Distinguished Alumni Awards

Cookie has worked at Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. for 72 years, beginning at 14 years old and later taking over the leadership position from his father, Edwin Cook Rice, Sr in 1953. He graduated from Drury College, earning Political Science, Economics, and Psychology degrees. He has formerly served on the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Board, American Beverage Association Board, Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association Board of Governors, and Founding Member of the Missouri Association of Manufacturers. He has also served as Director for various Boards in Springfield, including the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Springfield Rotary Club, and Springfield Art Museum. Cookie has been honored with several awards, including 2021 Philanthropist of the Year, 2018 Inductee to the Drury Breech Business School Hall of Fame, Ozark Empire Fair Foundation 2020 Gold Buckle Gala Pioneer Award, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame 2021 President’s Award, and Southwest Missouri Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame. Cookie and his late wife, Phoebe, were married for 66 years. They have two daughters and three grandsons.

Wes Pratt, J.D., a dedicated public servant, has held various roles spanning from community activism to leadership in non-profit organizations and higher education. A graduate of the University of San Diego Law School, Pratt’s career in government led to his election to the San Diego City Council in 1987, where he established several initiatives promoting human relations and housing. Joining Missouri State University (MSU) in 2007, he worked on diversity outreach and recruitment, later becoming Director of Institutional Equity and Compliance. In 2016, he became MSU’s Assistant to the President/Chief Diversity Officer, emphasizing inclusive excellence. Pratt, co-founder of the Multicultural Business Association, has been recognized for his lifelong commitment to public service and inclusion, receiving numerous awards, including the 2024 Drury University Distinguished Alumni Award for Lifetime Achievement. He continues to be an active mentor and advocate, embodying the ethos that “Public Service is the Noblest Good.”

Trent Webb is Chair of Shook’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group and practices exclusively in the areas of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret litigation. He has been lead trial counsel in more than 150 intellectual property cases and manages a practice group of more than 60 attorneys. He has successfully tried cases on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants throughout the country involving a wide range of technologies. Trent often has represented individuals and large companies as plaintiffs in patent infringement litigation, obtaining more than $1 billion in jury verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. He also defends mid-sized to large companies in patent litigation and has obtained multiple favorable defense verdicts in jury trials across the country. He and his team also have won many summary judgments and other dispositive motion victories for his clients.

Jeff Bohannan, originally from Hermitage, Missouri, grew up in the Ozarks. He attended Drury College from 1980 to 1984, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with minors in Finance, Economics, Accounting, and Marketing. In 1983, he married his high school sweetheart, Becky, and they have resided in Texas since. Jeff accrued over 20 years of experience in the HVAC industry with Lennox Industries and Carrier Corporation before founding JB Warranties Corporation in 2008. What began as a small family business has evolved into an international organization, with three of their four children—Brian, Taylor, and Jenna—holding key leadership roles. Outside of work, Jeff and Becky cherish spending time with their eight grandchildren.

Michael Affleck White graduated from Drury College in 1961 after serving in the Navy. He then married Nancy Frohlich, also a Drury graduate.  They have one daughter, Martha (Scott Crise) and two granddaughters, Natalie (Kyle Dorsey) and Cynthia (Phil Acosta). He retired from Hutchens Industries as Vice President of Sales.  He has a passion for the Springfield community, especially children’s issues, education, and people with developmental disabilities. He is a member of the Mayor’s Commission for Children, Rotary Club, Drury University Alumni Association, Sigma Nu Alumni Association, and Trinity Presbyterian Church. Past volunteer positions include Every Child Promise Initiative Steering Committee, Abilities First Board of Directors, Mayor’s Task Force on Crisis Sheltering, Developmental Center of the Ozarks Board of Directors, Weaver Elementary School, and many more. His honors include the Silver Strands Award and the Michael A. White Endowment both through Friends of Abilities First, the Springfield Council of Churches’ Gift of Time nominee, the Springfield Public Schools Foundation Advocate for Education Award, and the John Mongell Spirit of Rotary Award.

