Three alumni of Croton-Harmon High School were recently inducted into the school’s Hall of Distinguished Graduates.

Inducted during the October 26 ceremony were: Rachel Whetten, class of 1987; Peggy Tuxen Akers, class of 1965; and Richard Albert, class of 1945.

The Hall of Distinguished Graduates recognizes graduates who have made significant contributions to their professions or in public service, or have achieved excellence in other ways.

The three inductees spent the day at their old high school, addressing the students, visiting with students and faculty, touring the school, and being honored at an afternoon ceremony and reception.

The new inductees:
Rachel Whetten graduated in 1987 and lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., where she is the international sector director of the Health Inequalities Program at Duke University. Whetten earned her master’s degree in public health with a concentration in international and reproductive health from the University of North Carolina. She has since been involved with numerous research studies both in the U.S. and abroad in the areas of women’s health and HIV/AIDS. During the past decade, Ms. Whetten has secured significant funding for institute international research on health inequalities.

Peggy Tuxen Akers graduated in 1965 and lives in Portland, Maine, where she works as a nurse practitioner at Healthcare for the Homeless and serves on the faculty at the University of Maine College of Nursing. Akers served in the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1971, earning a Bronze Star in 1970 for her valor. She spent another year working in a Cambodian refugee camp, and founded the Veterans Speakers Alliance in San Francisco and the Veterans for Peace, for which she serves as vice president and board member of the Maine chapter. Ms. Akers is also an avid runner, having participated in 12 marathons.

Richard Albert graduated in 1945 and resides in Croton. After serving in World War II in Japan, he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and business from the University of Colorado. After graduation, he returned to Croton and began a real estate career that has thrived for more than 55 years. He has also been involved in civic organizations. He was instrumental in the creation and funding of Croton’s Meals on Wheels program and has served as president of the Croton Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, Croton Community Nursery School, the Peekskill-Cortlandt Realty Board, and the  Westchester County Board of Realtors. He also served on the New York State Realty Board and founded the Richard Albert Scholarship Fund, which has awarded more than $150,000 to graduates over the past two decades.

CUTLINE: From left, Peggy Tuxen Akers, class of 1965; Richard Albert, class of 1945; and Rachel Whetten, class of 1987, were recently inducted into the Croton-Harmon High School Hall of Distinguished Graduates.