The alumni achievement award is the highest honor bestowed upon Wichita State alumni by the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement, for significant contributions to their field, community or society.
Each year, one alumni is recognized for this award at the Heritage Gala with the other awards from the program’s history: the Social Impact Award (formerly, Recognition Award) which comments those who better their community through service or philanthropy, and the Young Alumni Award, given to an alumnus 35 or younger who demonstrates excellent leadership in their chosen profession.
The following are the awardees for this tradition, harking back to 1955.
Make a NominationRetired, Delta Dental of Kansas
Wichita State University
2024 Alumni Achievement
Adventure Dental & Vision
Wichita State University
2024 Social Impact
Ascension Via Christi
Wichita State University
2024 Young Alumni
1955
Achievement: Lincoln LaPaz ’20, mathematician, meteoritist
Recognition: B. Warren Beebe ’35; Lester Rosen ’49; Gifford Booth, Jr., ’36
1956
Achievement: Arch N. Booth ’27, business administrator
Recognition: Jacquetta M. Downing ’21
1957
Achievement: Dwane L. Wallace ’33/82, aviation industrialist
Recognition: Hazel E. Branch; Thurlow Lieurance
1958
Achievement: Paul I. Wellman ’18, historian and novelist
Recognition: Bliss Isely ’06
1959
Achievement: Jesse W. Beams ’21, physicist
Recognition: Walter A. VerWiebe
1960
Recognition: Lloyd McKinley
1961
Achievement: Garner E. Shriver ’34, legislator
1962
Achievement: Leslie H. Warner ’35, business executive
Recognition: M. Alice Isely; William F. Crum ’32
1963
Achievement: Marion L. Conrow ’18, educator
Recognition: Hugo Wall; Ralph Miller
1964
Achievement: Harry F. Corbin ’40, educator
Recognition: George D. Wilner; Marie Graham
1965
Recognition: Worth Fletcher; John Rydjord ’50/53; Beulah O. Mullen ’35/71
1966
Achievement: John A. Morgan ’37, civic, cultural and business leader
Recognition: Martin F. Palmer
1967
Achievement: James Lyndon Beebe ’17, lawyer
Recognition: Laura Cross ’25; S. Carnot Brennan ’17/17; Kathlien Edmiston ’33
1968
Recognition: Laura Cross ’25; S. Carnot Brennan ’17/17; Kathlien Edmiston ’33
Recognition: Dr. D. Cramer Reed ’37; Grace Wilkie
1969
Achievement: Dr. Vincent L. Gott ’51, cardiac researcher
Recognition: Glen Gardner; Rene Gouldner; Robert Morton
1971
Achievement: Harrison B. Summers ’17, broadcaster
Recognition: Dorothy A. Harmon ’46; Fran Jabara; Martin Umansky
1972
Achievement: A. Price Woodard Jr., public service leader; Wayne E. Coulson ’30, civic leader, Recognition: Arthur W. Kincade; Gordon W. Evans; Walter Duerksen ’31; Robert V. Christian, Jr. ’40
1973
Achievement: Malcolm H. Myers ’40, artist
Recognition: Josephine Fugate; Howard Fullington ’30; James Robertson
1974
Recognition: John J. Conard; William C. Farmer; Paul R. Wunsch
1975
Achievement: Lawrence M. Jones ’53, business executive; Walter W. Orebaugh ’31, diplomat
Recognition: Geraldine E. Hammond ’31; Donald W. Pray ’35
1976
Achievement: William E. Cooper ’48, business executive
Recognition: Ray E. Dillon, Sr.
