Six West Aurora High School graduates will be inducted on October 30 into the school’s Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor.
Selected by a committee of the West Aurora High School Alumni Association from dozens of nominations are:
Michael Cavender – Class of 1972
Michael Cavender has achieved national and regional recognition for broadcast journalism, including six Emmy awards and an Edward R. Murrow award.
Thomas C. Ewing – Class of 1969
Tom Ewing, senior vice president and general counsel of US Stores for Wal-Mart, assisted in the development of a generic prescription drug program that has helped millions of people obtain affordable medicine.  
Phillip E. Johnson – Class of 1958
Dr. Phillip Johnson, long-time professor of law at the University of California-Berkeley, is the author of widely used textbooks on criminal law and criminal procedure, and also generally recognized internationally as one of the foremost critics of Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
Frank H. McWethy – Class of 1901
Thanks to Frank H. McWethy, an Aurora company was to play a significant role in the building of the Panama Canal. As vice president of the Aurora-based manufacturing firm, McWethy was able to secure several contracts that generated significant work and growth to the Aurora community.
Richard Olson – Class of 1947
As mayor of Des Moines, Iowa during the 1970s, Richard “Dick” Olson was not only leading force in stimulating almost $1 billion in new development to rejuvenate the city’s downtown, but he also was co-founder of the city’s Big Brothers mentoring program.
Randy Shilts – Class of 1969
Randy Shilts was an acclaimed journalist and author who gained international recognition with his book “And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic,” an account of the early years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States.
The six will be honored at a reception and induction ceremony at 6 p.m., Oct. 30, at the Aurora Country Club. Tickets are $50 and are available at the high school or by calling 630-301-5601 or 630-897-6785.