Distinguished Alumni & Volunteer Awards

President Steven O'Day speaking at 2023 DAVA dinner

Each year, Austin College honors Distinguished Alumni who are characterized in their professions and communities as leaders with high ethical standards, and who support and advocate for the College and its mission.   

Honorees are recognized at the annual Distinguished Alumni and Volunteer Awards Dinner, held during Homecoming Weekend.

 The Austin College Senior Leadership also selects and presents the Heywood C. Clemons Volunteer Service Award to alumni or friends in honor of continued service and commitment to the College.

 The Austin College Alumni Board selects the Cindy Curtis Bean Service-to-Alumni Award to honor a member of the faculty or staff who shows extraordinary commitment to the support of alumni.

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2026 Alumni & Volunteer Award Recipients

The Austin College Awards Committee, on behalf of the Alumni Board, has completed the selection process for the 2026 Alumni and Volunteer Awards.

The Committee is pleased to announce the following recipients:

2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards

Art Clayton ’95
David Morgan ’96
Dr. Sharon Larson ’01

1st Decade Award

Dr. MacKenzie Bolen ’21

Heywood C. Clemons Volunteer Service Award
Ginger Nye

Cindy Curtis Bean Service to Alumni Award
Dr. Frank Rohmer
Professor Emeritus of Political Sciences

If you would like to attend this year's dinner, please refer to the Homecoming Registration.

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Nominations for 2027 are officially open!

Know someone who should be considered for next year's awards? Nominations for the 2026 Awards are now closed, but any that are received will be considered for the 2027 Awards. Submit your nomination today!

Distinguished Alumni Award Nomination

First Decade Award Nomination

Nomination Criteria

Distinguished Alumni Award

The Distinguished Alumni Award is given to individuals for their sustained, distinguished accomplishments and contributions to any field of human endeavor that brings the highest honor to the award recipient and to Austin College.

Selection as Distinguished Alumni is one of the highest honors granted to an alumnus/alumna of Austin College. The following criteria will be used to review each nominee and will be the basis for comparison with other nominees:

Exemplifies leadership that would distinguish an individual from others in the chosen field of endeavor, recognizing that Austin College alumni exemplify leadership in many fields, professional or otherwise. Contributions do not need to be publicly renowned, but should represent important effort or accomplishment.
Exemplifies leadership in community involvement and service to others.
Provides inspiration to all Austin College community members by virtue of leadership, service, and high ethical standards.
Exhibits and maintains connection with, support of, and advocacy for Austin College, its mission, and its students.

A detailed statement of nomination should address as many of the above mentioned areas of excellence as possible.

Note: Current members of the Alumni Board and the Board of Trustees are ineligible.

First Decade Award

The First Decade Award is given for exemplary achievement in one’s chosen profession or for outstanding service to the College or the community at large during the person’s first 10 years as a member of the Austin College alumni community.

The following criteria will be used to review each nominee and will be the basis for comparison with other nominees:

Commitment to core values of Austin College and/or carrying forward the core values of Austin College through chosen profession and community involvement.
Maintains a connection or relationship with Austin College or fellow alumni.

A detailed statement of nomination should address both of the above mentioned areas of excellence.

Note: Current members of the Alumni Board and the Board of Trustees are ineligible.

Nomination Process & Supporting Materials

The nominator must submit all of the following:

A completed nomination form;
One or more letters of support detailing the nominee’s qualifications and accomplishments. These can be from the nominator themselves, professional colleagues or other Austin College alumni;
Biographical information on the nominee such as a resume, LinkedIn profile, or professional/personal webpages;
Any additional information that you think would be helpful to the members of the Awards Committee in making their selection. (optional)

All nominations and supporting materials must be received no later than April 4, 2026.

The Awards Committee of the Austin College Alumni Board will review all submitted information and after careful consideration, present its recommendations to the full Alumni Board for approval. The awardees will be notified of their selection by June 30, 2026. Awards will be presented at the Alumni and Volunteer Awards dinner during Homecoming Weekend in October 2026.

