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Six honored by IU and IU Foundation with Herman B Wells Visionary Awards
Nov. 21, 2000
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University and the IU Foundation recently honored six people as the inaugural recipients of the Herman B Wells Visionary Award during a ceremony featuring comments and praise from retired Army Gen. Colin L. Powell, former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Selected for their notable accomplishments and lifetime humanitarian work, the recipients of the first-ever Herman B Wells Visionary Award were Gayle K. Cook, co-owner of Cook Group Inc., Bloomington; William A. Cook, president of Cook Group Inc., Bloomington; Arthur J. Decio, chairman of the board of Skyline Corp., Elkhart, Ind.; Christel DeHaan, president and founder of Christel House and the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Indianapolis; Bert A. Getz, chairman and chief executive officer of Globe Corp., Scottsdale, Ariz.; and William G. Mays, president and CEO of Mays Chemical Co. Inc., Indianapolis.
Named for the university's late chancellor Herman B Wells, who passed away in March, the Visionary Award was created to honor individuals who exemplify the best of Wells' dreams and aspirations for IU and society as a whole.
"We could think of no greater name to associate with the award than our late, beloved university chancellor, Herman B Wells, whose own life of 97 years was marked with achievement, uncommon humanity and an incomparable spirit," said Curt Simic, president and chief executive officer of the IU Foundation.
IU President and IU Foundation Chairman of the Board Myles Brand joined Simic in presenting honorees with a framed award and crystal book. The crystal book was chosen to signify Wells' love of learning and was inscribed with the honoree's name and the statement: "Those who dream on a grand scale, and have the perseverance to realize those dreams, can change the world."
The awards were presented at a dinner and ceremony on Nov. 3.
Gayle K. and William A. Cook
In 1963, the Cooks started Cook Inc. in their two-bedroom apartment in Bloomington. Under their leadership, the company has become one of the world's leading medical device companies and now makes more than 18,000 life-saving products for use in interventional radiology. Forty-two companies form the conglomerate Cook Group Inc., with operations in the United States, Australia, Denmark and Canada.
The Cooks have applied their success in business to the advancement of community and humanitarian efforts that include historic preservation work, support of IU, and the betterment of future medical procedures through gifts to education and research. They have worked to preserve historic landmarks across Indiana, including more than 40 properties on the National Register of Historic Places. They received the National Trust's highest historic preservation award for their restoration of the West Baden Springs Hotel.
William Cook is an honorary Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, a Sagamore of the Wabash and the only non-physician to receive the Gold Medal of the Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology. He is producer of the musical, Blast!, that is currently touring U.S. theaters.
Gayle Cook received the Distinguished Achievement in the Advancement of Education Award from the IU School of Education and the Gertrude Rich Award for outstanding contributions to IU. She is a member of the IU Foundation Board of Directors.
Arthur J. Decio
During his five-decade career as chairman of Skyline Corp. of Elkhart, Ind., Decio turned a struggling company into a leading national producer of manufactured housing and towable recreational vehicles. As Skyline's chairman of the board, he oversees 24 operating companies in 12 states.
Decio has received national recognition for his achievements in business as well as his commitment to a wide range of causes. His contributions to Elkhart are numerous and include work as a founding member and trustee for the Aux Chandelles Trust for the Mentally Retarded in Elkhart. He is president of the Elkhart General Hospital Foundation and serves on the advisory board of IU South Bend.
He has served as a director of Special Olympics International in Washington, received the Alexis de Tocqueville Award from the United Way of America, and was presented with the Distinguished American Award from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. He was also admitted to The Order of Distinguished Auxiliary Service and received the Distinguished Auxiliary Service Cross from the Salvation Army.
Christel DeHaan
DeHaan emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1962. One of the country's most successful businesswomen, she pioneered the vacation exchange industry when she co-founded Resort Condominiums International (RCI) in 1974 in Indianapolis. Under her leadership, RCI has become the largest timeshare services provider in the world.
She has since sold her interests in RCI and turned her resources to philanthropy. She established the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, through which she generously supports human needs, education and the arts. In the field of education, DeHaan founded "Project E," a nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to improving K-12 education in Indiana.
In 1998, she founded Christel House, an international public charity set up to help orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. The first Christel House opened in Mexico City and now serves 510 children. Additional Christel Houses are being developed in India, Venezuela and Eastern Europe.
Bert A. Getz
Splitting his year and commitments between his home in Libertyville, Ill., and the Globe Corp. headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz., Getz is involved in pursuing business success and service to others all over the country. He is chairman and CEO of Globe Corp., president of the Arthur R. Metz Foundation, director and president of the Globe Foundation, and owner of the Merit Club golf course in Libertyville. He established the Arizona Community Foundation, advanced agricultural issues as president of the Chicago Farmers Club, and has made significant contributions to health causes that include his service as a Mayo Foundation trustee.
His significant contributions to IU include contributions from the Metz Foundation to the Department of Theatre and Drama, the Arthur R. Metz Distinguished Scholarships, the Wells Scholars Program professorship endowment, the Arthur R. Metz Medical Scholarship and the Arthur R. Metz Carillon. He has been a member of the IU Foundation board of directors since 1994 and is a long-time supporter of the IU Student Foundation.
William G. Mays
Mays started Mays Chemical Co. in 1980 and transformed the one-man operation into one of the 20 largest chemical distributors in North America. The company's excellence has been recognized with numerous awards including the prestigious General Motors Outstanding Supplier of the Year Award, which Mays Chemical has received six times.
As the first African American to serve as campaign chairman for the United Way of Central Indiana, Mays spearheaded the Minority Key Club, which has been nationally recognized as a leader in minority contributions.
He was also the first African American to chair the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, the first to be elected to the IU Foundation board and the first appointed to chair the Indiana Lottery Commission. He was named an Indianapolis "Angel of Angels" for his support of minority-owned businesses. He also is the publisher of The Indianapolis Recorder, one of the nation's oldest continuously published African American newspapers. He currently serves on the boards of Banc One Corp. Indiana; the Anthem Co., Indianapolis; and Vectren Corp., Evansville.
The Herman B Wells Visionary Award was established by the IU Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that brings resources from the private sector to IU and manages the university's endowment. In the last fiscal year, more than 100,000 donors contributed $109.1 million in gifts. IU is ranked among the top 20 institutions in the nation in support from the private sector.
(Barbara Coffman, IUF, 812-855-1422, coffman@indiana.edu or George Vlahakis, OCM, 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)