Pegasus
2026 Joseph P. Spereno Hall of Fame Award Progressive Rock Band
About Pegasus
Check back soon for band bio.
Pegasus Members
Pegasus Photos & Memorabilia
Tom Dorgan on drums, Peter Smith on guitar, Ed Itwack on guitar
Noah and The Arkmen
The four boys are:
Noel Hheagerty on left
Dave Dixon on guitar
Joe Loschiaco Keyeboards
Peter Smith guitar
Obscured playing drum is Tom Dorgan
Noel Heagerty & Pete Smith 2017 Ferris Wheel
Noel Heagerty foreground Chris Moos background
BERYL HILL
2026 Educator Award (Posthumous)
About Beryl
Bio written by Sue Lass Mahigian and William Jones
Mrs. Beryl Lewis Hill was born in Amboy Center in 1901. She earned her degree in Fine Arts at Syracuse University.
Beryl taught music and art at OHS, retiring in 1965. In the late 1930s, she organized the Philomelians, a women’s choral group. Shortly after, she created Beta Mu Gamma for male singers. These groups garnered awards yearly for excellence at New York State adjudication festivals. The walls of 09 in the old high school were lined with plaques recognizing their honors. During her tenure at OHS, Beryl also conducted the orchestra and directed many musical productions such as The Mikado and H.M.S. Pinafore. Beryl was well known at the state level for conducting and adjudicating choral festivals.
In 1948, Mrs. Hill served on the Music Committee for the Oswego Centennial celebration and conducted the Oswego Centennial Chorus.
For a time, Beryl was the choir director at the Church of the Resurrection (formerly Christ Church). In later years, she also organized and conducted several choral festivals for youth from church choirs all over the city.
She was a member of the Board of Education from 1963–1968 and served as President from 1965–1966. She was also a member of The Oswego Players. In 1953, she published a book of poetry titled Philomela’s Song. (Photos and one of her poems can be found in the Photos section.)
In 1967, a reunion of Philomelians and Beta Mu Gammas was held to celebrate and honor her and the anniversary of the founding of Philos. Philomelians and Beta Mu Gammas who were in high school at the time performed under the direction of James “Al” Cole, who succeeded her and continued the excellence of Philos and Betas after she retired in 1965. Governor Nelson Rockefeller issued a citation in her honor for “her many years of service and outstanding contributions to the welfare of the community, and of the Empire State.”
The reunion rekindled many fond musical memories of OHS, so a group of Philo alumnae who attended convinced Beryl to form an alumnae group. This group performed for many years under Beryl’s direction and continued after her death (1972) under the direction of Lois Scriber, who was the first student accompanist for Philos when they began. The group continued to meet until about 2002. They reunited in 2006 one last time to sing for Lois’s funeral.
I never had Beryl in school because she had already retired. I knew her because she was my backyard neighbor. When I was preparing to go to Crane School of Music to become a music teacher, we spent many afternoons chatting about how important music in general, and music education in particular, were. She was an inspiration. I can’t begin to estimate how many lives her music touched.
Beryl hill Photos
Michael Moss Photos
