Howe School throws birthday 'thank you' party Dressed up as Dorothy from the 'Wizard of Oz, second grade student Crysta Owens served as a hostess for Tom Skogg during a surprise 75th birthday party given in his honor at Howe School Wednesday (photo by H. Marc Larson) By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle In the last 50 years, Tom Skogg, a Howe Elementary School alumnus, has crafted a unique relationship with the school. He's distributed treats to students around the holidays, given them pumpkins at Halloween, sponsored a schoolwide viewing of "The Wizard of Oz" in the historic downtown Meyer Theatre and other acts of kindness. To thank him, students, staff, students' families and associates from his business, The Skogg Co., gathered in the school's gym to throw him a surprise birthday party Wednesday. Skogg turns 75 today. The gym was decorated according to a "Wizard of Oz" theme, with a yellow, brick road painted on paper and colorful balloons. After students presented him with cards, students from kindergarten to fifth grade sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to recorder accompaniment provided by fellow students. The students prepared the song in just a few weeks, said music director Mary Anne Wahl. "He's an incredibly generous, kind man," Wahl said. Students and faculty at Howe Elementary School know Skogg by his good deeds, but they got to know him a little better when the school's principal projected pictures of Skogg's childhood, family, a newspaper article he wrote that was published in his high school's newspaper and events of Skogg's life on a gym wall. Skogg served in the army for four years and in 1951 earned an economics degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fifth-graders presented a resolution addressed to School Board president Jean Marsch in which they referred to Skogg as "our friend" and named the gym the "Thomas L. Skogg Gymnasium." "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart - naming this gym after me," Skogg said. He said he believed the school is a good place to learn. "There is no better place to start your life than right where you're sitting," he said to the students. After the ceremony in the gym, Skogg said when he was invited to Wednesday's assembly, he thought he was going to be mentioned for having contributed shirts to the basketball team, but not a birthday party. "Naturally, I'm surprised," he said. "We want to thank him for everything," said Howe School student Jacqueline Stevens. Student Jorge Cuenca had never seen "The Wizard of Oz" before, so he saw it for the first time on the Meyer Theatre trip Skogg organized for the school. "He's nice to us," Cuenca said.