Melissa ISD honors McKillop with school

BY STEFANIE WHITE, McKinney Courier-Gazette
(Created: Saturday, January 27, 2007)

Harry McKillop has been several things in life: Naval officer, humanitarian and war hero. But the 18-year McKinney resident has never had the honor of having a school named after him.

Harry McKillop with pictures of Melissa Independent School District’s future elementary school, the Harry McKillop Elementary School. This photo and more are available through MyCapture at www.scntx.com. Photo: Stefanie White | McKinney Courier-Gazette

Until now.

The Melissa Independent School District Board of Trustees announced this week that its new elementary school will be called the Harry McKillop Elementary School. McKillop said he was honored and humbled to have a school named after him.

“I'm thrilled and pleased,” McKillop said. “I can think of 100 people that deserved something like that.”

The father of eight children, two of whom are still in high school, said he has long been a supporter of education.

“Unlike many people who just worry about their kids' college, I have been a strong proponent of superior elementary and high school education,” McKillop said. “I think that's where society has dropped the ball.”

McKillop, whose daughters attended the now-defunct ACT Academy, said he believes a child's developmental years take place in elementary school.

“I think elementary school and high school are the two most important periods in a kids' life,” McKillop said. “This is where kids formulate their character.”

As a naval officer, McKillop served in the Pacific during World War II and engaged in missions in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to focus the world on the plight of prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action from the Vietnam War. He also assisted in rescuing and returning kidnapped children and family members in countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia. While considered a national hero, McKillop is modest about his years in the service.

“I was in the war, period,” McKillop said.

McKillop was an officer for United Airlines, Braniff and Pan Am and is currently a member of the Collin County Regional Airport Advisory Group. He is also president of the Pecan Grove Cemetery. For his humanitarian efforts, Ross Perot established the Harry McKillop Irish Spirit Award in 2003.

Melissa ISD Superintendent Jason Smith said McKillop is an incredible man who deserves to have a school named after him.

“Melissa ISD is just honored to have Mr. McKillop as part of the history of educating kids in Melissa,” Smith said. “He's truly an American hero.”

McKillop said he has high hopes for Harry McKillop Elementary School, which will open in fall 2008.

“I'm enthused about this because I'd like to see Melissa have the top-rated elementary school in Texas,” McKillop said.

To help make Harry McKillop Elementary successful, McKillop said he wants to see a focus on learning and not so much on tests.

“I'm hoping that we have superior standards of education,” he said. “That we concentrate on not just teaching kids to take the tests but learn the subjects.”