Award Recipients

Outstanding Alumni
The award recognizes sustained significant support to the college, the church, and/or the community.
1974 Talmage E. Hocker ‘27
1975 Dougals Reid Sasser ‘52
1976 Walter A. Graham Sr. ‘29
1977 Rhoda (Gillespie) Peters ‘55
1978 Margaret (Baggett) Britton ‘56
1979 Edward L. Beavin ‘50
1979 Benjamin T. Spencer ‘25
1980 David E. Hocker ‘59
1981 Benjamin H. Abbott ‘59
1982 Lyman V. Ginger ‘29
1983 Beverley Byers-Pevitts ‘61
1984 Luellen Pyles ‘44
1985 Betty (McWhorter) Gissoni ‘50
1986 H. Randall Capps ‘57
1987 Idamae (Smith) Ditto ‘24
1988 Harold W. Dorsey ‘38
1989 R. Allen Wilson ‘60
1990 Joe R. Roop ‘56
1991 Walter D. Richards ‘60
1992 Ellen B. Ewing ‘67
1993 George W. Tinsley Jr. ‘69
1994 Virginia "Shorty" (Harris) Combs ‘22
1995 Frankie (Scott) Hager ‘57
1996 Albert W. Sweazey ‘40		1997 E. Powell Deacon ‘29
1998 John W. Jones ‘67
1999 W. Terry Woodward ‘64
2000 Edward L. Tullis ‘39
2001 David L. Hilton ‘58
2002 Arba Kenner ‘74
2003 C. Kenneth Peters ‘57
2005 Berry F. Major Jr. ‘60
2006 W. Glenn Sowards ‘53
2007 R. Mitch Settle ‘83
2008 K. Wayne Foster '69
2009 Beryl '48 and Nancy (Coons) Franklin '48
2010 David Watkins '72
2011 Jack Wells '75
2012 Russell T. Montfort '50
2013 J. Charles Schertzinger '62
2014 Roger Hayes ‘72
2015 Cheryl D. King ‘70
2016 Rev. Dr. Thomas B. Grieb '78
2017 President Barton D. Darrell, J.D. '84
2018 Greg Risch '93
2019 Joel Utley '74
2020 Mitch Major '92
2022 Jeff White '72
2023 Ray Harper '85
Alumni Achievement
This award recognizes alumni who have achieved a level of eminence within their professional field of endeavor to have gained distinction for themselves and/or Kentucky Wesleyan.
1999 Thomas Carter Meredith ’63
2000 Horace Harrison Jr. ‘60
2001 Roger H. Hayes ‘60
2002 L. Ray Harper ‘85
2003 Yu Hak Hahn ‘58
2005 Lori (Griffin) Byron ’80
2005 A. Dewey Sanders ‘58
2006 M. Allen Kirtley ‘60
2006 Jerry W. Miller ‘60
2007 Adrian B. Moody ‘57
2007 Roy W. Pickerill '75
2008 Bobby R. Himes '59
2008 Anita (Spurrier) Newman '71
2009 Walter Lee '75
2009 Kim (Cecil) Schuster '88
2010 Tom Rogers '82		2010 A.J. Smith '71
2010 Keith Cain '84
2011 George Rives '35
2011 O. Tarrell Thompson '66
2012 Emmitt Carney '79
2013 Gerald Vanderpool '60
2014 Lydia Dorman ‘82
2014 John Hal Howard ‘89
2015 Miranda Christy ‘01
2015 Michael E. Horn ‘75
2016 Donald L. Stepner '63
2017 Todd Lillpop '01
2018 Dr. Karen (Gurwell) Lutz '91
2019 Julie Gurwell ’89, Ph.D., PA-C
2020 Adam Hancock '050
2022 Antoine Poythress '91
2023 Dr. Gwendolyn (Ford) Lynch '86
Outstanding Young Graduate
This award is presented to a graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College within the past 10 years who has distinguished him/herself through professional or personal achievement, has displayed outstanding leadership in their profession and community.
2008 Catherine Eblen Sherrard '95
2009 Patrick Boggs '97
2010 Tim Payment '97
2011 A. Kelly Frank '96
2013 Jessica Collins Allen '00
2014 Precious Buxton ‘09
2015 J. Phillip Roberts ‘05
2015 Jason Tanner ‘05
2016 Katy Evans Harrison '01
2017 Eric Flory '02
2018 Jordan White '12
2019 Morgan (Whitney) Pierstorff '10
2020 Dr. Kyle Blackburn '10
2022 Wesley Whistle '12
2023 Adrian Christopher '13
Roy Pickerill Alumni Service
The Alumni Service Award is intended to honor those alumni who most clearly represent the Spirit of Kentucky Wesleyan. The award was renamed for KWC sports information director emeritus and special assistant for college relations, Roy Pickerill '75, in 2021.
