MMI Preparatory School inducted four members into its Wall of Fame during the 12th annual Wall of Fame Awards dinner, which was held Saturday as part of MMI’s Alumni Weekend festivities. Stephen A. Makuta ’69 and Wilson L. Zehner ’81 were recognized for Athletic Achievement, Dennis P. Clarke was honored for Service to MMI and Atty. Donald M. Barnes ’61 was inducted for Professional Achievement.
MMI Head of School D. Scott Wiggins said, “On behalf of the entire MMI family, I am honored to see Steve, Wilson, Dennis and Don inducted into the MMI Wall of Fame. During their time at MMI, they each played a crucial role in developing MMI Preparatory School into the exemplary academic and athletic institution that it is today. They continue to serve as outstanding representatives of MMI in their personal and professional endeavors.”
Makuta played four years of basketball and three years of golf at MMI. He scored 1,110 career points during his tenure on the MMI basketball squad. He was named both team captain and MVP during his senior year and was named the Anthracite League Scoring Champion and the Regional Scoring Leader, averaging 25.5 points per game.
Both the 1967-68 and 1968-69 teams were awarded the Sportsmanship Award, given annually by the Hazleton Chapter of Basketball Officials.
Makuta was also the captain of the golf team. The golf program at MMI began during his sophomore year. He played three years of golf and helped the team remain undefeated in all three complete seasons of
golf play.
He attended Bucknell University on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 1973.
Zehner competed at MMI as a member of the golf, bowling, basketball and baseball teams. He was named MVP of the golf team three times and helped the team to a 44-6 record over his four years on the team.
During his junior year, Zehner led the golf team to an undefeated season and the Anthracite League Championship after averaging a 79 during the season. He was second at the District 11 Tournament and qualified for States.
During his senior golf season, he helped the team to their second consecutive Anthracite League title and placed fifth at the District 11 Tournament. He placed 20th at the state championship in Hershey.
He was named MVP of the bowling team as a sophomore, junior and senior. On the hardwood, he averaged 8.2 points per game as a junior and 10.8 points per game in his senior year.
He hit a grand slam against West Hazleton as a junior on the baseball team and was named MVP of the baseball team as a senior.
Zehner is currently the Head Golf Professional at The Loxahatchee Club in Jupiter, Florida.
He had served previously as head professional at Lancaster C.C. (Pennsylvania) from 1994-1999 and at The Springhaven Club (Pennsylvania) from 1989-1993.
Prior to his head professional roles, he served as Assistant Golf Professional at Aronimink G.C. (Pennsylvania) from 1984-1988.
More recently on the golf course, Wilson won the 1997 Caribbean International Pro-Am and the 2006 Southeast Chapter South Florida Section PGA Pro-Assistant Championship. He qualified for and competed in the 1998 Nike Hershey Open.
Clarke taught at MMI for 36 years from September of 1979 to May of 2016.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from King’s College in 1976 and later earned a master’s degree in English from Wilkes University. Clarke was just the third full-time Spanish teacher in MMI’s history.
He also taught speech class and helped MMI transition from its annual speech tournament to a Model United Nations program and eventually to the Mock Trial Club. MMI had its first Mock Trial competition in 1987 and advanced to the state finals in 2006 under his guidance.
He began the Pablo Picasso Chapter of the Spanish Honor Society and served as President of the NEPA Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
Clarke was also very active in MMI’s athletic program, serving as the head coach of girls’ softball in 1980, the head coach of girls’ tennis in 1998 and as an assistant coach for the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams.
Barnes is a senior partner in the Washington D.C. office of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP and co-chair of the Antitrust Competition Law Practice Group.
His practice is concentrated in antitrust/trade regulation law, agricultural cooperative law, trade association representation and complex antitrust and commercial litigation. He has defended numerous antitrust claims, both criminal and civil, including major, multi-district litigation and class actions. He has represented clients in various industries, including: defense, entertainment, health care, agriculture, transportation, food and beverage, and high technology.
Over the past four decades, Barnes has developed particular experience in agricultural cooperative law with special emphasis on the applicability and reach of the Capper-Volstead antitrust exemption. He serves as Chair of the Antitrust Subcommittee of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. Representative agriculture clients include: Sunkist Growers, Inc., Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Southeast Milk, Inc., American Mushroom Cooperative, Inc., and United Potato Growers of America.
Barnes is a member of the American Bar Association Antitrust, Litigation, and Criminal Justice sections and White Collar and Intellectual Property Crime subcommittees; District of Columbia Bar Association; and The Barristers. He has been admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia; the Supreme Court of the United States; the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth and Tenth Circuits; U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. He has been named a Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer in Antitrust Litigation each year from 2014-2017. He received his J.D. from George Washington University Law School Order of the Coif in 1970, where he graduated cum laude. He served as Notes Editor of The George Washington University Law Review, earned a Trustee Scholarship and was named Phi Delta Phi Graduate of the Year.
Barnes earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University in 1965. At MMI, he served as the 1961 Class President and delivered the Founder’s Day Address at MMI’s Commencement in 1985.
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