Pay Dirt Club
Bingham High School Hall of Fame
In the early days of Bingham Canyon, who struck it rich was said to have struck pay dirt. Those miners would take a mule, shovel, pick and dynamite along with a drill bit and double jack and work hundreds of hours drilling, blasting and shoveling. With a combination of hard work and little bit of luck a miner might find a rich vein of gold silver of copper ore. This was “dirt” that paid him money or pay dirt. Striking pay dirt symbolizes a successful miner. Because of this, Bingham High School’s Hall of Fame is called the Pay Dirt Club.
| 1976 | IVY BAKER PRIEST (1924) | Treasurer of the United States under Dwight D. Eisenhower and State of California Treasurer under Ronald Reagan |
| 1976 | AVERY MASTERS (1933) | Military, colonel, served at the United States Pentagon |
| 1976 | ANDREW CONTRATTO (1925) | Medical doctor, heart specialist in Massachusetts |
| 1976 | LENORE RICHARDS (1935) | Medical doctor, one of Utah’s first women surgeons |
| 1977 | IVOR PICKERING (1935) | Mining Executive, Vice President of Kennecott Copper |
| 1977 | PETER PITCHOS (1931) | Law Enforcement, Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California |
| 1978 | THEROS “TED” SPEROS (1934) | Businessman, manager and owner of Lamb’s Café in Salt Lake |
| 1978 | GEORGE SLUGA (1960) | Educator, history teacher and coach at Bingham High |
| 1979 | DENNIS NICHOLS (1963) | Health care provider, acclaimed organist, and pianist |
| 1980 | VIRGINIA HARRIS McDONALD (1934) | Educator, Bingham High dance teacher, and Minerette advisor |
| 1980 | MITCHELL MELICH (1929) | Lawyer and politician, Utah State Senator, Republican candidate for governor of Utah in 1964, and solicitor in the US Department of Interior. |
| 1981 | HAROLD CHESLER (1929) | Businessman, manager of the Princess Theater in Bingham, owner of Salt Lake Theatre Candy Distribution Company |
| 1981 | PEARL MILNER WAGSTAFF (1960) | Creative artist, dance instructor, and educator |
| 1982 | NICHOLAS VIDALAKIS (1946) | Businessman, owner and operator of the Family Center Malls |
| 1983 | JOHN L. MATTHEWS (1950) | Educator, administrator and high school principal, military officer, adjutant general of the Utah National Guard |
| 1983 | BRUCE HARDY (1974) | Athlete, professional football player for the Miami Dolphins |
| 1984 | RUSSELL SUMNICHT (1934) | Dentist, commanding officer of military dental clinics, president of International Men’s Clubs |
| 1984 | KENNETH SHULSEN (1960) | State corrections administrator, warden of the Utah State Prison System |
| 1985 | WILLIAM R. BOREN (1947) | Educator, administrator, superintendent of Weber County School District, Utah State Office of Education administrator. |
| 1985 | FRED ROBERTS (1978) | Athlete, professional basketball player for the NBA |
| 1986 | JIMMY BROWN (1944) | Businessman, founder and co-owner of Stevens and Brown Sports stores, |
| 1986 | FARLEY GERBER (1978) | Athlete, won the NCAA National Steeple Chase Championship served on the National Sporting Goods Board of Directors |
| 1987 | DELMAR SCHICK (1944) | Educator and administrator, teacher and coach at Bingham High, Principal of Hillcrest High |
| 1987 | DR. NED BROWN (1949) | Social worker, earned PhD in social work, co-founded a drug and alcohol rehabilitation hospital |
| 1988 | ELLEN VIDALAKIS FURGIS (1944) | Businesswoman, extensive civic involvement, and service. |
| 1988 | JOHN KNUDSEN (1947) | Doctor of Dentistry, extensive work with civic organizations, and community service |
| 1989 | WILLIAM DALE CRUMP (1949) | Doctor of Dentistry, school board member, service with civic organizations, author |
| 1989 | ALTA MILLER (1922) | Educator and administrator, vice-president of the National Association of Child Educators |
| 1990 | OLE HERVILLA (1928) | Businessman, owner and operator of the Little River (California) Inn and Resort |
| 1990 | MARION DUNN (1941) | Journalist, renowned sportswriter for local newspapers, and president of the National Football Writers of America |
| 1990 | J. CAL CRUMP (1947) | Educator, coach, counselor, and vocational coordinator at Bingham High |
| 1991 | BRENT OVERSON (1968) | Politician, Utah State Senate & Chief Assessor of Salt Lake County, Salt Lake County Commission |
| 1991 | GRANT PULLAN (1953) | Educator, administrator, assistant superintendent of Jordan School District |
| 1992 | CLEO GROVES RILEY (1942) | Educator, Wyoming Teacher of the Year |
| 1993 | NANETTE SANTISTEVAN NOBLE (1952) | Educator, First woman Assistant Superintendent of Schools for the Jordan School District |
| 1994 | GORDON RUSSELL LOVELESS (1942) | Businessman and mechanical engineer, executive vice president, chairman, and managing director of Chicago Bridge & Iron |
| 1994 | ANN PACHINA SLATTERY (1946) | Athlete, nationally acclaimed bowler |
| 1995 | RICHARD DOTSON (1960) | Educator, college professor at Southern Utah State University, 1993-1994 Professor of the Year |
| 1995 | JOHN ANDERSEN (1942) | Industrial engineer, journalist for U.S. Mining Co. and Varian Associates |
| 1996 | GEORGE ADDY (1944) | Educator, BYU history professor, author |
| 1997 | JOHN GORIS (1956) | Civil engineer, U.S. Bureau of Mines researcher, selected US Mines Federal Engineer of the year |
| 1997 | D TOM LOVAT (1957) | Educator, coach, professional football coach for the Green Bay Packers. |
| 1998 | DENNY SIMKINS CARLISLE (1952) | Educator and administrator, principal of Bingham High (1986-1994) |