1994 Bill ’47 & Mildred (Poe) Kincaid ‘46
1994 Roy Pickerill ‘75
1994 W. Terry Woodward ‘64
1995 Janet (Laswell) Suwanski ‘72
1995 Harold W. Dorsey ‘38
1995 Homer Fanning ‘49
1996 Bettie (Render) Majors ‘62
1996 Shuppie & Rosemary (Johnson) Wheeler ‘49
1996 King ’48 & Jean (Sudduth) Richeson ‘46
1997 Marcia (Smith) Lawrence ‘47
1997 Barbara (Moseley) Cockrum ‘56
1998 Beryl & Nancy (Coons) Franklin ‘48
1998 Truman ’38 & Trudy (Ellis) Morris ‘40
1998 Leonard Harsh ‘48
1999 Joel Utley ‘74
1999 Gordon Furukawa ‘62
2000 Billy Pat ’60 & Ruthie (Hutton) Hume ‘61
2001 Glenn Young ‘58		2002 Lairy Nofsinger ‘58
2003 Richard Suwanski ‘73
2006 Holley Skidmore ‘31
2007 Emogene (Clark) Stephenson ‘59
2009 Beth (Robinson) Ronk '73
2010 Bill Bowling '56
2010 Ernest Abernathy '55
2011 Judith (Rogers) Ford '61
2011 Brent Holsclaw '93
2012 D. Dwight Armstrong '79
2012 Douglas Kingsley '61
2013 Rhoda (Gillespie) Peters '55
2014 Sandra (Schmidt) Dickinson ‘57
2015 Sally Crenshaw ‘67
2016 J. Richard '57 & Nancy (Svara) Zimmerman '58
2017 Doug Hoyt '84
2018 LaDonna Koebel '89
2019 Tom Major '79
2020 Dr. BC Childress '05
2022 David Ashburn '87
2023 Scott Kramer '87
Gus E. Paris Distinguished Service Award
Named for long-time faculty and staff member, Gus Paris, this award honors members of the faculty or staff or any non-alumnus/a for outstanding contributions and/or distinguished service to the college.
1991 Gus E. Paris
1993 Lee A. Dew
1993 Richard A. Weiss
1997 Margaret (Baggett) Britton ‘56
1997 Joe Britton ‘56
1998 Yvonne (Decker) Taylor ‘58
1999 Don Davenport
2000 Wade Mountz
2001 W.L. Magnuson
2002 William A. McManus
2003 Scott Kramer ‘87
2005 Dr. Diane Earle
2006 Dan Bradshaw
2008 M. Michael Fagan
2011 Marisue Coy '69
2011 Cindra Stiff
2012 Glenn Young '58
2013 Rebecca Rightmyer
2014 David Oetinger
2014 Ron McCracken
2015 Robert Flachskam
2015 Nancy Flachskam
2016 Matthew G. Ruark '09
2017 Dr. Henry Connor
2018 Dr. Ken Ayers
2019 Ron James
2020 Dr. Gene Tice
2022 Dr. Paula Dehn
2023 Betty Adams
Honorary Alumnus/a
This award recognizes non-alumni who have given considerably of their time and talents to the College. The recipient must be a non-alum and need not be present to receive the award.
1996 Sherley Furukawa
1996 Rebecca Rightmyer
1996 Bill Graham
1997 Don Davenport
1997 W.L. Magnuson
1997 Tom Rogers
1998 Wesley H. Poling
1998 Carol (Young) Poling
2000 Cindra Stiff
2001 M. Michael Fagan
2002 Gus E. Paris
2002 Richard Weiss
2002 Christy (Hocker) Hall
2003 Keith Rogers
2005 Joyce Ann Evans
2005 Ron McCracken
2006 Ray Carden
2010 Ken Nation
2012 Rusty Tichenor
2013 Jean Nofsinger
2015 Robert McIver
2015 Diane Earle
2017 Don Moore
2018 Phil Malone
2019 Hon. Phillip J. Shepherd
2020 Jennifer "Miss Jennifer" Taylor
2022 Anna Dixon-Skidmore
2023 Kathy Rutherman
2023 Keith Sharber