Crane Project Takes Flight - Messmer Catholic Schools

MESSMERTODAY
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Coach, Teacher, Alum Ron Davies ’60 Retires as Messmer Football Head Coach
Ron Davies joined the Messmer family in
1956. After graduating from St. Norbert’s
College, Ron returned to Messmer as an Assistant
Football Coach through the Archdiocese
of Milwaukee. He stayed two years
and went back to college to obtain his Master's
in Education. Then, in 1972, he took a
job at Kenosha Tremper where he led the
Trojans to three WIAA Division I State
Championships and two runner-up finishes.
His record also includes seven playoff
appearances, seven conference championships,
and five undefeated regular seasons.
To say he was successful is an
understatement.
In 1980, he received the Football Coach of
the Year award from the UPI, WHSFCA and
the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He would
again earn the Coach the Year award from
the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 1991.
Ron retired from Kenosha Tremper in 2001.
But retirement was not in the cards. "I received
a phone call from my friend Peter
Salza '60," Ron recalls. Salza explained to
Ron that Messmer was ressurecting its football
team and combining it with Shorewood
Coach Ron Davies ’60.
High School. It was the first private-public
school venture of its kind in the nation.
"It was difficult," says Ron. Although the
numbers were low, he focused on having
dedicated players. Ron is known for high expectations
and being able to form teams
based on hard work, friendship and spirit.
Ron sums up his strategy as follows, “Kids
understand expectations.”
This year, the Messmer-Shorewood football
team achieved a 6-3 record.
Ron has worked to build the football team
from the ground up.
Principal Jeff Monday described Ron as,
“An alum whose dedication never ends.”
“He has given so much to Messmer
throughout his life,” continued Monday.
In reflecting on Messmer, Ron says, “The
impact you can have on kids is the reason I
came back. Every kid can be successful at
life.”
“His life shows what Messmer truly does
and is,” said President Brother Bob Smith.
Messmer Day at MU
Messmer’s academic affiliation with
Marquette University continued this
past fall with high school students taking
part in a day long tour of Marquette
University. This marked the
second time that Marquette organized
“Messmer Day” on their campus to introduce
students to the many attributes
that the campus has to offer
students after their time at Messmer
has come to an end.
Greg Borowski, political reporter for the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, is a Messmer High School and Marquette University
alumnus and has been one of the primary forces getting this
special day off the ground. With Greg’s help and input, Marquette
has instituted programs such as the Urban Journalism
Workshop, which gives high school students a chance to learn
more about the field of communications and advance their
writing skills before they graduate with month long internship
at local newspapers. The program also involves sessions at the
Marquette Tribune to assist the Messmer’s journalism students
in editing, producing and improving their articles for the
Messmer Foursquare.
In addition, this year an exciting new opportunity was extended
to include the Marquette School of Engineering. During
sessions with professors from the School of Engineering,
students learned about many exciting opportunities in the
fields of Science, Technology and Math. The classes ended with
Messmer students using their new skills to build Lego Robots
to perform specific functions.
At the end of Marquette Day, recent graduates of Messmer
who now attend Marquette University spoke with the current
Messmer students about their experience in college and the
admissions process.
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