ALUMNI AWARDS


Read about each award and award criteria--and see winners from previous years--below. Winners from 2023 were recognized at Reunion Weekend; see them here.


Want to nominate yourself or another alum? Nominations open each January; check back here for when the form goes live.

 

Frances Liebenow Armstrong '36 Service Award

Frances Liebenow Armstrong ’36 Service Award is presented to an alumnus/a who has demonstrated a lifetime of service to the University of Mary Washington. This award is intended to recognize longevity and consistency of service and breadth of service over a lifetime of dedication to the University.

  • View Previous Recipients
    • 1984  Frances Liebenow Armstrong ‘36
      1985  Anita Pepmeier Bennett ‘22
      1986  Betty Carrier Church ‘46
      1987  Alice Johnson Birtwell ‘37
      1988  Bambi Creighton Willis ‘73
      1989  Arabelle Laws Arrington ‘41 and Rita Morgan Stone ‘52
      1990  Sylvia McJilton Woodcock ‘61
      1991  Gwendolyn Amory Cumming ‘52
      1992  A. Isabel Gordon Swift ‘42
      1993  Denise Mattingly Luck ‘74
      1994  Angela Grizzard Wyche ‘48
      1995  Irene Lundy Brown ‘39
      1996  Virginia Lewis Dalton ‘40
      1997  Katherine Edmondson Hopper ‘30
      1998  Lois Saunier Hornsby ‘48
      1999  Anne Beck Macfarlane ‘52
      2000  Marjorie Meredith Poyck ‘66
      2001  Ruby Lee Norris ‘36
      2002  Theresa Young Crawley ‘77
      2003  Judith Henley Beck ‘68 and Patricia Branstetter Revere ‘63
      2004  Kathleen Shepherd Mehfoud ‘70
      2005  Jean Polk Hanky ‘69
      2006  Elizabeth Smith Hughes ‘51, Alice Andrews Jepson ‘64, and Charlotte Major Minor ‘66
      2007  Mona Davis Albertine ‘71
      2008  Nanalou West Sauder ‘56
      2009  Barbara Burton Micou ‘69
      2010  Edith Sheppard Ott ‘59
      2011  Lloyd Tilton Backstrom ’61
      2012  Phyllis M. Shanahan '55
      2013  Monecia Helton Taylor '81
      2014  Patricia Boise Kemp '69 and Daniel K. Steen '84
      2015 Donna Sheehan Gladis '68 
      2016 Barbara Bishop Mann '66 
      2017       Tara Corrigall '82
      2018       Gayle Petro '79
      2019       Abas Adenan '85
      2020       Rob Strassheim '96
      2021        Florence Overley Ridderhof '50
      2022       Anne Robinson Hallerman '77

The Distinguished Alumnus Award

The Distinguished Alumnus Award is presented to an alumnus/a who has made significant achievements and contributions to his/her profession and/or community and is recognized for leadership in his/her field. The contributions do not need to be publicly renowned but should represent important creative effort or accomplishment with societal or educational value. The achievements of the awardees should be inspirational to the University of Mary Washington students and bring honor and a source of pride to the University.

