BHS Alumni & Friends Foundation Introduces 2024 Hall of Fame Member Julie Tomes
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on October 13, 2024
Julie Tomes is among 2024 inductees for the BHS Alumni & Friends Foundation Hall of Fame and will be honored Nov. 8 at the BHS football game, as well as Nov. 9 at the foundation's annual banquet at The O by Oliverio's. Tickets are available at $50 each HERE.
Tomes and her husband Ed are 1963 graduates of Bridgeport High (grades 7 through 12). The Class of 1963 has the distinction of being the very last class to graduate from the old BHS on Newton Street; the new Bridgeport High opened in 1964 on Johnson Avenue with grades 10 through 12. Julia Jarvis, Julie’s mother, was a sophomore English teacher at both locations, until she retired in 1978.
Julie graduated from WVU in December, 1966, with a BS degree in Education. She is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and still has an active relationship with her pledge sisters. After Julie and Ed were married, she began her teaching career at Roosevelt Wilson in January, 1967, for a teacher who had been drafted in the Vietnam War. She then transferred to North View Junior High, teaching 8th and 9th grade English, math, and Algebra I, while also completing her Master’s Degree plus 45 hours.
Julie always dreamed of returning to Bridgeport High as a teacher. That opportunity became a reality when her mother decided to retire in 1977. She transferred to BHS and taught in her mother’s classroom for 30+ years, teaching sophomore College-Prep English, Honors 10 English, and Algebra 1, until retiring in 2008. She was also the sponsor of the National Honor Society and the AP Coordinator for Harrison County. Julie and Alice Rowe were co-chairs of the English Department, and one of their best accomplishments was hiring Amy Lohmann and Heidi Griffith to teach AP and other English classes. Amy continues to be an outstanding teacher at Bridgeport.
Julie’s contributions to a quality education for her students are well known. She believed in teaching the proper use of grammar and writing strategies for organized, logical, and interesting compositions and research papers. She stressed the use of specific details, vivid language, and concise sentences to paint a picture. Julie’s best writing advice for students was to read their paragraphs aloud to hear if the sentences flow smoothly. Many students remember her famous red pen corrections on their compositions. Julie fondly recalls her students’ memorable and creative demonstration speeches, such as a female student changing the tire of her car in the back parking lot, a male student cooking a grilled cheese sandwich with a hot iron, and another student bringing in enough ties for each class member to practice the art of correctly tying a man’s tie. Most students will also remember reading Julius Caesar, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Of Mice and Men.
Julie and Ed have three sons: Mike and his wife Christen are the parents of Haden Miller, Bailey, and Charlee Tomes; Steve with his daughter Avery Tomes; and Matt, who is married to Lauren Dieringer (she is also a BHS graduate) with their children—Payton, Archer, and Wes. Mike, Steve, and Matt graduated from Bridgeport High, and so far, three grandchildren, Haden, Avery, and Bailey have graduated from BHS. Matt’s daughter, Payton, is a freshman at BHS and on the dance line. In the future, Charlee, Archer, and Wes will also graduate from BHS. That means a total of 13 Tomeses will have graduated from Bridgeport High.
Julie always enjoyed her teaching career and interacting with her students not only during normal school hours but also at extracurricular activities, such as football and basketball games, thuses, homecoming parades, and school dances. She takes great pleasure in hearing how well her former students have performed in college and what exciting careers many have. Bridgeport High has paved the way for many of Julie’s lifelong friendships with the faculty and several administrators, which carry on to this day. Bridgeport High School has done a fantastic job preparing students for a successful future.
Joining Tomes in this year's hall of fame are Scott Simons, Beverly "Cookie" Compton, Tom Mellott, and the late William A. Moore. Read about Simons HERE. The other bios will be running at noon Sundays in the coming weeks.
