Harold Showalter

Harold graduated from Bracken County High School, Brooksville, Kentucky, in 1952 and then entered Union College, Barbourville, Kentucky. While attending Union College, he was employed part-time with the Barbourville Mountain Advocate. Harold was active in drama and music activities, serving as president of the Union College Playlikers Club and earning membership in Alpha Psi Omega (National Dramatic Fraternity).

Harold also earned membership in the Fraternity of Zeta Sigma Pi (National Honorary Social Science Fraternity), and the writing Award for his poetic work and a television play, A Cross. He also earned membership in Iota Sigma Nu, the Union College Honor Scholarship Society and served as president. In the summer of 1955, he was employed by Berea College, Berea, Kentucky, as a performer in the premier production of Wilderness Road: a Symphonic Outdoor Drama by Paul Green.

In 1956, Harold received an A.B. degree cum laude from Union College, Barbourville, KY, with a major in music and minors in religion, philosophy, and drama. That same year, he was employed by the Fayetteville-Perry Local Schools, Fayetteville, Ohio, as a teacher of music and drama in grades one through twelve, and continued in that position until 1960.

From 1957 to 1960, Harold served as Lay Supply at the Martinsville (Ohio) Charge of the Methodist Church. Churches within that Charge included Martinsville, Midland, Morrisville, and Westboro.

On August 8, 1958, Harold and Nancy Lorraine Guilfoyle were married at the Manchester Presbyterian Church, Manchester, Ohio. They have one daughter, Debra Jeanne Showalter,

From 1960 to 1968, Harold was the high school librarian and a teacher of English and drama. From 1963 to 1970, he served as a member of the Village Council of Fayetteville, Ohio. From 1964 to 1965, he was employed part-time as a Librarian Rank II at the State Library of Ohio Regional Center in Winchester, Ohio.

On June 26, 1968, he received a Lay Reader’s License from Bishop Blanchard to serve under the direction of Rev. John G. Carson, rector of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.

Harold served as the organizer and president of the Fayetteville [Ohio] Centennial Celebration in 1968 and, in the same year began graduate level studies while serving as principal of Fayetteville-Perry High School from 1968 to 1972. In 1970, he received a Masters of Education in Educational Administration from University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.

From 1971 through 1984, Harold was a part-time adjunct instructor at Chatfield College, St. Martin, Ohio From 1972 to 1976, he served on the Brown County Board of Mental Health and Retardation in Georgetown, Ohio, the CORVA Mental Health and Retardation Committee in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Rollman’s Psychiatric Institution Advisory Committee in Cincinnati, Ohio.

From 1972 through 1983, Harold returned to the classroom at Fayetteville-Perry High School, teaching English and serving as high school librarian. From 1983 to 1995, he served Fayetteville-Perry Local Schools as the District Director of Library Media and Computer Services.

On August 9, 1992, Harold and Mary Rae Wilkerson Roush were married at the Russellville Presbyterian Church. Beginning in 1993 to present, Harold has served on the Board of Trustees of the Brown County Public Library, serving as president during a major expansion from one building to four buildings. From 1995 to 1997, he served as the Fayetteville Schools District Director of Library Media Services.

In 1996, Harold received the Innovative School Media Specialist Award from Ohio Governor George Voinovich; and a Leadership Award from the Southwestern Ohio Educational Technology Association. After serving in various positions with Fayetteville-Perry Local Schools for 41 years, Harold retired in 1997. He had served four years as a teacher of music and drama, four years as high school principal, nineteen years as teacher of English and library, twelve years as the District Director of Library Media and Computer Services, and two years as the District Director of Library Media Services.

Beginning in 1998, Harold was a charter member and continues as a member of the Brown County Public Library Foundation. He was employed as interim director of Adams County Public Libraries in 1998 and retired in 2014 as Executive Director at the Adams County Public Library at Peebles, Ohio.

Harold’s biography appears in Who’s Who in America 65th Edition (2011)