2018 Awards Gala

Alumni Awards

Each year, the UH Alumni Association honors alumni who embody the true spirit of UH and work to create impact through their unique contributions. These awards provide an opportunity to showcase diverse talents and say thank you for an enduring commitment and dedication to the University. The awards are presented at the annual Alumni Award Gala where members of the Cougar community come together to pay tribute.

To purchase tickets for the 2023 Alumni Awards Gala, click the link below.

Distinguished Alumni Award

The purpose of the Distinguished Alumni Award is to recognize and honor alumni who have made significant contributions to society and whose accomplishments and careers have brought credit to the University of Houston.

David Marrs (’89)

Judy (JD ’89) and Mark D. (’84) Cook

Dwight E. Davis (’00)

Distinguished Service Award

The purpose of the Distinguished Service Award is to recognize the exceptional loyalty and leadership of alumni volunteers and their efforts to further the goals and support the programs of UHAA.

Ginger (’86) and David (’61) Blomstrom

BILLIE SCHNEIDER OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER AWARD

The purpose of the Billie Schneider Outstanding Volunteer Award is to recognize alumni who exemplify a spirit of volunteerism to advance the mission of UHAA and its programs. The recipient for this award is chosen by UHAA.

Michael Ramos (’00)

Rising Star For Achievement Award

The purpose of the Rising Star For Achievement Award is to recognize and honor motivated young alumni who have excelled beyond the norm and who exhibit leadership, involvement, and hold key volunteer positions on campus or within UHAA.

Armando Lucio Walle (’04, JD ’14)

