John Hoge
By Freeman Hover
Rincon High School Adviser
2003 Hall of Fame Recipient
In 1967, as a senior in high school, John Hoge was appointed the editor of his yearbook, The Ajo High School Treasure Chest. This was the first time I had ever advised a book. John taught ME a lot! He was ahead of his time then, and always was. While using mosaic, he was moving toward Piet Mondrian design. He produced an avocado green book cover a few years before General Electric was telling us we needed an avocado green refrigerator and a harvest gold stove. During this time several Phoenix newspapers were part of a national program that recognized outstanding journalism students. John’s achievements were recognized in a full-page announcement in their papers and was awarded a large and handsome engraved plaque. It was a great honor for a student outside of the metropolitan Phoenix area to be recognized.
John entered UofA in fall of 1967 and became involved in several organizations. During his four years he becomes a campus mover and shaker and wrote home frequently to tell his parents he was changing the face of the university! His dad used to come to my classroom unannounced, stop the class and read the latest adventure in John's campus crusades. When he had finished, he would look up at us and sigh, "That boy! Oh, that boy" and be on his way to duties at the copper mine. Talk about one proud father!
Besides a campus honorary and a social fraternity, which he became alumni advisor for after graduation, John found time to work on the U of A yearbook staff. He was editor-in-chief for two years. John, in his typical, enthusiastic and knowledgeable fashion made numerous innovations in that staid and floundering book—enough one year to cause a little controversy and make headlines in the local and campus newspapers. That, of course, increased sales.
While doing his student teaching at Cholla High school, John was virtually handed the school's book by the adviser. It was his first taste of working with a high school staff, and he loved it. Following graduation from the U of A, John was hired by Tucson Unified School District and placed at Catalina High School where his entire classroom and advising career took place. He was a natural-born teacher and brought a great deal into his English and humanities classes. A year or two after starting at Catalina, the yearbook co-advisers became weary of their many years in the game and turned the book over to John. I'm sure he was salivating to get his hands on it so he could work creatively with the kids. His Catalina books consistently won All-American and Medalist ratings, the highest publication recognition awarded at the time by the National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association. One of his students of whom he frequently spoke was Lisa Schnebly of the Mrs. Sedona Schnebly family. She is a gifted writer today. She has written three Arizona books including an award-winning children's book.
John’s first affiliation with AIPA was when he attended the 1966 the NAU workshop as a high school student. During his years at Catalina High, John was active with AIPA and in 1975, he received the AIPA Forest R. Martin Memorial Award for Excellence in Journalism for outstanding young Arizona adviser of high school newspapers and yearbooks. During John’s years at Catalina High School he taught at numerous AIPA workshops and conventions. I can still see John chasing Dave Cosgrove (2004 Hall of Fame Inductee) up the stairs of the Taylor dorm on the NAU campus. Maybe Dave was chasing John, but I don't think so. But it was a funny horse play picture. It's been a long time since any of us have run that fast!
Along with other Tucson advisers, he took kids on plush chartered buses to San Francisco and other popular convention sites. The superintendent thought it an educational experience and was willing to give the group a week off to concentrate on journalism, and experience other places such as Hearst castle. You won't be surprised to know that it was John who arranged for the buses, hotels, admissions to sites and registration procedures. Can you believe: in San Francisco hotel representatives jumped aboard the buses when we pulled in and passed out envelopes with room keys assigned to each room pair. John arranged for that little piece of logistics. No clogged lobby there! TUSD was not too happy that John chartered buses from California rather than local lines. He wanted the best and such political details mattered little to him. He always looked for First Class, whether buses, lodging or yearbooks. The real reason the "wheels" of TUSD (but not the superintendent) may have been upset was because we made headlines at home and California. In route to San Francisco sirens wailed and lights flashed. Our three charters were pulled over for speeding on a LA freeway. Cops were dumbfounded to board and discover three loads of teenagers and their upbeat teachers. We learned about the publicity when we arrived in San Francisco. Some kids called home and assured parents that we were not all in jail--just some fines for the bus drivers.
Some place along his career path John had earned his Master's degree and administrator certification. He was asked to consider the assistant principal position at University High School. He mulled it over until his deadline. We talked about it. I hated to see a master teacher give up instructing and advising. Such a gifted teacher! He even came across town to my classroom at Rincon once or twice when he was free at Catalina High to teach a unit of his expertise. In the end, John elected to accept the post in administration because as he said, "I think I can do more and reach more kids in that position than just in one classroom." He promoted some positive changes at UHS just as he did in the English curriculum at Catalina High School—not always to his colleagues’ pleasure. He kept his finger in the pie as a UHS guest teacher now and then. University High School shares facilities on the Rincon High School campus but has it own faculty and advanced academic programs. So, once again, John and I were on a campus together, not as student and teacher, but as colleagues.
