Take a walk down memory lane with our Alumni Spotlight from March 2021, where we celebrate two incredible educators who left a lasting impact on our schools and community.
🎙️ Lee Kelly (1947-2020)
For four decades, Lee Kelly was synonymous with WNAS and the voice of the Bulldogs. From growing America’s first high school radio station to mentoring thousands, Lee’s legacy lives on.
🌿 Ray Weatherholt, Jr. (1940-2020)
A member of Floyd Central’s faculty from the beginning, Ray Weatherholt dedicated his life to teaching and nurturing a love for science and nature. His influence continues to inspire future generations.
These profiles were written by fellow alumni who were deeply moved by their legacies. Dive into their stories and reflect on the incredible educators who shaped our community.
Excerpt from the March 2021 Legacy Ledger (Issue 7):
For this edition, I am very pleased that two terrific graduates, one from each high school, have agreed to be guest contributors. Separately and together, they have taken up the challenge of writing about Hall of Fame inductees who are no longer with us. I look forward to hearing from more readers with suggestions of members of the alumni community that you would like to see in a profile here. This is also a great opportunity to recommend someone that you would like to see as a nominee to either school’s Hall of Fame.
Rex Bickers, FCHS ’70, guest editor for Alumni Spotlight
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Lee Kelly (1947-2020):
The Voice That Shaped WNAS
Submitted by guest contributor Chris Morris, NAHS, ‘79
It’s hard to think of WNAS and not think of Lee Kelly. For four decades Kelly was general manager of the high school radio station and the voice of the Bulldogs. Kelly died unexpectedly last year at the age of 72. But his legacy lives on.
WNAS was America’s first high school radio station ever. It broadcasts now from both New Albany and Floyd Central and has continued to grow and evolve. And it was Kelly who was instrumental in growing the station.
Kelly came to New Albany to become general manager of WREY AM in 1969. He took over as WNAS station general manager and instructor in 1973. He managed radio programs at both FCHS and NAHS for three years before moving to NAHS full-time.
Kelly had the perfect voice and personality for radio. Local residents recognized him not only from football and basketball broadcasts but also from his local election coverage and serving as emcee of the Harvest Homecoming parade.
Under Kelly’s guidance, WNAS saw huge growth. Initially, its broadcasting hours were 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weekdays only. Today the radio station is on 24 hours, seven days a week. WNAS, which now includes a TV station, has also remained a popular course choice among students at both high schools.
While Kelly is a graduate of Silver Creek High School, his name is synonymous with NAHS and WNAS. He clearly qualifies as a faculty legend for his 40 years of guiding and growing the radio station, and for being a mentor to thousands. He was inducted into the New Albany High School Hall of Fame in 2013.
In preparing for this first-ever posthumous profile, Lee’s widow, Sally graciously assisted in its preparation. She was asked what she remembers about the early days when Lee split his time between the two schools.
She recalled: “At New Albany, WNAS was already twenty-plus years old when we came here. But at Floyd Central, radio was still in its early days. There was just one class of students, and Lee went there first period, every morning. Teaching was all new to him, and I know he thought that he was just as green as the kids were. The entire community was just always so welcoming. I remember that Roger Whaley first met Lee through Harvest Homecoming and Roger asked him to consider coming to WNAS. It was a great start to what lasted for such a long time”.
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Ray Weatherholt, Jr. (1940-2020):
Inspiring Generations in the Classroom and Beyond
Submitted by guest contributor, Jessica Black Pugh, FCHS ‘95
Ray Weatherholt was one of the original 67 members of Floyd Central’s faculty and staff, there when the doors opened in 1967. And he was the last of those to retire from the school. Ray died from complications of CoVID-19 on September 8, 2020. He was 80 years old. For countless numbers of FC alumni who pursued careers in medicine and scientific research, he was the finest classroom teacher in the school’s history. For decades before he retired and equally in the years after, Ray asserted that his finest classroom was outdoors, surrounded by wildflowers, birds, and butterflies.
Ray earned a degree in biology from Kentucky Wesleyan in 1962 and began his career in Ocala (Florida), teaching chemistry. He taught at Georgetown High School from 1964 to 1966, then took a year off to earn his master’s degree in biology from Kansas State University, Emporia. He returned to teach at GHS for its final year before coming to Floyd Central. In his 36 years there, he continued to pursue graduate coursework in the summer at schools from Florida to Iowa. He also taught at IU Southeast.
He and his wife raised a daughter (Tama) and two sons (Shawn and Ray III). All three are Floyd Central graduates.
Anyone who knew Ray was quick to say: “although he retired from Floyd Central, he never left teaching”. He was a tireless resource to Sunnyside Master Gardeners and one of the leaders of the group’s “bluebird team”. He helped to establish butterfly gardens across many locations in Floyd County. He was inducted into the FC Alumni Hall of Fame in 2016. The Ray Weatherholt Distinguished Student Prize and Scholarship Fund were established that same year. It is endowed in perpetuity and will provide a scholarship to its fifth annual awardee in 2021, promoting “the study of chemistry in the life sciences”.
Ray’s own words, excerpted from a 2016 column by local journalist Dale Moss seem as relevant today as they did then. Referring to his never-ending cycle of lifelong learning and teaching, Ray believed that he was blessed with “a wealth of knowledge that I wanted those kids to walk away with”. His students ended up with that blessing, multiplied a hundredfold.
Read the entire March 2021 Legacy Ledger (Issue 7).