| 1998 | LINDA LONG SANDSTROM (1960) | Educator and administrator, principal of Alta and Hillcrest High Schools |
| 1999 | NORMA NICHOLS (1928) | Extensive community service, served on Primary General Board for the LDS Church, originator of the LDS CTR (Choose the Right) ring, , helped found BHS Alumni Foundation |
| 1999 | TOM JAMES (1956) | Businessman, President of Asset Deployment, Inc. of Southern California |
| 2000 | JOAN BEARD THOMPSON (1952) | Lawyer and judge, one of first women to be a U.S. Federal Administrative Court judge |
| 2000 | ANTHONY “TONY” J. MONTOYA (1940) | Social worker, promoted causes for senior citizens, wrote book, Hands Across New York, worked with groups concerned with service for the aged |
| 2001 | NED MILLER (1950) | Businessman, CEO of long term health care facilities in California |
| 2001 | NORBERT MARTINEZ (1958) | Businessman, originator and owner of Mama Maria’s Mexican food products |
| 2002 | DENISE PARKER (1992) | Athlete, won a bronze medal in Women’s Archery at the 1988 Olympic games in Korea and a silver medal in the 1992 Olympic games in Spain |
| 2002 | GREG NEWBOLD (1985) | Artist, illustrator, nationally acclaimed graphic artist |
| 2003 | VICTOR ROBLEZ (1946) | Structural engineer, principal partner of major structural engineering firm, involved in design of many major buildings in Utah and across the nation |
| 2003 | HARRY PAPPASIDERIS (1958) | Electrical engineer and businessman, launched a number of revolutionary printing products while working at Xerox |
| 2004 | SCOTT CRUMP (1970) | Educator, Bingham High history teacher, 2004 Utah Teacher of the Year, historian, and author |
| 2004 | GEORGE DIMAS (1947) | Social worker, originator of Hughes Act of 1970, which recognized alcoholism as a disease |
| 2005 | WAYNE RAY (1946) | Social worker, YMCA work, wrote a health and fitness column for Portland’s Oregonian Newspaper and dubbed Portland’s “Father of Fitness” |
| 2005 | RICHARD “DICK” PETERSON (1942) | Educator, science teacher, and Utah State Office of Education administrator |
| 2006 | GEORGE LENDARIS (1970) | Doctor and physical therapist, pioneer in sports medicine |
| 2006 | JAMES PRIGMORE (1961) | Musician and composer of more than 500 compositions, and musical director of the Pioneer Memorial Theater |
| 2007 | MARK KOURIS (1979) | Lawyer and judge, Utah State Court judge, assistant attorney general, assistant federal defender, and deputy district attorney |
| 2007 | ROBERT COWDELL (1948) | Miner and electrician, Kennecott Copper electrical supervisor, city councilman, and extensive community service |
| 2007 | THOMAS BROWN (1948) | Educator, professor of French and Italian at BYU, chairman of Honors Program, and author of numerous textbooks |
| 2008 | RANDY BRINKERHOFF (1964) | Businessman, city councilman and school board member. |
| 2008 | REID TATEOKA (1972) | Lawyer, civic leader, and mission president |
| 2009 | MARILYN RICHARDS (1968) | Educator and administrator, principal of South Jordan Middle and Jordan High Schools and Jordan School District School Board member. |
| 2009 | JOHN SALTAS (1972) | Journalist, founder, editor and publisher of Salt Lake City Weekly newspaper. |
| 2010 | MICHAEL BELL (1972) | Lawyer and military officer. |
| 2011 | JUNE HOLMES GARRITY (1946) | Journalist, writer, designer and editor of corporate news magazines including Kennecott’s Kennescope. |
| 2011 | GARY L. HATCH (1982) | Educator and administrator, professor of English at BYU, chief reader of national AP English test, director of BYU Honors Program, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education |
| 2012 | SHERMAN MARGETTS (1971) | Businessman, civic leader, and mission president. |
| 2013 | ROBYN HILL BERGSTROM (1973) | Educator, professor of communications, and dean of the College Business and Communication at BYU-Idaho |
| 2013 | JACK MANNION (1955) | Educator, coach, and administrator in the Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada School district and civic leader |
| 2014 | CRAIG BURTON (1969) | Businessman, real estate developer, civic leader and mission president |
| 2014 | CARMEN FREEMAN (1972) | Accountant, Jordan School District Board member, Mayor of Herriman City and civic leader |
| 2015 | CLAUDIA PARRY ANDERSON (1965) | Inventor, international businesswoman, Mayor of Bluffdale City, civic leader, and founder of educational foundation and school to teach deaf children to talk |
| 2015 | JOEL SATO (1974) | Educator, coach and athletic director at Bingham High School, Utah Coach of the Year, and member of the National High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame |
| 2016 | DAVID L. GOURLEY (1970) | Educator, school administrator, principal of Taylorsville High School, and Granite School District assistant superintendent |
| 2016 | REBECCA CHAVEZ HOUCK (1978) | Journalist, non-profit organization administrator, civic leader, community activist, politician, and member of the Utah State House of Representatives |
| 2017 | JAMES MARGETTS (1985) | Educator, college dean, and musician |
| 2017 | ROBIN PILCHER (1970) | Firefighter, paramedic and first responder |
| 2018 | CLAY BUTTERFIELD (1967) | Educator at Bingham High, rancher and farmer |
| 2019 | GARY AND DEANNE BILLS CURTIS (1963 & 1965) | Miner (Gary) High school administrative assistant in the Jordan School District (Deanne) |
| 2020 | (NO AWARD GIVEN) | |