Class Knox

Alumni News

Knox Recognizing Notable Alumni at Homecoming 2022

As part of Homecoming celebrations, a number of alumni were recognized for contributions to the College and their communities.

2022 Knox Service Award Winners

• Robert G. Gillespie ’90

• Sabir M. Taj ’01

2022 Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

• 2016 Women’s Soccer Team

• DJ Ambrogi Todt ’05

• Lane Bridgford 1920

• Mack Foster ’06

• Nathaniel Logie ’16

2022 Scroll of Honor Recipients

• Colonel Dale J. Litney ’66

• Robert M. Long ’68

• Nancy Rabenstein Pielemeier ’67

Thanks to all the alumni who submitted nominations. Classmates or friends can be nominated for 2023 awards by visiting www.knox.edu/nominate or by contacting Megan Clayton, Associate Director of College Engagement, Lifelong Learning & FYC Programs, at pclayton@knox.edu or 888-566-9265.

Celebrating Knox Past and Present on Founders Day and #KnoxProud Day

For the first time, Knox College celebrated #KnoxProud Day, an annual day of fundraising, on Founders Day, February 15. More than 1,600 donors contributed over $1.3 million. The funds are used to provide scholarships, opportunities for faculty professional development, athletics, immersive experiences and internships, health and wellness initiatives, and improvements to the residential experience

“Combining these two important days is a wonderful way to celebrate the past and present—while encouraging investment in Knox’s future,” said Monica Keith, vice president for advancement.

In-person and online events gave students and alumni the chance to learn about Knox’s history. Professor Emeritus Lance Factor led the Knox Together Virtual Series webinar, “The Secret Code in Old Main,” which explored the history and mysteries of Old Main.

Restaurants in the Galesburg area offered Knox-themed menus to celebrate. On campus, a long-standing tradition featured cake: the Founders Day wooden cake along with edible cupcakes. The enormous wooden cake, designed by former business office manager James Cuthbertson for the 1952 Founders Day celebration, was on display in the Oak Room in Seymour Hall. Knox employees distributed swag. Students reflected on the day and engaged with the College’s history through trivia and other events.

“Not only did we get to see students celebrate all things Knox, but it was exciting to see alumni of all ages and from all over show their Knox pride, too,” said Christina Smith, director of college engagement. “Ten different Knox Clubs celebrated the day across the country, and alumni of all ages gathered to share drinks and food, bowl, meet over Zoom, and more. Some different class years even met over Zoom to reminisce about their time at Knox. The Knox connections truly last a lifetime.”

$1 Million Endowed Fund Honors James L. and Phyllis Holowaty Albrecht

A Knox College education was a life-changing experience for both James “Jim” ’54 and Phyllis Holowaty Albrecht ’56 and was the foundation for their relationship, which spanned six decades.

“Knox College was very important to my parents,” said Ann (Albrecht) Michel. “For both of them, their time at Knox was life-defining.”

Phyllis died in 2015 and Jim in 2021. Through their estate, Michel and her siblings, Karen L. and James M. Albrecht, established the Albrecht Family Endowed Fund to honor their parents’ memory.

“Leaving a lasting legacy to Knox was very important to both our parents. In the years following our mother’s death, even as Dad dealt with the challenges of old age, he was very animated by the possibility of giving a major gift to Knox,” Ann said. “It gave him purpose in the last years of his long life.”

“Both our parents came from relatively modest means and had a love for learning that was cultivated at Knox. I think it really set the stage for lots of future learning and success. They were profoundly grateful not only for the educations they received but for the deep relationships they forged on campus that stayed with them throughout their entire lives.”

Jim was born in St. Louis and raised in Central Illinois. He received a degree in political science at Knox. His brother, Robert P. “Bob” Albrecht ’55, also attended Knox. When Bob died in 2013, his family created the Robert P. Albrecht Scholarship Fund to honor his memory.

Phyllis was born on Chicago’s Northwest Side and graduated from Taft High School before attending Knox and receiving a degree in philosophy. She was the first woman to