Nominations for those candidates not selected will be retained for future consideration for up to an additional two years.

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Past Award Recipients

Distinguished Alumni Award & Meritorious Service Award

Priscilla Abbott ’60, 1987
Michael Abernathy ’72, 2000
Michael Adams '86. 2016
Ramon F. Adams ’12, 1962
Charla Glass Aldous ’82, 2007
John Andersen ’66, 2010
John F. Anderson Jr. ’41, 1966
Nancy L. Anderson ’42, 1974
Bradshaw Armendt ’21, 1966
Marlene Aviles ’80, 1999
Gene “Duke” Babb ’57, 2005
Crowdus Baker ’28, 1961
David Baker, 2014 (Faculty)
Thomas P. Baker ’24, 1965
Billy L. Barnes ’47, 1980
Joe Barrett ’68, 2006
Lydia Bean '02, 2018
Aldo Billingslea '87 MAT '88, 2022
Truman G. Blocker ’29, 1967
William W. Bondurant ’25, 1967
W. Michael Bonesio ’66, 2001
Herbert S. Bonney Jr. ’30, 1972
Squire Booker '87, 2024
George A. Boyd ’29, 1969
J. Daniel Breazeale ’66, 2011
Marilyn Facka Brill ’69, 2009
Charles R. Brown ’81, 1991
Danny Buck '78, 2015
Kathryn D. Buck ’81, 2001
Pamela Harnest Bucy ’75, 1998
J. Forrest Byrant ’41, 1997
Monroe D. Bryant ’27, 1965
William C. Campaigne ’69, 2007
Harold L. Campbell ’56, 1976
Charles C. Carsner ’05, 1963
Robert “Ty” Cashion ’79, 2010
Mary Lou Cassidy ’66, 1995
Lucy Shelton Caswell ’66, 2003
Pete Cawthon (Honorary), 1957
Anissa Centers (Coss) ’93, 2023
Lena Lea Clausell ’41, 1976
Adele A. Coblentz ’43, 1966
Margaret Binkley Collins ’36, 1980
Noble J. Cooksey ’27, 1974
Eugene Cooper ’67, 2000
Jacqueline R. Cooper '73, 2017
Billy Core '76, 2014
David Corrigan ‘81, 2012
Kedrick Couch ’55, 2006
John W. Cowles ’27, 1967
Burnett C. Cox ’34, 1972
Deborah Crombie ’76, 2003
George E. Crosthwaite ’32, 1970
Susan DeLee Cuellar ’69, 1996
Shem P. Cunningham ’20, 1960
C. Ed Davis ’64, 2005
David P. Dean ’19, 1965
Paul C. Dean ’19, 1965
Philip N. Diehl ’73, 1997
Donnie H. Duncan ’62, 1998
Dale Eichenberger '68, 2015
Eugene C. Elder ’28, 1970
Kimberly Ann Elliott ’82, 2004
Emmett Essin ’40, 1987
Jay D. Evans ’64, 1994
John R. Evans ’64, 1994
Thomas C.N. Evans ’69, 2009
Ann Ware Farmer ’70, 2010
Denise Bristow Fate '76, 2021
Larry Fedora '85, 2017
Malcolm M. Feeley ’64, 1994
Nina L. Ferrill ’27, 1981
Luther D. Fletcher ’36, 1961
Craig Florence '84, 2014
E. Leon Foshee ’22, 1971
Henry E. Frnka ’26, 1976
Ann Cooper Gay ’66, 1994
Kenneth H. Gentry ’67, 1993
Donald M. Gibson ’75, 2009
Steve Goldsmith, 2014
Dennis E. Gonier ’83, 1999
William M. Gould Jr. ’50, 2001
Edward D. Grant ’20, 1964
Virgil Graves ’63, 2000
H.S. Griffin ’30, 1971
Cecil H. Grigg ’16, 1959
Geoffrey Grimes ’66, 1996
Michael B. Grizzard ’67, 1998
Clifford J. Grum ’56, 1976
Mary Thorington Guerrant ’46, 1979
Ben Gutierrez ’53, 1979
*Clyde Hall ’46, 1970/89

