Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Winter 2007 | Page 8

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THORNTON ATHLETICS:

Academy Inducts First Class
into Athletic Hall of Fame
On Saturday, September 30, Homecoming Day, members of
Thornton’s Board of Trustees, Alumni Board, alumni and friends
gathered in the Atrium adjacent to Garland Auditorium as members of the inaugural class of honorees were inducted into the
Thornton Academy Athletic Hall of Fame.
The Thornton Academy Athletic Hall of Fame was established
to honor and recognize athletes, coaches, teams, and others affiliated with the school that have excelled at or contributed greatly
to athletics at Thornton Academy. This year’s honorees were Henry L. LaVallee, Class of 1925, Charles Mistos, Class of 1937, Lloyd
M. Anderson, Class of 1939, Gordon R. Pendleton, Class of 1948,
the 1913-14 Girls Basketball Team, and the 1920-21 Boys Basketball Team.
Henry L. LaVallee
Class of 1925
Known affectionately as
both “Kid” and “Hank,” Henry
LaVallee was honored as both a
player and
a coach. He
played quarterback on
two championship football teams
in 1923 and
1924. In the
final game
against Lewiston for the
state title,
Henry L.
one reporter
Lavellee ‘25
described
the action:
“LaVallee paved the way to a TA
victory when he caught a Portland punt on his own 10-yard
line and by the most brilliant
broken field running carried
the ball a total of 51 yards.” As
a baseball player, LaVallee was
named to the second team of
the Portland Telegram League



All-Maine Team. Hank returned
to Thornton to coach baseball,
as well, and his 1937 team
earned the Telegram League
championship. LaVallee also is
fondly remembered as Thornton Academy’s long-time alumni secretary.

Charles Mistos,
Class of 1937
Charles “Charlie” Mistos
played all three sports—football, basketball and baseball—
during all
four of his
years at
Thornton
Academy. As
captain of
the football
team his senior year, he
was named
to both the
Charles Mistos ‘37
All-State Team
and the southwestern Maine All-Star Team.
As a baseball star, he was batting champion in the Telegram

League in 1936, and ace pitcher
on the 1937 Telegram League
Team. After leaving Thornton,
Mistos played for the Atlanta
Georgia Crackers and Biddeford-Saco’s Twilight League. He
later spent many devoted years
working with Saco youth in recreation programs because, as
he said many times, “someone
needs to be there for them.”

Lloyd M. Anderson
Class of 1939
Nicknamed “Swede,” Lloyd
Anderson played fullback
on the football team. He was
named to the All-Conference
team as both
a junior and
a senior, and
as a senior
made the
All-State
team. As
captain his
senior year,
he made 15
touchdowns,
Lloyd M.
and ranks
Anderson ‘39

POSTSCRIPTS * WINTER 2007

high on the list of Thornton’s
top all-time scorers. Anderson
also ran on the track team all
four years at Thornton, and
later served on the Board of
Trustees.

Gordon R. Pendleton
Class of 1948
Gordon Pendleton played
football, basketball and baseball for all four of his years at
Thornton Academy. Nicknamed
“Abie,” he was the first Maine
high school player named to
the All-American football squad
in his senior year and also was
named to the All-Maine first
team. As co-captain his senior
year, he was known