Kelly Sitzman is the Director of Communications & Employee Development for Pioneer Library System in Norman, Oklahoma. Kelly graduated from Drury University in 2010 and the University of Oklahoma in 2015 with an MLIS in Library and Information Studies. Kelly is a graduate of the American Library Association (ALA) Leadership Institute, Oklahoma Library Association (OLA) Gold Leadership Institute, and civic leadership programs. She serves as the ALA Chapter Councilor for the Oklahoma Library Association and chaired the Norman NEXT Young Professionals Group in 2023. She was named a Journal Record Achiever Under 40, recognized as OLA’s Outstanding New Librarian, and awarded “NEXT Under 40” by Norman NEXT.

Lynn Chipperfield graduated from Drury in 1973 and from Washington University School of Law in 1977. He retired in 2008 after a career with Furniture Brands International in St. Louis, ultimately serving as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Administrative Officer. He is now engaged in numerous volunteer and non-profit interests, including as General Counsel of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. He served as Chairman of the Drury Board of Trustees from 2010 – 2014. Lynn lives in St. Louis with his wife Kathy, who is also a full-time volunteer. Their daughter Amanda is a graduate of Washington University and currently lives in Silver Spring, Maryland. Their son Andrew is a graduate of the University of Denver and Saint Louis University School of Law. He practices law in St. Louis.

Rita Baron, a 1999 Drury University graduate, owns Baron Design and Associates, LLC, an architectural firm in Springfield, Missouri. Specializing in various structures including medical, financial, and government institutions, her firm also engages in property development across multiple states. Notable for achieving LEED Gold certification in hospitality projects, she emphasizes efficient, sustainable housing with amenities supporting community growth and job creation. As a Marriott International franchisee and former Einstein Brothers’ Bagels franchisee, Baron holds leadership positions in organizations like Drury University’s Board of Trustees and OakStar Bank’s Board of Directors. She’s been recognized with awards like the Springfield Business Journal’s Most Influential Women (2011) and Biz 417 Women Who Mean Business (2016). Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, Baron remains committed to enhancing communities through architectural innovation and civic engagement.

• 2015 Ralph K. Manley ’49
• 2016 Dr. Sue Carter Porges ‘66
• 2017 Warren B. Davis ’59
• 2018 James & Marilyn Bogle Buchholz ‘57/’62
• 2020 Dr. Nathaniel Quinn, JR. ’80
• 2021 Dr. Earl Hackett ’53
• 2022 Sherry Brock Delo ’68, Chet Hunter ’22, James Silkenat ’69, Paul Stillwell ’66

• 1952 Dean James F. McKinley ’25
• 1957 Helen Wiemer James ’29
• 1957 Robert Cummings ’32
• 1957 James Hartford Robertson ’36
• 1958 Bert Goss ’28
• 1958 Rev. Thomas Shipp ’41
• 1959 Dr. George Melcher ’26
• 1960 Margaret Johnson Bosworth ’45
• 1960 Rev. Don Newby ’47
• 1964 R. William Greer ’39
• 1964 Connie Hjelmeng Johnson ’64
• 1965 David Brand Woodruff ’38
• 1966 Thornton Smith ’36
• 1967 James Trig Brown ’46
• 1968 William Collinson ’33
• 1968 Edgar E. Martin ’33
• 1968 David Weiser ’42
• 1969 William C. Hayes ’41
• 1971 Henry C. Duncan ’43
• 1971 Marvin VanGilder ’48
• 1972 Clarence R. Haflinger ’38
• 1972 Robert Heimburger ’39
• 1972 John B. Haseltine ’60
• 1973 Elizabeth Grinstead Mallory ’31
• 1974 Durward Hall ’30
• 1974 John K. Hulston ’36
• 1976 James Findlay ’52
• 1978 Frank Ross ’25
• 1978 Maurice Wilson ’28
• 1978 F. Marian Bishop ’49
• 1979 Flavius Freeman ’32
• 1981 Dr. Oscar Fryer ’25
• 1983 Allen V. Eikner ’49
• 1984 Henry S. Schneider ’49
• 1985 Ray Aton ’37
• 1986 Hilbert Keisker ’26
• 1987 Wallace Springer ’47
• 1989 Helen Jones Stoneman ’28
• 1989 Harold Stoneman ’33
• 1990 Janet Steinmetz Trotter ’53
• 1990 Marthe Drummond Close ’57
• 1990 Barbara Cook Hall ’57
• 1991 Thomas S. Gambill ’49
• 1993 Sally Bodlovich Tharp ’90
• 1995 Joel N. Gamel ’40
• 1997 Patsy Witherspoon Poulos ’47
• 1998 Don Akers ’48
• 1999 William E. Pettit ’42
• 2000 John R. Johnson ’55
• 2001 Lyle D. Reed ’70
• 2001 John D. Beuerlein ’76
• 2008 Lewis T. “Johnny” Johnson
• 2015 John William (Bill) Ricketts, MBA ’71
• 2016 Steven D. Edwards ‘88
• 2017 Gail “Gene” Summers ’63
• 2018 Dr. Thomas Lynch ’65
• 2020 Beth Pile ’80

