Members of The College of Wooster’s Alumni Board annually select two or three individuals to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award, presented during Alumni Weekend at Wooster. Recipients are alumni who have distinguished themselves in the following areas:
- Professional Career
- Service to Humanity
- Service to Wooster
All alumni, faculty, and staff are invited to nominate outstanding Wooster alumni who exemplify the characteristics above. To do so, please complete the online form and submit one of the following:
- A letter of support, outlining your reason for nominating the individual
- A supporting article or press release that speaks to the nominee’s qualifications
The nominee will not be considered without at least one of the supporting documents.
Online Nomination Form Download Mail-In Form
Send any additional biographical information, to the address below.
Attn: Distinguished Alumni Award Committee
Gault Alumni Center
1012 Beall Avenue
The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH 44691-2363
Previous Distinguished Alumni Award Winners
| Name | Class Year | Date Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Warren P. Spencer+ | 1919 | 1962 |
| Anne A. Davis+ | 1915 | 1963 |
| John McSweeney+ | 1912 | 1965 |
| George A. Mosel+ | 1916 | 1966 |
| Wilson M. Compton+ | 1940 | 1967 |
| Waldo H. Dunn+ | 1906 | 1967 |
| Albert I. Good+ | 1906 | 1968 |
| Gideon D. Hatfield+ | 1909 | 1970 |
| Donald A. Lowrie+ | 1940 | 1971 |
| Charles E. Mc Dermott+ | 1924 | 1961 |
| Lewis F. Mayer+ | 1920 | 1961 |
| Charles A. Dilley+ | 1930 | 1961 |
| Paul C. Hawk+ | 1925 | 1962 |
| William M. Alrich+ | 1939 | 1962 |
| Francis P. Twinem+ | 1917 | 1963 |
| John C. Johnston+ | 1938 | 1963 |
| Ruth (Wylie) Eschbach+ | 1939 | 1964 |
| George L. Dixon+ | 1922 | 1964 |
| Lister O. Weiss+ | 1920 | 1964 |
| Edna (Fetzer) Weiss+ | 1927 | 1964 |
| Robert L. Myers+ | 1939 | 1965 |
| William M. McCulloch+ | 1923 | 1965 |
| Robert G. Bone+ | 1928 | 1966 |
| Alma E. Gault+ | 1916 | 1966 |
| Edwin M. Wright+ | 1918 | 1967 |
| Helen (Harrington) Compton+ | 1912 | 1967 |
| John R. Milligan | 1949 | 1968 |
| John D. McKee+ | 1917 | 1968 |
| Eva (Castner) Swan+ | 1918 | 1969 |
| Howard F. Lowry+ | 1923 | 1969 |
| David A. Redding+ | 1946 | 1969 |
| Alfred W. Swan+ | 1917 | 1969 |
| Carl M. Toensmeier+ | 1931 | 1969 |
| Esther (Lane) Toensmeier+ | 1930 | 1969 |
| David A. Cort+ | 1932 | 1970 |
| J. C. Wynn+ | 1941 | 1970 |
| Robert G. Wilder+ | 1942 | 1971 |
| Clara (Gharber) Lewis+ | 1933 | 1971 |
| G. Ernest Wright+ | 1931 | 1972 |
| William H. Havener+ | 1944 | 1972 |
| Jeanne Christy+ | 1926 | 1972 |
| John F. Boyd+ | 1942 | 1973 |
