Kentucky Wesleyan College to celebrate Homecoming 2018, Sept. 28-30

Highlights include Alumni Hall of Fame and Awards and numerous celebrations

Owensboro, Ky. (July 19, 2018) – Kentucky Wesleyan College will celebrate Homecoming 2018 on campus and throughout the Owensboro community the weekend of Sept. 28-30.  The weekend coincides with the College’s Fall Family Weekend celebration, and events surround the Panthers’ home football game versus Great Midwest Athletic Conference rival Walsh University on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. CT.

“Each year our Homecoming celebrations highlight our event calendar,” said Eddie Kenny, Executive Director of External Relations. “The weekend provides on opportunity for our alumni to come home to campus and our Owensboro community. We are also fortunate to celebrate and honor several individuals with induction into our Alumni and Athletic Halls of Fame as well as our alumni award recipients.”

Homecoming activities include the Golden Jubilee celebrations for the Class of 1968’s 50th Reunion, the Wesleyan Singers’ annual Homecoming concert, tailgate and food truck rally, and more. Fall Family Weekend activities will be a part of the celebrations, offering family-friendly events such as a Friday night bonfire, tailgate inflatables and face painting, and more.

The Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics Department will honor several great Panthers of the past with induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame. The 1973 men’s basketball NCAA Champions will also be recognized as the Team of Distinction. The Class of 2018 Induction Ceremony will take place Friday, Sept. 28 at the Owensboro Convention Center.

Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2018

Paul Bates ’95 – Football
Mary (Pfeifer) Brehm ’00 – Women’s Tennis
Tom Hobgood ’69 – Men’s Basketball
Janice (Johnson) Martin ’82 – Women’s Basketball
Glenn Young ’58 – Public Address Announcer and Assistant Athletic Director

The highlight of the weekend will be the 2018 Alumni Hall of Fame and Awards Dinner hosted at the Owensboro Convention Center on Saturday, Sept. 29. The event will begin with a 6 p.m. reception followed by dinner, the awards ceremony and Hall of Fame induction at 7 p.m.

2018 Alumni Award Winners

Outstanding Alumnus – Greg Risch ’93
Alumni Achievement – Dr. Karen (Gurwell) Lutz ’91
Outstanding Young Graduate – Jordan White ’12
Alumni Service – LaDonna Koebel ’89
Gus E. Paris Distinguished Service – Dr. Ken Ayers
Honorary Alumnus – E. Phillips Malone

The Kentucky Wesleyan College Alumni Hall of Fame perpetuates the memory of those who have brought honor and distinction to the name and reputation of Kentucky Wesleyan College.  The Class of 2018 features three individuals who have gained distinction in their careers, become uniquely successful and made a significant impact on the lives of others.

Kentucky Wesleyan College Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2018

Michael E. Horn ’75
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 ’83
Mitch Settle is the senior vice president and financial consultant for Hilliard Lyons Investment Company in Owensboro. He began his investment career with Hilliard Lyons in 1986, and his successes have earned him a seat on the CEO Council of Hilliard Lyons since 1990. For the last 16-plus years Settle has been recognized in the top 1 percent of all producers at Hilliard Lyons/PNC Bank and honored multiple times as one of the top financial advisors in America. Mitch is also a Chartered Wealth Advisor, a designation earned by completing extensive training accredited by the esteemed Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at Michigan State University. Settle was a member of the College Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2018 and served as chair of the Board and the Finance Committee. He was a leader in Wesleyan’s Changing Lives Capital Campaign. He is an active member of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church and a member of the Community Foundation of Owensboro/Daviess County, and past board member of the Salvation Army and the Kiwanis Club. He received the Kentucky Wesleyan College Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2007.

Rev. W. Glenn Sowards ’53
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.

For more information on Kentucky Wesleyan College’s Homecoming 2018 celebrations, including the most up-to-date schedule and registration links, please visit the Homecoming page. Stay connected with the Kentucky Wesleyan College Alumni Association by following @kwcalumni on Twitter and Instagram, and by liking the “Kentucky Wesleyan College Alumni” Facebook page (facebook.com/kwcalumni).