Noteworthy People of Woodsville High

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Noteworthy People of Woodsville

Dr. John Albert Bagonzi
- Dr. Bagonzi was born on December 31, 1930 in Woodsville, New Hampshire to John and Ida Bagonzi (nee Maccini). He attended Woodsville High School, and graduated in 1948.
- While at Woodsville, he met life-long friend Bob Smith, who like John, went on to play professional baseball for the Boston Red Sox.
  - As an athlete at Woodsville High, he was a 20-game winner and played many sports.
- After graduating, he attended the University of New Hampshire, getting his B.S. in Biology.
  - As an athlete at UNH, he played both baseball and basketball, setting many records at the school that still stand today.
- In 1953, his baseball career officially began, as that was the year that he signed a bonus contract with the Boston Red Sox. He ended up being assigned to the San Francisco AAA affiliate.
- An interruption to his career came when he was called to serve his country, getting sent to South Carolina.
  - He continued to play baseball with the Fort Jackson Regimental baseball league. He was with them for two years.
- Unfortunately, an arm injury after returning to professional baseball ended his career, but that did not stop him from carrying on.
- After earning his master's degree from Indiana University, he began to work on his doctorate, and he took a job at his alma mater, Woodsville High School.
  - He was both a teacher and coach at Woodsville, teaching whatever was needed, though he was primarily in charge of Biology. Dr. Bagonzi was also served as the athletic director, PE director, and the soccer, baseball, basketball, and cross-country coach during his thirty-three-year career as a beloved staff member at WHS. He was a great teacher, phenomenal sports coach, and an outstanding mentor.
  - To see his virtually-unbeatable sport's stats, go here.

At right is a photo of a common sight during

a Dr. Bagonzi-coached basketball game.

(Photo from 1972 WHS Yearbook)

- In 1991, Dr. Bagonzi retired from Woodsville High School, after teaching, coaching, and earning his PhD. In retirement, however, he did not slow down. he worked for 4 years at Plymouth State University as the head coach of their baseball team.
- After officially retiring, Dr. Bagonzi continued to mentor baseball players in the sport that he loved. He ran a Championship Pitching Clinic, mentoring athletes on their pitching strategies, and he wrote his two novels, The Act of Pitching and The Inner Sanctum. Both have gone on to become highly respected books in the baseball world.
  - Dr. Bagonzi was a nation-wide motivational speaker, and he was inducted in many halls of fame.
- In 1991, the boy from Woodsville received a great honor; the Woodsville Community Building was named after him, earning the new title of the Dr. Bagonzi Community Building.
- Dr. Bagonzi passed away on February 13, 2014, at the age of 84. Woodsville High School was severely impacted by the loss, but his legacy still lives on, never to be forgotten.

Philip A. Bennett
- Phil Austin Bennett was born on May 10, 1900 in Freedom, NH. The son of Almon R. Bennett, he would grow up to be influential in the school community.
- In 1946, Mr. Bennett took up a superintendent position at Woodsville High School.
  - During his time, the student body was being squished into two buildings, and it soon became apparent that the students needed a new building.
- Vocational arts are very important, and Mr. Bennett must have realized this, so he became a largely influential part of planning to build a new building to house these arts.
  - In 1952, the Vocational Building was finished, and it was renamed in honor of Mr. Bennett. The Bennett Building still stands proudly today.
- Mr. Bennett passed away on April 13, 1996 at the age of 95. He was living in Pollock, Louisiana at the time.

Samuel Worcester Robertson
- As the first headmaster of the school, he was known as the ¨father of Woodsville High School.¨
- Mr. Robertson was born on the Cherokee Reservation of Park Hill, Oklahoma.
  - He was the son of two missionaries from the eastern part of the country.
- As a boy, he went to the school located on the mission site, and was taught by his parents.
- When he grew older, it was decided that he should leave Oklahoma and go east, thus ensuring that he got the best education possible. He graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy, and then went on to graduate from Dartmouth College.
- When the high school in Woodsville was looking for a headmaster, Mr. Robertson was the obvious choice, as his experiences made him more than qualified for the job.
- He became the first headmaster of Woodsville High School in August of 1896, just in time for the first school year.
  - He was wonderful with his students, and it was due to Mr. Robertson that Eugene Dow attended Dartmouth College, Robertson's alma mater.
- Mr. Robertson's true legacy stems from his love for baseball. The story goes that he came to school one day armed with a baseball bat and ball. This action boosted the morale of the students, and boys soon became excited to attend school.
  - Some days, the early baseball teams did not have enough boys to play, so Mr. Robertson was known to put on a suit and play with his students. This gained him infinite amounts of respect from the kids he watched over.
- Aside from baseball, Mr. Robertson also valued public speaking, so he engaged his friend John Sargent, an excellent elocutionist, to help him form prize speaking contests. The contests were a major hit, and Woodsville High School soon became a school to envy.
- In 1905, Samuel Robertson resigned from his job as headmaster and moved to Santa Barbara, California to take up a teaching position there.
  - Mr. Robertson was severely missed, for he was the one to expand the school and encourage his students to pursue further education at top institutions.
  - After his resignation, he kept his small high school in mind as he gifted a baseball bat to the player who had the best batting average of the season.
- Mr. Robertson passed away on January 30, 1940 while living in California. The school was greatly upset by the loss of it first principal, but all that he did for the school was not to be forgotten.

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