10/9/97
ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio University Alumni Association will honor seven individuals for significant achievements in their careers and outstanding service to Ohio University at the Oct. 17 Alumni Awards Reception and Banquet.
Held at Nelson Commons, the banquet is an annual Homecoming weekend event.
John M. Jones, a 1949 graduate of Ohio University and an emeritus trustee of the Ohio University Foundation Board, will be honored as the 1997 Alumnus of the Year. The retired owner of Jones Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac in Athens, Jones is senior trustee of the O'Bleness Foundation and has been an adviser to the foundation for 17 years. He served on several committees during his tenure on the Ohio University Foundation Board from 1976 to 1994 and was a member of the National Alumni Board of Directors from 1973 to 1982.
A 1988 recipient of the university's Medal of Merit alumni award, Jones was instrumental in the O'Bleness Foundation's decision to award $250,000 to the Peden Stadium Tower Project. Two endowed professorships at Ohio University also have been funded by the foundation.
Also to be honored at the banquet are Francine Childs and William Y. Smith, who have been named honorary alumni.
Childs, a professor and former department chair of African-American Studies at Ohio University, came to Athens in 1974 and has been an active community member. She is a member of the Women's Studies Advisory Committee, the NAACP, and African-American Educational Programs for Southeast Ohio. She also is being recognized for her work with black reunions on campus and minority alumni chapters.
Smith has been executive assistant to the president for institutional equity (formerly affirmative action) at Ohio University since 1978. He is being honored for his efforts to improve opportunities for minorities and disadvantaged persons on campus. Smith has been instrumental in establishing several programs, including the Pre-Engineering Program in the College of Engineering and Technology, the Health Careers Opportunities Program in the College of Health and Human Services, and the Minority Introduction to College Program.
Four Ohio University alumni will be honored with Medal of Merit Awards for support of the university, and charitable and professional accomplishments. They are Carolyn Hlad Balogh, Raymon B. Fogg Sr., Richard Budd Werner and Thomas E. Wheeler.
Balogh, a 1959 graduate, is owner, vice president and chief financial officer of Mar-Bal Inc., a Cleveland company that provides plastic materials and custom-molded products to manufacturers. She has been a member of the Ohio University Women's Club of Greater Cleveland for 25 years. Recognized for her fund-raising efforts in the Third Century Campaign, she will be honored for service to her alma mater and achievement in business.
Fogg, a 1953 graduate, is being recognized for his achievement in business and humanitarian efforts. A contractor and developer in Northeast Ohio, he has been president of Ray Fogg Building Methods Inc. for 37 years. He is owner and developer of numerous industrial parks and real estate properties. He has been involved with hurricane, earthquake and disaster relief in Honduras, Guatemala, Dominica and Somalia. Werner, a retired vice president for planning and development from Sealed Power Co. in Muskegon, Mich., earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio University in 1953. Recognized for his achievement in business and service to his alma mater, he is a member of the William H. McGuffey Circle of the Trustees' Academy, the university's major gifts society, and the College of Business Executive Advisory Board. He currently holds the executive-in-residence post in the College of Business.
Wheeler, who earned his bachelor's degree from Ohio University in 1971, is president and majority owner of Component Repair Technologies Inc. in Mentor. He is being honored for achievement in aviation and service to his alma mater for heading two major campus fund drives and for his dedication to the Department of Aviation at Ohio University. He is a member of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology Major Gifts Committee, the Ohio University Aviation Advisory Board and the Trustees' Academy.