• 1959 J. Charles Grosskreutz ’43
• 1961 Leonard F. Bush ’31
• 1961 Mary Jane Pool ’46
• 1969 Virgil E. Fieker ’47
• 1969 Walter H. Hoffman ’39
• 1976 Charles H. Brown ’41
• 1978 Helen Koch
• 1980 Donald Ray Hodge ’61
• 1981 John C. Herweg ’43
• 1982 Leeson C. Meador
• 1985 Donald C. Dailey
• 1986 Mitsuo Aoki ’40
• 1987 Rev. Robert H. Challinor ’47
• 1988 Ben Parnell ’39
• 1989 Betty Jane Rathbone Turner ’45
• 1990 H. Wes Pratt ’73
• 1991 Ralph Turner ’31
• 1991 Mary Rose Sweeney ’41
• 1992 Vernon K. Ausherman ’42
• 1992 Eleanor Barstow White ’64, ’70 MEd
• 1993 Charles Sheppard ’41
• 1994 Dale Creach ’63
• 1994 Ormal Creach
• 1996 Hope E. Harris ’43, ’57 MEd
• 1996 Rosemary Sullivan Bane ’46
• 1997 Dr. James W. Clawson
• 1998 Carolyn Lambert Teter ’73
• 1999 Dorothy Gay Warren ’47
• 1999 W. Warren Kallenbach ’49
• 2001 Joan E. Gilmore ’51
• 2002 Bill H. Cantrell ’42
• 2003 Jean Short Coday ’52
• 2003 David Clohessy ’78
• 2004 John H. Simmons ’60
• 2004 Drury Women’s Auxiliary 
• 2005 Mona Tourlentes ’50
• 2006 Marcia Williams Johnson ’70
• 2006 Darline Dill
• 2008 Lewis T. “Johnny” Johnson
• 2009 Kirk Presley ’80
• 2010 Patsy Shean Summers ’64
• 2011 Rev. David L. Scott ’79
• 2012 Carolyn B. Cotta ’60
• 2013 Mark L. Walker ’79
• 2014 Eunice Schmiechen Wallar ’63
• 2015 Mary Faith Buresh Holzer ’68
• 2016 Janet Steinmetz Trotter ‘53
• 2017 Raymond E. Hackett ’80
• 2018 Thomas W. Stevens ’59
• 2020 Roye Cole ’03, ’04, ’11 MBA 
• 2021 Robert Malone ’56
• 2022 Dr. Kayce Morton ’99

