OWU's Alumni Weekend 2000 Honors Distinguished Graduates

May 17, 2000

DELAWARE, OHIO -- The merry month of May signals not only the approach of summer, but annual reunions of specific Ohio Wesleyan University graduating classes during Alumni Weekend festivities, from May 19-21. Classes ending in "5" and "0" are celebrating reunions this year. Two gatherings of note are the Class of 1950, the Golden Key reunion class, and the Class of 1975, which will celebrate its 25^th Silver Key reunion.

Planned events include class reunion dinners, a variety of alumni colleges -- a series of classes taught by OWU alumni, faculty and several alumni who also are receiving OWU's Distinguished Achievement Citation (D.A.C.) awards -- performances by the alumni choir and the Alumni Glee Club, the annual recognition awards program, including presentation of the D.A.C. and other alumni awards, and an all-alumni reception on Friday evening that will kick off the weekend festivities.

Recipients of the D.A.C. awards, the highest honor presented to OWU graduates for professional and service accomplishments, are: Benjamin Marsh '50, an attorney and civic leader who has had several international assignments, most recently as Elections Supervisor and Adjudicator with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1997-98; Dr. Robert Wells '60, medical researcher and founding director of the Institute of Biosciences and Technology at Texas A&M University, Texas Medical Center in Houston; and Dr. John Morris '70, Friedman Professor of Neurology, director of the Memory and Aging Project, and co-director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Receiving Alumni Awards for outstanding service to OWU are Gregory Dyson '80, Carolyn Carrigan Wells '55, and Virginia O'Grady Shipps '70. Morris and Marsh will present Alumni College lectures Friday on "If We Live Long Enough, Will We All Develop Alzheimer's?," and "One American's View from Bosnia-Herzegovina," respectively. Wells will follow the next day with his lecture on "Medical Research: Impact on Your Grandchildren's Lives."

A special highlight this year is a performance on Friday by La Compania de Flamenco of Siudy Garrido, a Venezuelan ballerina and dancer of Flamenco, made possible by OWU Trustee and alumnus Andres Duarte '65.

Associate Director of Alumni Relations Kathleen Dolan coordinates Alumni Weekend with help from numerous students and colleagues.

"Alumni Weekend is the largest and most comprehensive campus event," she says. "Everyone has a vital role to play in making it a success."

With somewhere between 1,000-1,200 people who are expected to attend, the weekend is the largest gathering of alumni on campus. In addition to the numerous other events, class reunion dinners are scheduled on Saturday evening.

For more information about Alumni Weekend, contact the Office of Public Relations at 740-368-3335.