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Alumni News
By Kyle Daubs July 28, 2025 One of the best to ever play the position is coming back to Peoria. While his days as an all-time great running back are over, 2018 Peoria High graduate Geno Hess is coming home. This time, he will serve as an assistant football coach at Peoria Richwoods High School. At Peoria High, Hess Ran for 574 yards and eight touchdowns and broke a state record with 64 carries against Normal West High School. He was later named to the CBS MaxPreps 2016 Medium Schools All-American second team.. Hess was the only player from the state of Illinois named to either the first or second team among medium schools, which have enrollment between 1,000 and 2,000 students…
By Kyle Daubs
July 27, 2025
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You thought Zkiyah Richardson was done taking all of the money after Awards Night? The 2025 graduate took a haul of scholarship money and we could hear how proud her family was all night long. However, the incoming University of Illinois freshman was not done. Richardson was recently named a Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated scholarship recipient.
Meanwhile, the 2025 Athlete of the Year, Leshawn Stowers, will be competing at the NCAA Division I level at the University of Miami (Ohio). Stowers, who was an All-State First Team Selection and Big 12 Conference Player of the Year last season, has launched his own NIL site.
Students & Staff “excited” to be back and with each other
By PHS Editorial Staff
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Principal Shaun McGinnis recently took up running over the summer.
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He even ran his first 4-mile race ever at the Steamboat Classic. Now, he’s asking staff and students to do the same.
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According to freshman math teacher Adrian Boctor, that request has been seen immediately.
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“Day one, we hit the ground running,” said Boctor. “The freshman are showing their work in math and explaining their thought processes in math discussions with the class. They are also not afraid to correct when others make a mistakes, and are very polite and patient. They are showing up, and owning their work.”
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While Spanish Becky Lemont is excited to “eeing “see the students and get hugs,” it appears that both the students and staff are ready to run down excellence in 2025-26.
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English teacher Amanda Bell asked her students the following questions
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What is your favorite thing about being back at PHS?
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What is a goal you have for yourself or your class this school year?
The students replied with the following:
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Sophomore Jayde Albert said “My favorite thing about being back is that the school is the very welcoming and teachers and staff. This school shows me more about life than life can at the moment. This school shows diversity, which is important to many kids because they don’t know where to fit in at. Peoria High shows lots of kids that being you is extremely important, and you shouldn’t change yourself to fit in. That’s why I’m excited to come back here after summer.”
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Sophomore Jamiya Jones said “My favorite thing about being back is getting to see my friends Of Course and getting to meet all my new teachers and see Ms. Bell. My favorite thing that I just learned to do was how to do geometry.”
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Sophomore Ash Whiting said, “”My favorite thing about being back is the set schedule that stays the same .This year I hope to have much better grades than last year.”
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It’s not just the students that have goals this year. Members of the staff were asked to create a vision for themselves, and Boctor is going to strive towards growth for himself as well.
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“My goal is to prepare as many freshman as much as possible to be proficient in math, even if they don’t believe it is their ‘thing.” I want them to take pride in their work, even when they make a miscalculation, and see where they could apply math in their lives.”
At a time when just prior to America entering World War Two and many Alumni heading off to "make the world safe for democracy", President Roosevelt gave his famous speech that spurned Norman Rockwell to use his unique artistic skills to bring those "Four Freedoms" to life. It also motivated many other artists to create their own vision of the "Four Freedoms" paintings and statues. There are many examples of the "Four Freedoms". One example resided at PHS for many years before being taken down. Here's a little story about how the "Four Freedoms" came to be. Many thanks as the information in this story was taken from the National Archives and other articles. Enjoy!
FDR's famous "Four Freedoms" speech Why was that important to PHS?
A renowned artist left PHS his version of "Four Freedoms"
From the National Archives-
January 6, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt what became known as his "Four Freedoms Speech". He spoke about his vision of extending American values throughout the world. Times were dangerous was Europe was being engulfed in war and soon America would join the fight.
Very early in his political career, as state senator and later as Governor of New York, President Roosevelt was concerned with human rights in the broadest sense. During 1940, stimulated by a press conference in which he discussed long-range peace objectives, he started collecting ideas for a speech about various rights and freedoms.
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In his 1941 State of the Union Address to Congress, with World War II underway in Europe and the Pacific, FDR asked the American people to work hard to produce armaments for the democracies of Europe, to pay higher taxes, and to make other wartime sacrifices. Roosevelt presented his reasons for American involvement, making the case for continued aid to Great Britain and greater production of war industries at home. In helping Britain, President Roosevelt stated, the United States was fighting for the universal freedoms that all people deserved.
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At a time when Western Europe lay under Nazi domination, Roosevelt presented a vision in which the American ideals of individual liberties should be extended throughout the world. Alerting Congress and the nation to the necessity of war, Roosevelt articulated the ideological aims of the war, and appealed to Americans' most profound beliefs about freedom.
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In his Four Freedoms Speech, Roosevelt proposed four fundamental freedoms that all people should have. His "four essential human freedoms" included some phrases already familiar to Americans from the Bill of Rights, as well as some new phrases: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. These symbolized America's war aims and gave the American people a mantra to hold onto during the war.
