Garrett High School

Where Character Counts!

After graduating from Garrett High School, John Green received his B.A. degree from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) and a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin (Madison).

He worked for Chevron Research and Technology Company in Richmond, California for 30 years and retired in 1992. During this time he held leadership positions in many different fields of physical chemistry, moving to each new assignment with the goal of improving the way research is done by applying the latest in computers and technology.

He now pursues special interests in art and music by serving on not-for-profit boards. He has acquired and loans important collections of black and white photographs and contemporary ceramics.

Dr. Shirley Dickison Phillips attended grade school at Butler Center’s one-room school house. At GHS she was senior class president. Ball State University was the site for her B.A. and M.A. degrees. Shirley completed her Ph.D. in psychology at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. She raised four children during this time.

Always an educator, the apex of Shirley’s career was as an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. Concurrently, she was appointed Assistant Director of the Family Practice Residency Program in Saginaw, Michigan.

Shirley established a successful private practice in psychotherapy, as well as developed and presented various professional workshops, from which she retired in 2004.

Tom Leech is the third child of John and Catherine Leech. He was raised on S. Cowan Street, and has high praise for the experience of growing up in Garrett and attending Will Franks Grade School and Garrett High. His early experiences as a paper boy (Randolph Street), hardware store worker-bee, and Garrett pool splasher helped his business and communications skills.

Upon graduating from Purdue, he moved to California to work in aerospace with assignments in engineering, communication and marketing. These specialties led to teaching at several universities, and then starting his consulting-speaking business. As an author and journalist, he’s written books and articles on business, world travel, and nature, one of his major interests and concerns.