The EIU Alumni Association is proud to announce the recipients of the 2012 Alumni Awards. Click here to read more about these extraordinary alumni!
Established in 1973, the Distinguished Alumni Award is the most prestigious award which is bestowed by the Alumni Association. This award is presented to individuals who have distinguished themselves in either academic or literary fields, business, public service and/or service to the University and who, through their accomplishments and service, have brought prestige to their alma mater.
Alumni nominated for this award must have celebrated at least their sixth class reunion. In the case of an alumna/us who has not graduated, class year would be determined by the year he or she would have graduated.
Past recipients have included an Illinois Governor, Oscar-nominated actors, a nuclear physicist, educators at all levels, CEOs, athletes and many others.
First presented in 1988, the Alumni Service Award is presented to alumni who have repeatedly displayed outstanding voluntary service to the University. In 2007 the name was changed to the Louis V. Hencken Alumni Service Award in honor of Eastern's outgoing president. Lou Hencken served Eastern in a variety of administrative positions for over 40 years and was named University president on August 1, 2001. He retired from the presidency on June 30, 2007.
First presented in 1988, the Outstanding Young Alumna/us is presented to an alumna/us who is 35 years of age or younger and has excelled in a new career and/or public service.
Established in 2004, the Distinguished Educator Award is presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves in the field of K-12 education
Distinguished Alumni |
Louis V. Hencken Alumni Service Award |
Outstanding Young Alumni |
Distinguished Educator |
|---|---|---|---|
2011 |
2011 |
2011 |
2011
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| 2010 Michael Cunningham '70 Roseann Drew '70 Julie Lupien '81 Sean Payton '87 Bob Provost '70 Chuck Witters '68 |
2010 Carl Dolson '76 |
2010 |
2010 Roy Fenton '65, '66 |
| 2009 James Allen '79 Robert Corn-Revere '77 Ed Escalante '74 Lou Hencken '66, '67 Tim Manning '93 |
2009 Tom McDaniel '69 |
2009 Ryan Bailey '99 Ellen Eardley '99 |
2009 Cheryl Crates '70 |
| 2008 Roger Claar '67, '68 Kenneth Damann '66 Daryll D. Fletcher '75, '76 Ted Gregory '81 Barbara Hundley '65, '69 Robert C. Manion '66 |
2008 Jim Erdmann '59 |
2008 Anthony Pleasant '06 |
2008 John Marsaglia '76 Dorothy Bennett '74, '80 |
| 2007 Joni Comstock '79 Don Gher '73 Marty Hickman '80 Kevin Savoree '81 Jim Schnorf '76 |
2007 Betty Smithson '63 |
2007 Tony Romo ex '03 |
2007 Joe Fatheree '89, '05 |
| 2006 Gregg Altobella '88 Brigadier General Joseph Balskus '76, '77 John Currey '62 Gordon Grado, M.D. '74 Jerry Van Dyke ex '55 Paul Ward '71, '74 |
2006 Ivan “Ike” Kennard ex '44 |
2006 Captain Gary Kelly '01 |
2006 Linda Kirby '74, '82, '89 |
| 2005 Rita Bleser '77 Robert Glover '82 Mark Grier '74, '75 Barbara Hill '58, '63, '70 Craig Titley '89 Bill Weir '69 Therese Supple Kinkade '80 |
2005 Therese Supple Kinkade '80 |
2005 Luke Ryan '01 |
2005 Cathy Ruwe Anderson '74, '83 |
| 2004 Rudy Hlavek '64 Jimmy Liautaud ex '88 Carlos Ogden ex '40 Sue Payton '72 Matthew Polenzani '91 Gail Richard '77 |
2004 John Schmitt '76, '78 |
2004 Karla Porch '99 |
2004 Barbara McLaughlin '71 |
| 2003 Joseph Dively '81 Stephen Gosselin '79 Col. Joseph Kelly '38 William Robinson '76 Sen. Dale Righter '88 |
2003 Mike Lester '66 |
2003 Erin Weed '99 |
2003 William Thiel '50 |
| 2002 James Evans '68 Dr. H. Ray Hoops '62 Captain Howard Skidmore, USN (ret) ex '42 Larry Smith ex '91 |
2002 Judy Ethell '82 |
2002 Sarah Livesay '98 |
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| 2001 Frank Blum '76 '77 Brent Manning '75 '76 Pat Sullivan '75 |
2001 Joe Strohm '86 '87 |
2001 Cheryl Warner '96 '00 |
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| 2000 Bob Jachino '59 Dr. Lyle Jensen '70 Rep. Joe Knollenberg '55 Karen Meyer '76 |
2000 Dennis Spice '78 |
2000 Susan Gerling '95 |
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| 1999 Dr. Sharon LeDuc '65 Dr. Gail Richardson '60 '63 Dr. Stephen Wilson '68 '74 |
1999 Greg Gardner '78 '80 Ken Hesler '51 |
1999 Amelia Heape '94 |
