The Knights of Distinction

The Knights of Distinction program has been established to honor special individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Windsor Central School District or graduates who have attained outstanding high school or lifetime achievements. These individuals shall be recognized publicly, and permanently honored at Windsor High School.
2019 Knights of Distinction 
Donald Doolittle ‘48-

Doolittle was a Windsor Central High School graduate from the class of 1948.  Don, with his wife of 68 years, JoAnn, chose to remain in Kirkwood on the Doolittle Farm where they raised their 7 children.  Don served on the school board from 1970-1979. During that time he was instrumental in the site selection of the current high school.  Mr. Doolittle was an active member of the Kirkwood Lions Club for over 40 years, as well as the Windsor Alumni Association, where he was a driving force in giving back to the community and pushing to provide scholarships for Windsor graduates.  In 1988, Don retired as the Broome County Executive Director of the Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service of the USDA. For decades Don could be found at athletic events, music concerts and scholastic ceremonies supporting his children, grandchildren, & great grandchildren, as well as the greater Windsor community he devoted a lifetime to. 
 
 
Stephen Herz ‘65- 

Herz, a 1965 graduate of WCHS, earned his undergraduate education at SUNY Oswego.  He returned to the family farm with his wife Christine, raised two children and taught technology, wood shop, graphic arts, metal working, design & drafting, driver’s education, and more in Windsor.  Herz retired in 2002 and went on to serve as president of the Board of Cornell Cooperative Extension and the New York Morgan Horse Society, and in 2006 he began the first of 3 terms as Broome County Legislator for the 9th District.  He was a founding member of the Windsor Community Revitalization Organization, which has brought Windsor the Window on the Arts Festival, First Night and the annual Corn Festival. He created the Agricultural Task Force while serving as legislator. He served on the board of the Broome County Farm Bureau and most recently has been asked to serve on US Congressman Anthony Brandisi’s Agricultural Advisory Team.


Clem Bowman ‘65-

Bowman, a 1965 Windsor graduate, was a renowned underwater photographer, with his photographs being showcased in various publications.  In 1974 Clem opened his own airline business, “Coral Reef Flying Services”, which offered services throughout the Caribbean and Florida. Staying true to his high school nickname, “Renaissance Man”, Clem returned to school and earned his medical degree from the University of Miami.  

Dr. Bowman returned to Florida and was eventually charged with running the Emergency Services in Miami. Meanwhile, Dr. Bowman continued to pursue his passions of underwater exploration and flying.  In 1981, Clem served as the resident surgeon for the undersea Hydrolab mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  In 1997, he was named to the United States Soaring Team, competing in the World Championships in Turkey. Dr. Clem Bowman died while training for the World Championships in 1999.  
 
 
Dr. Darlene Unger '83-
 
Dr. Unger, a former student of Mr. Herz, is a Windsor Central High School graduate from the class of 1983 who went on to earn a doctoral degree in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University.  She has worked with Youngstown State University as the director of autism studies, DePaul University as the director of the doctoral program, Cornell University in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Employment and Disability Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University in the School of Education and Kent State University as a full-time professor in the College of Education and Special Education Program.  Currently, she is a research professor of special education at Kent State University.

Dr. Unger has coordinated federally-funded research and training projects to improve the transition of youth with disabilities to college and careers, supported employment, and the efficacy of business and rehabilitation partnerships. Her publications include book chapters and journal articles on the use of mobile technology for teaching and learning, employer experiences with individuals with disabilities, disability-employment discrimination, and supported employment. She is past-president of the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of Career Development and Transition.



 

 


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