E.E. Root High School Legacy: Thank you Mr. Gibson and Mr. Wilberschied

The above image of E.E. Root High School is the best  I could find of the school as it existed when I graduated in 1977. In 2027 it will be 50 years since I graduated from high school.  As I took my last sip of coffee this morning my thoughts drifted  back to my time at E.E. Root High.  What impact did the time in “Bear,” (our team mascot), country have on my life this past half century?  There are many experiences and relationships with fellow classmates I’ve maintained which I could draw from.  For example, I  remember North Royalton was known as the town “high on a friendly hill.”  This motto was obviously agreed upon by town fathers before early settler Billroy “cough-a- bowl” Akins drove a team of cattle pulling the first wagon load of cannabis up Royalton Road hill in the late 1880’s.   

All joking aside, I want to share my stories of two E.E. Root educators, Mr. Gibson and Mr. Wilberschied.  I am forever grateful to these men for their influence and  impact on  my life  these past 50 years..  Mr. Gibson taught me to never give up in the face of difficulties and to overcome  obstacles.  If not for his intervention to help me be a member of the eighth grade football team I would never have  experienced the thrill of victory  and understood  what it means to persevere.  Mr. Wilberschied taught me to have an inquisitive mind.  He  encouraged my lifelong quest for knowledge and interest in current events and all things political.

Enter the “Wayback Machine’ with me as I return to the town “high on a friendly hill” and its cradle of learning, E.E. Root High School:  I will start my stories with Mr. Gibson.

Mr. Gibson was head football coach and then principal at the High School.   I had always dreamt of playing football for the North Royalton Bears.  My dream was close at hand as I stood in line with other eighth grade gridiron hopefuls waiting to see the school doctor for the mandatory medical exam to be on the team. 

My football dreams were shattered that day, however, as the doctor would not give me the medical OK to play.  After the failed exam I walked past my friends with head held low and sat down on a patch of grass outside the high school.  Dejected, and alone, I held back tears, as  I watched my friends march off to get their uniforms and equipment.   I would get none that day.  I found out later that the school doctor failed to give  me medical approval  citing a heart operation I had as an infant. 

My mom picked me up in our Buick Electra 225, a land yacht big enough to have its own zip code.  I started to cry.  My voice  was barely audible as I struggled to get out  “mom, the doctor won’t let me play football.”  She tried to calm me down by saying, “don’t worry, Timmy, you don’t need that old football, let’s stop at Loder’s Shake Shoppe and I’ll get ya an ice cream cone .”  Even the promise of one of Loder’s famous cones couldn’t  relieve my feeling of utter misery.  Well, I got the cone anyways to assuage the pain.  Never refuse the offer of a Loder’s ice cream.  I chose my favorite,  a large twist cone with both chocolate and vanilla soft serve.  It is funny, but even though my memory fails me more and more each year, I am still able to recall all those special memories involving ice cream with crystal clarity.

The  next day at school, I was called into Mr. Gibson’s office.  Although a short man, Mr. Gibson was an authoritative figure and looked ten foot tall to me as he arose from behind his desk.  He looked at me directly and said, “I hear you had some problems at yesterday’s football exam.” All I could say is “Sir, I really want to play football for the Bears, it’s the dream of a lifetime.”  He started to laugh and I still remember his words as if it was yesterday.  “Mr. Robinson, I know the Bears can use a player like you.  Have your parents get a second opinion from your family doctor and I will take it down to the school doctor and get you cleared to play ball, OK?”  I shook my head and for the first time since the failed exam I had hope.  I found out later that my mom had phoned Mr. Gibson earlier that morning to see if he could do anything to get me on the team. My mom and dad ordered the needed documents from my doctor.

Fast forward a week and I was called back into Mr. Gibson’s office.  I walked in and he stuck out his right hand.  I will always remember what he told me:  “congratulations Bear,  see your coach to pick up your uniform and equipment.”  I shook his hand and he told me  “you’ve been given a second chance don’t waste it, give it 100%.  Young man, you’re going to face hurdles like this in life, focus your energy on finding solutions, don’t dwell on problems.”

Mr. Gibson went above and beyond to make sure a chubby eighth grader had a chance to play football.  My life has been so enriched because of his efforts.  I went on to be football team captain my senior year in high school.  I  earned awards as one of the top players in northeast Ohio being named a Press Star and member of the Plain Dealer Dream Team.  I was recruited by numerous colleges and universities to play football.  I chose Baldwin-Wallace College nearby after meeting head coach Lee Tressel.  In 1978 I was the starting kicker on the Yellow Jacket’s Division III National Championship team and set an NCAA extra point kicking record.  In 2018  my 1978 teammates and I were inducted into the Baldwin-Wallace Athletic Hall of Fame. 

I have lifelong friendships thanks to football.   For years my friends Rich,  Bronko and I would make the pilgrimage to see the Bears battle the Brecksville Bees in the annual “Golden Shoe” game.  I still see my old teammates from the 1978 National Championship team now and then at homecoming football games or to share an adult beverage while swapping tall tales from the glory days.  

 Thank you Mr. Gibson.  Your message of  “overcoming obstacles” played a critical role years later when  I suffered a near fatal burst brain aneurysm  in my mid-thirties.  Your encouraging words were ever present as  I learned to use my paralyzed left side and walk again.

Now, Mr. Wilberschied:  his influence on my life has been more cerebral than physical.  I don’t recall the actual title of his social studies courses I attended.  His classroom was a laboratory of critical thinking experiments cultivated in a Petrie dish of current political events.    Under Mr. Wilberschied’s guidance, I learned to understand the present by studying the past.  I developed valuable analytical skills to identify potential future trends and assess their impact on the political, social, and economic climate of the world.

The love for the study of current events he cultivated in me blossomed  in college and graduate school.  I earned a B.A. degree in political science at Baldwin-Wallace College and earned my Master’s degree at Drew University.  Mr. Wilberschied’s teachings prepared me  for an academic journey which led ultimately to  scholarship at The United Nations.

Today, the fire Mr. Wilberschied ignited within me for knowledge and current events still burns bright   My first book, Words to Live By written under the penname T.R. Robinson was published in 2023 by Covenant Books.  My second publication, an E-book, Winning the 2026 Midterms was published in April 2026 on Amazon KDP.  If you would like to take a look at my books simply click on the above titles.

I  blog at  http://www.timauthorblog.com  Here I discuss topics under four categories: 

·       You Can Do It.  (Stories to motivate)

·       Living a Christ-Centered Life. (Stories of faith)

·       Creating a More Perfect Union.  (Domestic and international politics)

·       Be a “Know-Body,” Read a Book.  (Book reviews)

Thank you Mr. Wilberschied for instilling in me the lifelong desire for knowledge and understanding .  I am forever grateful for your teaching on the use of critical thought to make sense of the world around me.  It is my mission to continue your legacy and impart it to others.

Thank you for taking this trip down memory lane with me.  I hope these remembrances of Mr. Gibson and Mr. Wilberschied  will inspire you to remember and appreciate those  who have helped shape your life and to share their legacy with others.