Past Honorees

James L. Sibley (FS ’49) 1949 Ernest Mayeux (FS ’52) 1951 Jack Valenti (A.S. ’42, B.S. ’46, H ’02) 1952
Sherwood Crane 1953 Johnny Goyen (’47) 1954 William W. Sherrill (FS ’50) 1955
Charles A. Saunders (’45) 1956 Joel H. Berry, Jr. (’42) 1957 Harry H. Montgomery, Jr. (’40) 1958
Thomas Menefee (FS ’42) 1959 John J. Toomey (’50, J.D. ’69) 1960 Ralph Poling (’56) 1961
Walter M. Rainey, Jr. (’49) 1962 Roger W. Jeffery, Sr. (FS ’38) 1963 Judge Roy Hofheinz 1967
Dr. John McGivney (’47) 1968 Congressman Bob Casey 1969 Dan Rather (FS ’57) 1969
Dr. Arleigh Templeton (M.Ed ’50, Ph.D. ’60) 1969 LeRoy Melcher, Sr. (’33) 1970 Hon. Welcome Wilson, Sr. (’49) 1970
Harry H. Hedges, Jr. (’40) 1971 Elsa Rosborough (’46, M.L. ’63) 1971 Larry Blyden (’47) 1972
Judge Bill Elliott ( J.D. ’51) 1972 Reverend Rene H. Gracida (’50) 1972 Guy V. Lewis (’47) 1973
Judge Wendell A. Odom ( J.D. ’51) 1973 Judge Criss Cole ( J.D. ’54) 1974 Howard W. Pollock ( J.D. ’69) 1975
John B. Van Ness (’51, ’56) 1975 Byron G. “Pappy” Bond (’50) 1976 Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel (Ed.D. ’48) 1977
Roy Wiese (’54) 1978 Dave Williams 1978 Robert W. Baldwin (’47, ’49) 1979
Archie Bennett, Jr. (’62) 1979 Elvin Hayes (’85) 1980 Hon. Leonard Rauch (FS ’47, H ’07) 1980
Richard “Racehorse” Haynes ( J.D. ’56) 1981 Kenneth Reese (’54) 1981 Hon. Charles B. Marino (’50) 1982
Kathryn J. Whitmire (’68,M.S. ’70) 1982 Peter H. Roussel (’65) 1983 Judge Shearn Smith (’51, J.D. ’69) 1983
Judge Ruby Kless Sondock (’59, ’61) 1983 E. Virginia Barnett (M.B.A. ’56) 1984 Hon. John E. Kolb ( J.D. ’55) 1984
Hon. Charles E. McMahen (’62, H ’02) 1984 Hon. Dr. Kenneth L. Lay (Ph.D. ’70) 1985 Vassar Miller (’47, M.A. ’50) 1985
Mickey L. Herskowitz (’56) 1986 Kenneth L. Schnitzer 1986 James C. Shindler (’57) 1986
Ned Battista (’62, M.M. ’64) 1987 Roy H. Cullen, Jr. (’57) 1987 Jack M. Rains ( J.D. ’67) 1987
Duane B. Adams (’54) 1988 Joseph Rodney Canion (’66, M.S. ’67) 1988 Larry W. Gatlin (’70) 1988
Sam P. Douglass (’54) 1989 Dr. Louis Green (’47) 1989 Wilhelmina Cullen Robertson (’44) 1989
Victor Costa (’58) 1990 Hon. C.F. Kendall, II (’60, J.D. ’69) 1990 Dr. Robert W. Lawless (’64) 1990
Congressman Tom DeLay (’69) 1991 Hon. John J. Moores (’70, J.D. ’75, H ’95) 1991 Leonard Rosenberg ( J.D. ’53) 1991
Katherine Mize (’61, M.A. ’65) 1992 Jim Nantz (’81) 1992 Don D. Sykora (’57) 1992
Carl Lewis (FS ’82) 1993 Hon. John O’Quinn (’65, ’67, J.D. ’69) 1993 Dr. Shirley Rose (’60, M.Ed. ’69, Ph.D. ’73) 1993
Dr. Bernard Harris (’78) 1994 Tom Jarriel (’56) 1994 Regina Rogers (’70) 1994
Valerie King Freeman (’70, M.Ed. ’72) 1995 Congressman Gene Green (’71) 1995 Hakeem Olajuwon (FS ’84) 1995
Doug Drabek (FS ’83) 1996 Elizabeth D. Rockwell (FS ’42, H ’99) 1996 Jane Cizik (’83) 1997
Hon. Gene McDavid (’65) 1997 Hon. Morrie Abramson (’56) 1998 Emyré Robinson (’70) 1998
Hon. Mary E. Bacon ( J.D. ’72) 2000 Kenneth L. Barun (’81) 2000 Burdette W. Keeland (’50) 2000
Dr. B. Montgomery Pettitt (’75, Ph.D. ’80) 2000 Judge Vanessa Gilmore ( J.D. ’81) 2002 Cynthia Woods Mitchell (’43) 2002
Dominique Sachse (’90) 2002 Melvyn Wolff (’53) 2002 Hon. Michael Cemo (’68) 2003
Hon. Vidal Martinez ( J.D. ’77) 2003 Dr. Kathryn “Kaye” Stripling (’67, Ed.D. ’85) 2003 Leroy Burrell (’94) 2004
