8th in a series about famous BHS alumni
By Fred Steiner
www.BlufftonForever.com
May 7, 1912 - Jan. 25, 2013
BHS class of 1929
Question: Why is the Bluffton High School mascot a pirate?
Answer: Because of John Hartzler, member of the Bluffton High School class of 1929. While some say it takes a village to make a child, For Bluffton, it took a John Hartzler to make us Pirates.
But, there’s much more to Hartzler’s story than the naming of the BHS school mascot, as that explanation comes later. This lanky 6-foot-5-inch athletic and talented musician, following college, was an extremely popular high school teacher and school administrator, eventually becoming assistant school superintendent of the Akron City Public Schools.