Tom G. Hall Jr. '78, 2021
*Gaston T. Hallam ’26, 1963/75
Al Hambrick ’79, 2005
Amanda Clausen Hammel '95, 2019
James F. Hardie 1908, 1958
Jack M. Hardy ’41, 1977
John M. Hardy ’25, 1979
Bill Harris ’60, 2000
Norvell W. Harris ’26, 1973
Jeannine Hatt Phelps ’72, 2008
W.C. “Bill” Hatfield ’50, 1978
Hayden W. Head ’34, 1977
Barbara Smith Hensley ’70, 2009
Doris Landolt Herrick ’52, 1983
Haskell E. Hestand Sr. ’28, 1981
Ross W. Hester ’47, 1984
Leigh Hiester ’90, 2023
Joseph W. Hight ’38, 1972
David “Tex” Hill ’27, 1996
John C. Hitt ’62, 1997
David W. Hornbeck ’63, 1991
Randy M. Horton ’76, 1993
P.E. (Ted) Hudson ’59, 1975
Lloyd B. Hughes ’18, 1958
Han Pham Hulen '98, 2013
Elaine Mangelsdorf Hull ’63, 2004
Harold C. Hunter Sr. ’30, 1971
George H. Hurst 1916, 1970
Jack B. Jackson ’38, 1971
Don Johnson '71, 2016
Robert M. Johnson ’53, 1987
George R. Jordan 1915, 1960
Jenny King '92, 2021
Ron Kirk ’76, 1992
Takao Kitamura ’57, 1982
B. Mac Kyle ’56, 1979
Casper “Cap” Landolt ’27, 1986
Doris Eagleton Landolt ’27, 1978
G.L. Landolt ’23, 1963
C.H. Lang 1912, 1966
Euphie M. Lang 1908, 1958
Jorge Lara-Braud ’54, 2003
Alexander (Faulkner) Lazar '90, 2015
William “Bill” Lazenby ’30, 1985
Walter Lazenby, Jr. ’25, 1981
Jeff Levin '79, 2019
Charles A. Lingo ’28, 1963
Norella Davis Little ’21, 1958
Robert D. Lively ’68, 1985
George Livings ’64, 1982
Joseph L. Lockett 1896, 1957
Mason G. Lockwood ’25, 1960
Walter E. Long 1910, 1957
Rupert B. Lowe 1919, 1958
Helen Lowman '88, 2018
Donald E. Lovering '78, 2013
Roger B. Luttrell '76, 2021
J.W. Madden, Jr. ’24, 1964
Patricia Manning-Courtney ’87, 2009
Luis Manueco-Jenkins ’62, 1986
Louis Manz ’59, 2007
Sue Masica '83, 2015
Richard K. Matkin '74, 2013
W. Eugene March ’57, 1995
David M. Marquis ’73, 1992
Daniel M. Martinez ’45, 1986
Robert T. “Bob” Mason ’52, 1977
Holly Mace Massingill '94, 2024
Meril A. May ’26, 1964
Dian Gould McCall ’62, 2007
*Howard McCarley ’48, 1995
W. Osler McCarthy ’73, 2008
Casey L. McClellan ’79, 1998
Patricia McClurg ’61, 1980
James L. McCord ’38, 1959
Ralph S. McCord ’50, 1993
James Larry McCullough ’61, 1989
Lucille McElroy ’41, 1966
V.E. McInnis 1899, 1960
Mary Clayton McKee ’84, 2009
James E. McKinney 1914, 1961
S. Brooks McLane 1913, 1957
Laura Shelton Mendenhall ’69, 1990
Richard "Scooter" Merritt '66, 2018
Charles “Bo” Miller ’61, 1987
J.D. Miller ’21, 1965
Will C. Miller, III ’64, 1987
Dana Fienning Minaya ’66, 1996
Honey Altman Minshew ’63, 1992
Robert W. Minshew ’60, 1982
Jon N. Moline ’60, 2004
Haskell M. Monroe Jr. ’52, 1978

