Gerald Faust, HHS Class of '55, named outstanding alumnus

It’s been 70 years since Gerald Faust graduated from Holton High School, and he’s looking forward to coming back to his old alma mater this weekend for the annual Glory Days celebration and visit with a few of his old classmates.

“Our class has diminished a little bit, and I’ve heard there’s only going to be about six of us who show up,” Faust said.

Faust, who went from being a Wildcat to a well-traveled small business owner and developer, has a mandate to come back to his old hometown this weekend — he’s been named Holton High School’s Outstanding Alumnus of the Year, an honor which he said surprised and delighted him.

“We’re looking forward to coming back to Holton one more time,” Faust said of himself and his wife of more than 60 years, Marcia.

Faust, who was born in Nigeria to missionary parents Arthur and Aletha Faust — his mother the former Aletha Knapp, a 1923 graduate of HHS — came to Holton with his parents while they were on furlough. He stayed in Holton when his parents returned to Africa and was raised by maternal grandparents Jacob and Sophia Knapp.

“I had some good friends growing up in Holton,” he said. “Jack Rose was one of my favorite teachers, and one of my favorite classes was world history. I forget the name of the teacher, but I remember she was a good teacher.”

Faust was also known for his efforts on the football field, leading to his selection as a second-team all-state player and reportedly scoring more touchdowns in his last two years at HHS than any other Wildcat up to that point in the school’s history.

After graduating from HHS in 1955, Faust went on to Kansas State University, where he graduated in 1960 with a bachelor of science in industrial technology. Not long after that, President John F. Kennedy announced the formation of the Peace Corps, and Faust, who expressed an interest in “international work,” signed up with the Corps’ first group of volunteers.

“One thing led to another,” he said. “Kennedy invited us to the White House as we were getting ready to leave for our assignments, and I got to shake the president’s hand and chat with him for a little bit… It was a highlight.”

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