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| 1998 Joan Allen ex '78 Vicki Freimuth '66 Allen Grosboll '73 Mike Shanahan '74 '75 |
1998 Michelle Koehler '93 |
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| 1997 Jerry Gilomen, '66 Robert Knollenberg '61 Stephen K. Woodland '70, '81 |
1997 Louis V. Hencken '66, '67 |
1997 Michael R. Gagliardo |
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| 1996 Janet M. Treichel, '64, '71 |
1996 Dick Cain '64 |
1996 Thomas P. Wiesenmayer '92 |
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| 1995 Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy '65,'67 Craig Peyton Gaumer '84,'85 *Emma Chenault Kelly '25 Jeffrey G. Scott '68 |
1995 Gregory A. Curl, '92 |
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| 1994 J. Allen Brent '43 Glen Owens Gabbard '72 Roger Roberson '64 |
1994 Nancy W. Owen '72 |
1994 Thomas M. Faulkner, '90, '91 Sherry L. McCoy, '90 |
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| 1993 Stephen B. Schnorf '66,'73 |
1993 Jill Fulton Nilsen '74, '75 |
1993 Craig Titley, '89 |
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| 1992 Jan Spivey Gilchrist '73 John Malkovich ex '75 |
1992 Eulalee Anderson '63,'84 |
1992 Robert Haycock, '87 |
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| 1991 Juan F. Rojas '58 Randall Arney '78 |
1991 Roger Roberson '64 |
1991 Cathy Berns Rund, '86 |
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| 1990 Michael W. Conlin '70 Robert A. Ingram '65 John G. Wargo, Jr. '50 |
1990 Gary Rogers '61,'65 Roger Dettro '53 |
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| 1989 Margaret "Peggy" Allan '71 Robert A. Bain '54 John A. Dively '54 Marvin E. Edwards '67 Joan Embery-Pillsbury '86 Violet Podesta Meyer '39 |
1989 Mike Weaver '73,'74,'82 |
1989 Jennifer Schulze, '80 |
|
| 1988 Arthur L. Aikman '50 Theodore P. Cavins '26 James F. Giffin '46 |
1988 Margaret Campbell Hollowell '68 Eli Sidwell '58 J. W. Oglesby '58 |
1988 Rex Rund, '84 |
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| 1987 *Burl Ives, ex'31 *Carolyn A. Fischer '55 Rex D. Cooley '59 James L. Hanks '47 Raymond L. Fischer '54 K. Wayne Ratts '54 |
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| 1986 *James L. Breen '48 Charles O. Austin '36 Donald L. Calvin '54 Norm Endsley '53 Margaret D. Podesta '58 William L. Podesta '76 |
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| 1985 Gerald D. Fines '65 Joe P. Meyer '58 C. John Tolch '49 |
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| 1984 Eugene Aikman '54 Alden Cutshall '32 Ronald W. Davis '64 John L. Heath '58 Elizabeth Podesta Hickman '43 |
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| 1983 *John W. Voigt '42 Robert L. Hill '44 Jack Payan '52 George Woodyard '54 |
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| 1982 Jim Edgar '68 Roger F. Hibbs '43 |
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| 1981 *H Ogden Brainard '25 *Hal Middlesworth '31 John H. Keiser '58 |
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| 1980 Tressa Bennett '58 James R. Galloway '58 Donald L. Shawver '47 Philip W. Smith '44 |
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| 1979 *Helen F. Daringer '14 Dario A. Covi '43 Claibourne I. Dungy '62 Robert Millis '63 |
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| 1978 *Leallyn B. Clapp '35 C. Nelson Grote James H. Roberts '46 Roy K. Wilson '36 |
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| 1977 *John S. Redden '26 Allyn A. Cook '48 Donald K. Neal '40 L. Lou Stanek '54 |
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| 1976 Don Grantham '37 R. Gene Gresham '51 Author Hughes '51 Darrell Judge '56 James Phipps '42 |
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| 1975 *Gladys Campbell '14 *D. F. Fleming '12 *Stella Craft Tremble '22 *E. Errett Warner '25 Stanley Elam '38 |
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| 1974 Harry Fitzhugh '34 James Gindler '50 Dorothy Leggitt '23 Carlos Talbott '40 Ralph Wickiser '34 |
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| 1973 *Arthur Glen Hesler '25 *Frederick Earl Newman '59 *M. Alice Phillips '33 *Newton E. Tarble '08 Aubert North '33 |
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| *Deceased |