Spring 2009 - St. Vincent-St. Mary High School

from Akron University Law School in 1954. Ned coached
basketball and taught at Twinsburg High School, St. Mary
High School and St. Vincent High School. In addition to the
aforementioned honors, Ned has been elected to the Summit
County Sports Hall of Fame, inducted into the St. Vincent-
St. Mary Athletic Booster Hall of Fame and the Akron
University Sports Hall of Fame, and has been recognized as
the William Schlemmer Meritorious Service Award Winner
by the Dapper Dan Club of Akron. He was nicknamed “coach”
by former players and friends alike. He is a well respected
family man, coach and lawyer. He has been a member of
St. Eugene Parish for many years.
During Ned’s stint as St. Vincent High School Basketball
Coach he learned of the exceptional educational and athletic
benefits available at St. Vincent High School and decided to
send his children to the high school.
The spirit and family-friendly atmosphere was what endeared
Ned to St. Vincent. His heritage at St. Vincent includes 4
children and 2 grandchildren graduating from the Fighting
Irish High School. In addition to his coaching and teaching,
he also served on the Board of Directors from 1991-1998, and
served on the committee that created the STVM Mission
Statement and has been a constant contributor to the school.
Ned also founded the Endress Title Company in 1972, a
family business that prospered and employed many of the
Endress clan. Ned was the CEO of the company which at one
time employed sons, Ned II, Terry, Pat and grandsons Ned
III, Jason, Eric and Scott.
Ned belonged to many organizations including, the Akron
and Ohio Bar Associations, where he was recognized for 50
years in the practice of law, the American and Ohio Land Title
Associations and is past President of the Summit County
Land Title Association. He was followed in this office by his
sons, Terry, Ned II and grandson Ned III. He is also a member
of the Retired Players Association of the NBA and receives a
pension from the organization.
Ned loves STVM and wants to thank the STVM Alumni
Council and the Alumni Association for recognizing him as
an Irish Crusader Award winner for 2009.
HAROLD JENKINS
“Harold is very proud of his involvement with STVM and the strong traditions found at the high school.”
Harold Jenkins was born in 1923 in
New Castle, PA and grew up in Alliance,
Ohio. The family (Harold is the
youngest of 4 sons) moved to Alliance
Ohio because his father was a Boiler
Maker and Diesel Mechanic working
for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Harold
graduated from Alliance High School
in 1937. He met and married Gladys
Brown in 1943. After they were married,
Harold served in the military from 1944-1947. During those
years, Harold was stationed at Camp Randall in Madison,
Wisconsin and studied labor relations at the Labor Education
School for Workers. Harold graduated with a Degree in
Labor Relations. Harold’s thirst for knowledge sent him on
a quest to many college campuses reinforcing and growing
his knowledge base in labor relations. After his military
obligation ended, Harold and Gladys moved to Akron, Ohio
where they still reside. Harold began working at Firestone
Tire & Rubber Company where he became very active in
union politics. There was a strong desire to succeed and there
was no stopping his advancement. In 1962, he attended UCLA
School for Workers and was a part of a team that organized a
campaign for the Farm Workers Union which resulted in the
farm workers becoming members of the AFL-CIO. In 1963,
Harold worked with the Southern Christian Leadership
Council (SCLC) on Voter Registration in Vicksburg and
Jackson, MS, as well as Birmingham, AL and Greensboro,
NC. At that time, Harold also worked in Memphis assisting
the sanitation workers with their strike. He left Memphis the
day before Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Harold
returned to Atlanta to join the more than 25,000 marchers
for King’s funeral procession, a day he will never forget.
In 1965, Harold attended the University of Tennessee to
continue to enhance his skill in labor relations and was a
guest instructor for labor relation courses. During the 1978-
1979 school year, Harold received recognition from the Kent
State University, College of Business Administration for his
“contribution to our students’ understanding of the American
Business System.” In 1979, Harold became a member of
the Labor Extension Research Service Board of Ohio State
University. He was honored with the Black Applause Award
in 1979, from the Delta Rho Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma
Fraternity. Harold served as the Director of Education for the
United Rubber Workers International Union of the AFL-CIO
from 1964-1980. In 1980, one of Harold’s last assignments
included attending a conference in Lisbon, Portugal and
Madrid, Spain for the ICFTU (International Conference of
Federal Trade Unions). Harold has had an illustrious history
of education, organizing and volunteerism.
continued on next page
Spring 2009 | Allumni Connection 40