| William R. Schultz+ | 1933 | 1973 |
| Jane (Cotton) Boyd+ | 1942 | 1973 |
| James M. Dawson+ | 1939 | 1973 |
| Charles B. Moke+ | 1931 | 1974 |
| Dwight C. Hanna+ | 1944 | 1974 |
| Alfreda (Gabriel) Campbell+ | 1941 | 1974 |
| Ernest Y. Campbell+ | 1940 | 1974 |
| Sanford P. Lehman+ | 1928 | 1975 |
| Juliet (Stroh) Blanchard+ | 1924 | 1975 |
| Lucy L. Notestein+ | 1911 | 1976 |
| Shannon McCune+ | 1935 | 1976 |
| Scott Craig | 1956 | 1976 |
| James V. Neel+ | 1935 | 1977 |
| Donald W. Raley+ | 1927 | 1977 |
| James A. Miller+ | 1928 | 1977 |
| Carolyn (Gustafson) Dix+ | 1932 | 1977 |
| Jerrold K. Footlick | 1956 | 1978 |
| Harriet (Painter) Hopkins+ | 1932 | 1978 |
| Viola (Startzman) Robertson+ | 1935 | 1978 |
| W. Dean Hopkins+ | 1930 | 1978 |
| Sherman A. Wengerd+ | 1936 | 1979 |
| John J. Compton+ | 1949 | 1979 |
| John Exter+ | 1932 | 1979 |
| Marion (Fitch) Exter+ | 1933 | 1979 |
| Donald B. Register | 1959 | 1980 |
| Helen (Murray) Free+ | 1945 | 1980 |
| John E. Wallace+ | 1912 | 1980 |
| William F. Kieffer+ | 1936 | 1981 |
| Erma (Wooding) Foley+ | 1938 | 1981 |
| Frank W. Notestein+ | 1923 | 1981 |
| Lowell B. Bourns+ | 1927 | 1982 |
| William McAfee+ | 1932 | 1982 |
| Mary (Courtney) Bourns+ | 1927 | 1982 |
| James C. Mikkelsen+ | 1942 | 1982 |
| Stanley C. Gault+ | 1948 | 1983 |
| H. Alberta Colclaser+ | 1933 | 1983 |
| Robert R. Cadmus+ | 1936 | 1983 |
| Ernest M. Hole+ | 1918 | 1984 |
| Russell H. Seibert+ | 1930 | 1984 |
| Catherine (Compton) Chase+ | 1944 | 1984 |
| Edward B. Westlake+ | 1925 | 1985 |
| John W. Pocock+ | 1938 | 1985 |
| Catherine B. Hess+ | 1937 | 1985 |
| James R. Baroffio | 1954 | 1986 |
| Betty (Dickens) Neuhart+ | 1945 | 1986 |
| Stanley R. Welty+ | 1924 | 1987 |
| Jon R. Waltz+ | 1951 | 1987 |
| Ralph A. Young+ | 1929 | 1987 |
| Dorothy McCuskey+ | 1929 | 1987 |
| George W. Thorn+ | 1927 | 1988 |
| Henry C. Miller+ | 1944 | 1988 |
| Stephen R. Donaldson | 1968 | 1989 |
| Lois (Barr) Cook+ | 1945 | 1989 |
| Erie Mills | 1975 | 1989 |
| Robert S. Laubach+ | 1941 | 1989 |
| Eric H. Boehm+ | 1940 | 1990 |
| Marguerite (Lane) Bowden+ | 1940 | 1990 |
| Christine Camp+ | 1951 | 1990 |
| Catherine A. Tisinger | 1958 | 1991 |
| James N. Wise+ | 1941 | 1991 |
| G. T. Smith | 1956 | 1991 |
| James R. Blackwood+ | 1941 | 1992 |
| Robert H. Atwell | 1953 | 1992 |
| Ralph W. Schreiber+ | 1964 | 1992 |
| Alice (McGrew) Hawk+ | 1926 | 1992 |
| David D. Dowd+ | 1951 | 1993 |
| John P. Papp+ | 1960 | 1993 |
| William R. McGraw+ | 1952 | 1993 |
| Priscilla (Miller) Hart | 1951 | 1994 |
| Merton M. Sealts+ | 1937 | 1994 |
| Timothy P. Smucker | 1967 | 1995 |
| Ruth (Frost) Parker+ | 1945 | 1995 |
