1983 Distinguished Service Citation

Minister – Community Leader

You were not the traditional college student when you entered Beloit in 1944, for you were already in your early 30s, possessed a divinity degree, and had your own church. However, the desire to strengthen your ability to cope with the problems of the average person prompted you to turn to Beloit for training in the humanities, especially in psychology, to better understand your fellow man and the functioning of his mind. Your dedication to helping find the abundant life is exemplary; you long have distinguished yourself not only as the shepherd of the large and influential Pilgrim Baptist Church for four decades, but also as a tireless volunteer in the areas of youth, the elderly, health and welfare services, housing and education. Your list of accomplishments in your adopted city of Rockford, where you have spent all but five of your 71 years, is impressive. A prominent civic figure, you have been president of the Human Relations Commission and the Winnebago County Opportunities Industrialization Center and a recognized leader on the Governor’s Urban Area Committee, Fair Housing Board, Mental Health Association, Protestant Welfare League, and Booker Washington Social Center, to name but a few. Because your humanistic service and interest so well symbolize one of its major goals, Beloit College proudly awards you this Citation.