Purdue News
Purdue News
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October 22, 1999 Astronauts, President's Council honor BeeringsSource: Carolyn Gery, (765) 494-2731, csgery@purdue.edu WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue's astronaut alumni honored the university's president and first lady Friday (10/22) with a gift of two framed sets of patches, representing all NASA space missions that have had Boilermakers on board. Eighteen of the university's 19 living astronaut alumni were on campus for the Purdue President's Council annual weekend. They joined others in honoring President Steven C. Beering and his wife, Jane, during the council's annual dinner in the Purdue Memorial Union. Dr. Beering, who has been president since 1983, has announced plans to relinquish the position on July 1. "The mission patches have a special meaning to people in the space program," said Don Williams, a 1964 Purdue graduate and former space shuttle commander. "We present them to Steve and Jane Beering as a symbol of our gratitude for their exemplary leadership of Purdue university and strong support of our nation's space program." The President's Council, comprised of university supporters, also honored the Beerings with two Purdue chairs and its Ambassador of the Year Award, given to the individuals who recruited the most new members during the year. The outgoing chairpersons of the President's Council, Ben and Maxine Miller of Lafayette, presented the award, noting that the council has grown sixfold from 1,200 to 7,200 member families during the Beering administration. "Because of that growth – but especially because of the family feeling they have brought to Purdue – we decided no one has been responsible for more new members, and therefore no one is more deserving of the council's annual Ambassador of the Year Award," Maxine Miller said. The Millers also announced Friday that they will endow a Beering Scholarship, which will pay a student's college expenses – including fees and tuition, room and board, books and spending money – for both undergraduate and graduate Purdue degrees. Dr. Beering established the scholarships in 1986 to attract high-caliber students to the university. The Purdue trustees later named the scholarship in his honor. Twenty-five undergraduate and six graduate students currently are attending Purdue as Beering Scholars. Dr. Beering then presented the council's Distinguished Service Awards to four individuals for their contributions to the enrichment of Purdue and the President's Council: • William Cordier, a 1949 Purdue mechanical engineering graduate, who is president of Cordier Management. Cordier and his wife, Gail, who live in Hudson, Ohio, and Naples, Fla., are members of the President's Council, John Purdue Club, Purdue Musical Organizations' Director's Club, Engineering Dean's Lifetime Club and Purdue Alumni Association. They recently established a graduate fellowship in mechanical engineering. • Nancy Cross, an associate athletic director at Purdue, who is a 1978 graduate of Ashland College and who obtained her master's degree from Purdue's School of Liberal Arts. She is a member of the President's Council, John Purdue Club, Purdue Musical Organizations' Club and Purdue Alumni Association. • Forest Farmer, a 1965 liberal arts graduate. While at Purdue, Farmer was captain of the Boilermaker football team and won all-American honors. Farmer and his wife, Rosalyn, live in Rochester Hills, Mich. They are members of the President's Council, John Purdue Club and the Purdue Alumni Association. • Kathleen Hatke, the assistant to President Beering, who has worked at Purdue for 26 years. She and her husband, Jim, are members of the President's Council, John Purdue Club and Purdue Alumni Association. Each Distinguished Service Award recipient received a framed certificate and a Purdue watch. More than 1,500 President's Council members and guests were to attend a pre-game buffet at Lambert Fieldhouse on Saturday. At that event, Donald A. Roach, chairman of Kiburn Isotronics, was to be named the new chairman of the council. A 1952 Purdue mechanical engineering graduate, he and his wife, Nancy, of Barrington, R.I., are members of the Engineering Dean's Club and President's Council. He is a supporter of the Class of 1952's project to build a 30-foot sculpture on the south campus mall, in conjunction with the construction of the new Visual and Performing Arts Center. Dr. Beering also thanked the Millers for their year of service as co-chairs by giving them a pair of Purdue chairs. Ben Miller is a 1959 graduate of Purdue's School of Management; Maxine Miller is a 1959 graduate of Consumer and Family Sciences. They also are supporters of the John Purdue Club and the Purdue Musical Organizations. The council, established in 1972, comprises Purdue alumni and friends who give a minimum of $1,000 annually to the university. Also on Saturday, Beering was scheduled to present an Order of the Griffin, one of Purdue's highest honors, to Williams for his role in organizing the astronaut reunion. The award, a certificate, recognizes outstanding service to Purdue. Writer: Jeanne V. Norberg, (765) 494-2084; jnorberg@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu Related Web sites:Purdue in Space
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