Distinguished Alumni Award 

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented by Wheeling Jesuit University to graduates who exemplify the Jesuit ideals of extraordinary competence and personal compassion in their chosen field: ideals for which alumni of Wheeling Jesuit University have long been known. It is now presented each year during Alumni Weekend.                                    

		Distinguished Alumni	Field
1981		George R. Blake ’67	public communications
		Mary Kate Wittig Davitt, MD ‘65	medicine
		John B. Yasinsky, Ph.D. ’61	industry
1982		Charles Cuomo, MD, Ph.D. ’65	medicine
		Elaine Runner Dungan, CPA ’73	public accounting
1983		Stephen E. Haid, Ph.D. ’63	education
		Derrick Latos, MD '68	medicine
		Judith Noonan O’Brien ’65	law
1984		William E. Cornforth ’72	education
		Dennis W. Keogh ’61 (posthumously)	pubic service
		Sr. Marguerite O’Brien, CSJ ’66	religious life
		Louis A. Volpe ’70	education
1985		John S. Gasiorowski ’64	education
		Rev. Margaret B.C. Phillimore ’74	religious life
		Edward J. Shahady, MD ’61	medicine
1986		Anthony T. Basil, Ph.D. ’60	education
		Kenneth S. Ramsey, Ph.D. ’64	health
		Michael A. Santer, Jr., MD ’61	medicine
1987		Victoria A. Casey, Ph.D. ’76	clinical psychology
		Hon. James T. Smith, Jr. ’64	law, public service
1988		William P. Bresnahan, Esq. ’64	law
1989		Stephen E. Hannig ’73	business
		Sr. Joanne Gonter, VHM ’59	education, religious life
1990		Adam S. Monks, CPA ’64	public accounting
1991		Andrea DiPiero Santer ’62	education, religious life
1992		Rev. Robert V. Arkle, Jr., 62	education, religious life
		Rev. John DiBacco, Jr., ‘’62	education, religious life
1993		Rev. Joseph M. Doyle ’60	education, religious life
		John Egan McAteer ’61	public service
1994		Kathleen M. Hawk, Ph.D. ’72	public service
		Jane F. Exner ’80	medicine, public service
		Jack F. Noonan, Ph.D. ’63	education
1995		J. Davitt McAteer, Esq. ’66	public service, government
		Daniel L. Haller, Esq. ’61	public service, law
		Cynthia Carr Rank ’65	public service
1996		M. Joan McDermott, Ph.D. ’70	criminal justice
1997		Lawrence E. Bandi ’86	business/public service
1998		Christopher J. Searl ’87	education
1999		Don M. Benson, MD ’61	medicine, public service
		Rosemary Vincentin Benson ’62	artist
		Robert E. Barker ’67	government, public service
2000		C.T. O’Donnell II ’74	social service
		Mary Gerkin McKinley ’77	nurse
2001		Phillip Rusciolelli ’66 & Barbara Davies Rusciolelli ’66	public service, military
		Lawrence R. Meagher ’65	health care
		Suzanne E. Polen ’59	social justice
2002		John A. Glaser, Ph.D. ’66	scientific research
		Donald R. Mercer, Ph.D. ’60	scientific research
2003		L. Thomas Marchlen, Esq. ’67	leadership, business
		Timothy W. Daly ’67	leadership, business
		Sisters of St. Joseph
2004		No Distinguished Alumni awards were given.
2005		Peter E. Daley Esq. ’66 (posthumously) & Alexandra Stanish Daley ’67	family life
		Patricia Weitzel-O’Neill ’69	education
2006		John “Rick” Berthold ’59	education
		Michael L. Monahan, Esq. ’82	law
2007		Mark F. Geary, Esq.  ’62	law
		J’Ann Schoomaker Allen ’67 & James D. Allen, Jr. ’67	social justice
		George “Ged” Young, Jr.  ’72	communications
2008		Brian E. McCagh '68	health care

2009     Mark Gresham '84                                               publishing
            Sr. Karen A. Bland, OSB '94                                  religious life

Clifford M. Lewis S.J. Award 

The Rev. Clifford M. Lewis, S.J. Award is the highest honor presented by the Alumni Association. It honors extraordinary service, contribution and dedication to Wheeling Jesuit University in the spirit of Father Lewis, a true “person for others.”  It is presented each year during Alumni Weekend. 

