GRAVETTE -- Members of the Gravette School Board, before their regular meeting Monday, May 21, held a reception to honor John Edwards, of Bella Vista, who is retiring from the board after 15 years of service. School board president Tracy Moorman and superintendent of schools Richard Page spoke briefly. Moorman presented Edwards with a montage of photos taken during his tenure on the board, and Page gave him a framed photo layout of improvements in the district that had been made during his terms.
Past board member Jack Skillett, who recently retired from the board himself, paid tribute to his friend and fellow board member, saying, "We are gathered here to show appreciation to a very special person." He said Edwards was special because of his service to the country, his service on the school board and, most of all, for being a friend. He said he shared many rides with Edwards coming to Gravette for board meetings and praised his positive influence on the board, commenting, "With John, it was not about the struggle but how he was always able to find light and peace and hope."
Past board president Jay Oliphant recounted Edwards' love of sports, commenting that he and Skillett seldom missed a Gravette sporting event, and thanked him for his work in organizing the annual Lions Golf Classic. He presented Edwards with a gift of a Mizzou neon light to acknowledge his support of the Missouri Tigers. Edwards is a Missouri native, born at Lexington, Mo., and graduated from Wentworth Military Academy there.
A very modest man, Edwards spoke only a few words.
"My service to this school has been fantastic," he said and thanked those present for the honors and the gifts and encouraged board members to "keep up the good work." He said he hoped that Gravette schools could continue to attract high-quality teachers, saying he feels they currently have "one of the finest faculties anywhere."
Edwards received a bachelor of science degree in education from the University of Missouri at Columbia. He spent one year as a teacher and coach at Henrietta (Mo.) High School before reporting for duty at army artillery school in 1956. He spent 20 years in the U.S. Army, where he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and served as director of the Armed Services Professional Entertainment Office and later the Army Sports Program. During his time as director of the Army Sports Program, he was officer in charge of the U.S. Armed Forces basketball team, taking it for international competition in Greece in 1975, and was the Army's representative to the 1976 Olympics, serving on the boxing, basketball and wrestling Olympic committees.
He served 22 years as an instructor at Wentworth Military Academy, a military junior college in Lexington, Mo. While there, he served as operations officer, special events coordinator, interim superintendent for one year, project officer of the University of Missouri football preseason camp held there for four years, athletic director, junior high and high school basketball coach. Before he finished his career there, he also served as supervisor of the summer school and summer camp programs, alumni director, director of development and director of the adult education program.
Edwards was elected to the Gravette school board in 2003 and had three five-year terms on the board. He has served in various roles, including three terms as board president. In 2015 he was presented the Dr. Daniel L. Pilkinton Award for outstanding service to public education. An article in the Westside Eagle Observer in December 2015 described him as a "man of action who makes the Gravette School District a better place" and noted that his efforts included volunteering to read to students at the elementary school, serving at the annual Parent Teacher Organization fall festival, attending as many school events as possible and going beyond the call of duty with his project to create a handicap accessible garden area for the middle school special education students.
Edwards was an organizer of the Lions Golf Classic and helped direct the 16th such event this May. All proceeds benefit various programs in the Gravette School District. In other sports activities, he has organized Arnie's Army Cancer Golf Tournaments in Bella Vista, is director of Hummers Golf (Hummers is his men's club at Highlands Methodist Church) and often works with his fellow church members in the concession stand at home football games.
Edwards has also been very active in community groups and organizations. He was an active Lions Club member for 15 years, receiving the Melvin Jones Fellow Award and Lion of the Year Award and serving in various offices and committees. He has also been a member of the Lafayette Regional Health Center board of trustees, is past president of the Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce, was a member of the Lafayette County Health Department board and the Turners Society and a recipient of the Lexington Outstanding Leadership Award.
Edwards and his wife, the former Marilou Evans, have three children -- all college graduates -- and four grandchildren.
Cake and punch were served following the presentation.
General News on 05/30/2018