Larry Stotts - English and Speech

Jeffrey S. Leaman

Believe it or not, one of my favorites was Mr. Stotts. Anybody recall him?

Ginny Bayers Herzog

Yes, Jeff, loved Stotts and his English class! He made Greek Mythology so cool!

Richard (Ike) Eichhorn

I had Stotts for speech class.  It was one of my most memorable high school classes. It was also where we watched the unfolding Kennedy asassination that terrible afternoon.  Who could ever forget?

Jim Carriger

Mr. (Larry) Stotts would probably appreciate a quick note from his fans. He lives in Edina next door to my parents old house. He was a great neighbor to my parents.

4205 W. 42nd St., Edina  55416

Ginny Bayers Herzog

Thanks Jim. I knew that Stotts lived on 42nd but was unsure of the exact address. Hope to reconnect with him.

Thomas Anderson

I  was fortunate to have Larry Stotts as my English teacher. I considered him the best teacher I ever had, and was lucky enough one day to be able to tell that to him personally. I was about to turn onto Hwy 100, back when it was a 4 lane road, and I noticed him walking to school on the gravel shoulder. I pulled over to the side of the road, and greeted him. We talked briefly, and just before parting I thanked him for being the best teacher I had at Edina, as-well-as all my college instructors. I believe  what made Larry Stotts so good was his passion for the job, his love for his students, and his willingness to give 110% of himself to whatever task he took on. He connected with his students in such a way that they knew he would do whatever it took to make them better.

Carol L. Oberg Speliopoulos

I, too, had Mr. Stotts and thought he was a once-in-a-lifetime teacher....and my favorite!  He was tough, fair, funny...really excellent!  I still have the image of him sitting on a front desk..."talking" to us was his style, rather than lecturing from the front.  He "pushed" us to be our best, AND...he actually taught the mechanics and structure of the language, which I'm not sure they do as much these days.  Computers have generally taken over the written language aspect...but not the spoken language!

Margie S. Tudor Thompson

I always thought Mr Stotts was one of the best teachers at Edina;  didn't realize how many other classmates felt the same.   I hope he hears how much he meant to us.

Douglas Grabham

Had three disjointed thoughts reading some of the comments since signing on...:

1. I fully agree on the passion and impact of Larry Stotts...he is the reason I majored in English.   Anyone remember the play he directed our senior year?  Big production of "Cyranno"  The memory I carry:   he pulled people together from different groups to break down walls and build a wider community.

Barbara J. Subak Kruse

I'm happy to hear Mr. Stotts is doing well.  I thought I remembered he had some medical difficulties around the time we graduated?  Hope I'm wrong.  It's been good to read everyone's memories about the faculty.  A few of my favorites were Mr. McCarthy who made sense of the world of economics, Mr. Green who treated geometry like a puzzle, and Mrs. Kaufman who made us use root words, prefixes and suffixes in defining and spelling words.  Still use that!  We really were fortunate to have had so many great role models for teachers.  It would be interesting to be able to compare their salaries to the corporate world of the time!  See you all next month and thanks again to the reunion committee!
 

Keith E. Hilgendorf

Mr Stotts has done some summer time work out at the Braemar Golf Course over the past several years.  Seems like he had not changed a lick from when I had him for speech class - and he does remember the class of 64.  He and his wife spend their winters in Texas - not sure when they leave for there.  He still has his great sense of humor!

Scanlan - Latin
Posted Thursday, August 21, 2014 04:24 PM from 76.17.147.67 

Jean L. MacIntosh Mankamyer

There's been some discussion among we former Latin students of Mr. Scanlan and the impact he made on our lives as we reminisce about our school years, so I thought I would take the liberty of letting people know there is a Latin Prize Scholarship award that has been established in his name. A gift of $500 is given annually to a deserving Edina Latin student. If anyone would like to contribute to this fund, you can do so by following this link:www.edinaedfund.com/scanlan_flyer_2013.pdf

Also, you might be interested to know that People Magazine ran an article on him in 1978, after he left Edina for the University of Illinois. You should be able to access that article by googling his name, Richard T. Scalan 1978. Or, cut and paste this link in your browser:www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20072284,00.html 

Betsy J. Cook Hoekstra

Thanks for posting about Mr Scanlon, the best teacher Ever!  He inspired me as a teacher. He made learning fun!  I still know my declensions!  He inspired a lifelong desire to visit the Roman forum, the Collesium and walk on the Appian Way and I did!   Thanks  Mr. Scanlon!

Jean L. MacIntosh Mankamyer

You're welcome, Betsy. He really did have a positive impact on us, didn't he? Great teachers affect our lives as well as teach us the subject matter. Amo, amas, amat...

Kea van der Ziel

Thanks for the wonderful remembrances of Mr Scanlan.  He and Mr Erickson were some of the best teachers I ever had.  I am always grateful that I took all 5 years of Latin.  Some of my best memories were from those classes and Latin Club.  The annual soccer tournament was one of the highlights for me.  Sports in high school for girls was limited in those days.  We had GAA and our language clubs.  I googled "Richard Scanlan Illinois" and found his obit in a local paper.  You can find it at www.news-gazette.com › Opinion › Editorials.  There are 2 entries, both in June 2009, the month he died at 81 years old.  I am so happy that we have a fund in his name.

