2023 Topeka High Graduate Hall of Fame

The Topeka High Graduate Hall of Fame induction ceremony to be held on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023
A federal judge, engineer, actor/screen writer, and a music educator will be inducted into the Topeka High School Graduate Hall of Fame at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, in the Topeka High School Hoehner Auditorium. The public is welcome to attend.
This will be the 42nd Topeka High Hall of Fame ceremony, with 129 Topeka High graduate inductees and 26 former staff/faculty previously honored with the Distinguished Staff designation.
A reception in the main hallway will follow the ceremony. The Topeka High Madrigals, Topeka High Harris String Ensemble, and Topeka High Marine Corps Junior ROTC will participate in the ceremony.
More information: THS Historical Society, Joan Barker, 785-295-3200, jbarker@tps501.org

The four honorees whose portraits will be added to the Topeka High Hall of Fame Room:
Janice Miller Karlin’s (THS 1971) 40-year law career took her from civil litigation for the Justice Department to chief of the 10th Circuit Bankruptcy Appeals Court.
After receiving undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kansas, Mrs. Karlin took a position as assistant U.S. attorney and was with the Department of Justice for 22 years. She also was an adjunct professor of trial practice at the University of Kansas School of Law.
In 2002, Mrs. Karlin was appointed a U.S. bankruptcy judge for the District of Kansas. In 2008, she moved to the appellate bankruptcy court for the 10th Circuit and became its chief justice in 2016, the first woman to hold that position. Throughout her career, she was active in federal and state bar associations and groups for women in the legal profession. The foundation for Mrs. Karlin’s career started with her participation in debate and forensics at THS.

Wesley Revely (THS 1990) earned a B.S. from Kansas State University and worked for 14 years as a mechanical engineer, systems engineer, and project lead engineer at Lockheed Martin in Eagan, Minnesota. His projects ranged from structural modifications for airplanes to security solutions for New York City Transit. Mr. Revely was awarded six U.S. patents, most of them for innovations in shock-dissipation and shock-isolation systems, and received numerous honors from his employer, including five mission success awards, three “trade secret” awards, and two special recognition awards. Wise, genuine, and caring, Mr. Revely was beloved by his many friends and was the godfather of two of their children. His passion was racing motorcycles, and he enjoyed playing softball and volleyball, fishing, and tinkering with all things mechanical. He passed away in 2010.


In the more than two decades since Tommar Wilson (THS 1994) graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, he has trod the boards on Broadway, toured in the cast of “Hamilton,” and made appearances in television shows of all genres. In 2023, he has been busy developing his talents for screenwriting.
Mr. Wilson’s stage credits also include “The Book of Mormon,” “The Music Man,” “Hair,” and “Mamma Mia.” He has appeared on regional theater stages across the United States. In addition to his Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting, Mr. Wilson also graduated from the UCLA Professional Program in TV Drama Writing. Outside the theater, Mr. Wilson has helped raise funds and awareness for Covenant House International, an organization that supports youth facing homelessness and trafficking; the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS; and the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative in New York City. At THS, Mr. Wilson sang with the Madrigals and appeared in school productions, including “Fiddler on the Roof.”

David G. Woods (THS 1960) is known for his pioneering work in music curriculum development and as an expert in early childhood music education. He has presented workshops, lectures, papers and clinics worldwide.
Dr. Woods earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Washburn University in 1965 and his master’s and Ph.D. in music from Northwestern University. He also studied at the Copenhagen Conservatory of Music and at the Aspen Institute. He is co-author of “Jump Right In!” a comprehensive music series for grades K-8; “Teaching Music in the Twentieth Century”; “Teaching Music in the Twenty-first Century”; and “Creating Curriculum in Music.”
His honors include being named Teacher of the Year in 1981 at Iowa State University and the Governor’s Arts Award from Frank Keating of Oklahoma in 1995.
Dr. Woods remains active in retirement in Topeka with the Topeka Symphony and the Sunflower Music Festival.