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Seven individuals comprise the Neenah Joint School District’s ninth Hall of Fame class in 2024 that will be inducted as part of Homecoming festivities. Those inducted will be Colette (Goudreau) Murphy, Alvin Long, Wayne Salzmann, Warren Schuknecht, Will Scribner, Bob Totten and Frank Wiesner.
The group will be honored at a banquet on Sat., Oct. 5 at 11:30 a.m. at Neenah High School. Tickets are now available and may be purchased online through GoFan. Tickets are $30 each and may also be purchased in person at the District Administration building during normal business hours. Sponsorship tables are also available.
Colette (Goudreau) Murphy (Class of 1983) - Goudreau helped lead the Rockets to WIAA state girls cross country titles in 1981 and 1982. She placed second at state in the 1600-meter run in track as a senior. Goudreau was the sixth Wisconsin high school female athlete ever to run a mile in under five minutes. She attended Indiana University and was the school's first cross country All-American with an 11th place finish at the national meet. She was a five-time All-American in cross country and track and field and a four-time Big Ten champion. Goudreau was inducted into the Indiana University athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. She later worked as an elementary school teacher and high school cross country coach in Mandeville, La. She now resides in Noblesville, Ind.
Alvin Long (Teacher/Administrator 1961-90) - Long served as principal at Horace Mann Junior High from 1961-66 and at Shattuck Senior High School from 1966-75. He returned to teaching in 1975 at Shattuck and was the math department chair until 1990. Long advised the student council throughout his tenure and was the state’s Advisor of the Year. He was Neenah’s middle school Teacher of the Year in 1982. Long was involved in the Neenah community as an alderman and on the Winnebago County Board. He also was president of Kiwanis Club, Neenah Library Board, Neenah Baseball, the boys basketball booster club, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church council and the Neenah Education Association He passed away in 2023 at age 92.
Wayne Salzmann (Class of 2002) - Salzmann is an internationally-touring drummer who began his career in the jazz band at Horace Mann Middle School and the symphonic band at Neenah High School. He taught for 12 years at the University of Texas-Austin and has toured with an African marimba and Brazilian jazz band. He has toured with guitarist Eric Johnson and recorded an album called “Europe: Live” during a 2014 European tour that reached No. 1 on the Billboard blues album chart. Salzmann wrote a book, titled Developing Melodic Language on the Drums. He currently resides in Beaver Dam and assists with percussion students at Neenah High School.
Warren Schuknecht (Teacher 1954-85) - Schuknecht taught history at Neenah High School for 30 years and kept service as one of his main focal points. Schuknecht started a “Varsity Service” club at the school where students were awarded letters for service to the community. A world traveler, Schuknecht brought his experiences back to the classroom and led an annual activity to assist Bantu tribes in Africa suffering from parasitic eye issues. Schuknecht received the Valley Forge Freedoms Foundation medal in 1965 for instilling a sense of community involvement, responsible citizenship and patriotism in his students. He was the District’s high school Teacher of the Year in 1966 and 1984. He passed away in 2008 at age 81.
Will Scribner (Teacher 1963-93) - Scribner taught social studies and economics at Neenah High School for 30 years, serving as department chair for many of those years. He won Wisconsin’s outstanding social studies teacher award in 1993 and was the Neenah High School Teacher of the Year in 1977. Scribner spent the 1979-80 school year teaching in Scotland as a Fullbright Scholar. He was president of the Neenah Education Association for two years and vice president for the Council for Wisconsin Social Studies. Scribner was the Neenah Park and Recreation director of baseball for nine years and volunteers with St. Paul’s Home in Kaukauna and St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. He still resides in Neenah.
Bob Totten (Teacher/Coach 1972-present) - Totten has coached 130 seasons of Neenah athletics since arriving as a social studies teacher in 1972. He coached football at all levels for 38 years and continues to coach with the Neenah girls basketball and track and field programs. Totten was the Rockets’ head varsity girls basketball coach from 1981-89 and also served as head girls track and field coach. He retired from teaching in 2003. Totten has been active in the community with numerous organizations, including Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity. He still resides in Neenah.
Frank Wiesner (Class of 1952) - Wiesner was an active member of the Neenah community and an executive at Webex, Inc. in Neenah before serving as its Chief Executive Officer for 25 years. Wiesner lettered four years in football, basketball and tennis while in high school and earned a Master’s in Business Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was a member of the Neenah Board of Education from 1977-82 and president for three years. Wiesner was also president of Neenah Rotary, Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and Theda Clark Board of Trustees. He joins his brother, Tom, in the Hall of Fame. Wiesner passed away in 2007 at age 72.
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