Grace Eagleton Moore ’21, 1975
Lardner W. Moore 1918, 1969
*Jane D. Moorman ’48, 1993
Sara Bernice Moseley (Honorary), 1974
Tara Myers '78, 2014
C. Ellis Nelson ’37, 1983
Carol Campbell Newsom ’62, 1997
Don Newsom '65, 2019
Thomas Newsom '91, 2021
Felicity A. Nussbaum ’65, 1999
Clayton Oliphint '83, 2017
Marcus Payne ’58, 1994
David Peeples ’57, 2003
Richard H. Peeples '70, 2013
Jeannine Hatt Phelps ’72, 2008
Jeffrey N. Phillips ’81, 2011
Carroll Pickett ’54, 1996
Steven Pounders '81, 2022
Kim Powers '79, 2014
*R.N. “Bud” Price ’27, 1990
Abner P. Ragsdale ’38, 1990
Homer P. Rainey 1919, 1973
Joe Rayl ’54, 1998
Don Read ’64, 2003
Nat B. Read ’61, 1991
W.T. Read 1905, 1957
Chuck Reynolds ‘79, 2012
Robin Reynolds '74, 2024
C. Stanly Roberts 1898, 1957
Royston M. Roberts ’40, 1962
Jim Rolfe ’65, 2000
Paul H. Sanders ’31, 1967
Andrew H. Sansom ’68, 1999
Kathryn Waters Sax ’79, 1991
Steven B. Schlossstein ’63, 1990
Barbara Schroeder ’68, 1988
Charles C. Schroeder ’67, 1988
James H. Self ’58, 1973
Billy B. Sharp ’51, 2005
Joe Sharp ’25, 1959
*Noel G. Shaw ’24, 1968
Laura Heard Shoap 1912, 1963
Lee Simmons 1893, 1957
Rebecca Simmons ’78, 2006
Harold Skaggs Jr. ’63, 2005
Bill Skeen ’70, 2000
Kirk Smith ‘81, 2012
Minna Amis Smith, T.P.C. 1915, 1967
Henry Sory ’47, 1988
Arthur N. Springall ’29, 1968
Robert H. Squires Jr. ’73, 2004
Samuel W. Steele ’73, 2001
*G. Raymond Stephens Jr. ’50, 1985
Allen Stewart 1912, 1958
David L. Stitt ’33, 1962
Ting Sun '89, 2022
Vern Sutton ’60, 2003
Laurence Ellington Sykes ’66, 2011
Rebecca Russell Sykes ’67, 2009
Cora V. Sylestine ’43, 1968
James E. Teel ’31, 1968
B. Tol Terrell ’37, 1959
Linda Cravens Thomas ’83, 2010
Hoxie H. Thompson 1901, 1957
J. Melroy Thompson Jr. ’58, 1980
James K. Thompson 1892, 1958
Melissa Thompson '84, 2021
Carol A. Wiley Toll ’74, 2023
Lucian Touchstone ’26, 1977
O.O. Touchstone 1907, 1957
Vandy Vandergriff ’36, 1999
Virginia Smith Volpe '90, 2016
T.C. Vinson 1909, 1960
Mary F. Waldrop ’46, 1973
*Ewell D. Walker 1919, 1992
*Ruel C. Walker ’31, 1970
William O. Walker Jr. ’53, 2009
Dan West ’62, 1983
Barbara R. Williams ’54, 1984
Clifford W. Williams ’36, 1989
Todd Williams ’82, 2012
William E. Williams 1915, 1966
James A. Wilson ’28, 1972
James T. Wilson ’53, 1974
Will R. Wilson 1899, 1957
William W. Wilson ’77, 2004
Louis S. Winston 1915, 1965
Butch Worley '76, 2013
Robert L. Wood ’33, 1957
*Linus Wright ’49, 1988
McKee D. Yant ’34, 1970
Elizabeth Zogheib ’34, 1961

