Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2018

Michael E. Horn, Class of 1975

Michael E. Horn, a Philpot, Ky., native, is one of seven children. He learned the value of hard work and the importance of humility early in life – life lessons which continue to guide him today. In 1978, he established National Steel Erection, Inc., which later led to Titan Contracting and Leasing Co., Inc., a leading specialty mechanical contractor, to provide precise and cost-effective solutions. Titan serves the power, petrochemical, refining and general process industrial markets, building power plants, refineries, “scrubbers” for aged coal power plants and many other heavy industrial projects. The company retains between 800 and 2,000 employees, depending on project requirements, and has offices throughout the country with the capacity to perform work in all 50 states. He also owns and leads Titan Fabrication, Inco Services, Milco Constructors, M Industrial Mechanical, Midwest Consulting – all, including Titan Contracting, under the umbrella of Horn Industrial Services. Mr. Horn is also a committed philanthropist.

In 2007, he and his wife, Paula (1951-2016), created the Michael E. Horn Family Foundation, which supports numerous causes and projects in Owensboro and Daviess County – including Kentucky Wesleyan College. His support made possible the renovation of the former playhouse into the Panther Baseball Hitting Facility, and numerous other projects have benefited the baseball program. The Foundation has provided over $50,000 to Daviess County students seeking higher education, with an additional $280,000 awarded for a variety of projects in the area. Kentucky Wesleyan honored Mr. Horn with the 2015 Alumni Achievement Award and a legum doctor honoris causa (honorary doctor of laws) degree in 2012.

Mitch Settle, Class of 1983

Mitch is the senior vice president and financial consultant for Hilliard Lyons Investment Company in Owensboro. He has been listed as one of the “Top 1200 Financial Advisors” in Barron’s magazine for eight consecutive years, as well as one of the “Top 3 Financial Advisors in Kentucky.” In addition, he has been ranked by the Financial Times as one of the “Top 400 Advisors” in America.

Having served the Kentucky Wesleyan College Board of Trustees from 1994-2018, he was recently elected as Trustee Emeritus. During his time on the board, he served as Chair from 2009-2011 and was also chair of the Finance Committee. He was a leader in Wesleyan’s Changing Lives Capital Campaign. An active member of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church, he also serves on the Executive Board of First Security Bank, and is a member of the Owensboro Estate Planning Council.

Mitch and his wife, Kim, have two daughters Sydney and Shelby and are now Panther Parents. Shelby is attending Wesleyan and pursuing a business degree. Sydney graduated from Western Kentucky University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing and then went on to attain her MBA.

Rev. W. Glenn Sowards, Class of 1953

Called to the ministry as a high school student, Rev. W. Glenn Sowards attended Kentucky Wesleyan at the Winchester campus for two years before the College moved to Owensboro. During his two years at the Owensboro campus, he met Charlotte (Morrow) Sowards ’56, and they were married in 1954. Rev. Sowards served for many years as a pastor, district superintendent and evangelist in the Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church. He retired as minister of visitation at Settle Memorial in Owensboro. His commitment to Wesleyan and the United Methodist Church is unmatched. He served 12 years as a member of the Kentucky Wesleyan Board of Trustees and was elected as an emeritus trustee in 2006. The College honored Rev. Sowards with an honorary doctorate of divinity in 1975 and the Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2006.

Members of the College’s President’s Circle, the Sowards have been perennial donors to Kentucky Wesleyan for over 25 years. Their generous gift to the College has provided a new Campus Ministries office behind Tapscott Chapel. The John Mark Sowards Office of Campus Ministries was named in memory of their grandson, who passed away at birth on Nov. 5, 2003. Glenn and Charlotte’s two children, Wesley Glenn Sowards ’80 and Julie Ann (Sowards) Allen ’84, are both Wesleyan graduates.