• 1944 Edward L. Clark ’29
• 1951 Jean Laubenheim Shephard ’12
• 1951 Kenneth B. Elliott ’16
• 1951 William A. Beiderlinden ’17
• 1951 Lester E. Cox ’18
• 1952 Marion Hines ’13
• 1952 Erwin E. Nelson ’14
• 1952 James E. Ruffin ’16
• 1953 Faye Steinmetz ’10
• 1953 Harry A. Shuder ’11
• 1953 Arthur “Duff” Allen ’13
• 1953 Edward Mason ’14
• 1954 John T. White ’16
• 1954 Louise Trimble Foster ’18
• 1954 Paul W. Barrett ’24
• 1954 Frank McDowell ’32
• 1955 Dora Beggs Shields ’07
• 1955 Joseph Williams ’11
• 1955 Otto C. Egdorf ’20
• 1955 Paul Leonard ’25
• 1956 Warren White ’04
• 1956 William Knight ’07
• 1956 Otto Smith ’07
• 1956 Reba Staggs ’34
• 1957 Walter Brunkhorst ’17
• 1957 David Robertson ’32
• 1958 David McKnight ’28
• 1959 Samuel Dawson ’21
• 1959 Rollin Gillespie ’30
• 1960 Walter Thompson ’28
• 1960 Bob Barker ’47
• 1961 Morris E. Garnsey ’28
• 1961 Gordon A. Riley ’33
• 1962 Bruce Joseph Brown ’15
• 1962 Guy Raynor Hill ’27
• 1962 Charles F. Robinson’36
• 1962 Jeanne Meador Schwarz ’37
• 1963 Allan S. Humphreys ’10
• 1963 Lois Hall ’14
• 1963 Dorsey D. Jones ’20
• 1964 C. Robert Mitchell ’30
• 1965 Virgil W. Adkisson ’25
• 1966 Helen Malin Reuber ’29
• 1967 Joseph King Vivion ’16
• 1967 William D. Hackett ’36
• 1968 Archie Russell ’39
• 1968 Lois Jennings DeNauw ’50
• 1970 Eugene Everett ’48
• 1973 Adelaide Haseltine Jones ’24
• 1973 Ralph K. Manley ’49, ’69 MBA
• 1973 William C. Virdon ’53
• 1973 Mary Ruth Cuddy ’59, ’62 MEd
• 1974 Minnie Mae Prescott ’28
• 1975 William Fred Schaeffer ’33
• 1975 Betty Cole Dukert ’49
• 1975 Rabbi Walter Jacob ’50
• 1975 Ralph L. Andreano ’52
• 1976 R. R. Watson ’25
• 1976 Billie Crawford Davis ’61
• 1977 J. York Johnson ’25
• 1977 James Ewing ’38
• 1977 Frank W. Clippinger ’48
• 1978 F. Marion Bishop ’49
• 1978 Delmar E. Caywood ’55
• 1978 James R. Buchholz ’57
• 1979 John Geyer ’29
• 1979 Robert McKinnell ’49
• 1979 Sandra Kennon Harrison ’61
• 1980 Leonard C. Pronko ’47
• 1980 Carol Junge Loomis ’51
• 1980 Jeanine Smith ’63
• 1980 Jerry Von Rohr ’66
• 1981 John P. Edwards ’47
• 1981 David Harrison ’59
• 1981 Susanne Logan O’Neal ’53
• 1982 Dorothy Van Dyke Leake ’14
• 1982 John T. Carlson ’51
• 1983 C. Truman Steele ’34
• 1984 David E. Sweet ’55
• 1986 Gary L. Matthews ’60
• 1987 Sterling Newberry ’37
• 1988 Jerry Poe ’53
• 1988 Willard Graves, Jr. ’62
• 1989 John W. Hammon ’64
• 1990 Emily Haymes ’61
• 1991 Richard C. Dunn ’58
• 1991 Margaret H. Cooper ’66
• 1992 Robert H. Hurlbutt ’47
• 1992 Kenneth L. Fitts ’67
• 1993 Donald C. Flesche ’56
• 1993 J. Regan Thomas ’68
• 1994 Charles E. Fritz ’42
• 1994 Georgia Clark Sadler ’62
• 1994 J. William Langston ’65
• 1994 Fred S. Gorelick ’70
• 1995 Andrew Jackson Wann ’40
• 1996 Nancy Hasler Watsling ’46
• 1996 Ellen Gray Massey ’60 MEd
• 1997 Rev. Elton O. Smith ’50
• 1997 Larry Wallis ’66
• 1998 Thomas R. Whitlock ’76
• 1999 Tom Kellogg ’58
• 1999 Richard French ’59
• 2000 James R. Silkenat ’69
• 2001 John D. Burczak ’76
• 2002 Michael Mallory ’77
• 2003 Revs. John and Paula Bowman Sandford ’51/’53
• 2003 Russell Robinson ’74
• 2004 Dr. William R. Schiller ’58
• 2005 Paul Stillwell ’66
• 2007 Jerry L Redfern ’57
• 2007 Dr. Carol Gevecker Graves ’62
• 2008 Dorothy “Dottie” Dillard ’45
• 2008 Lisa Farmer ’82
• 2009 Judge H. Dean Whipple ’61
• 2010 Walter George ’79
• 2011 Dr. D. Greg Farwell ’90
• 2012 Dr. Ilene K. Gipson ’66
• 2013 Curtis L. Dinan ’89
• 2014 Kim Harrison Hamm ’86
• 2015 Dr. Heidi Prather Bradley ’87
• 2016 Dr. Calla Wiemer ‘77
• 2017 S. David Gohn ’64
• 2018 Dwayne Holden ’64
• 2020 Rex Bright ’62
• 2021 Cmdr. Anna Santoro ’06
• 2022 Mack Player ’63, Audrey Shillington ’82

