Hutchinson High Wall of Honor to induct surgeon, insurance leader and former mayor

Three Hutchinson High alumni — a MASH commander, an insurance executive and a mayor the district calls the Midwest's first Hispanic woman mayor — will join the school's Wall of Honor at a $15-a-seat banquet Thursday, Oct. 1.

The banquet begins at 6 p.m. in the Hutchinson High School Career and Technical Education Academy, 800 15th Circle, and is open to the public, according to the USD 308 announcement. The three will take part in the Homecoming parade the following day and formally take their place on the wall at about 6:20 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, before the Homecoming game at Gowan's Stadium. The HHS Alumni Association and the high school sponsor the Wall of Honor.

Frances Garcia earned an associate degree from Hutchinson Community College and worked in banking, and later as a volunteer outreach worker and interpreter. She was elected to the Hutchinson City Commission in 1985 and served as mayor twice, remaining on the commission until 1999 and later serving on the Reno County Commission until 2010.

Dr. Daniel Cavanaugh's 40-year medical career included seven years of surgical training in the U.S. Army, board certification in general and cardiovascular surgery, and command of the 43rd Mobile Surgical Hospital — the real MASH — in Korea. He spent five years as general surgery training director at William Beaumont Army Medical Center, where every resident he trained passed the board examination. He began teaching anatomy to nursing students after retiring from surgery at 70.

Allen Fee returned to Hutchinson in 1984 to join the family business, Fee Insurance Group, with his father, James W. Fee, and later his brother, Bob Fee. He was a founding board member of the Boys & Girls Club and has served organizations including the Reno County Chamber of Commerce, Cosmosphere, Rotary Club, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, the Hutchinson Community Foundation, the Food Bank and the Salvation Army.

Seats must be reserved and purchased in advance at the HHS main office, 810 East 13th, weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The district's announcement does not give a last day to buy them. The number for more information is (620) 615-4100.

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