When I became a Crawford County enrichment teacher in 1967 I was assigned to Townville Elementary to work as an itinerant teacher with 4th, 5th, and 6th grade gifted children.  Not every staff member embraced my assignment and some made it difficult for children leaving their class twice a week.  Mr. Whitlatch by contrast served as encouragement to me and supported the purpose of the program.  He made me appreciate that a team effort was important in meeting the special needs of intellectually gifted children, and I always regarded his role in that regard as being one of the biggest influences in my making and keeping a lifelong commitment to gifted education that led to my earning a Ph.D. in the field and serving in leadership roles in several states.