Atherton High School will honor former students and a principal at their 15th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Thursday, October 13, at 6 p.m. at the Galt House Hotel and Suites, 3rd Floor, East Tower, Grand Ballroom C.
Atherton Alumni Association President Nicholas G. Gardner said, “Atherton has a long history in this community and honoring these distinguished alumni and teachers not only recognizes the contributions of Atherton, but also inspires future generations.”
Since 2002, Atherton has inducted into their Hall of Fame 169 teachers, principals, coaches and former students, including such nationally recognized alumni as author Sue Grafton, David Grissom, Louisville Metro Council member Tom Owen, poet laureate Richard Taylor and Congressman John Yarmuth.
- Sharon Goldberg Bensinger
- Suzy Kling Post
The 2016 Atherton Hall of Fame class includes Sharon Goldberg Bensinger (1960), Jyoti Bhatnager Burruss (1982), John Hudson (principal), Patrick Hughes (2006), Vincent James (1983), Betty Jo King (1961), Suzy Kling Post (1951), Bennett Rink (1985) and Ralph Scott Jr. (1971).
Sharon Goldberg Bensinger is the founder and executive director of Visually Impaired Preschool Services. She has dedicated 35 years to the education of young visually impaired children and their families and developed the internationally sold and distributed Can Do! Video series for parents and educators of young blind children.
She is a member of the Leadership Kentucky Class of 1990, recipient of the Kentucky Outstanding Special Education Administrator of the Year in 1998, recipient of the Mercy Academy Community Leadership Award, recipient of the Bertold Lowenfeld International Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children with Visual Impairments and their families and past president and current director of the Louisville Downtown Lions Club.
Suzy Post is an award-winning civil rights activist in the struggle against discrimination and social justice in Kentucky. She has been a social advocate since the 1950’s when the Civil Rights Movement was first organized in Louisville.
In 1969, Post became president of the Kentucky Civil Liberties Union. During her tenure, she organized the first statewide women’s conference and served as chair of the Kentucky Pro-Equal Rights Amendment Alliance.
She worked for The Louisville-Jefferson County Human Rights Commission for eight years. Post also monitored the educational institutions’ compliance with Title IX prohibiting sex discrimination in education.
Shortly thereafter, she was elected to the National American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Board of Directors. In the 1960’s and 70’s, she was part of the anti-war movement in Louisville.
Post became the director of the KCLU in 1982 and stayed for eight years. She then accepted a job as founding director of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition (MHC) where she organized a Fair Housing Committee to monitor local compliance with fair housing law.
She remains a member of the NAACP, the ACLU of Kentucky, and the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.
She has received numerous awards from many state and local organizations, including the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights Hall of Fame 2007.
On January 19, 2014, at the Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer presented Suzy Post with the prestigious Mayor’s Freedom Award for the culmination of her hard work and dedication to the causes of equality and her ongoing pursuit to what she believes in as the true beacon of hope to the people of this Commonwealth. Other noteworthy awards include the 2000 Center for Women & Families Woman of Distinction and she was named a Muhammad Ali Center 2016 Daughter of Greatness.
The Atherton High School Alumni Association was started about 15 years ago, to bring together former and current students and faculty.
For banquet tickets, visit www.athertonalumni.com or call Nick Gardner 502-238-1096.
Nominations for the 2017 Hall of Fame are now being accepted at www.athertonalumni.com.
