The West Iron County Wall of Fame has been established to honor past distinguished graduates, community members, athletes, and others who have been contributors to life in the general West Iron County geographical area, including the former Stambaugh, Bates, and Iron River school systems, as well as around the world.

The Wall of Fame Class of 2025 is a great cross-section of local achievers who have enriched life in the areas they have lived. The newest members will be honored at their induction in October.

The West Iron County Wall of Fame Class of 2025, in alphabetical order:

Elmer “Swede” Anderson — A 1941 graduate of Stambaugh High School, Anderson was a lifelong resident of Gaastra, where he served as mayor. He was a veteran of World War II and served as a member of the former Stambaugh Township School Board. His baseball expertise extended to being a pitcher for several local teams and gained him tryouts with the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns.

Jim Cederna

Anderson helped to bring back baseball to West Iron County High School and served as head coach of the Wykon baseball team for over 14 years, leading the Wykons to three Western U.P. League championships and coaching several league all-stars. He also served the West Iron County Schools as a custodian and bus driver. Anderson passed away in 2007 at age 83.

Jim Cederna — A 1969 graduate of West Iron County High School, Cederna was an All U.P. football player and went on to win four football letters as a linebacker for Central Michigan University. Cederna then went on to an international business career in various companies, serving in capacities such as COO, president, board of directors member, and chairman/CFO.

In 2003, Cederna formed his own Cederna International, Inc., based back in his hometown of Iron River. His firm has provided best business practices to more than 100 different CEO’s and presidents.

He was also able to facilitate the startup of Global Response North in Iron River, resulting in 75 new jobs in the local area. Cederna was also instrumental in the formation of the Recreation Association of Iron County.

Steve Contardi — A 1963 graduate of Stambaugh High School, Contardi went on from a stellar athletic career at Stambaugh to being a member of the Northern Michigan University tennis team and later as an inductee to the NMU Hall of Fame.

Steve Contardi.

Contardi then began a long career in tennis in the greater Cincinnati, Ohio area, where he serves as the operating partner at The Club at Harper’s Point and has served as TV tennis commentator. He has served on the Kings School District Board of Education and raised more than $1.5 million through a telethon for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

Contardi is a member of the Midwest USPTA, Cincinnati Tennis, and Kings High School Halls of Fame, and was also chosen as an inductee to the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame.

Albert Holm — A 1962 graduate of Iron River High School, Dr. Albert Holm went on to attend the California Institute of Technology and then received his PH.D. in astronomy from the University of Wisconsin. Holm then went on to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to help operate the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-2 satellite, gaining the first ultraviolet observations of a supernova.

Holm then went on to work on the International Ultraviolet Explorer and then started work on the famous Hubble Space Telescope in 1983. He then served as branch chief for Data Processing and Archive Services until his retirement in 2010.

Holm has been a frequent summer visit to the Iron River area, presenting lectures on astronomical topics.

Albert Holm,