2006 Hall of Fame Inductees

Denise (Miller) Johnston '93

Denise was a three-sport athlete while attending Hiram College.  She spent two years competing as a member of the tennis and basketball teams in addition to one season on the softball team.  Denise would become a standout tennis player and would have played three seasons if not for an injury that resulted in her having to miss her junior year on the court.  In two seasons, Denise was an Ohio Athletic Conference Champion in fifth singles as a sophomore (1991).  She also finished as runner-up in third doubles.  As a senior in 2003, she helped guide her team to an 11-2 overall record and an OAC Team Championship.  Individually, Denise was again an OAC Champion, this time at third singles.  She also combined efforts to win the third doubles title.  For her career, Denise posted an astounding 40-1 overall record in singles and was the recipient of the Helen Petrosky Award (1993) and the Matthews Award (1993).

Following graduation, Denise went on to earn her master’s degree from Ohio University and then went on to work as a certified athletic trainer at an out-patient physical therapy clinic from 1994-99.  For the past six years, Denise is a sixth-grade teacher within the Windham School District where she also mentors current Hiram students who are pursuing the goals of becoming a teacher.



Jack "Flash" Gordon '52

Jack “Flash” Gordon was a four-year letter winner as a member of the Hiram football team from 1949-1952.  He was a three-year starter as a fullback.  As a junior, Jack was the team’s leading rusher carrying the ball 67 times for 297 yards.  In his senior season, he scored seven touchdowns and ranked among the top-15 scorers in the Ohio Conference.  Following the end of his illustrious career at Hiram, Jack received an invitation from the Detroit Lions to play football.

Following his playing days on the field, Jack developed an interest in writing and became an accomplished poet.  One such poem entitled “My Littlest One” can be found in the Reagan Presidential Library and the Vatican Library.






Terry W. Hartle '73

Terry Hartle was a three-sport athlete as a student at Hiram.  He was a four-year letter winner in tennis and earned a varsity letter in both soccer and basketball.  Terry was an accomplished tennis player serving as team captain as a senior.  In addition, he was the Presidents’ Athletic Conference “Most Valuable Player” and PAC doubles runner-up that same year.  As a junior, he was a PAC Doubles Champion and made an appearance in the NCAA National Tournament.  Terry went on to earn a bachelor’s degree as a history major and attended the Mazwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University following graduation.  While there he earned a Master’s degree in public administration and worked as a research scientist for the Educational Testing Service in Washington D.C.   Terry also earned a PhD from George Washington University in Public Policy. 

After serving on the committee on Labor and Human Resources in the U.S. Senate, Terry went to his current position of Senior Vice President for Government and Public Affairs at the American Council on Education (ACE) in 1993.  Terry is a member of the Garfield Society at Hiram and received the President’s award while attending George Washington.  In 1995, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree from Northeastern University in Boston , Massachusetts .



Joe Denham

Joe Denham has been a long-time member of the Hiram Community.  He came to the College in 1958 as a Professor of Chemistry and retired in 1993 after a remarkable and inspirational 35-year career as a Hiram College Faculty member.  Denham was a devoted teacher and mentor who spent a lifetime in the classroom and laboratory helping students learn about science and begin careers as scientists.  Joe also played a pivotal role in developing a modern library at Hiram and was a founding member of the state library association.  He helped Hiram become part of one of the largest library systems in the world.  Joe’s devotion to his students and the College extended even further as he became an avid supporter of Terrier athletics.  For 30 years, he served as clock operator at football games and was an official at track meets.  Joe also served as a NCAA Representative and is a member of the Helen M. Petroskey Society.





Michael Biros '94

Michael Biros was a four year letter winner and soccer standout while attending Hiram.  He was a four-time first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference Award recipient (1990-93), two-time All-Mideast Region All-American (1991-92) and a three-time All-Region Player (1991-93).  In addition, Mike served as a team captain for two years as a junior and senior and was the 1993 recipient of the Donald M. Campbell Memorial Award. 

Following graduation, Mike became a high school match teacher at Jackson High School and also coached varsity boys soccer.  He also became director of youth soccer for the Jackson Select Soccer Club Boys Youth Development program consisting of eight teams and 200 players.  Not only an accomplished soccer player on the field, Mike has taken his expertise to the sidelines as a coach where he has received awards such as Federal League “Coach-of-the-Year,” Stark County “Coach-of-the-Year,” and three-time Greater Akron-Canton District “Coach-of-the-Year.”




Rebecca (Kilbert) Battista '86

Rebecca (Kilbert) Battista was a three-sport athlete at Hiram.  She earned three varsity letters in basketball, two in cross country and one in track and field.  As  a basketball player, Becky averaged 9.1 points per game for her career including a 7.1 rebounds per game average and a 40.8 percent shooting percentage.  In track, she was a member of the 1984 Presidents’ Athletic Conference Women’s Championship Team. 

After graduation, Becky became a case manager within the Warren City School District Special Education program.  She taught special education for grades Kindergarten thru fourth grade.  She also served in the Army during operation Desert Storm and received a Veteran Award.