| Susan Q. Stranahan | 1968 | 1996 |
| Earl W. Wendell | 1950 | 1996 |
| Lois (Lyon) Neumann | 1949 | 1996 |
| Charles E. Rath | 1940 | 1997 |
| Norvin J. Hein+ | 1937 | 1997 |
| Dorothy (Robins) Mowry | 1942 | 1997 |
| William J. Yoder | 1963 | 1998 |
| Donald L. Kohn | 1964 | 1998 |
| Lee (Eberhardt) Limbird | 1970 | 1998 |
| John C. Buechner+ | 1956 | 1999 |
| Paul L. Kendall | 1964 | 1999 |
| Solomon Oliver | 1969 | 2000 |
| Molly (Fritz) Miller | 1969 | 2000 |
| David L. Beveridge | 1959 | 2001 |
| Edith (Bender) Seaton+ | 1947 | 2001 |
| Ronald S. Seaton+ | 1947 | 2001 |
| James F. Leckman | 1969 | 2001 |
| Edward McCreight | 1966 | 2002 |
| Maurice E. Hole | 1956 | 2002 |
| Lois (Black) Bing+ | 1931 | 2002 |
| Lynne (Cherry) McCreight | 1966 | 2002 |
| Tom M. Johnson | 1956 | 2003 |
| Lawson W. Stoneburner+ | 1937 | 2003 |
| Eugene C. Bay | 1959 | 2003 |
| W. Lee Culp+ | 1941 | 2004 |
| John E. Smeltz+ | 1944 | 2004 |
| Scott L. Behoteguy+ | 1939 | 2004 |
| Edward C. Arn+ | 1931 | 2005 |
| Miriam R. Pride | 1970 | 2005 |
| Joan P. Carter | 1965 | 2005 |
| Richard S. Foster | 1971 | 2006 |
| Denise (Ducharme) Reilly | 1975 | 2006 |
| Niall W. Slater | 1976 | 2006 |
| James A. Fletcher | 1967 | 2007 |
| Joseph J. Catino | 1974 | 2007 |
| Linda (Marsch) Saif | 1969 | 2007 |
| Alpha V. Alexander | 1976 | 2008 |
| Katharine (Doob) Sakenfeld | 1961 | 2008 |
| Gary W. Reichard | 1965 | 2008 |
| Cynthia S. Tice+ | 1958 | 2009 |
| Wayne A. Cornelius | 1967 | 2009 |
| Jay R. Gates | 1968 | 2009 |
| Alvin J. Van Wie+ | 1952 | 2010 |
| Jane (Morley) Kotchen | 1960 | 2010 |
| Dale M. Swift | 1980 | 2010 |
| Angene (Hopkins) Wilson | 1961 | 2011 |
| Clarence R. Williams | 1963 | 2011 |
| David A. Dunlop | 1973 | 2011 |
| Jack A. Wilson | 1961 | 2011 |
| Irwin L. Reese | 1975 | 2012 |
| Thomas K. Welty | 1965 | 2012 |
| Ronald C. Hughes | 1970 | 2012 |
| James T. Clarke | 1959 | 2013 |
| Diane K. Jorkasky | 1973 | 2013 |
| Kenneth C. Fischer | 1966 | 2013 |
| Carl W. Cotman | 1962 | 2014 |
| Z. Mike Chirenje | 1977 | 2014 |
| James A. McClung | 1959 | 2014 |
| David R. Hopkins | 1970 | 2015 |
| Barbara (Frajola) Atkinson | 1964 | 2015 |
| Elizabeth A. Eaton | 1977 | 2016 |
| Lucius F. Ellsworth | 1963 | 2016 |
| George H. Davis | 1964 | 2016 |
| T. William Evans | 1960 | 2017 |
| Judith (Mack) Patterson | 1963 | 2017 |
| Laurie S. Priest | 1977 | 2017 |
| David W. Douglas | 1971 | 2018 |
| Richard A. Kerr | 1968 | 2018 |
| Macharia Kamau | 1982 | 2019 |
| Patricia J. Vittum | 1974 | 2019 |
| Brenda N. Major | 1972 | 2020 |
| Larry A. Jones | 1975 | 2020 |
| Walt P. Hopkins | 1966 | 2021 |
| Katharine (Rhodes) Henderson | 1978 | 2021 |