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As America became more engaged in World War II, painter Norman Rockwell created a series of paintings illustrating the four freedoms as international war goals that went beyond just defeating the Axis powers. In the series, he translated abstract concepts of freedom into four scenes of everyday American life. Although the federal government initially rejected Rockwell's offer to create paintings on the four freedoms theme, the images were publicly circulated when The Saturday Evening Post, one of the nation's most popular magazines, commissioned and reproduced the paintings. After winning public approval, the paintings served as the centerpiece of a massive U.S. war bond drive and went on a national tour to raise money for the war effort.
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After the war, the four freedoms appeared again, embedded in the Charter of the United Nations.
From Wikipedia-
Norman Rockwell created his interpretation of the "Four Freedoms".
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Rockwell's Four Freedoms—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear—were first published on February 20, February 27, March 6, and March 13, 1943, along with commissioned essays from leading American writers and historians (Booth Tarkington, Will Durant, Carlos Bulosan, and Stephen Vincent Benét, respectively). They measure 45.75 by 35.5 inches (116.2 by 90.2 cm) except for Freedom of Worship which measures 46.0 by 35.5 inches (116.8 by 90.2 cm). Rockwell used live models for all his paintings. In 1935, he began using black-and-white photographs of these live models extensively, although he did not publicly reveal he did so until 1940. The use of photography expanded the possibilities for Rockwell who could ask models to pose in positions they could hold only for brief periods of time. He could also produce works from new perspectives and the Four Freedoms represented "low vantage point of Freedom of Speech, to close-up in Freedom of Worship, midrange in Freedom from Fear, and wide angle in Freedom from Want".
Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms"
Pleasant Ray McIntosh
and Peoria High School
Rockwell went on to produce his "Four Freedoms" plus other war related themes and was followed by many others. Peoria had major wartime industries and from time to time there were War Bond drives. It was around this time in 1943 that a man named Pleasant Ray McIntosh created his vision of the "Four Freedoms". McIntosh had attended and graduated from Bradley in Peoria. He went on to several other art related jobs around the world before landing back at Bradley to become its' Art Director. His son was a student at Peoria High School.
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His "Four Freedoms" depiction was used to promote a war bond drive. When the drive was concluded, he at some point donated his paintings to Peoria High School. For years they hung in one of the main stairwells as shown in a picture from the 1949 Crest. This picture below was the only picture I could find when researching the article. When the school added the Science Wing and new gym in 1962, the stairwells were modified or moved. The paintings at some point were moved to the west study hall. They were hanging during my time at PHS. That was 1978. The paintings were removed at some point and stored. The Alumni Association had many members inquiring about the pictures and where they might be within the school. Luckily they were located but in disrepair. The Peoria Riverfront Museum has these paintings in safe storage.
Norman Rockwell's "Four Freedoms" War Bond Drive poster
Pleasant Ray McIntosh, Bradley Polyscope 1944
Picture from 1949 Crest of "Four Freedoms" by P.R. McIntosh hanging in the old stairwell
If you would like to read further on some of the information in this article you can head over to the links provided.
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FDR's Four Freedoms Speech to Congress-
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Four Freedoms (Rockwell)-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Freedoms_(Rockwell)
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Pleasant Ray McIntosh
Happenings at PHS- Preparatory School for the Arts
Now that's a convertible!
The ads from the Crests over the years provide a glimpse into life at PHS over the years. Who wouldn't love driving that car!
The REC's purpose was to be a War Memorial after World War II
Classes in the late 40's, 50's and early 60's enjoyed a place called "The REC". Initially housing printing presses it was repurposed to become a 'hangout" for the students. Shortly after World War II with some many PHS students returning from service to their country, it was suggested to make the REC a memorial to all PHS students who had lost their lives in the war. The July 1945 Opinion, which was a "Mailing Edition" had quite a story in it concerning the REC. This edition of the Opinion was issued to families and were encouraged to mail it to their loved ones in serving...it went world wide. Fast forward to 1996 and the all-school reunion where many memories were shared, it became known who may have suggested that the names of our fallen PHS service members be permanently affixed above the fireplace for all to remember. I've attached the July 1945 Opinion in this article. It is a window to some very difficult times for our school and their families. Of note is the mention of Mis Elenor B. Watson, Dean of Girls. She is one of our PHS administration that took the time to track every known PHS graduate during World War II. She was passionate about the Rec becoming a living memorial for our fallen alumni.
In 1996, the 150 Year Anniversary All-School Reunion was held at the Civic Center. A "Memories Book" was issued and provided us with stories from Alumni. In these articles you will find many references to some of the stories captured in the Opinions or Crests from decades ago. This story from the Memory Book caught my eye a few years ago which led me to look at the Rec a little closer. Finding the Opinion from July 1945 (before the Pacific War ended) really gave a me a glimpse into our very storied hostly at PHS.
Memory from 1996 All-School Reunion Booklet
Bob Derges' fathers suggestion became reality
Picture from 1947 Crest
The Rec article by Tracy Riebel in June 2023 gives us a perspective of this once great student gathering place.
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PEORIA HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
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Established in 1856, Peoria High School is the largest oldest high school
in continuous operation West of The Allegheny Mountains
Remember those Crest Ads? How can we forget!
Here's a few to take you back!
Szold's Department store circa 1920
Big John's BBQ....Ya'all get enough to eat! circa 1960's
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