Hall of Fame

ARTS HALL of FAME

The UMS-Wright Arts Hall of Fame consists of a prestigious group of alumni who made a significant contribution in an arts discipline while attending our school, who have produced meritorious work in the field beyond graduation, and who continue to give back to the community. On February 11, 2021 we inducted four deserving members: Franklin A. Danley ‘93, Ashley Lang Terrell ‘73, Jeana Conner-Mason ‘96, and Robert P. Miller ‘05.

If you would like to make a nomination for 2021, please contact Caitlin Zoghby at czoghby@ums-wright.org.

Jeana Conner-Mason '96 has many contributions to the Arts Department and her achievements as a student-leader have made Jeanna one of UMSWright’s very memorable and beloved graduates. As a student performer, Jeana was an omnipresent leader of the UMS-Wright Singers, Wright Images, and Adagio where her vocal skills helped raise the level of excellence of each group. Without a doubt, her portrayal of the Reverend Mother and her stirring performance of “Climb Every Mountain” in My Fair Lady has remained a joyous memory of all fans of the UMS-Wright Theatre Guild. Jeana was also an outstanding young scholar. She earned induction into the National Honor Society, and, as evidence of the side range of abilities she possesses, she received the Physics Award for excellence in this challenging discipline. As a result of her positive influence and outstanding character, she also earned an Alumni Spirit Award. She was also selected as a member of the Alabama All-State Chorus, and most impressively, she was also named the Outstanding Choral Student for the State of Alabama in 1996, her senior year.

Ashley Lang Terrell '73, like many other Julius T. Wright alumnae, can point to specific events and activities during her school days which shaped her character and her view of the world. Her teachers helped her develop a love for “all things Art” as well as a desire to master the means of communication, both verbal and visual. As a result of these influential Wright teachers, Ashley has spent her adult life as an art teacher as well as a practicing artist, which she is today. As an educator, she taught in both the public and parochial schools in Mobile and eventually left teaching and began working as a freelance artist. While keeping up her painting, her primary focus changed to graphic design projects for local businesses, and this entry into the business world would lead Ashley to starting a stationary line, The Original Creation, which now has sold its products nationwide! Her other professional venture was to open Ashley Terrell Art which has featured her original paintings in a mixed media format portraying all genders. Ashley’s works have been featured in publications such as Birmingham Style, House Beautiful, and have been on the cover of Birmingham Home and Garden twice. Her works have also been featured at events which benefit the American Cancer Society while she has also been the featured artist at the Kirkland Cancer Center in Birmingham.

Bobby Miller '05 has been active in theater as a performer and as a set designer/technician since his childhood, and he is now a testament to how active engagement in the arts molds a person. Fittingly, he now introduces middle schoolers to the joys of live theater as an inspiring teacher. As a UMS-Wright student, Bobby was clearly enamored with the written and spoken word. His ability in this area was apparent early in his academic career when he earned the 6th Grade Reading Award, and throughout high school his teachers constantly praised his creativity and his writing ability. Without a doubt, he was a talented actor, but his classical view of how to prepare for a show provided him with an understanding of the essential components such as set design, lighting quality, and sound quality which contributed to the success of live performances. Among Bobby’s most memorable stage performances was his portrayal of King Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He received both The Fine Arts Spirit Award and The Most Valuable Male Soccer Player Award his senior year at UMSWright. Few educators have the skill set to be the Middle School Drama Director/Teacher as well as the Middle School Soccer Coach as Bobby is today. His enthusiasm for any task that he undertakes is infectious, and his energy, both physical and intellectual, remains limitless.

Franklin Danley '93 graduated as a member of the 100th class to have attended either UMS or UMS-Wright. He was a member of the select chorus, Adagio, as well as the larger chorus while both groups were extremely active and performed often at school as well as in the Mobile community. Not surprisingly, Franklin would be selected in the Alabama All State Chorus, and he would be part of the original recording of the vocal arrangement of the UMS-Wright Student Prayer which is still a standard part of any UMS-Wright formal assembly. Franklin was also an active member of the UMS-Wright Theater Guild as well as a prominent student vocalist. As an actor and singer, he took part in six major stage productions. As the SGA Vice President for Fine Arts, he organized and implemented the first Talent Show for UMS-Wright student performers and initiated an event which continues to enrich the experience of students today. Having earned the respect and trust of fellow students, Franklin would be chosen to the most responsible office a student can hold, Honor Council member, and would be chosen by his teachers to receive the prestigious Benjamin Harte Harris Spirit and Leadership Award his senior year. Upon graduation, he entered the banking profession in the Regions Bank Management Associate Program, and he remains with Regions Bank as an executive nearly a quarter of a century later. Today he works as the Executive Vice President, Head of Payments Operations.