Rose Cullen (FS ’57) 2004 Charles Matthews ( J.D. ’70) 2004 Dr. Anastacio Mindiola (’02) 2005
Hon. Margaret Spellings (’79) 2005 Dr. Herman Suit (’48) 2005 Dr. Patricia Potter Wilson (Ph.D. ’85) 2005
Carol L. Lewis (’89, ’92) 2006 Jack Moore (’77) 2006 Senator John Whitmire (’75) 2006
Gerald McElvy (’75) 2007 Hon. Martha Wong (’76, Ed.D. ’83) 2007 Dr. Dorothy E.F. Caram (Ed.D. ’82) 2008
Marvin D. Nathan (’65, J.D. ’69) 2008 Col. Barrye L. Price, Ph.D. (’85) 2008 Christopher Theofanidis (’90) 2008
Karen W. Katz (M.B.A. ’82) 2009 Miguel R. San Juan (’74) 2009 Alvin L. Zimmerman (’64, J.D. ’67) 2009
Richard Coselli (’55, J.D. ’58) 2010 Elizabeth Ghrist (M.Ed. ’67) 2010 Jim Perdue (’61, J.D. ’62) 2010
David Bertman (M.M. ’98) 2011 Cheryl Creuzot (’81, J.D. ’92, M.L. ’99, M.B.A. ’12) 2011 Leroy Hermes (’66) 2011
Beth Madison (’72) 2011 Durga Agrawal (M.S. ’69, Ph.D. ’74) 2012 Brett Cullen (’79) 2012
Lt. General Robert Milstead (’74) 2012 Dorothy T. Nicholson (’77) 2012 Dennis Quaid (’74) 2012
Robert Wuhl (’76) 2012 Dr. Roger Birkman (’47, M.S. ’47) 2013 Alonzo Cantu (’78) 2013
Loretta Devine (’71) 2013 Dr. Dennis Golden (’76, O.D. ’77) 2013 Vicki & Nick (’73) Massad 2013
Richard Rawson (’72) 2013 Doug Brooks (’75) 2014 Rafael Ortega (’81, M.B.A. ’85) 2014
Andre Ware (’96) 2014 Dr. Philip Zelikow (’77, J.D. ’79) 2014 Aylwin Lewis (’76, M.B.A. ’90) 2015
Bill Worrell (’69) 2015 Rushion McDonald (’83) 2015 Ken Bailey (’69, J.D. ’72) 2015
Dominic Ng (’80) 2015 Dr. William Brookshire (’57) 2016 Billy Ray Brown (’85) 2016
Alan Gershenhorn (’82) 2016 Pamela O’Rourke (UHCL ’95) 2016 The Honorable Jarvis V. Hollingsworth ( J.D. ’93) 2017
J. Downey Bridgwater (’84) 2017 Star Jones ( J.D. ’86) 2017 The Honorable Melissa Noriega (’77, M. Ed. ’83) 2017
Wade Phillips (’70) 2017 The Honorable Sylvester Turner (’77) 2017 Spencer Armour (’77) 2018
Otis Birdsong (’77) 2018 James H. Greer (’54) 2018 Dr. Laura Murillo (’89, M.ED. ’98, Ed.D. ’03) 2018
Marvin Odum (M.B.A. ’95) 2018 Thasunda Brown Duckett (’96) 2019 Hanneke Faber (’90, M.B.A. ’92) 2019
David Ashley White (’68, M.M. ’74) 2019 Honorable Jim P. Wise (’66) 2019 Jim Culpepper (’67) 2020
Alex Lopez Negrete (FS ’81) 2020 Howard Lorch (’67, M.Ed. ’68) 2020 Robert D. Planck (’71) 2020
Alois Blackwell (’78) 2022 Karen Dufilho (’91) 2022 Bonnie Dunbar (Ph.D. ’83) 2022
Elizabeth Killinger (’91) 2022 Dave Smalley (’79) 2022 Brent Spiner (FS ’71) 2022
Steve Stephens (’80) 2022    
Murray Stinson (FS ’68) 1994 Jim Wiseheart (’61) 1995 Pleas Doyle (’57) 1996
Billie Schneider 1997 Stephen Harcrow (’69) 1998 Janet A. Blair (’83) 2000
Judie (’95) & Glenn (FS ’68) Lilie 2002 Joanne ( J.D. ’85) & Larry (’68, J.D. ’70) Doherty 2003 Josanna (‘80) & Hon. Thaddeus “Bo” (‘67) Smith 2003
Richard Coselli (’55, J.D. ’58) 2004 Graham Painter (’72) 2004 Shirley (FS ’82) & Matthew (’59) Provenzano 2004
J. Downey Bridgwater (’84) 2005 Sharon Stinson 2005 Cathy Coers Frank (’80) 2006
Francie Willis 2006 Margaret Bock (FS ’57) 2007 Sonny Messiah-Jiles (’74) 2007
J.W. “Willie” Burns (’58) 2008 David M. Doll (’88, M.B.A. ’92) 2008 Chris Mims (’87) 2008
Linda (’64) & Stanley (’60, J.D. ’62) Binion 2009 Elaine (’82) & Tommy (’80) Ebner 2010 George Leroy Hall (’56, ’77, M.S. ’11) 2010
