Wildcat sculpture unveiled, dedicated
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A bronze wildcat sculpture, positioned on the front lawn at Presque Isle High School, was officially unveiled last Tuesday afternoon and dedicated in honor of Superintendent Gehrig Johnson for his 30 years of service to the students and staff of SAD 1.
“The question becomes ‘How do you pay tribute to a person that has provided dedication and leadership for this many years?’ Gehrig — like a good captain — has navigated our school system through rough waters and calm seas. He has plotted the course and stayed the course,” said Lucy Richard, chair of the SAD 1 board of directors. “As a result of his leadership, SAD 1 is recognized as one of the top districts in the state of Maine, both in academics and athletics.
“Thirty years as the superintendent for one district is unheard of. I’m willing to bet that no other superintendent has ever reached this type of milestone. Many great things have occurred over these years — the beautiful middle school, the wonderful athletic complex, the baseball and softball fields, the bus garage, but most importantly the proficient academic programs in our school system. We also have some of the best-kept public properties in the city of Presque Isle,” she said. “Gehrig has recently led his 1,100th board meeting, and has handed out diplomas and shook the hand of over 5,500 students while here at SAD 1. I would like to thank Gehrig’s friends, neighbors, staff, colleagues and family for making this lasting tribute to a career of a great leader and visionary of our district.”
The five-foot long, nearly 300-pound bronze sculpture, Richard said, “truly represents the biggest Wildcat fan of them all … Dr. Johnson.”
“It will be here for years to come to welcome students and families to our campus,” she said. “We are in hopes that many years from now students will know about the dedication of a great superintendent.
“As John C. Maxell once said, ‘A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way,’” said Richard. “Thanks, Gehrig, for all your years of service, and we are in hopes that you will like and enjoy this wonderful tribute to honor you for your 30 years of service.”
Andreas von Huene, a sculptor and artist from Arrowsic, was commissioned to create the piece, which was paid for through private donations.
“It’s a great honor to be here, and an even greater honor to have sculpted this wildcat for you,” said von Huene.
In congratulating Johnson on his longevity, von Huene recalled something his mother would say when he was growing up.
“Whenever I’d fix something at home because my dad was too busy, my mother would say, ‘Andreas, what would I do without you?’” he said. “I think that’s apropos for Dr. Johnson. What are we going to do without you?”
Johnson originally announced his plan to step down as superintendent Dec. 31 during a Sept. 11, 2013 meeting. He has since agreed to continue in the position until a new superintendent has been hired.
Other speakers at the dedication ceremony included Dick Durost, executive director of the Maine Principals’ Association, and Roger Shaw, superintendent of schools in Mars Hill and Easton.
“More than 30 years of experience as the SAD 1 superintendent … wow! Someone once told me that if you were a principal or a superintendent and you make one enemy per year, eventually your enemies outnumber your friends,” joked Durost. “And to be able to not just exist here for 30 years but to thrive for 30 years with this community and school system just says an awful lot about the quality of the person that the school board had the wisdom to employ 30 years ago.
“Gehrig’s consistent leadership and direction are the cornerstones of the success here. One of Gehrig’s greatest strengths has been the evaluation of talent when it comes to finding teachers and staff. The end result is that he has placed the best teachers in front of the students of SAD 1, and he has hired great administrators to lead those students and staff,” the former PIHS principal said. “[Gehrig] you have undoubtedly touched generations of students, parents and staff, but you have also impacted the entire state and its perception of these communities, these schools, and this district that you love so much. Thank you!”
Shaw, who is Johnson’s brother-in-law, complimented Johnson on his tenure in SAD 1.
“To be in one district for that long is absolutely an incredible professional journey. The mark that he has made on SAD 1, the Aroostook County community, and the entire state of Maine is phenomenal,” said Shaw. “The generosity that Gehrig has shown to the surrounding school districts — whether it’s the cooperative agreement we have with the bus garage to the sharing of business services to the sharing of expertise and equipment when needed — has been incredible.
“I’ve learned a few things since I first started 20 years ago, and I’ve tried to share with Gehrig everything I ever knew, only to find out that most everything I ever knew I learned from him,” he said. “It’s an honor for me to be here, and it’s a well deserved occasion.”
Charles Anderson, SAD 1’s business manager, was unable to attend the ceremony. Richard read his prepared remarks.
“At ceremonies like this — especially in military settings — it is appropriate to offer salutes. The Navy established the tradition of a 21-gun salute. We can’t replicate that tradition here, but we can offer an alternative,” read Richard. “One hundred seventy-five years ago, an English author, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, gave us the adage, ‘The pen is mightier than the sword.’ Adapting that expression, we could also say that ‘Words are mightier than guns,’ and by extension, we offer a 21-word salute to Gehrig and to the sculpture, the person and the symbol all tied together.
“The words denote actions and attributes, and each one of them can be thought of as a bullet in a salute. W — winning, I — intense, L — leadership, D — dedicated, C — capable, A — ability, T — tenacious; W — watchful, I — industrious, L — longevity, D — driven, C — careful, A — agility, T — tough; W — willpower, I — influential, L — level-headed, D — durable, C — calm, A — attitude, T — tireless,” Richard read. “What does that spell? Wildcat, wildcat, wildcat!”
After unveiling the sculpture, Johnson offered his thanks to the 130 people gathered for the event.
“I feel blessed … blessed that I’ve had the honor of being superintendent in SAD 1 all of these years, and blessed that I have a large, committed group of employees around me that have always somehow managed to make me look good,” said Johnson. “I’m forever thankful to those who worked to make this day possible. I will carry the memory of this day with me for the rest of my life, and I thank all of you so much.”
