Congratulations Mr. Pierce

The article mentioned the many civic accomplishments of Mr. Pierce. I would like to reveal some more interesting observations that I remember about Mr. Pierce when he was coaching and teaching in Minonk from 1950 to 1964.

Jack Pierce grew up in Pontiac and attended the University of Illinois where he played for the U of I football team that went to the rose bowl in 1947. Mr. Pierce had tremendous athletic ability and ran the mile relay on the track team with Buddy Young, one of the best athletes to ever attend the U of I.

Mr. Pierce's athletic ability was certainly noticed by the athletes at MDR where he coached basketball and football. This is a story that is hard to believe but it has been confirmed by many who witnessed the event. At a practice session in football he once ran backwards against the football team's two halfbacks, Dick Davis and Duane Hartzler, who were running forward, and he beat them!

I had first hand knowledge of Mr. Pierce's athletic ability when I was in the sixth grade at Minonk Grade School. Mr. Pierce was the principal at the grade school and one day decided to play touch football with the boys during recess. Mr. Pierce was the quarterback. When the ball was snapped he would tell everyone to take off and he would hit them with a pass. I was one of the defenders who would try to touch Mr. Pierce before he would throw the ball. Three of us who rushed Mr. Pierce could not lay a hand on him. He was like a slippery eel that could dodge and dart every direction imaginable. To make it more impressive, he was playing in his dress clothes which included a white shirt and tie.

My friend Bob Schmitz remarked to me on learning of Mr. Pierce's award as Citizen of the Year, "We were certainly fortunate to have men of such caliber as Mr. Pierce when we were in school." I agree. Many of the teachers and administrators we had at Minonk in the 1950's were World War II veterans who were glad to be back in the states alive and well. They understood the importance of giving it all you have. They were also involved in the community much more so than the teachers and adminstrators of today. They understood the importance of community involvement and took a personal interest in the students.

Even though I never played as an athlete under Mr. Pierce, he showed that he took an interest in all students. In 1955 I spent the second semester of the eighth grade housebound in bed with rheumatic fever. That year Chick Hearn, who was a Peoria sports announcer and later the announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers for 40 years, was the guest speaker at the athletic banquet in Minonk. After the banquet Mr. Pierce asked Hearn to pay a visit to my house. I will never forget the night that Chick Hearn and Jack Pierce walked into the front door of my parent's living room at 524 Johnson Street. It brought a brief moment of happiness to a scared and sick boy.

Someone once told me, "Teachers and preachers come and go. But you and I have to stay here and mind the fort and take care of the community." That was not the case with Mr. Pierce. He is remembered here in Minonk 40 years after he left because he did care for the community.

I congratulate Mr. Pierce on being named Citizen of the Year in Peotone. Even though he was a great athlete he will be remembered more for his community involvement. People like him is what makes America great and I salute him.