There were other great teachers during our high school years, including the chem teacher whose name escapes me now.  Because of him I majored in chemistry in college and almost went to grad school in chem.  Instead I went to med school.  Our English teacher was great as well.  There were many others.  We were very lucky to have such a talented group of teachers.  They certainly enriched my life

Jean L. MacIntosh Mankamyer

Hi Kea!

Thanks for your link to Mr.Scanlan's obit. If you took Latin for 5 years you must have attained goddess status...cool!

Michael H. Anderson

It was great learning about Mr. Scanlan's post-Edina accomplishments as a classics professor at the University of Illinois.  I have fond memories of being a student in Mr. Scanlan's first hour Latin class and in the famously fun Latin Club.  Think it was tenth grade and about 1962.  He was a wonderful teacher who made learning -- even of  a "dead subject" like Latin -- fun and interesting. Amo, amas, amat, . . . . indeed!

But what was great about Edina High was that there were many superb teachers.  The school seemed to hire only the best teachers who could sustain the school's reputation for excellence. Who could forget Ray Bechtle and his English classes; or John Matlon and his AP American history course, which taught me how to analyze and how to write essay exams; or John Sheldon, who advised both the student newspaper Buzzette and the yearbook Whigreen (spelling?) staffs;  Miss Bartholet and her wonderful extra-curricular World Affairs Club efforts; or  Robert  McCarthy, who taught a half-year economics course and advised the Student Council; or Hornet coaching great Willard Ikola; or Ray Smythe, who taught ninth grade government; or principal Rollie Ring?  I could go on and on.

 I wonder if any of these inspiring individuals are still living in the Twin Cities area.  If so, they should be invited to the reunion as special guests.

Margie S. Tudor Thompson

I agree with you regarding our wonderful latin teacher, Mr Scanlon.  I remember more about my latin classes than any other class I took.  But another favorite was English and speech teacher, Mr. Stotts.  He really inspired me and created lots of interest.  I was in his speech class at the time of President Kennedy's assassination.  I also remember and appreciated Ms Bartholet and Mr. Weisner, world history and economics teachers.  So many great teachers!!  We were really fortunate!  So many wonderful memories.

Mark D. Nordell

In Response to the Latin stuff, Marilyn How many times I have relished to tell the Latin Class story about having to wear the stupid yellow glove on my head for what seemed like forever, because I made a stupid mistake in class. Others are often horrified by such "abuse" when I get to tell the tale. I get to laugh every time. I love it! I can recall watching Brian G. We lived "catty conner" to each other, out practicing his splendid shot after dark while I tried to figure out Latin assignments. The Latin memorized still sticks with me; "Arma Virumque..." something or other....from the Aeneid. Even though Mr. Scanlan was somewhat imperious, his significance on this pretty lost young buck was deep. 

Jean L. MacIntosh

Mark, I think you may have been in my Latin class...I remember the baseball mitt. ;) Unless someone is privileged to have had a teacher like Scanlan, it's impossible for them to understand how he made you want to measure up to his standards. The schtick was all part of the entertainment that kept us engaged while he taught us discipline, the Latin language, Roman history and culture. He was my favorite among many truly great teachers I had. Although, I must admit I didn't exactly love writing "Nimium gummum amo" 100x for chewing gum in class. That happened several times...you'da thought I would have learned that lesson the first time. 

Marilyn Dawson-McCarthy 

Oh my gosh, it is incredible to hear you all talk about Scanlan. One of the best teachers in my whole life. I hadn't thought "imperious," but you are right, he had that quality, which was part of his "schtick," as you say. Do you all remember how he would start the class with the 45 record of some soundtrack from "The Stripper?" I love the "Nimium gummum amo" story. I remember we all had Latin names which he assigned us. One fellow was "Hunc," (one of the larger guys), for some reason I didn't understand, he named me "Piu." I remember so well his drilling, "...dum conderet Urbem..." (in order to found a city [Rome]). I just checked out Mr. Scanlan on Google, and found that he died in 2009. I guess Edina HS and the University of Illinois have scholarships and awards in his name. Maybe you all know this already. I am sad.

Jean L. MacIntosh 

Yes, Marilyn, I remember The Stripper being played...I also remember him lowering a speaker outside Zsendry's German class and blasting the Spike Jones' satirical song, "Heil Hitler" , which echoed loudly in the courtyard, just to annoy the German class. I also remember taking the chariot a student had made, when we collected "taxes" from the first year students.You never knew what adventure awaited in Scanlan's class. My brother and his friends ( class of '68) , who called themselves The Edina Breakfast Club because they had breakfast at Perkins every Friday, were the ones who established the scholarship in Mr. Scanlan's name at Edina. They get together once a year and before he died, they visited Mr. Scanlan in IL to let him know how much he influenced their lives. It was a sweet moment. You may not have graduated with us, but if you lived in Edina and went to school in Edina, you're part of the club.