2007 Distinguished Service Citation

You can never have too many John Erikson’s playing basketball for you. For both his team, that achieved a number one ranking in NCAA Division III, and for this College, John will always hold the title of MVP. A Beloit businessman since graduating, he is a pillar of this community. As chair of the Stateline Community Foundation and the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce, he has set a standard for creative and dynamic leadership by which his successors have been measured. His dedication to quality education and the high esteem in which he is held by this community were both confirmed this past year with his election to the Beloit School Board with the highest vote return. With his wife Michele Belvitch of the class of 1984—who will have to move her 1998 DSC award over a bit to accommodate this one—they have shown a concern for this community that is only matched by their commitment and service to Beloit College. When a community and a college share the same name, the strength and condition of one reflects immediately on the other. John Erikson has provided a critical link in that relationship and has served Town and Gown with dignity and elegance. It is therefore in appreciation and admiration that the Beloit College Alumni Association confers upon John R. Erikson its highest award, the Distinguished Service Citation.