It wasn't long before John was elevated to TUSD's biggest challenge, the principalship of Tucson High Magnet School. I never heard him talk about the yearbook program there. He was too busy his first year or so just running up and down the steep open staircases putting out fires among students and staff. Somewhere along the line he was also named Man of the Year by the Tucson Junior Chamber of Commerce. John didn't have a lot of time to guide Tucson Magnet High, however. He became ill but continued to work as long as he could until he became too weak to work effectively. He resigned with regret and died at home, February 24, 1993, at age 43. Over 600 attended John's memorial service. A scholarship and a library in his name as well as a stained glass window in the Tucson High Magnet High School library memorialize John.
Memorials to John! Imagine!
This for a man whose high school superintendent called him in before
graduation and expressed to him that he was not college material much less U of
A and that he should consider some other form of higher education.
AND FORMER STUDENTS WROTE:
from Paul DeWeerdt
Catalina High School Class of 1983
Editor-and-Chief: The
Torch
John Hoge demanded creativity. His attitude about yearbooks and how they should be designed was probably inconsistent with other yearbook advisors of his time. He taught his yearbook students to think far beyond the ordinary. He showed us his mind’s eye by flipping through pages of popular magazines. He would point out unusual uses of text, fresh arrangements of images on a page and intriguing headlines. He taught us that great ideas were often simple in nature, yet appealing to the eye. Then he encouraged his students take these elements and design something completely new for their own assignments. It was always exciting to see the finished product and flip through the pages. Each set of pages would look completely different from all of the others. The copy was always informative and interesting. But that is what John Hoge expected. He relished in that fact that Catalina High School yearbooks were different, sophisticated and intelligent. However, I believe he took the most pride in having the opportunity to mentor hundreds of students like myself and to teach us life lessons through the process of creating yearbooks.
Through a bit a good luck, I was assigned to John Hoge’s English class as a freshman. He immediately began to challenge my thinking and hone my writing skills. As the year progressed, I realized he cared just as much about my development as a young man as he did about developing my academic skills. He encouraged me to sign up for the yearbook staff and during my senior year Mr. Hoge selected me to serve as the editor. He put enormous trust in my ability to lead a group of very talented and bright staff members. The experience taught me valuable communication, organizational and leadership skills. He could see in me what I could not see for myself. Mr. Hoge continued to mentor me well beyond high school and encouraged me to pursue a career in education. I became a teacher, yearbook adviser and administrator at Pueblo Magnet High School. He left an obvious imprint on my life. To this day, the lessons I learned from John Hoge continue to influence every aspect of my life. His life is very deserving of this honor, and I am delighted to be able to share in this celebration.
Dr. John S. Videen
Editor-and-Chief: The Torch
I've always had my doubts that Mr. Hoge was fond of
our 1977 yearbook theme, at least initially.
We were struggling and a deadline was looming. I tend to be more plagiaristic than creative
and in truth the idea came from my Mother. His initial reaction was blank. Nothing. Others on the staff were silent; I was
uncomfortable. That stare was not new to me. Once at the yearbook camp in NAU I
sophomorically suggested we run the mug shots across the spread in the crease,
thereby totally disrupting the two-page layout. He let me down easy then, but
I'm sure he wondered whether he could get Special Education credits for working
with me as the Editor-in-Chief. The theme, "What did YOU get out of
Catalina High School?" was sort of unconventional, and I wasn't sure of
his reaction. Mr. Hoge always let the creative
decisions up to us. We voted on most things, but his feedback was
critical. His input is best characterized
as catalytic; he brought us to the best decisions quicker. Behind that brief but blank, unblinking stare
I know now the cogs were turning. He had a hundred ideas in those short
moments, and he knew where we were going months before we got there.
Twenty-eight years later, I've been asked, "What did I get out of Mr. Hoge?" The answer is plain to me. The quality of the
final product is important, but not all-important. You get points for style. Mr. Hoge taught style. He taught us to perfect the process
before the product. A perfect yearbook wasn't his ultimate objective; it was a
perfect yearbook staff.
I never did thank Mr. Hoge. My journey has been different because of his
teaching. I wish I could shake his hand and tell him so. John, this will have
to do. Thank you.