2011 Hall of Fame Dinner

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Reply cards should be mailed back to:

DHS Blue & White Foundation's
Hall of Fame
2001 Second Street, Suite Four
Davis, California 95618

The contact person is Dana Sparks at (530) 753-7730.

Bruce Gallaudet

For much of the past four decades, Bruce Gallaudet has had local youth — and the games they play — in his heart.

When he arrived in Davis in 1979 as editor of The Davis Enterprise, Gallaudet's No. 1 priority was to revamp and revolutionize the way our community newspaper covered public education, with a keen eye on Davis High School.

The increased focus on what was happening in our schools became an underpinning — a legacy — of the paper's daily coverage.

From those early years in town, Gallaudet also offered his time and energy as a coach, mentoring kids in softball, baseball and basketball. From Little League to DYSA to Babe Ruth and AAU, his commitment to the kids — even though he and his wife didn't have their own little athletes until much later — grew.

On the playing fields and in the newspaper, Gallaudet's focus on the youth of Davis (and their accomplishments) never wavered. Today, at 63, he still coaches recreation-league basketball.

Over the years, he has conducted numerous fundraisers for club and prep sports and has brought his enthusiasm for the young athletes of Davis back to The Davis Enterprise, coming out of print retirement three years ago to write local sports at our hometown paper.

Gallaudet, was born in Jersey City, N.J., but moved to Southern California when he was 5.

While attending school in Hawthorne, he would play baseball (at one point teammates with the late Carl Wilson of Beach Boys fame). In high school, he honed his passion for spotlighting accomplishments of others with award-winning school newspaper pieces.

He continued playing baseball upon graduation from Hawthorne High, but cut college short when he was hired as a writer for a Riverside County newspaper. He eventually became sports editor, then editor, before moving to the Oxnard Press-Courier as managing editor. There, he met his wife, Debbie Davis.

The two have been married 31 years (Davis has been the editor of The Enterprise since 1982). The couple have two "kids," Nick, 24 (a three-year All-American club baseball first baseman while at UC Davis), and Julie, 22 (a three-time all-West Coast Conference soccer selection while at Loyola Marymount).

In the 1970s, Gallaudet was one of the first American journalists to write editorials and features in support of Title IX, which evened the playing field for female athletes.

He has earned writing awards from The Associated Press, the Society for Professional Journalists, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and United Press International.

"There isn't anything more important than our kids," Gallaudet believes. "Anyone who can help them grow, draw attention to their accomplishments and build their confidence is OK by me."

Jim O’Keefe

Jim O’Keefe, a beloved math teacher at Davis Senior High, taught generations of students, sharing with all his joy and passion for mathematics.   After his graduation from high school, he served eighteen months in South Korea as a member of the US Army.   Upon his return, he attended the University of Montana, Western, where he received a master’s degree in mathematics and a lifetime teaching credential.  He began his career teaching sixth grade in Montana for four years.  In 1961, he and his family moved to Davis where he initially taught science at Davis High before transitioning to mathematics.  Although primarily known for his tenure at DHS, Mr. O’Keefe also taught at King High School and Holmes Junior High, before eventually returning to DHS where he taught until his retirement.   Mr. O’Keefe spent forty-eight years educating students throughout the Davis Joint Unified School District.

Mr. O’Keefe was a friend and mentor to many of his colleagues, always willing to lend his support and assistance.  Remembered for his kind and gentle spirit, as well as his sense of humor, Mr. O’Keefe welcomed all who entered his classroom with a smile. An inspiration to students and colleagues, Mr. O’Keefe passed away on May 31, 2010, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the lives he had touched.

Cathy Speck

Cathy Speck is known throughout the community for her activism, musical talent and most of all, for her courage.   One of five in her family impacted by ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, Cathy Speck has worked tirelessly to educate and share her story with community and media, creating awareness about the issues of ALS.  She has been a tireless fundraiser for ALS along with her team of 'Spectacular' friends.  Cathy made a lasting impression in Washington D.C. when invited to speak before congress about LS.  She is a positive, energetic advocate for civil rights and disability awareness. 

