Superior's Haskins earns esteemed Gaylord Green scholarship

Gaylord Green is one of the pioneers of the creation, development and operation of GPS (Global Positioning System), whose work on satellites and orbits particularly affected the success of the technology.

As an Air Force major, he was head of the NAVSTAR GPS Joint Program Office from 1985 to 1988. He also was instrumental in developing the most precise ICBM (Intercontinental Continental Ballistic Missiles) inertial guidance system.

After he retired from the Air Force as a Colonel, Green directed the Gravity Probe-B program for Stanford University from 1989 until 2007. Green earned a bachelor's in engineering science from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master's in aeronautics/astronautics from Stanford University.

But his high school diploma came from Superior High School, class of 1959.

“Actually, I grew up in Haugan and moved down to Superior when I was 12. My mother and father got divorced so I spent some time in California going to school, but I always spent my summers in Montana. And when I got to be a senior, I just couldn’t stand California anymore and said, ‘I just have to get back to Montana to graduate.’ I didn’t want to graduate out of California,” he chuckles.

A generous and philanthropic man, Green has such fond memories of where his roots remain to this day. “We had six rural schools. Out in the west end we had Saltese, Haugan and DeBoria. And then there was Quartz, Rivulet and Tarkio. And once a year we’d all get together and have an athletic competition in the morning. In the afternoon, every school had to put on an act or play of some kind.”

Green remains in contact with many old friends in the county and recently hosted a school reunion outside of Portland, Oregon. “Our class of ’59 won the State C Basketball. They invited 8 teams to Helena for the final playoff sequence. After that, they had a dance contest and called it the Montana State Dance Contest. Billye Ann ‘Toots’ Bricker and I were dance partners and I used to flip her and everything. But she didn’t have her pantaloons with her so there was no flipping but we still won the contest,” he howls!

Every year Green sponsors a scholarship that requires effort to complete and submit, but the payoff to the receiver is substantial. The scholarship is for any student from either St. Regis or Superior High School. All four grades (9-12) are eligible.

“A big portion of the application is they have to figure out a business that would work in Mineral County. It’s to put the students thinking about something that works in Mineral County for economic development,” Green explained.

When asked why Alberton was ineligible, he shared that he didn’t have any friends down there.

“We were sort of isolated from Alberton, you know. The Lincolns were down there at that time and they were the only ones I knew. When the interstate came through it took out their bar and they moved it out to Haugan.”

Some of the recipients of this esteemed scholarship are Bailey Milender, Wyatt O'Day, Nicholas Ververis, McKinzie Stager, Kaitlynn Koke, Michele Reinelt, Thomas Lapinski, Brian Labbe, Ryanne Burkland and Eric Lake.

Superior High School aenior Darby Haskins is this year’s winner who will be attending the University of Montana on a rodeo scholarship. Haskins already had a business plan that she’d developed and was passionate about, which was a big plus for the application process.

“That took about two days, “she said. “My parents and I went over all of the numbers and expenses making sure it all added up. My dad, because of his business (Haskins Excavating) helped a lot. But the essay part was hard,” she said, which took another day of processing to complete.

“It is a very difficult application, but for three days, divide that by eight grand and it is worth it,” said Merry Mueller, Mineral County Superintendent of Schools, and Treasurer. “I’m so very proud of Darby. We all are!” she exclaimed. Along with Mueller, the winner is determined from the principals of both schools and a representative from Trails West Bank.

Green strongly encourages students to apply for this opportunity of receiving $2,000 a year during their four years of higher education. “Because they have to come up with a business plan, that sort of shuns some away,” he said.

The plan that Haskins submitted was the best he’s ever seen.