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Five persons to be honored by IU with Distinguished Alumni Service Awards
June 12, 2001
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University will honor five persons with its Distinguished Alumni Service Award next Sunday (June 17) at IU Bloomington. The honor is IU's highest award that can be given only to an alumna or alumnus.
The recipients this year are John F. "Jack" Kimberling of Palm Springs, Calif.; Michael S. "Mickey" Maurer of Carmel, Ind.; Isiah Thomas of Indianapolis; Andrea O. Veneracion of Cubao, Quezon City, the Philippines; and Dr. Joseph E. Walther of Indianapolis.
The five were chosen for services and achievements in their fields of endeavor and significant contributions to community, state or nation. Kimberling will be unable to attend the award ceremony due to recent unexpected health problems. He will receive his award later at another ceremony on campus.
The awards will be presented at a recognition luncheon that begins at noon in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union.
John F. "Jack" Kimberling
A nationally and internationally known attorney, Kimberling earned from IU a bachelor of science degree in government in 1947 and a law degree in 1950. In 1953, he joined the Los Angeles law firm of Lillick, McHose & Charles, where he advanced to the positions of partner and managing partner and guided the firm's growth. At the same time, he became a specialist in litigation representing multinational clients on the West Coast and in the Pacific Rim. From 1986 until his retirement in 1990, he was a partner in Dewey Ballentine LLP.
Kimberling served his community by becoming active in the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, which he led as president, as well as becoming a member of the Mayor's Executive Advisory Committee on Human Relations and with the Los Angeles Ballet.
Kimberling has served his alma mater with the same interest and willingness. A member of the IU Foundation Board of Directors since 1988, he has served as national co-chair for the highly successful IU Bloomington Endowment Campaign. He was a member of the steering committee for the Campaign for Indiana. He serves on the Board of Visitors for the IU School of Law and is co-chairing the school's capital campaign.
In 1990, he was inducted into the Academy of Law Alumni Fellows. In 1993, he served as a visiting law professor.
Michael S. "Mickey" Maurer
A native of Indianapolis, Maurer received his undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado and returned to Indiana to earn a law degree from IU in 1967. As a business attorney, he focused his attention on the communications and entertainment industries and developed interests in cable television, film production, broadcasting and print journalism. He was a partner in Maurer, R.F. Kin & Hill from 1969 to 1988.
In the early 1970s, Maurer was a pioneer in the initial development and operation of cable television systems. He now serves as chairman of the boards of several corporations in the areas of broadcasting, publishing and banking.
Maurer has been active in many community and business organizations including Goodwill of Central Indiana, the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, the Indianapolis Zoo, the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and United Way of Central Indiana. He also has served his alma mater as the national chairman for the IU School of Law's capital campaign and as a member of its Board of Visitors.
The University of Indianapolis awarded him an honorary degree in 1995, and he received the Spirit of Philanthropy Award from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis in 1996.
Isiah L. Thomas
After leading IU to a national collegiate basketball championship in 1981 as a sophomore, Thomas left IU to become a professional player with the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons. His outstanding NBA career included his being named to the All-Star team 12 years in a row, being a two-time most valuable player in the NBA's all-star game and being named captain of the Pistons' 1989 and 1990 NBA championship teams. The Chicago native was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.
Between seasons, Thomas completed the requirements for a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice in 1987.
Since retiring as a player in 1994, Thomas has continued to be involved in professional basketball. He became the first African American to hold an ownership stake in an NBA team when he became a minority owner and executive vice president of the Toronto Raptors. He was a color commentator for NBC Sports coverage of the NBA in 1997-2000. He just completed his first season as head coach of the NBA's Indiana Pacers, leading the team into the playoffs.
He has been equally successful in the business world. A member of the Chicago Board of Trade, he has been named by Fortune Magazine as one of its top 500 African American business people.
Thomas is serving as the 2000-01 national chair of the IU Foundation's annual fund campaign. The Isiah Thomas Foundation provides educational and recreational opportunities for Detroit's inner-city youth. Since 1987, Thomas has made available a scholarship for criminal justice majors at IU.
Andrea O. Veneracion
Veneracion has devoted her entire adult life to music, primarily choral music. After receiving two degrees from the University of the Philippines, she came to IU, where she received a master of music degree in voice in 1962.
Veneracion returned to the University of the Philippines as a professor. Inspired by IU's School of Music and specifically the Madrigal Singers, she established a madrigal singers group composed of voice majors in UP's College of Music. Eventually, the choral group, which specializes in a capella music, went from being a university-based group to being the resident choral ensemble of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The group has received all the top prizes of the world in choral competition, and Veneracion received the National Artist Award, the highest honor conferred by the Philippine government in the field of art and culture. This award came as a result of her almost singlehandedly popularizing the rich Filipino musical heritage of folk songs and original works. Although now retired from the university, she continues to serve as choirmaster of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, the resident choral group of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. In addition to the many awards she has received, she was given the IU Alumni Award by the Alumni Club of the Philippines while serving as a club board member.
Dr. Joseph E. Walther
Walther holds three degrees from IU and has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the field of medicine. He received a bachelor of science degree in medical science and a medical degree, both in 1936, from IU. Early in his career, he spent six years in the Air Force serving the United States in the Pacific during World War II. He earned the Silver Star award in the battle of Midway, the Bronze Star at Iwo Jima, and the Air Medal as a result of his more than 15 combat missions.
After the war, Walther started his career in gastroenterology in Indianapolis, and he has provided care for thousands of Hoosiers. From 1948 to 1993, he was a clinical professor in the IU School of Medicine. In 1956, he founded Winona Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis and served as its president and chief executive officer for more than 30 years. In 1985, he sold the hospital and used the proceeds to found the Walther Cancer Institute. The institute is dedicated to the treatment and prevention of cancer through research. The largest research program is the Walther Oncology Center at the IU School of Medicine.
Walther has received many awards including an honorary degree from IU in 1997, the IU School of Medicine's Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award, and the Z.G. Clevenger Award given by the IU I-Men's Association. He received letters in basketball, football and track while an undergraduate and qualified for the 1932 Olympics.
(George Vlahakis, 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)