In 2010, the race and social justice class at DHS created a fifteen minute documentary, highlighting Cathy's fight against physical and social injustice and living with ALS.  The students were so moved by Cathy's story while interviewing her, that many said being part of the movie changed their lives. 

 Civil rights for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender individuals has also been a priority for Cathy and she has volunteered as the facilitator of the UCD Lesbian Support Group for over ten years.  Cathy is also a locally renowned singer and songwriter in Duval Speck and together with Linda Duval, has raised community awareness of the need for acceptance of everyone through their music.  Cathy has been instrumental in creating a music community for female musicians nationwide.

Although ALS has reduced her mobility and taken away her ability to sing, it hasn't diminished her buoyant spirit, ever present sense of humor or her joyful approach to life.  She can often be seen around the community or at the Davis Food Coop with her uniquely adorned walker.  Cathy has worked at the Davis Food Coop for over twenty years and as their Safety Director since 2003.  As a result of her efforts, innovative change of safety culture and genuine concern for the staff and customers, the Coop has become one of the safest grocery stores of any kind in California.  She created several custom-made safety films.  Although wacky and funny, her 'How to Control the Fire' has frequently been requested for viewing by other Coops and used at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis to train ushers in fire extinguishers and fire safety.  

Jason Fisk

Jason Fisk, a twelve year veteran of the National Football League, graduated from Davis Senior High School in 1990.  He attended and graduated from Stanford University with a degree in Psychology and minor in Biology.  Drafted in the 7th round of the 1995 NFL draft to the Minnesota Vikings, Jason, once a long shot to make the team, parlayed the opportunity into a successful career that spanned more than a decade and five NFL teams. 
In 1998, during the NFC Championship game, Jason recorded two sacks a Vikings Defensive Tackle.  Signed the following season by Tennessee, Jason was once again a standout member of a defense that saw the Titans the 1999 AFC Championship and on to Superbowl, XXXIV where he recorded the only sack of St. Louis Quarterback Kurt Warner .  While a member of the Titans, Jason was chosen as the “Unsung Hero” Award recipient in 1999, by his teammates for his contributions to his team and his community.  Jason’s desire to serve his community led to the development of the “Fishing for a Cure” bass fishing tournament to benefit the TJ Martel Foundation, raising over $200,000 for Cancer, Leukemia and AIDS research.  Jason was also the chairperson for the Annual Middle Tennessee Multiple Sclerosis Walk in the years 2001 and 2002.  In 2001, Jason was named the Titans’ “Man of the Year” for these and many other community efforts.
After the 2005 season, Jason announced his retirement from the National Football League.  His lengthy career had taken the Fisk family to all four time zones in the United States and, in addition to the Vikings and Titans, included time the San Diego Chargers, Cleveland Browns and St. Louis Rams.  Following his retirement, Jason and his family (wife Miriam and children Julia, Tucker and Carmin) returned to Davis where for three years he lent his knowledge and expertise to the DHS football team as a defensive coach.  Jason also worked tirelessly to launch the renovation of the aging DHS Stadium before joining the coaching staff at UC Davis where he is currently is in his second year with the defensive line.

Elinor Armer

Elinor Armer, Davis High School Class of 1957, is a nationally recognized composer, performer and musical educator.  Her musical career began at age eight with piano lessons and continued with a bachelor’s degree in composition from Mills College and later a Master’s from San Francisco State University.  In 1984 she founded the Composition Department at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she has been department chair for eleven years and a member of the faculty for over forty.
Nationally renowned for her contribution to the arts, Ms. Armer was the 1990 recipient of the Gerbode Foundation Award for New Music Composition, and then in 2000 received the George Sarlo Award for Excellence in Teaching.  She has completed over 50 musical compositions in a wide range of categories, including chamber, chamber-keyboard, chamber-solo, orchestra, choral and vocal.
 Ms. Armer is one of the founding members of COMPOSERS, INC, a leading advocate of new American music in the U.S. Her work   catalogued in the Elinor Armer Archive at UC Berkeley’s Music Library, International Who’s Who in Music and Musicians, International Encyclopedia of Women Composers, Who’s Who in American Music: Classical, Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers, and Grove Dictionary of Music.
Ms. Armer is currently an Emeritus Professor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and continues to mentor young artists, giving private lessons in composition and piano from her home.