1971   Rev. Clifford M. Lewis, S.J.

1972   Carmen J. Gonot ’59, Martha Buckley Shields ‘64

1973   J. Davitt McAteer, Esq. ’66 , James E. Friday ’61, Jane Straub Friday ’61,
          James D. Allen '67, Judythe A. Schoonmaker Allen ’67, Henry G. Jepson

1974   Rev. Edward Gannon, S.J.

1975   John T. Wack, Ph.D., Bernard E. Glenn ’59, Alice McNulty

1976   Thomas F. Carrigan ‘59

1977   G. Martin Lively ‘62

1978   Anthony T. Basil, Ph.D. ’60, John S. Gasiorowski ‘64

1979   Rev. Stephen Laut, S.J., Rev. Joseph B. Hanzley, S.J., Most Rev. Joseph H. Hodges,
          Jeanne Kammer Neff ’64, Edward W. Younkins, CPA, Ph.D. ‘70

1980   Jeff O. McGeary, Esq. ‘64

1981   Rev. Charles L. Currie, S.J.

1982   Rev. James A. O’Brien, S.J.

1983   Sandra V. Gentile

1984   John S. Bodkin ‘69

1985   Vincent R. Gallagher ‘70

1986   John B. Yasinsky, Ph.D. ‘61

1987   Paul A. Orr, Ph.D.

1988   Daniel L. Haller, Esq. ‘61

1989   Forrest H. Kirkpatrick, Ph.D.

1990   Eileen R. Carpino

1991   Thomas F. Carrigan ’59 (posthumously)

1992   Thomas G. Wack, Ph.D.

1993   Sally Hunter Allen ’60, Dr. Katherine L. McCready, Rev. Joseph P. Sanders, S.J.

1994   Carson W. Bryan ’59, James L. Weaver ’59, Mary McGuire Moore ‘66

1995   Sr. Joanne Gonter, V.H.M. ’59, J. Timothy Philipps ‘62

1996   Orlando J. Sacco ‘66

1997   Thomas M. Pie’ ’77, Timothy F. Cogan, Esq. ‘69

1998   Paul I. Currie ’77, Philadelphia Alumni Chapter

1999   Louis A. Volpe ‘70

2000   Rev. Thomas S. Acker, S.J., Donald Hofreiter, MD, Philip C. Kirby

2001   Carolyn G. Dalzell, Rev. Walter Buckius, S.J., Rev. Joseph A. Burke, S.J.

2002   Ellis F. Hall III, Eulalia Front Virostek '79, William J. Barker '62

2003   Rev. Joseph Hayden S.J., Vicky L. DiPiero ’65 (posthumously)

2004   Thomas A. Kelleher ’63, Mary Ellen Rice, Nancy Ellen Rice O’Leary ’68, 
          Judy Huang Martin ‘83

2005   Wheeling College Co-Founders, Judith Houlihan Geary ‘63

2006   Margaret Roscoe Cooke ‘95

2007   James Birge, PhD
           Alumni Volunteers in honor of Rev. Joseph Hacala, S.J.

2008   Gerald "Jay" DeFruscio '87, Terrence M. Lewis, Esq. '93, James Regan, Allen E. Wojcik 63,
          Carol Adamiak Yarnall '63 

2009   James P. Welsh, Jr. '00

James O'Brien, S.J. Alumni Award 

The James O'Brien, S.J. Alumni Award (Formerly GOLD Award - Graduates of The Last Decade) recognizes recent (up to 15 years) alumni who  manifest a growing competence in their chosen field, and whose personal life reflects WJU's mission of "educating men and women for life, leadership, and service to others."  It is presented each year during Alumni Weekend.

2003  Donald M. Benson, Jr., M.D, Ph.D. ‘92, Lydia Wanless D’Anna ’91, Neil M. D’Anna ‘90

2004  V. Scott Gallagher ‘92, Terrence M. Lewis Esq. ‘93

2007  Christopher T. Kreger ’97, Alison Fry Kreger ‘98

2008  Theresa Bowman Phipps '01, Joseph J. Saverimuttu '06

2009   Jason T. Culley, DDS '99, Ryan J. Aaron, Esq. '99

Alumni Magis Award 

Alumni Council sometimes receives names for consideration that seem to fit into a very specific category.  These are individuals who act in the Ignatian spirit of MAGIS, of doing more and giving more to others and of themselves. Thus, Alumni Council created the Alumni Magis Award, to be given, when warranted, in light of an individual’s hidden, faithful service to the University and its people.  It is presented during Alumni Weekend.

2003  Mary Lou Archer, Bernie L. McDermott, Robert E. Ramsey (posthumously)

2007  Michael A. Scannapieco, Esq. ‘77 (posthumously)

2008  Thomas A. Kelleher '63

Hall of Honor

In 2009, Wheeling Jesuit University’s Alumni Council created the “Hall of Honor” to provide alumni with a voice to recognize former classmates, faculty, staff, etc., for their contributions to their profession, society and the greater WJU community. While WJU has several awards, only those celebrating a reunion determine the selection of “Hall of Honor” inductees!  Recipients to be announced during Alumni Weekend.

2009   Sr. Joanne M. Gonter, VHM '59