Fields inducted

Bob Fields
1951 HHS yearbook photo
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    A 1951 graduate of Houlton High School was inducted April 30 into the New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame.
    Bob Fields of Holland Patent will be one of eight inductees honored at the annual banquet in Canastota, N.Y.
    “Obviously I am pleased to be inducted to the Hall of Fame,” Fields said. “I am also surprised to be joining a group of men and woman who have done so much to promote and preserve our outdoor heritage.”
    The New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame is an organization dedicated to honoring sportsmen who have made significant achievements in outdoors-related fields. More importantly, they are recognized for their long-time service in preserving the outdoor heritage and helping others experience it.
    Fields enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a private in 1952 from his hometown of Houlton. He retired from the Air Force in 1972 after being promoted to Lt. Colonel. The next few years, he managed new businesses, primarily in the Telecommunications area. He retired from the civilian life as an investment banker in 2001.
    “I have an engineering degree as well as an MBA from the University of Chicago School of Business,” Fields added. “That’s a huge surprise to my surviving classmates since it took me five years to get through high school. I played a lot of basketball though.”
    Field is an active member of the Mohawk Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited and has served in many capacities, including managing a web site and the annual Trout and Salmon Expo. But, it is his work with the “Trout In the Classroom” program that sets him apart and has earned him a place in the Hall of Fame.
    During Field’s involvement with the New York State Outdoorsmen program, the number of local schools participating in the “Trout In the Classroom” went from one to 42. He has spent considerable time at local schools to convince school administrators and teachers of the value of the program. The students involved get hands-on experience in raising the trout from eggs and learning valuable lessons in conservation.
    Fields spends countless hours at his own expense visiting classrooms, delivering trout eggs, supplies and equipment, while giving conservation lessons to students. He has connected teachers and students with Teacher Centers and programs in other states through video feeds.
    “This enthusiasm and purpose has spilled over into other areas and has been a major force for conservation in central New York,” stated the Hall of Fame press release.
    Though Fields does not hunt, he is an avid angler.
    “It’s a skill I honed as a boy at Cooks Brook in Houlton,” he said.