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FRAMINGHAM – Tickets are now on sale for the 2nd Annual Framingham High Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday, April 28.
Seven individuals will be inducted into the Framingham Hall of Fame. The second class of inductees into the alumni hall of fame are: Tomica Adams, Dave Amato, Lt. Arthur Raymond Brooks, Dr. Arthur Caplan, Gary Natoli, Nicole Obi, and Mike Reiss.
Tickets are $77 and can be purchased at this link.
If ordering on mobile and not desktop, scroll all the way to the right and then pull down how many tickets.
The deadline to purchase a ticket is April 14, but the event may sell out before then.
Last year, the Framingham High Hall of Fame Foundation, a 501c3 organization, voted in seven individuals to the inaugural class but due to scheduling conflicts, a few needed to defer their induction until 2023. The first class of honorees was the late Royal Bolling, Lisa Bebchick, Corey Cheng, and Adam Siegel.
Six individuals will be attending the ceremony and one individual is being inducted posthumously, as part of the Foundation’s mission to honor the Framingham High graduates of the past.
Proceeds from the Framingham Hall of Fame will benefit Framingham High arts, drama, music, and authorized clubs like robotics, the Black Student Union, Environmental Club, Model UN, etc.
The seven inductees in 2023 include:
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Tomica Carter-Adams: Framingham South High Class of 1990. While at Framingham South High, she swam, ran track and played football, however none of these were her true passion. After graduation, she attended Purdue University, where she was able to ride in a small airplane. It was at that point, she knew she wanted to fly. Upon graduating from Central Washington University with a BS in Flight Technology, she built her hours by flight instructing at Auburn flight school and flying for Raytheon. In 2006, she was hired as a pilot at Continental Airlines, and in 2022, she became a Captain at United Airlines on the B737, making her the fourth Black female captain in United’s history. Currently she is the vice chairwoman of the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP). She resides in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Dave Amato: Framingham South High Class of 1971. Amato grew up on Fay Road, and graduated from Framingham South High on 1971. For the past 34 years he has been with the rock band REO Speedwagon. He also has played for Ted Nugent, Cher, and Richie Sambora. He has been touring and recording with various famous bands for the last 40 years.
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Lt. Arthur Raymond Brooks: Framingham High Class of 1913. The late Lt. Brooks graduated as valedictorian from Framingham Academy and High School in 1913 and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1917. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Officer Reserve Corps and attended the School of Military Aeronautics with the Royal Flying Corps in Canada. An American World War I flying ace, he is credited with shooting down multiple enemy aircraft. He was a pioneer in the development of radio navigational aids (NAVAIDs) used by pilots for location and navigation, as well as air-to-ground communications. Lt. Brooks participated in early endeavors to commercialize aviation as a passenger-carrying business. Lt. Brooks was one of the earliest commercial pilots involved with carrying mail (air mail) for the U.S. Postal Service. He died July 17, 1991 at the age of 95.
Dr. Arthur Caplan: Framingham North High Class of 1967. He is currently the Drs. William F and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor and head of the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City. Recipient of the Public Service Award from the National Science Foundation which honors individuals and groups that have made substantial contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering in the United States, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Rare Impact Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Bioethics and the Humanities, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Innovation Award and this year the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing Humanitarian Award. Dr. Caplan holds seven honorary degrees from colleges and medical schools.
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Gary Natoli: Framingham South High Class of 1979. Natoli is an accomplished event, theatrical, and media professional in television, entertainment, Broadway, and off-Broadway theater. He has stage managed almost every major live television event in the past 30 years, including Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Super Bowl halftime shows, and Presidential Inaugurals to the Academy Awards, Emmy Awards, Tony Awards, CMA Awards, MTV VMAs, and The Voice. The list goes on and on – more than 1,000 productions in total. He is a graduate of Boston University and Columbia University. He is a longstanding Directors Guild of America member and resides in Los Angeles, California.
Nicole Obi: Framingham North High Class of 1987. Obi is the President & CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) whose mission is to advance the economic well-being of Black businesses, organizations, and residents in Massachusetts through advocacy, business, and leadership development strategic partnerships. She serves on several non-profit boards and committees including GBH, the Environment League of Massachusetts, the Intensive Community program of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, Browning the Greenspace, and Women’s Foundation of Boston, as well as Longfellow Investment Management’s board of advisors. She is also a member of the Boston Chapter of the Links, Inc. She resides in Chestnut Hill with her family.
Mike Reiss: Framingham High Class of 1993. Mike Reiss is in his 15th year working for ESPN. His primary role is to report on the New England Patriots. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Upon graduation from UMass-Amherst in 1997 (BS, sports management), Mike worked for Patriots Football Weekly (1997-99), the MetroWest Daily News (1999-2005) and Boston Globe (2005-2009) before joining ESPN, where he appears on television, radio and writes on ESPN.com. Last year, Reiss introduced Hall of Fame member Lisa Bebchick at the inaugural ceremony.
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The Framingham High Hall of Fame Inc. is still accepting sponsors for the 2nd annual induction ceremony & program book.
There are several sponsorship levels – $250, $500, $1,000, $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000. Deadline for sponsorship is April 5, 2023.
If you would like to be a sponsor, email flyershalloffame@gmail.com
History of the Hall of Fame Foundation
The Framingham High Hall of Fame Foundation has been holding an athletic hall of fame since 2018, and an alumni hall of fame since 2022.
In 2018, Framingham Public Schools eliminated athletic fees for all Framingham High athletes. Proceeds from the Flyers (athletic) Hall of Fame ceremony, and subsequent induction ceremonies, benefit the Framingham High athletics department.
With the Framingham High School Foundation announcing that it would disband in 2021, and that the Salute to Framingham would not happen in 2022 or subsequent years, the Framingham High Hall of Fame Foundation Board voted to create a Framingham Hall of Fame for non-athletic alumni who graduated from Framingham High, Framingham North High, or Framingham South High.
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Inductees to the new alumni hall of fame could be performers, entrepreneurs, scientists, business executives, public servants, artists, educators, etc.
Inductees can also be principals and staff who have retired from Framingham High, Framingham North, or Framingham South.
Proceeds from t he alumni hall of fame benefit Framingham High arts, drama, music, and authorized clubs like robotics, the Black Student Union, Environmental Club, Model UN, etc.
Members of Framingham High Hall of Fame Foundation Board include Heather Connolly, Ricky Finlay, Jim Kelly, Nancy Novo O’Connor, Susan Petroni, Cheryl Tully Stoll, Scott Wadland.
The 5th annual athletic hall of fame will be held in fall 2023. To nominate an athlete or a coach, click here.
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In full transparency, the editor of SOURCE is a founding member of the Framingham High Hall of Fame Foundation and serves on the Board.
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