He had a peculiar way about him that brought intrigue and interest into everything he taught me. In his class I never knew what character I'd encounter next. It made me look forward to each class. He instigated my curiosity of Literature and a desire to explore authors that a normal Jr. High student would not normally have interest in. I fondly remember Mr. Hall reading Edgar Allen Poe out loud in class, and soon after I sought out every Poe book written. It was Mr. Hall who nurtured my love for reading and to this day I think of him every time I pick out a new novel. I can only hope my children are touched by one of their teachers and in such an amazing way as they journey through their school years.

On an even more humanistic note, he played a very important role in comforting a very frightened and sad 7th grader. During my 7th grade year my sister and I were called into the office and told by the school counselor that our father had had a heart attack, was at the hospital and it was unsure whether he would live. After a lot of tears we were sent back to class. I was in English at the time and although I don't remember his exact words, after class Mr. Hall had me stay and talk with him. Any other time I would have feared being confronted by this towering authority figure, but this time he was gentle and understanding. All I remember was that his words comforted me and to this day I think of him as a "Gentle Giant."