Torch Award Presented to the Hal and Sylvia Laird Family
William Penn University
Oskaloosa, IA—The Torch Award, presented annually by the William Penn University Alumni Association, acknowledges and honors an alumni family of at least two generations, or non-alumni parents, all of whose children have attended William Penn. The award was initiated in 1972 during Parent’s Weekend and has remained a prominent honor to families who have shown loyalty to both the programs and ideals of the University. This year, William Penn University is pleased to present the 2014 Torch Award to the Halbert (Hal) and Sylvia (Goemaat) Laird Family.
Sylvia Goemaat, a Leighton native, graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1951 and began working at Mercy Clinic in Oskaloosa shortly after. It was there where she met Halbert (Hal) Laird when he returned home from the Korean War. He required treatment for serious leg wounds after receiving two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star during intense combat. The two were joined in marriage on June 20, 1952. Sylvia and Hal lived and worked on a farm outside of Attica where Sylvia enjoyed helping with chores, farming, and raising their two sons, Avon Michael (Mike) Laird and Joseph (Joe) Craig Laird. She was proud of her sons and loved talking about them. In addition to farming, Hal worked for 30 years at the Knoxville Veteran’s Hospital. Hal and Sylvia made it clear to their children that getting a college education was not an option, but an expectation.
Mike graduated from Penn in 1975 with a BA degree in Psychology/Human Relations and Physical Education. He then went on to receive his MA in Education Administration from Northeast Missouri State University. Laird returned to Penn in 1980 and, over the past 34 years, has served as Director of the Learning Center, Admissions Representative, faculty, assistant men’s basketball coach, and Athletic Director from 1992–2001 and again from 2003–2007, and Advancement Officer, to name a few. Currently he is in his 32th season as the Statesmen Head Baseball Coach, with a record of 899–410–3 (.669).
He was a 2012 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. Mike is married to Victoria (Peterson) Laird, a Penn graduate of 1997 with a BA in Environmental Studies. Victoria has been teaching art at Penn since 1992 and is currently the Director of Visual Arts. The Lairds’ reside near Oskaloosa and have five children: Ian, Sierra, Kara, Leah, and Aaron (‘13). Aaron received a BA in Industrial Technology and currently works for Garden and Associates, Oskaloosa. Sierra and Kara both attended Penn, and Leah and Ian were employed by Penn. Leah worked for the Advancement Office, while Ian was WPU’s web designer from 2000–03.
Joe Laird graduated from Penn in 1977 with a BA in Human Relations and Business. From 1978–88, Joe managed two state parks for the Iowa DNR. In 1988, he accepted a federal park ranger position with the US Army Corp of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville in Illinois. In 1991, he returned to Iowa as the Recreation Program Manager at Lake Red Rock for the Corp of Engineers. Joe, and his wife Cindy, reside in Knoxville and have five sons: Shawn (‘97), Jesse, Brooks, Dan, and Drew. Shawn received his bachelors in Computer Analytical Systems and Mathematics from Penn before continuing his education at Iowa State University, earning an MS in Computer Science. He now works as Business Applications and Data Services Manager at Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines.
After Hal’s death in 1998, Sylvia enjoyed traveling and meeting with friends in Pella, Knoxville, and Oskaloosa and attending all Penn home baseball games until her death in 2004 at age 73. The Laird family name continues to hold strong at the university and as a thank-you for their commitment and continued support, William Penn is honored to recognize the Hal and Sylvia Laird Family with the 2014 Torch Award at this year’s Alumni Recognition Banquet on Friday, September 26, 2014.