1977
Achievement: Linwood Sexton ’48, civic leader, university supporter; Lloyd McBurney ’25, business executive
Recognition: A. Dwight Button; Samuel Marcus; James Winters ’39
1978
Achievement: Barbara J. Uehling ’54, educator
Recognition: Emory Lindquist; Charles V. Jakowatz
1979
Achievement: Dr. Charles L. Christian ’49, physician, educator;
Recognition: Bentley Barnabas ’29; Eugene Savaiano; James J. Basham ’33; M. Prudence Hutton ’67
1980
Achievement: Frank L. Carney ’00, business executive
Recognition: Floyd T. Amsden; Sheldon Coleman; Roberta Watkins Adams ’36
1981
Achievement: Terence Scanlon ’56, business
Recognition: Rowena Ahlberg ’38; Harry Litwin
1982
Achievement: William Fine ’38, business executive
Recognition: Martin H. Bush; George and Brenda Farha; Jordan L. Haines
1983
Achievement: William R. Tincher ’53, business executive
1984
Achievement: William R. Tincher ’53, business executive
Recognition: Rosalyn Gore; J. Kelley Sowards ’47
1985
Achievement: Thomas C. Farrar ’54, scientist
Recognition: Margaret A. Glades ’39; Gordon B. Terwilliger
1986
Achievement: George ’50 and Virginia ’50 Ablah, entrepreneurs
Recognition: Richard C. Welsbacher
1987
Achievement: Harold W. Beams ’25, scientist; Dr. D. Cramer Reed ’37, physician
Recognition: John B. Breazeale; Lee H. Cornell ’26
1988
Achievement: John F. Jonas, Jr. ’54/67, humanitarian and entrepreneur; Dr. Russell A. Nelson ’41, pediatric physician
Recognition: Karla A. Burns ’81/16, opera performer; James J. Rhatigan
1989
Achievement: Samuel E. Ramey ’68, international opera performer
Recognition: Daniel E. Foley ’59; Dr. N. Henry Pronko; Frederick Sudermann ’58/60
1990
Achievement: Dr. Daniel Ferrell Rex ’40, scientist
Recognition: Joann Kallail Kamas ’52; Roger D. Lowe; Mildred “Milly” Marcus
1991
Achievement: Oliver Elliott ’42, business executive
Recognition: W. Frank Barton ’87; David Farnsworth ’53
Distinguished Service: Laura M. Cross ’25
1992
Achievement: K.T. ’36 and Mary Inez ’89 Woodman, WSU supporters
Recognition: Donald K. Stephan ’59; Dr. Glen Zumwalt
Distinguished Service: Howard Ellis
1993
Achievement: Gifford Booth, Jr. ’36, businessman
Recognition: Mickey Armstrong ’45; William Wilhelm
Distinguished Service: Geraldine E. Hammond ’31
1994
Achievement: True H. Knowles ’60, business executive
Recognition: Phillip D. Thomas; Dr. Donna E. Sweet ’70/72/15
Distinguished Service: Bernice B. Hutcherson
1995
Achievement: Bill C. Parcells ’64, National Football League coach
Recognition: J. Robert Berg; K.C. “Buck” and Gladys ’75 Alley
Distinguished Service: John B. Breazeale Young Alumni: Ray B. Wills ’82
1996
Achievement: Edward W. Armstrong ’42, business executive
Recognition: E. George Fahnestock ’69; Michael P. Tilford
Distinguished Service: Lavona I. Spencer ’71/71/74 Young Alumni: Brian L. Wells ’87
1997
Achievement: Robert L. Dryden ’59, corporate aircraft executive; Robert A. Geist ’64, business executive; Capt. Riley L. Pitts ’60, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient (posthumous) Recognition: George M. Platt; Daniel J. Taylor ’67
Achievement: Robert L. Dryden ’59, corporate aircraft executive; Robert A. Geist ’64, business executive; Capt. Riley L. Pitts ’60, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient (posthumous) Recognition: George M. Platt; Daniel J. Taylor ’67
Young Alumni: Prince E. McJunkins, III ’86
1998
Achievement: Judith M. Bell ’61, professional golfer and administrator; Thomas R. Devlin, entrepreneur; Arneatha K. Martin ’75, nurse, educator, health-care advocate
Recognition: J. Katherine “Kaki” Jackson ’39; Dr. Melvin H. Snyder ’50
Distinguished Service: H. Joan Kahn Young Alumni: John L. Rolfe ’85
1999
Achievement: Lachlan M. Beatson ’66, corporate aircraft executive
Recognition: Max ’57 and Lois ’56 Hubbard; Phillip T. May
Distinguished Service: Wanda M. Maltby Young Alumni: Sheryl Wohlford ’82
2000
Achievement: Stephen L. Clark ’65, business and real estate executive
Achievement: Stephen L. Clark ’65, business and real estate executive
Distinguished Service: Dorothy “Dot” McNicol Young Alumni: Jeff P. DeGraffenreid ’88
2001
Achievement: Jeffrey L. Turner ‘73/77, corporate aircraft executive
Recognition: Gerald H. Graham; David ’68 and Susan ‘72/75 Anderson
Distinguished Service: Gordon F. Vadakin ’82 Young Alumni: Jeffrey C. Gates ’89
2002
Achievement: Daniel M. Carney ’53, entrepreneur and business executive
