Lt. Col. Vincent E. Thompson, class of 1944

Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Thompson’s military career began in early 1945, when was drafted. He served in the U.S. Army in both World War II and Korean War. After 22 years in the field artillery, he retired to the reserves as a lieutenant colonel in 1967.

Thompson received his Bachelor’s Degree in liberal arts in 1949 and his Juris Doctorate in 1951, both of the University of Illinois. He also graduated from the Midwest School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin.

Thompson joined Republic National Bank in Dallas, Texas, in 1953. He held positions at the bank ranging from credit analyst to Senior Vice President, and served on the bank’s executive committee. In 1977, he was elected Director, President and CEO of Republic Bank of Garland, Texas. In 1981, he assumed additional duties as Chairman of the Board. He retired in 1984, after more than 30 years service to Republic National.

Thompson then organized his own financial consulting firm: Vince Thompson & Associates. At the same time, he began to study for the Texas Bar Exam and, in 1985, he became a member of the state of Texas Bar. He then added law to his consulting firm’s practices.

Thompson remained active in professional and civic affairs, serving as lecturer for the American Management Association and for Robert Morris Association. He was a faculty member of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University for 12 years.

Thompson has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Illinois Law School, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Thomson is a lifelong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. He has received the Wood Badge, Scoutmaster Key and Silver Beaver awards.

Thompson and his wife, Genevieve, have four children and live in Dallas, Texas.

A. George Fuller, class of 1955

After serving four years as a radio operator in the U.S. Air Force, A. George Fuller began his nearly 30-year career with AT&T in 1964.

After three years as an accounting major at Aurora College (now Aurora University), Fuller joined the Western Electric Plant in Montgomery, Ill., as an accounting clerk. He was later promoted to section chief in the Accounting Department. He continued to pursue his education and, in 1970, graduated from Aurora College with a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting.

In 1977, he spent four years at the Denver, Colorado, plant as a Department Chief, which included supervising accounting, customer service and manufacturing. He was later promoted to District Manager at AT&T’s corporate offices in New Jersey. He spent eight years in the corporate offices, working in various accounting disciplines in several locations. In 1989, he was transferred to Orlando, Fla., where he directed a work force of about 300 employees and oversaw several corporate functions. He became the community service representative for his division.

In 1989, Fuller became a mentor in the Orange County Public School Compact Program – a business and education partnership designed to help disadvantaged youth. He recruited 20 AT&T employees to serve as compact mentors.

Upon retiring from AT&T in 1994, Fuller was hired as Executive Director of Compact, which is now the longest running mentoring program in Florida. Since its inception, more than 11,000 students have been enrolled. In 1995, he created an annual awards banquet where outstanding students, mentors, teachers and business partners are honored.

Fuller has served on several non-profit and corporate boards of directors. He continues to serve as Executive Director of Compact. He lives in Orlando, Florida.

William F. Settles, class of 1955

William F. Settles filled his high school days with activity and has continued that pace throughout his life.

Settles was an honor roll student at East Aurora High School. He worked as a drug store in downtown Aurora for six years to help pay for college expenses. He enrolled at Northern Illinois University to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree. He continued to work through his college graduation. He immediately started on his Master’s Degree program, while working as a substitute teacher at East Aurora High School. He later taught at his high school alma mater for three years.

While working on his graduate degree at Northern Illinois, Settles had an opportunity to spend a summer session at Oxford University in England. From this experience, he developed a desire to travel the world for adventure. He eventually visited all seven continents. He has made 45 overseas trips to more than 60 countries.

Settles has given more than 300 lectures in the Midwest and California. He is a former Copley News Service columnist and wrote a book on former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He has visited the Soviet Union eight times, and his book compared the differences between 1962 and 1965. Settles has been guest on numerous radio and television talk shows. At one time, he had his own weekly radio program. Additionally, he has written 12 magazine articles for eight different publications.

Settles was a panelist for the State of Illinois Regional Conference on Youth and the Regional Conference for International Studies. He has been a sponsor of student government for several high schools. In 2009, he was included in Who’s Who in America – his 11th listing in Who’s Who in America or England.

Settles and his wife, June, life in Aurora.

Ronald L. Ream, class of 1959

As a senior at East Aurora High School, Ron Ream had more pictures in the yearbook than anyone else. The 1959 graduate was involved in nearly all parts of the school, and used his experiences at East Aurora as a springboard to a long career with Wrigley Co., where he developed some iconic products, including: Bubble Tape, Hubba Bubba and Big League Chew.

Ream earned a Bachelors Degree in chemistry at Northern Illinois University in 1964, an MBA in marketing at Loyola University in 1970 and a Certificate in Food Technology at the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1974.

He joined Wrigley Company as Chief Chemist in 1965. In 1970, he became Director of Research and two years later he was named Assistant to the President. He also served as Vice President for Research and Development, Vice President of Marketing and was Senior Vice President for Corporate Development from 1987 to 2002.

