BENNETT BEACON

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Carl Johnson

Carl Johnson

by | Feb 17, 2023

Carl Johnson graduated from Public School # 8. At Bennett he lettered all four years in football and track. In track Johnson ran both the 100 yard and 220 yard sprints. In football as an offensive and defensive halfback Johnson was second team All High his sophomore and junior years. During his junior and senior years Bennett won the Harvard Cup. In his senior year he was voted the outstanding player in Bennett’s “Turkey Day”win over Grover Cleveland.

After graduating from Bennett Johnson attended North Carolina Central University in Durham where he obtained both his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in History.

At college he met his wife Peggy. They returned to Buffalo and raised three children, Carl II, Caryn, and Camille. Each of his children have been very successful professionally.

Johnson retired as the Executive Director of the St. Augustine’s Family Center. He and Peggy are the proud grandparents of Carl the third and Bryant. This weekend they are celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary.

Joe Flood

Joe Flood

by | Feb 17, 2023

Joe Flood came to Bennett High School from Public School #37. Joe was the tenth child and seventh son in a family of ten children. His family’s roots were established in Center Ridge, Arkansas. At Bennett Joe lettered tour years in football and led the Tigers on a fifteen game winning streak that included Harvard Cups in his Junior and Senior years. Joe’s outstanding play resulted in first team All High in his Junior and Senior years. He was a dominating player on offense as a center and defense as a middle linebacker.

From Bennett Joe attended North Carolina A&T. He played center at A&T tor tour years. In his junior and senior years Jesse Jackson was A&T’s quarterback. Together they led their team to winning seasons. Joe graduated with a degree in Sociology. It was in college that he met his future wife Barbara L. Rainey. While obtaining his Masters Degree at Howard University Joe and Barbara were married.

Upon graduation from Howard, Joe started teaching at American University. Besides teaching Joe was a bit of an entrepreneur opening a dress shop in downtown Washington called the “Red Lantern”. It was during this time that Joe and Barbara became the proud parents of their daughter Renee. Joe’s graduation from college inspired all his siblings to obtain college diplomas. If Joe can overcome a severe speech impediment and obtain two degrees “I can too”. Joe passed away in 1971.

Don A. Gilbert

Don A. Gilbert

by | Feb 17, 2023

Don Gilbert, Bennett High School’s three sport ace, was the 1959-60 recipient of the Billy Kelly Memorial Trophy for the Buffalo Public Schools. The Kelly Trophy, named in honor of the late Courier-Express sports editor, is awarded annually to the most outstanding athlete, citizen, and scholar in the Buffalo Public Schools.


Don was also the 1959 recipient of the Buffalo Junior Chamber of Commerce “Junior Sportsman of the Year” award. This annual award is presented to the athlete with the most outstanding contribution to Buffalo athletics.


Don has his football cleat bronzed and mounted by Thom McAn as the recipient of their award for sportsmanship, leadership, competitive spirit, and team play in the Buffalo Public Schools.


Gilbert lettered and was a veteran of four varsity years in football, basketball, and baseball. He was named to first team All-High berths in each of the three sports for his junior and senior years. He captained each sport in his junior and senior years.


In his junior and senior years, Don quarterbacked the Bennett gridders to 15 straight wins, two undefeated seasons, and two Harvard Cups. He excelled as a guard on the basketball team which won the Yale Cup in his freshman, junior, and senior years. Don was a standout as a shortstop on the baseball team for three years. As a senior, he was named to the Courier-Express AllWestern New York football team and MVP in the Ad Club City-County All Star game.


The 5-10, 185 pounder is an easy athlete to coach, according to Elmer C. Rosenthal, Bennett’s physical education director. “He
gets along with all of the coaches, likes them, and obeys their instructions to a T,” said Rosenthal. “But he lost a friend when
(basketball coach) Fred Braun passed away. They were real close.”


Don attended the University of Buffalo on an athletic scholarship. He played three sports in college. Following UB, Don went on to play in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. After his CFL career Don was the Head Football Coach/ Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa, winning the Canadian National Championship “Vanier Cup” in 1975.


Don was inducted into the University of Buffalo Athletic Hall of Fame in 1979 and the University of Ottawa Athletic Hall of Fame
in 1995.

Cary A Presant

Cary A Presant

by | Feb 17, 2023

Cary Presant played varsity tennis for Bennett for three years where he attained All High ranking in doubles in 1959. He was also the University of Buffalo’s Tennis Team manager in 1961 and was the Los Angeles Inter Community Tennis Singles Champion in 1979 and 1985.

In addition to an outstanding tennis career his professional career has been truly remarkable. Dr. Present is a practicing hematologist and medical oncologist in Southern California at City of Hope Medical Center. He is also a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Southern California School of Medicine.

Dr. Presant’s book “Surviving American Medicine” received the 2013 International Book Award for best book on health. He has also written over 400 scientific articles. He is a nationally recognized leader in medicine who is president of the National Association of Community Cancer Centers and a director of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Among many other awards he has received are the Sklarow Award in 1982 from the Maimonides Medical Society in Buffalo and the National Community Clinical Scientist Award in 2016.

Dr. Presant’s current research is focused on developing new therapeutic programs for cancer. He also lectures on improving health care and research advances throughout the United States.

Dr. Presant’s wife Shelia is also a Bennett graduate. The Presants reside in San Marino, California. In his spare time Dr. Presant is busy teaching tennis to his four grandchildren which he thoroughly enjoys.

Don Orsolits

Don Orsolits

by | Feb 17, 2023

The oldest of seven ( 5 sisters, 1 brother) started his athletic career at St Joseph’s grammar school on Main Street. Summers would be spent on the playgrounds and swimming pool of PS #63.

Don played little league football for Karts Dairy. In 1956, his freshman year, Don played for the Bennett’s JV football team. His sophomore year, he lettered playing both offensive and defensive tackle. This is the role Don played on a team that went on to win fifteen straight games that included two Harvard Cups in his Junior and Senior years. Don was a unanimous first team All-High selection in both the Buffalo Evening News and Courier Express newspapers his senior year.

Don went on to the University of Buffalo where he played freshman football and graduated from Millard Fillmore College. In 1967, Don started a 29 year career with the Buffalo Fire Department. In 1970, Don was awarded the Buffalo Fire Department Edward H. Butler Gold Medal for Bravery.

Don is celebrating 29 years of marriage to Mary Beth Wright of Buffalo, who is a retired reading specialist from the Maryvale School System.

Don is a self employed business owner of M.B. Orsolits Co. Inc., and lives in Williamsville while not living at his summer residence in Crescent Beach, Ontario. Don plays golf, hunts, fishes and enjoys traveling with Mary Beth.