First Decade Award

Hannah Alexander '12, 2021
Cara Barnes '09, 2017
Vanessa Noël Brown ’00, 2011
Kevin Chinn ’78, 1986
Jennifer J. Deng-Pickett ’99, 2008
Chelsea Freeland '12, 2018
Dennis E. Gonier ’83, 1993
Ann Matthews Horn ’80, 1988

Gary Searcy Ivory ’89, 1998
Rizwan Rayaz Jagani ’15, 2023
Carol L. McDonald ’72, 1982
Madison Messinger '14, 2019
Catherine “Kiki” Moore ’85, 1996
Kathryn L. (Van Norman) Moore ’80, 1990
Brittany Fowler Norman ’95, 2006
Karen Bailey Pettigrew ’74, 1984

Abbas Ravjani '04, 2014
Cynthia Ann Rice ’82, 1991
Kristin Saboe '07, 2016
Pablo Salcido ’78, 1987
Dhriti Stocks '09, 2015
Anthony Swift, '03, 2013
Amanda Thomas ’02, 2012
Suzanne Timmerman '15, 2024

Heywood Clemons Volunteer Service Award

Shane Allison '96, 2013
Karen Long Barber, 1999
Paul Bean '76, 2011
John Bentham '93, 2008
William Blaydes, 2004
Bo Brown '75, 2017
Billy Core '76, 2014
Karen Long Cowden '79, 1998
William Crook '80, 1997
Michael Deen, 2019 (Staff)
Peter DeLisle, 2002
Robert Dorsey, 2003
Rodney Durham '90, 2013
Robyn McChesney Files '62, 1997
Tom Garrison '96/MAT '98, 2015
Don Gibson '75, 2005
Sarah Gunderson '81, 2008
Ginny Harleston ’79, 2024
Bill Harris '60, 1996

John Herron, 2018
Keith Hopson '73, 2001
Debra Lynn Hurley '93, 2002
Willie Jacobs, 1996
James T. Jarratt ’67, 2023
Gary C. Johnson '73, 1999
Keith Johnston '71, 2002
Steve Jones, 1997
Tim Kennedy '98, 2006
Marvin King, 1996
Sharon King, 1996
Jennifer King '92, 2006
Bernard Krajewski, 2000
Betty Robbins Davis Lloyd, 2000
Jeff Mabray '96, 2012
Osler McCarthy '73, 2007
Carol McDonald '72, 2001
Stephanie Lee McDonald '77, 2011
Maureen Forrester McKinney, 2000

Scott Metelko '88, 2000
Honey Altman Minshew '63, 2004
John Myers '76, 1997
Frances Pelley, 2005
Edward Hake Phillips, 2001 (Retired Faculty)
Jack Pierce, 2010 (Faculty)
John Prudich '78, 1998
H. Paul Putman III '78, 1998
Liz Reddick '84, 2000
Helen Schulze, 2022
Fran Crown Sims '65, 2016
Henry Sory '47, 2001
Susan Stephens '79, 2003
David Stone '75, 1998
Gail Utter, 2007
William Vandivort II '66, 1999
Vickie White, 1996
Ken and Debbie Worden, 2009

Cindy Curtis Bean Service-to-Alumni Award

David Baker (Faculty), 2014
Cindy Curtis Bean '75, 2011
Lisa Brown (Faculty), 2022
Carol Daeley (Professor Emerita), 2015
Patrick Duffey (Faculty), 2023
Jay Evans '64, 2010

Steve Goldsmith (Faculty), 2014
Vickie Kirby (Staff), 2017
David Norman '83, 2013
Margie Briscoe Norman '83, 2016
Jack Pierce (Faculty), 2013
Kenneth Street (Retired Faculty), 2009

Marguerite Tanner (Aramark), 2018
David Turk, 2024
Blake Utter '07, 2019
John Williams '84, 2012
Shelton Williams (Retired Faculty), 2009