James LucotJames LucotNational State Teacher of the Year National State Teacher of the Year

FinalistFinalistPennsylvania ChapterPennsylvania Chapter

Class of 2014Class of 2014

James Lucot

Grades: -11th -12th

Subjects: - Honors U.S. History III/IV

- A.P. U.S. Government and Politics

- U.S. History III/IV

Pictures of My Classroom

Mr. Lucot’s Classroom

Veterans in My Classroom

Sgt. Bob Harbula, U.S.M.C. Korean War Veteran of the Chosin Reservoir and “Task Force Drysdale”, has spoke to my classes multiple times.

Sgt. Lou McAfee, Quad .50 machine gunner, U.S. Army, Korean War, Pusan Perimeter Veteran, speaks to my classes annually.

Veterans in My Classroom

picture

Sgt. Roscoe Mulvey, U.S. Army WW II, 4th Armored Division. Bastogne. Battle of The

Bulge Veteran, speaks to my classes annually .

My Family

My son Nick (16), my wife Suzanne, and my daughter Tara (10).

Favorite Photos

Mr. Roman Kent. President of the Auschwitz Survivors Association at the Advanced Holocaust

Summer Seminar at Columbia University, N.Y., N.Y. I attended as an Alfred Lerner Fellow in June 2011.

The WW II B-29 “FIFI” Flight

S/Sgt. Don Van Inwegen, U.S. Army Air Corps, 9th Bomb Group, B-29 Tail gunner of "The Old 900". He flew 28 missions in WW II and I got to fly with him on his 29th over Pittsburgh. Allegheny County Airport, June 2013

My friend, the late Mr. Jack Sittsamer . Survived six Nazi death camps including

Mauthausen, Nordhausen, Sachsenhausen and Gusan II. He has shared his story with

my students in 2008.

Mr. Isaac Klein and myself at the Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, FL in April 2014. He is an Auschwitz survivor and was one of "Mengele's twins". He and his twin brother both survived as

"Children of the Flames".

Favorites continued…

Major Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk, U.S. Army Air Corps, WW II. Navigator and last living member of the crew of the B-29 “The Enola Gay” that dropped the world’s first atomic bomb.

Dr. Deborah Dwork presenting the Robert I. Goldman Award for Excellence in Holocaust Education as the 2009 International Holocaust Educator of the Year by the Jewish Federation for the Righteous at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York.

Capt. Rebecca Dickey, U.S. Navy and Former Student.

Back to talk with my current students this year.

Class Alumni

Class Alumni

Myself with two of my former students, Lt. Alex Hart (center) Field Artillery Officer, 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Army Afghanistan, and professional singer, actor and recording artist Nick Marzock.

Don Barclay, Academic All-Big East Team at West Virginia University and current member of the Green Bay Packers.

Class Alumni

Pvt. Jordan Harris, U.S. Army currently in basic training in Texas.

Cara and Christy Lucas who are currently Juniors at my alma mater, The University of Notre Dame. Now acting as mentors to my current students.

A.P. Government and PoliticsClass of 2012

A Gift from My Students

A former student contacted over 60 of my former students, without my knowledge, and asked them to write a letter to me with the theme of “what my class meant to them”.

She then had it compiled into a hard back book designed by another former student and gave it to me for Christmas 2014.

Simply, it is my most prized possession in the world.

This is the same student who nominated me for this amazing honor as well.

Coaching – Students on the Field

My Mentor

My high school history teacher and football coach, Mr. Bob Jacoby at his induction into the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League Hall of Fame on 6 JUN 2014.

My passions are my family, my children, my students, my Country and our History.

The relationships that I have developed with my students, history-makers and veterans are priceless treasures to me.

Everyday and every class I get a new opportunity to share these experiences and create more.