Libby High School Hall of Fame to honor Smith, Hileman

With diploma in hand and a desire to take on the world, Libby High School graduates Tony Smith and Todd Hileman each created their own paths to success. And now all these years later, the two will return to accept induction to the LHS Hall of Fame.

“I don’t know if I’m Hall of Fame material personally but it’s a credit to the people that I work with,” Smith said. “I think the honor belongs to the people that have contributed to everything that I’ve tried to do at Troy High School and since I’ve graduated.”

A modest Hileman said he was surprised when the Hall of Fame’s Richard Wood called him about the honor.

“I know there are a lot of people for sure that are more deserving than me,” Hileman said. “For whatever reason, they picked me.”

A local committee that accepts nominations and puts together a list of candidates selects inductees. People from all walks of life have been honored in the past, including doctors, teachers, soldiers, loggers and others that have excelled as adults and given back to their communities.

Smith graduated from LHS in 1963 and attended the University of Montana on a baseball scholarship. Following his sophomore year, he joined the Naval Intelligence Service and served from 1965-69 in Morocco and Vietnam.

After earning the Vietnam Service Medal, Smith returned to Missoula in 1970 and three years later earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts while spending his summers guiding the Libby Loggers American Legion baseball team to three consecutive berths in the state playoffs.

While working in London, Smith enjoyed Europe by hitchhiking and backpacking. By 1977, he found himself in Troy when he was hired by principal Dave Stephenson to teach.

Smith has worked at THS for the past 32 years and has coached basketball at all levels for three decades. He also has directed at least 30 major drama productions over a 25-year period and been involved in a wide variety of academic programs at the school.

One of Smith’s more notable academic contributions was the establishment of a series of elective history classes. Estimates indicate that more than 2,000 students have gone through his elective course classrooms.

In the community, music has played a major role in Smith’s life with involvement in a number of groups and productions. Most recently, he’s been collaborating on a music CD to be released in the fall of 2010.

Smith continues with his elective history program at THS and remains active through musical and athletic activities, including his endeavor to hike all 700 miles of Glacier National Park. He retired from coaching just this past basketball season to spend more time with family.

When Smith thinks about his days at Libby High School, his current school often comes to mind.

“Libby High School in those days seemed to me much more like Troy High School is today in that it was smaller and close-knit,” he said. “That environment … it seems very much like the environment I teach in now. I feel fortunate to be a part of both communities.”

Hileman, son of Sparky and June Hileman, was born in Libby and graduated from LHS in 1973. As a youngster, he played with Libby’s Little League all-stars under Brad and Dick Baeth and helped the team win a state tournament. But golf turned out to be one of his primary sports and he has excelled on the course into adulthood.

“My years playing in the golf team would be one of the highlights of high school,” Hileman said. “I come back to Libby every year to play in the Ben Graham Memorial Tournament.”

Hileman went to high school with Graham, who was killed several years ago in a car accident.

Following graduation, Hileman worked over the summer at St. Regis Lumber Co., before beginning classes at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell. There, he took various art classes and began to sell original watercolor paintings after the first year. He continues in that occupation today.

Over the summer of 1974, Hileman began working at the Boat Company in Glacier National Park where he stayed for 19 years. Former Libby residents Van and Luanne VanArtsdale hired Hileman. At Glacier, he met his future wife, Karen, and they married in 1976 and had two children.

With the help of family and friends, Hileman built his home near West Glacier and has lived there for the past 29 years. He works out of his home as an artist and building furniture.

Hileman said he catches Logger sporting events and attended one in town this past season when Columbia Falls visited.

Tony Smith

Personal: Married to Peggy for 10 years and has three stepchildren – Justin, Krista and Lisa – and seven grandchildren.

1963 – Graduated from Libby High School; began classes at University of Montana on baseball scholarship.

1965-69 – Served with Naval Intelligence Service in Morocco and Vietnam.

1970 – Returned to UM and started coaching Libby’s American Legion baseball teams during his summers.

1973 – Graduated from UM with bachelor of arts degree; accepted job in London with Naval Investigative Service Office.

1975 – Returned to UM to work toward his teaching endorsement.

1977 – Hired as teacher at Troy High School.

1980s – Started the first Close-Up program at THS; developed series of elective history classes based on a three-year rotation.

1987-90 – Pursued his master of arts degree from the University of Oregon with a focus on interdisciplinary studies, including anthropology, American history and international relations.

1995 – One of 40 teachers selected nationwide by the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors to visit concentration camp sites at Madainek and Auschwitz in Poland.

2002 – Formed Kootenai River Rhythm – a group that has played since to sold-out crowds in Libby.

2009 – Retired as head coach of the Troy High School boys basketball team to cap a 30-year involvement with coaching at various levels.

Todd Hileman

Personal: Married to Karen and has two children – Somer and Ben.

1953 – Born to Sparky and June Hileman in Libby.

1960s – Played on state champion Little League all-star team.

1970s – Lettered his junior and senior year with the Logger golf program.

1973 – Graduated from Libby High School; began classes at Flathead Valley Community College.

1974 – Started working at the Boat Company in Glacier National Park at Lake McDonald.

1980 – Built home near West Glacier.