Dr. and Mrs. Thacker Donate $10,000 for Yeoman Family Plaza

Penn-Harris-Madison School Superintendent Dr. and Mrs. Thacker donated $10,000 to the P-H-M Education Foundation Naming Rights Campaign to name the plaza located at Penn High School’s everwise Freed Field the Yeoman Family Plaza, after Penn High School Retiring Head Football Coach Cory Yeoman and his family.

This makes the fourth donation Dr. and Mrs. Thacker have made as part of the Naming Rights Campaign, recognizing the contributions P-H-M employees have made to the community:

1. Chris Geesman Kingsmen Athletic Center (formerly the Kingsmen Athletic Center), $25,000 donated in December 2021 ($5,000 per year over five years, for an overall period of 12 years)
2. Al Rhodes Kingsmen Court, $10,000 donated in October 2023 (one lump sum)
3. Arthur M. Klinger Planetarium (formerly the  P-H-M DVT & Planetarium), $10,000 donated in January 2024
4. Yeoman Family Plaza, $10,000 donated in March 2024 

Dr. Thacker has been superintendent of Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation since 2006 and has supported the Education Foundation wholeheartedly. Over the course of 18 years, Dr. and Mrs. Thacker have donated $222,500 to the P-H-M Education Foundation, including this most recent donation of the naming rights. Most of this money has either been unrestricted donations or used as matching funds for fundraising initiatives.

Per PHMEF’s Naming Rights fundraising initiative, 80 percent of the donation will go into the Foundation’s endowment, which will in turn provide alternative and additional funding for various co-curricular and extracurricular programs. The remaining 20 percent directly funds professional development initiatives for P-H-M teachers. Continuing the education and training of teachers is a major priority for P-H-M School District.

The mission of the Education Foundation is to develop alternative sources of income to support education initiatives in the School Corporation by strengthening partnerships between the community and the District. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

On February 8, 2024, Hall of Famer Coach Cory Yeoman announced to Kingsmen student-athletes and assistant coaches that after 40 years with the Kingsmen he’d be retiring at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Coach Yeoman spent his first 19 years as an Assistant Coach under Hall of Famer ​Coach Chris Geesman, and the past 21 years as Head Coach. Yeoman took over the Kingsmen program in 2003 and compiled a 208-56 record overall.

In his first season after replacing legendary Coach Geesman, Yeoman guided Penn to the 2003 State Championship Game. Yeoman also led Penn to Semi-state titles in 2017, 2015 and 2011. In addition to winning four Semi-state Championships, the Kingsmen have won nine regional crowns under Yeoman’s leadership, 13 sectional titles and 17 Northern Indiana Conference championships. 

Coach Yeoman bleeds black and gold and has always been a Kingsmen. He played for Penn, earning all-state honors at defensive tackle. In 1979, Coach Yeoman led a Kingsmen defense that only allowed 33 yards rushing a game. That Kingsmen team finished 11-1, winning an NIC Championship before losing to Hobart in the second round of the playoffs. Yeoman graduated from Penn in 1980. Coach Yeoman is in the Indiana Football Hall of Fame, the first Penn player nominated for the Hall.

Coach Yeoman’s father, Wally Yeoman, coached under Chris Geesman. Wally then coached alongside Coach Cory. Brothers, Trent and Todd, were assistant coaches. Coach Cory coached his son Gary who played for Penn; Gary later also became an assistant coach.

At the March 25 meeting of the P-H-M Board of School Trustees, the Board approved the request of PHMEF to add the signage  to the plaza. The naming rights will be effective August 1, 2024 and will last for 12 years.