By Sheryl Swingley—
MUNCIE, IN—The Muncie Central High School Alumni Association at its annual meeting recognized three distinguished alumni and celebrated its 30th anniversary.
The three alumni recognized for their distinguished careers and contributions to their communities and Muncie Central were Robert Coatie, a graduate in 1963; Mary Jane Croft, a graduate in 1933; and Lathay Pegues, a graduate in 1993.
Honorary alumni awards were presented to Church Reynolds, superintendent of the Muncie Community Schools, and his wife, Rhonda Reynolds.
Guest speaker for the event and presenting an overview of the alumni association’s 30 years was founding member and secretary emerita, Charlotte Sheppard.
The first distinguished alumnus to be honored was Coatie, who was an educator, church elder and advocate for civil rights during his life. He obtained a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in counseling and psychology from Ball State.
His 40-year career in education included senior roles in student affairs at such universities as the University of Louisville and Ball State. At Ball State he served as assistant director of special programs and played a major role in the development of the Office of Special Programs.
The second distinguished alumna honored posthumously was Croft, who played three different characters in the “I Love Lucy” TV series. She was best known for her role as Betty Ramsey, Lucy’s neighbor when the Ricardos moved to Connecticut. Croft had a prolific career in radio and television and is often recalled as one of the most beloved and consistent character actors of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
Croft began her acting career just out of high school on the stage of Muncie Civic Theater. Her professional career started in radio and transitioned to TV. Croft also had roles in “Our Miss Brooks,” “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.”
The third distinguished alumnus to be honored was Pegues, who is a successful business entrepreneur and active Muncie community leader. He owns a successful business he founded called John Tom’s Barbecue Sauce. The sauce is based on his grandfather’s secret recipe. His activities in the community include serving on the Muncie Central Alumni Association board in past years, serving on the Delaware County Housing Authority and serving on the boards of the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County and Next Muncie. Pegues was a founding member of the Muncie-Delaware County Black Chamber of Commerce.
At Central, he was co-captain of the Bearcat basketball team. He graduated from Indiana University with a degree in broadcast journalism. Pegues’ professional career includes accolades as a former newspaper reporter, lead TV news anchor and Emmy Award-winning journalist.
The Muncie Central Alumni Association supports its awards program, student scholarships and student assistance program, as well as teacher grants, through memberships in the Muncie Central Alumni Association and donations to the association. The association also financially supports, curates and operates the MCHS Alumni Association Memorabilia Room in the North Walnut Street Fieldhouse, which will be 100 years old in 2028.
Membership forms for Muncie Central alumni and non-alumni interested in supporting Muncie Central are available from https://www.munciecentralalumniassociation.com/. Membership forms and donations may be mailed to Muncie Central Alumni Association, 2808 W. Riggin Road, Muncie, IN 47304. Checks should be made payable to MCHS Alumni Association.
Sheryl Swingley is a retired Ball State University journalism instructor where she taught for more than 28 years. Prior to joining the Ball State faculty, she was a health care public relations practitioner.
