research and Development Engineer, Inventor and Consultant. Is the holder of over 90 patents in photography, graphic arts, data communications equipment, high speed teleprinters and typewriters. Listed in Who’s Who in the World, 1989-99

and has photography work displayed in the Smithsonian Gallery. Was Frederick Preston referred to as an “inventive genius of Fairchild Scientist”. Willcox