ATHLETIC HALL of FAME

The UMS-Wright Athletic Hall of Fame was held on two separate occasions due to COVID-19 restrictions. We were proud to induct Mikell W. Taylor '89, Robert L. Mitchell '98, Anne Currin Pontius '01(not pictured), Tofey J. Leon '10, Jay C. Prosch '10, and Robert R. Wyatt '10 (not pictured) for their outstanding contributions to the UMS and UMS-Wright sports programs as well as their athletic successes in college and career.

Congratulations to these individuals! If you would like to nominate an alumnus or alumna for this honor, please email your nomination to Caitlin Zoghby at czoghby@ums-wright.org.

Mikell Taylor '89 lettered four years as a member of the Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Teams. He excelled in the Pole Vault event as the Outdoor State Champion in 1988 and 1989 and as the Indoor State Champion in 1989 while garnering numerous other records as well as leadership and achievement awards. In 1988, he also represented the state of Alabama in the National Junior Olympics. Mikell attended Samford University on a Track and Field Scholarship and then later transferred to Auburn where he earned a BA in History in 1993.

Jay Prosch '10 was a fierce competitor for the UMS-Wright Track and Field Team and Varsity Football Team. His awards and accomplishments include All-State, 4A Lineman of the Year for the State of Alabama, Team Captain, member of the 4A AHSAA 2008 State Championship team, and Alabama/Mississippi All-Star game player. After graduating from UMS-Wright, he went on to the University of Illinois where he played fullback for the 2010-2011 seasons. He then transferred to Auburn University and played fullback for the Tigers from 2012 to 2013, was a member of the 2013 SEC Championship Team, and played in the 2014 Senior Bowl. Jay was then drafted in the 6th round 211th pick by the Houston Texans within the NFL and played fullback until 2018.

Annie Currin Pontius '01 was one of the school’s most outstanding multi-sport female athletes. She was a member of the 1997 State Swim and Dive Championship Team, the first for our school, as well as All-County, All-State, and the 2000 Swim Team Captain. For Track and Field, she earned All-County, All-State, and was a contributor to the State Championship Teams of 1999 and 2001. Anne received a Swimming Scholarship to Louisiana State University.

TJ Leon '10 competed with the City of Mobile Swim Association and the UMS-Wright Swim and Dive Team from 2003-2010. He was a two-time state record holder, four-time individual event State Champion, as well as a two-time Olympic trials participant and United States Individual National Champion. He attended Auburn University where he was a four-year letterman on the Swim and Dive Team. He served as the Team Captain, two-time relay National Champion, and six-time NCAA All American.

Robert Mitchell '98 held a prominent spot on the 1998 UMS-Wright State Championship Basketball Team. He was a three-year letterman in basketball and a two-year team captain for teams that made it to two Final Four appearances. His leadership and skills were evident as he started every game of his sophomore, junior and senior years, and earned the Best Defensive Player award his junior and senior years.

Bobby Wyatt '10 was a member of the Varsity Golf Team from 2005-2010. During this time, he was a member of the three-time State Championship Team and an individual four-time State Champion, four-time Boys State Junior Champion – shooting a 57 at one appearance – and the 2010 #1 Ranked Junior Golfer in the world. He then went to the University of Alabama where he was a member of the Golf Team from 2010-2014. While competing for the Crimson Tide, they won two Team National Championships and three SEC Team Championships. Bobby was a threetime All American, the 2014 Individual SEC Champion, a 2013 Palmer Cup and Walker Cup competitor, and the 2012 #1 Amateur Golfer in the world. He played as a Professional Golfer from 2014 – 2018 on various tours, with two of those years being on the PGA Tour.