John Gillespie will be inducted into the Appleton West Hall of Fame on Thursday, September 26, 2024. The following is what he has chosen to be displayed on his plaque at West. 

John graduated from Appleton West in 1954. He played football 3 years as a Terror, then a year with the Wisconsin Badgers and another with the Army at Fort Belvoir, VA. He served as a Captain in a combat engineer battalion. The summer before his senior year of high school, he had a life changing conversation with Janice, another Appleton West student. She encouraged him to commit his life to Jesus Christ. John made that decision. He and Jan later married and adopted Proverbs 3:5-6 as their key life verses:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

While teaching a youth Sunday School class, John had a boy visiting the class from a troubled home who became their foster son. It put them on a path to found Rawhide Boys Ranch and secure the help of Bart and Cherry Starr to help them promote the program. Over 35 years, John and Jan had 351 at-risk teenage boys live in their home. They authored a book about their experience, "Our 351 Sons," that has many helpful tips for parents.

As John is welcomed, at age 87, into the Appleton West Hall of Fame, he isn't done serving. He has launched "VetsShare," equipping volunteers nationwide to bring faith-based help to veterans. VetsShare helps cover counseling fees and networks with Celebrate Recovery, an independent ministry operating peer-to-peer share groups with weekly meetings in 35,000 churches.