Robert Planck (’71) 2010 Judy (’68) & Ken (FS ’65) Baxter 2011 Mike Holley (’90) 2011
Audray McMillian (’84) 2012 Ron Page (’80) 2012 Rick Bowen (’88, M.B.A. ’91) 2013
Lance “Hopper” Livingston (’66) 2014 Rick Noriega (’84) 2014 Laurie Rutherford (’86, M.B.A. ’91, M.S. ’04) 2015
Nancy and Dale (’70) Lowe 2016 Dr. Demetrius “Dee” Pearson (Ed.D. ’90) 2016 Kim (’81) & John (’82) Clarke 2017
Kimberly (‘93) & Trey (‘92, M.B.A. ‘02) Wilkinson 2018 James Holmes (‘86) 2018 Preston Johnson, Jr. (FS ’87, UHCL M.B.A. ’83) 2019
Fermeen Fazal (’96, ’97, J.D. ’00) 2020 Sharmagne Taylor (’86) 2020 Steve Goodman (’83, M.S. ’85) 2022
Don McKusker (’50) 2003 Becky Hyatt (’93) 2004 Sherman Smith, Jr. (’76) 2005
Jeffrey D. Fuller (’95, M.Ed. ’07) 2006 Cynthia Oliver Coleman (’71) 2007 Alton “Red” Veselka (’77) 2008
Perry Pace, III (FS ’68) 2009 Patty Godfrey (’89, M.B.A. ’97) 2010 Joe Green (’80) 2011
Judy Chong (’69, ’76) 2012 Yuen-Yee Ma (M.B.A. ’77) 2013 Amanda Heath (’02) 2014
Dr. Sharon Spillman (’97, M.Ed. ’03, Ed.D. ’11) 2014 John T. McNabb 2015 Drue DaSilva (’93, M.S. ’99) 2015
Barbara Parrott McGinity (’74, M.S.W. ’00) 2016 Margarita Barcenas (UHD ’92, M.B.A. ’03) 2016 Nicolas Brines (’92) 2017
Charlene Johnson (‘91) 2018 Michael Alcorn (’07) 2019 Edward Carrizales (’13) 2020
Leslie (’93) and Philip Schulze (’94) 2022    
Robert W. Baker 1969 Max Levine 1969 Hon. Colonel W. B. Bates 1970
Hon. Mrs. Ray Dudley 1971 Harry H. Fouke 1971 Dr. Philip G. Hoffman 1971
Robert W. Kneebone 1972 C.F. McElhinney 1973 Hon. Aaron J. Farfel 1974
Bessie M. Ebaugh 1975 L. Standlee Mitchell 1975 Mrs. Gus Wortham 1976
Hon. Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Roy Cullen 1977 Mrs. Marty Harris 1978 Don D. Jordan 1979
George P. Mitchell 1979 Bill Yeoman 1979 Eric Hilton 1980
A.A. White 1980 John R. Butler, Jr. 1981 Dr. Barry Munitz 1981
George A. Butler 1982 Hon. Mack H. Hannah, Jr. 1982 Frell L. Albright 1983
Elliott A. Johnson 1983 Roland S. McGinnis 1983 William T. Slick (FS ’63) 1985
Stewart Orton 1986 Hon. John T. Cater 1988 Hon. James L. Ketelsen 1990
Hon. Corbin Robertson, Sr. 1991 John Walsh (FS ’73) 1992 Robert C. Lanier 1993
Rev. William Lawson 1994 Dean John M. Ivancevich 1995 Max Watson 1996
Dr. & Mrs. Glenn Goerke 1997 Tom Tellez 1998 Lee W. Hogan 2000
Cheryl L. Thompson– Draper 2000 Charles T. Bauer 2002 Lucile B. Melcher 2002
Hon. Wilhelmina “Beth” Robertson 2003 Hon. Tilman Fertitta (FS ’78) 2004 Hon. William P. Hobby 2004
Gasper Mir, III 2005 Robert Mosbacher, Jr. 2005 Dena Lewis 2006
A.J. Yeoman 2006 Jim McIngvale 2007 Bill Moffit 2007
Dr. Carolyn Farb, h.c. 2008 Carey C. Shuart 2009 Bruce Williams 2010
John Hofmeister 2011 Lillie Therese Robertson 2012 Meredith Mitchell Dreiss 2013
University of Houston Student Body 2015 Michael “Doc” O’Shea 2017 Ted L. Estess 2019
Stephanie “Steph” Sherrodd 2019 Dr. William Munson 2020 Garnet Coleman 2022
Jim Parsons (’96) 2010 Carlos de Aldecoa Bueno (’97) 2011 James Hong (’05) 2012
Hon. Jacqueline Baly (’90) 2013 Robert Flores (’92) 2015 Lisa Cushing (’01) 2016
Erik Barajas (’99) 2017 Clara Hough (‘02) 2018 Alexander W. Obregon (’09, M.B.A. ’14) 2019
Justin Yu (’07) 2020 Mayra Moreno (’07) 2022
Katie Kalenda Daggett (’99, M.A. ’03) 2010

University of Houston

Alumni Association Awards