Recognition: Christopher S. Shank ’69; Dharma deSilva
Distinguished Service: Julia E. Lee Young Alumni: Eric L. ’87/92 and Kathleen B. ’88/89/92 Sexton
2003
Achievement: Jerry W. Bittle, illustrator and creator of GEECH (posthumous); B. Roberto Cruz ’64, educator; Ruth A. David ’75, engineer and defense analyst
Recognition: Michael C. Burrus ’77; Gregory J. Meissen ’77; Velma L. Wallace
Distinguished Service: Roland L. Banks Young Alumni: Sam N. Cohlmia ’89
2004
Achievement: Jim Mann ’56, business executive
Recognition: Mary Herrin ’72/76; Ron Baldwin ’75
Distinguished Service: John Davis ’75 Young Alumni: Ann Konecny ’91
2005
Achievement: Nicholas J. Mork ’71, philanthropic executive
Recognition: Dr. Elizabeth H. King; Joe J. Palacioz ’71/76
Distinguished Service: William H. Smith Young Alumni: Brian A. ’96 and Joy N. ’00 Heinrichs
2006
Achievement: Bob White ’71/76, business executive
Recognition: Ron Kopita; Paul Allen ’70 Distinguished Service: Ginger Cox
Young Alumni: Joyce DiDonato ’92 Distinction: Harold and Ruth ’48 Scheer
2007
Achievement: Ronald Holt ’77, corporate and local-government executive
Recognition: Deltha Colvin ’72; Sheryl Wohlford ’82 Distinguished Service: Phillip Bowers ’86/91
Young Alumni: Karen Countryman-Roswurm ’05/06/12 Distinction: David Nygaard ’73/74
2008
Achievement: Marilyn Pauly ’72, banker
Recognition: Charles and Liz Koch; Dean Headley ’82 Distinguished Service: Ruth Matz
Young Alumni: Kaye Monk-Morgan ’93/96/21 Distinction: The Hon. Wesley Brown
2009
Achievement: Sarah Robinson ’86, philanthropic executive
Recognition: Mike Kennedy ’71; David Alexander Distinguished Service: Pat Campbell Young Alumni: Delia Garcia ’02
Distinction: KPTS Channel 8 for “Black & Gold: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash”
2010
Achievement: Mark Parkinson ’80/19, Kansas governor
Recognition: Barry and Cindy ’77/85 Schwan; Celia Goering ’63 Distinguished Service: Jesse Torres
Young Alumni: Collin Stieben ’00 Distinction: WSU Volleyball Coaches: Chris Lamb, Shannon Lamb, RJ Abella, Jeff Sanders
2011
Achievement: Bernard Nichols ’61, businessman and financial manager
Recognition: Dr. Sam and Jacque Kouri; Les Anderson (posthumous) Distinguished Service: Linda Matson ’84/88
Young Alumni: Joe Hand ’99 Shocker Tribute: Shirley and Don Beggs
2012
Achievement: Cleo Littleton ’55, Shocker basketball great and businessman
Recognition: Dave Dahl ’71/74; Lynn Stephan ’64/92 Distinguished Service: Connie Kachel White
Young Alumni: Alex Kanelakos ’07 Shocker Tribute: WSU Alumni Association administrative leaders
2013
Achievement: Steve Feilmeier ’85, business executive; Linda Brantner ’74/90, business executive
Recognition: Rhonda Kay Lewis ’89/91; Terri Moses ’80/90 Distinguished Service: Linda Harris
Young Alumni: Julius Thomas III ’05 Distinction: Harry Shuler ’13/30 (posthumous)
2014
Achievement: Mark Wentling ’70, foreign service professional
Recognition: Ted Ayres; Connie Dietz ’68/71 Distinguished Service: Deborah Buller
Young Alumni: Laura Bernstorf ’04/19 Distinction: Larry Hatteberg
2015
Achievement: J. Robert Young ’61, banking executive
Recognition: Joyce Cavarozzi; Junetta Everett ’79
Distinguished Service: Jim Erickson Young Alumni: Joan Wagner ’77
2016
Achievement: Mark Finucane ’76, health-care industry and public health administrator
Recognition: Jackie Williams; Ron Matson
Distinguished Service: Esther ’79/80 and Dean ’82 Headley Distinction: Mickey Armstrong ’45
2017
Achievement: M. Lee Pelton ’73/17, educator and university president; Recognition: Mike James ’71; Cindy Claycomb ’79/91
Distinguished Service: Kaye Monk-Morgan ’93/96/21 Young Alumni: Lisa Teachman ’02
Distinction: Dorothy and Bill Cohen Shocker Tribute: Robert Gutschenritter ’70
2018
Achievement: Frederick “Freddy” Simon ’49, World War II veteran and businessman
Recognition: Rodney Miller ’83; Cindy Carnahan ’73 Distinguished Service: Rhonda Hicks ’95
Young Alumni: Kyle ’17 and Ricki ’09/16 Ellison
2019
Achievement: Ed Pavey ’88, criminal justice professional Alumni Recognition: Bill Walsh ’71
University Recognition: Bobby Berry ’11/13/21 Distinguished Service: Bobby Gandu ’02/06
Young Alumni: Alicia Sanchez ’07 Distinction: Bruce Conner ’55, David Haselwood ’53, Michael McClure ’53
2023
Alumni Achievement Award: Alicia Thompson ’15
Social Impact Award: , Jessica Provines ’01/04/06
Young Alumni Award: Roy Moye, III, '15 ; WSU Board of Trustees Award: Tom Winters