  • View Previous Recipients
    • 1966       Aileen Hirschman Belford ‘53
      1967 Clara Boyd Wheeler ‘31
      1969 Catherine Dryden August ‘37
      1970 Margaret Lodge Copes ‘32
      1971        Willie Lee Nichols Rose ‘47
      1972 Molly Vaughan Parrish ‘29
      1973 Camilla Moody Payne ‘29
      1974 Rachael Wingfield DeAngelo ‘28 and Phoebe Enders Willis ‘29
      1975 Eloise Elizabeth Clark ‘51
      1976 Ruby York Weinbrecht ‘48
      1977 Peggy Kelley Reinburg ‘58
      1978 Hildy Parks Cohen ‘45
      1979 Katherine Edmondson Hopper ‘30
      1980 Irene Lundy Brown ‘39
      1981 Mary Annette Klinesmith Kelly ‘44
      1982 Kathryn Garland Obenshain ‘53
      1983 Kinsey Bass Green ‘60
      1984 Ann Perinchief Jarrell ‘67
      1985 Frances D. Cook ‘67
      1986 Ruby Lee Norris ‘36
      1987 Doris Steele Lequin ‘52
      1988 June Stoll Artunkal ‘41
      1989 Deborah Scott McGuire ‘73
      1990 Nancy Herr Fallen ‘39
      1991        H. Stewart Jones ‘36
      1992 Katharine F. Nutt ‘42
      1993 Linda Howell Gray ‘69
      1994 Gale A. Mattox ‘72
      1995 Margaret Mary McVeigh Canale ‘74
      1996 Susan Wagner Lacy ‘70
      1997 Lynda Richardson ‘81
      1998 Linda Todd Puller ‘67
      1999 Elizabeth Baylor Neatrour ‘54 and Phyllis Farmer Shaffer ‘52
      2000 Kelly Cherry ‘61
      2001 Ellen Byrne ‘76 and Pamela J. White ‘74
      2002 Venus R. Jones ‘68 and William H. Leighty ‘78
      2003 Marion Blakey ‘70 and Katherine Cesky Hegmann ‘78
      2004 Martha G. Abbott ‘72 and Daniel R. Wolfe ‘84
      2005 Virginia Lewis Dalton ‘40 and Rose McCartney Likins ‘81
      2006 Barbara Crickenberger Hall ‘69 and Princess R. Moss ‘83
      2007 Katherine B. Aaslestad ‘85 and Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda ‘69
      2008 Betty Orr White ‘68
      2009 Catherine O’Connor Woteki ‘69
      2010 Clifford A. Hart, Jr. ‘80
      2011 Mary Bradley MacPherson ’71
      2012 Nellie L. King ’92
      2013 Sally Abbott Pomputius '62
      2014 Iris Harrell '69
      2015 Nan Grogan Orrock '65 
      2016 Linda Jones '80 and Karen Laino Giannuzzi '71
      2017       John Anstey '93
      2018       Ann Brackett '69
      2019       Jerri Perkins '61
      2020       Rich Cooper '90
      2021       Kerri Barile '94
      2022       Patricia Atkinson '08

The Outstanding Young Alumnus Award

The Outstanding Young Alumnus Award recognizes an alumnus/a who graduated within the past 15 years.  The award is presented to young alumnus/a who has distinguished themselves beyond others by providing either outstanding service to Mary Washington or have made an outstanding contribution to their profession or community. 

  • View Previous Recipients
    • 1987 Laura Ann Ewers Cline ‘77, William H. Leighty ‘78, and Cedric B. Rucker ‘81
      1988 Cheryl Smith Shiembob ‘78 and Anne Thompson Steen ‘83
      1989 Daniel K. Steen ‘84
      1991 Dennis A. Dobson ‘85
      1992 Jennifer Taylor Boussuge ‘86
      1994 Beatrice von Guggenberg Kerr ‘90
      1999 Christine L. Copper ‘91
      2000 Andrew T. Whitman ‘97 and Stacey Singleton Whitman ‘94
      2001 B. Anne Bradshaw ‘92
      2002 Austin Merrill ‘91
      2003 Jeffrey W. McClurken ‘94
      2004 K. David Kidwell ‘89
      2005 Liam J. Cleaver ‘92
      2006 Kathleen Bailey Krishnamurthy ‘91
      2007 A. Courtney Weise Santonicola ‘96
      2008 Rebecca Erbelding ‘03 and Harry R. Thomas III ’97
      2009 Natalie Joy Johnson ‘00
      2010 Shin Fujiyama ‘07 and Sheila L. Shadmand ‘95
      2011 Johnathan J. Cordone ’97 and Jin Wong ’97
      2012 Allison Seay '02
      2013 Meara Henley Peterson '05
      2014 Andrew M. Ward '01
      2015 Erik Bruner-Yang '07 
      2016 Bryan Campbell '06 and Matthew Becker '06
      2017       Virginia Atkinson '03
      2018       Erik Johnston '03
      2019       Jay Sinha '07
      2020       Rachael Wonderlin '11
      2021       Chelsea Newnam Krieg '14
      2022       Alexandra Zelin '11