Class of 1940

Grant J. Maudlin

Civic and Community Leader

Royal Oak City Commissioner, 1953 –1965

Chairman, Royal Oak Recreation Board, an administrative board of city/school officials

United States Marine Pacific Theater, World War II

Inducted into Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, 2006

Grant J. Maudlin was a 1940 graduate of Royal Oak High School. He was a member of the high school basketball and baseball teams. He was also active in the Boy's Forestry Club.

Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Grant enlisted and served in the United States Marine Corps. He saw action in the Pacific Theater.

After his military service, Grant Maudlin attended Michigan State University and earned a degree in business and public service.  At age 31 he was elected to the Royal Oak City Commission where he served twelve years from 1953 to 1965.

Mr. Maudlin also chaired a Royal Oak Administrative Recreation Committee which was the "child" of both the city and the school district. He led its reorganization in 1961 when the committee was placed under the direction of the city manager and became the Royal Oak Recreation Advisory Board. The vision and dedication of Grant Maudlin facilitated the development of the Royal Oak Golf Course.

During Mr. Maudlin's years of serve to the community there were tough challenges and conflicts as Royal Oak endured rapid growth. Water issues leading to the Twelve Town Drain and the building problems associated with the Royal Oak Library, the police station and the animal shelter required thoughtful solutions. He also served as the city's liaison with Beaumont Hospital.

In addition to his work with city government Mr. Maudlin served as member of the Selective Service Board during the Vietnam War and as a volunteer member of the Board of Directors of the Royal Oak Schools Credit Union.  Grant Maudlin was inducted into the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame in 2006.

Class of 1940

William S. Broomfield, M.C.

Member of the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate

Member of the United States Congress

U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations

William S. Broomfield graduated from Royal Oak High School in 1940. He attended what is now Michigan State University and served in the United States Army Air Corps during the Second World War. After the war he engaged in the sale of real-estate and property management.

Mr. Broomfield was elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1948 and served in that position until 1954. In 1953 he held the position of Speaker Pro Tempore. He served in the State Senate in 1955 and 1956.

In 1956, Mr. Broomfield was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives. He served in that capacity until 1992. During his tenure he served on the U. S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and was the ranking member on the committee from 1975 until his retirement in 1992. By the end of his final term he was the ranking Republican in the House of Representatives. In 1967 he served as U. S. Ambassador to the 22nd United Nations General Assembly.

William Broomfield has been actively involved in many community and charitable organizations. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Royal Oak and has participated in the American Legion, the Elks, the Freemasons, the Lions Club, the Odd fellows, the Optimists Club and the Shriners.

After his retirement he started a foundation in Michigan that supports charities including the Salvation Army and efforts to cure cancer, Spina Bifida, and Alzheimer's. In 1996, William S. Broomfield was inducted into the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame.

Class of 1940

Frank J. Penoza, P.E.

Founder, Owner of President of Pen Associates, Inc., Special Tool Mfg

Awarded eight U.S. Patents in engineering special tools

Paratrooper, U.S. Army Airborne, 1942

Inductee, Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame, 1997

Frank Joseph Penoza graduated from Royal Oak High School in 1940. While in high school, Frank played varsity football, baseball and basketball. He earned All League, All County and All State recognition. He was awarded the Morrison Trophy as the outstanding athlete in the class of 1940. His wife Marion was also a graduate of Royal Oak High.

During World War II Frank served with the 507th Paratroop Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. In 1952 he earned degrees in both mechanical and industrial engineering from Lawrence Institute of Technology. For the next 26 years Frank Penoza was employed by the General Electric and the DuPont Corporations. He held a professional engineering license in the state of Delaware, and was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers International.

In 1981 he started his own business, Pen Associates. His firm designs and produces tools used in the manufacturing and procession of materials of high strength that cannot be machined using conventional tooling. He has at least eight U. S. patents for his special tools. Frank Penoza was working and was selling tools internationally until just before his death in May, 2011. Frank Penoza was inducted into the Royal Oak High School Hall of Fame in 1997.