• 1976 Marcia Mobley Mitchell ’67
• 1977 Frances Presley Rice ’73
• 1978 Mark Anschutz ’66
• 1979 Glenn Richardson ’65
• 1985 Sue Carter Porges ’66
• 1985 Brian Gendece ’79
• 1987 James Wesley Mitchell ’73, ’81 MEd
• 1990 Susan West ’75
• 1991 Wayne Schrier ’75
• 1992 Susan Montgomery McCammon ’73
• 1993 Michele Reeves Smith ’88
• 1995 Charlotte C. Hardin ’85
• 1997 James R. Dunlap ’84
• 2001 Brian R. Reynolds ’83
• 2004 Karen L. Williams ’85
• 2005 Marci Bowling ’95
• 2008 Michael Wehrenberg ’99
• 2011 Amber B. Campbell ’98
• 2012 Christopher B. Kennedy ’99
• 2013 Sarah Lester Wilkerson ’01
• 2014 Nathan Pettyjohn ’01
• 2015 Cliff Johnson ’03
• 2016 Dr. Adam McClellan ’05
• 2017 Lauren Holtkamp ’03
• 2018 Meg Myers Morgan ‘05
• 2020 Dr. Laura Waters ’05, ’19 MBA 
• 2021 Dr. Matifadza Hlatshwayo Davis, ’05
• 2022 Brandy Enver Harris ’08, Tiara Hughes ’15

• 1986 Dr. Lora Bond, Biology
• 1987 Dr. W. Curtis Strube, Business Administration
• 1988 Dr. Willard Graves ’33, Mathematics
• 1989 Dr. Jorge Padron, Chemistry
• 1990 Dr. Charles Mercer, Accounting
• 1991 Dr. Victor Agruso, Psychology
• 1992 Dr. Ruth Bamberger, Political Science
• 1993 Dr. Rabin Roy, Chemistry
• 1994 Dr. Richard D. Killough, Philosophy and Religion
• 1995 Dr. Richard Mears, Language and Literature
• 1996 Dr. Tijuana Julian ’81, Music
• 1997 Dr. Harriett Mears, Art
• 1998 Dr. William D. Rohlf, Jr., Economics
• 1999 Dr. Wayne Holmes, Literature
• 2000 Dr. Joseph P. McAdoo, Communication
• 2001 Dr. Peter D. Browning, Philosophy and Religion
• 2002 Dr. Harvey Asher, History
• 2003 Eltjen Flikkema, Ph.D., German, Literature, Director of Honors Program
• 2004 Joyce A. Roberts, Special Instructor of Dance and Choreography/Dramatics Productions
• 2005 Dr. Thomas E. Russo, Art
• 2006 Dr. Barbara Wing, Biology
• 2007 Dr. Donald Weber, Physics
• 2008 Dr. Penny Clayton ’83 MBA, Accounting
• 2009 Dudley Murphy, Design Arts
• 2010 Alkis Tsolakis, Architecture
• 2011 Dr. Lisa M. Esposito, Philosophy and Religion
• 2015 Daniel Cashel, Director of Student-Athlete Enhancement
• 2016 Traci Sooter, Architecture
• 2017 Judi Grier Thompson ’61, University Advancement
• 2018 Dr. Bruce Callen
• 2020 Larry W. Hughes 
• 2021 Dr. Regina Waters
• 2022 Dr. Allin Sorenson

• 1992 Mercedes Freeman Smith ’89
• 2000 William Dannevik ’66
• 2001 Ronald Neville ’69
• 2002 Betty Herndon Meyer ’40
• 2022 Don and Ruth Martin ’56/’54

• Steven Bard ’19
• Alison (Cronkhite) Brainaird ’00
• Jennifer (Johnson) Cole ’98
• Bruce Dart ’77
• Steven D. Edwards ’88
• Susan Mathern ’86 MBA ’89
• Scott Moore ’17
• Cora (Durbin) Scott ’90