During Ream’s career with Wrigley, he was known as an inventor. He had 73 patents for a wide variety of chewing gum. He developed Bubble Tape – rolls of gum in a plastic case – which had sales of $36 million in its first year. Another of Ream’s inventions, Big League Chew – shredded gum in a pouch – brought in sales of $22 million. In all, Ream’s patented products resulted in $1.2 trillion in sales to the Amurol Corp., a division of Wrigley Corp.

“I was just in the right place at the right time. I had more fun in my career than you’d ever believe and I’m still having fun,” Ream said. “In 1978, I invented Hubba Bubba. It was an accident. I was trying to invent a marshmallow bubble gum and I had a mustache. I blew the bubble and it did not stick to my mustache. I ran into the president’s office and he had new furniture and a new rug. I began sticking this bubble gum all over his chair and rugs. His face turned red and the veins bulged out of his neck. I said: ‘Don’t worry!’ And I pulled that bubble gum right off his upholstery and rug. The next day we had a meeting with Wrigley vice president of marketing. That led to Hubba Bubba: big bubble, no trouble.”

Ream also worked on a project for the U.S. military with Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He helped produce a caffeinated gum that increased alertness, cognitive abilities and physical performance for soldiers. Thousands of Stay Alert caffeine supplements were provided to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ream was awarded the U.S. Army Greatest Inventions program certificate in 2005. He received the Northern Illinois University Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. Ream has served on several boards, including Rush-Copley Medical Center, Waubonsee Community College and Amurol Corp.

Ream is married with three adult children. He lives in Plano, IL.

Robert J. O’Connor, class of 1962

Robert O’Connor was senior class president of the East Aurora High School class of 1962, starting a career in public service that would lead to three decades on the City Council.

At East Aurora High School, O’Connor was a member of student council, the debate team and was ranked 15th in his class. He went on to the University of Illinois, where he graduated with honors in 1966. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Notre Dame three years later.

O’Connor first practiced law with the Aurora firm of Ruddy, Myler and Bartsch. Then, from 1973 to 1985, he was a trust officer with Old Second Bank. In 1986, he returned to law practice with his second firm: Edwards, Jordan & O’Connor. O’Connor has practiced with his own firm since 2007, working on estate planning, wills and trusts.

O’Connor became involved in public service first as a volunteer, then as a board member for the United Way. In 1972, he was named in board member of the Marie Wilkinson Child Development Center and a member of the East Aurora School District 131 Citizens Advisory Committee. He worked with the Scholarship Committee of the Aurora Foundation – now the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley. He has interviewed East Aurora High School scholarship candidates since 1986.

O’Connor ran for Mayor of Aurora in 1977, losing by 32 votes out of more than 16,000 cast. He was elected as Alderman-At-Large in 1985 and has been re-elected ever since. He has served as Chairman of the city’s Finance Committee and was heavily involved in helping get the Aurora Police Station built on Indian Trail.

In 1983, O’Connor was appointed by Governor James Thompson as a member of the Council on Aging. He served as Chairperson of that committee and, in 1993, he received the Governors Award for Unique Achievement in the Field of Aging.

Richard H. Schindel, class of 1966

Richard Schindel has spent his life giving back to city of Aurora and especially East Aurora students.

At East Aurora High School, Schindel was a member of the football and baseball teams. He was captain of the baseball team. He played tackle and kicked for the football team. In 1970, he graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s Degree in marketing. He later earned his Masters Degree from National Louis University in 1989.

Schindel first started teaching junior high social studies at Holy Angels Elementary School in 1970. In the fall of 1973, he was hired to teach science and consumer education at Waldo Junior High in East Aurora School District 131.

In 1979, he moved to the East Aurora High School, where he taught marketing, consumer education and math. He was the DECA Club advisor and Co-Op Coordinator for 25 years at the high school. His DECA Club organized a food drive that is part of the Super Bowl of Caring, and still carries on. Schindel was also the varsity football coach from 1983 to 1987.

Schindel started the Forgotten Teens project at East Aurora High School. The program helps needy teens at the holiday and has spread to other area high schools.

In 1989, Schindel was finalist for Kane County Teacher of the Year. In 2003, he was nominated for the Community Educator Award from the Illinois Directors of Student Activities. Schindel has twice received special recognition from the city of Aurora. He is one of the few people to receive both the Distinguished Alumni honor and be elected to the East Aurora Sports Hall of Fame. He was elected as an athlete, coach and teacher.

Schindel is still active at East Aurora events, where he can often be seen with Dick’s Mini Donuts. He and his wife, Susan, have two daughters. They live in Aurora.

Amos E. Nicholson, class of 1936

The Community Service Award was given to Amos Nicholson in recognition of his outstanding service to the nation. Nicholson served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He was part of the 343rd Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, 15th Army Air Corps. He was a master mechanic and chief inspector of the squadron B-24 aircraft.

Nicholson used his artistic talent to paint the nose art on several B-24s. He became well known for his likeness of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Prince Charming and other images on these war planes.

Nicholson re-enlisted in the Air Force prior to the United States’ involvement in the Korean War. He remained on active duty until the War ended in July 1953.

After his military service, Nicholson started his own business in Aurora: the Nicholson Painting Company. In 2008, he attend the Honor Flight program in Washington D.C.