Nine Honored at Annual Award Dinner

The alumni association honored nine during its annual banquet and awards presentation at alumni weekend: four with the distinguished alumni citation, one outstanding young alumnus and four inductees into the athletic hall of fame.

The Distinguished Alumni Citation recognizes achievements in their field and support for community and alma mater.

■ “It is humbling and thrilling to be recognized by an institution which I have had a love affair with for more than half a century,” says Verne Churchill ’54 of Northbrook, Ill., who served as vice president, president and finally board chair and chief executive officer of Chicago marketing research firm

Market Facts. During his tenure, the company grew from 12 employees and billings of less than $1 million to a publicly traded corporation with more than 1,200 employees in 25 offices worldwide and billings exceeding $300 mil-

Verne Churchill lion. He also served as president of the American Marketing Association (AMA) and its Chicago chapter. He has been a lecturer at the AMA School of Marketing in

Madison and for the Institute for Advanced Advertising Studies. In 1980, he served as chair of the Market Research Association national conference.

■ Dennis Frahmann ’74 of Los Angeles, Calif., is the senior vice president of integrated marketing communications at Best Software, a company he created to offer products and services to meet the needs of small and mid-sized businesses.

Prior to starting Best Software, Frahmann spent 23 years working for the Xerox Corporation, holding management positions in public relations, direct mail, product marketing and costumer support. He moved up to vice president of brand marketing and advertising for products aimed at the small office/home office market and led a worldwide program for trade shows, events and global sponsorship of the Olympics.

“I often wonder why I was in such a hurry to graduate,” says Frahmann, who was the first student to graduate from Ripon’s three-year degree program. “I was taught to think by great teachers, and I made friendships that I maintain today. At Ripon, I was given the ability to learn and grow and become what I wanted to become,” he says.

■ Wilbur Nimmer ’49 of Kenosha, Wis., has practiced medicine in Chicago and Wisconsin, specializing in the physical rehabilitation of post-traumatic patients with brain and spinalcord injuries. He has also been a professor and chair of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, assistant professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is professor emeritus in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University. He was named to Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare for 2002-03. Additionally, he was named to Who’s Who in America in 2001-2003. The American College of Utilization Review Physicians elected Nimmer as a fellow to the college in 1978. In 1984, the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Alumni Association presented Nimmer with an outstanding achievement award. Nimmer insists, however, that his goal in life was never such accolades. “Everything I’ve done in this world, I’ve done for fun,” he says.

■ “I’ve been called a lot of things but certainly not distinguished,” says Steve Rashid ’79 of Evanston, Ill., a composer, performer, producer and recording engineer. In 1993, his collection of lullabies, “I Will Hold Your Tiny Hand,” won a Parents’ Choice Gold Award. The next year, Rashid again won that award for “Fidgety Feet,” an album of swing music for kids. He is also a two time Jeff Award winner, Chicago’s equivalent of a Tony Award, for his work as composer and lyricist for the musical

“Sylvia’s Reel Good Advice” and “The Good Times are Killing Me,” for which he was the musical director.

Rashid also owns and operates a recording studio, Woodside Avenue Music Productions, which opened in 1991, and has an independent record label of the same name. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Northwestern University, where he received his master’s degree in music composition, and Barat College, teaching courses in both recording studio production techniques and music.

Receiving the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award for achievements in his field and support of community and alma mater within 10 years of graduation is Robb Kahl ’94.

Kahl recently became the youngest person to be elected mayor of Monona in the city’s history. He focused his campaign on commercial development. In addition to the post, he also works for Jackson Kahl Insurance and Title Companies as the vice president and general counsel.

Kahl began his political career with the Monona City Council in 2001 and was elected president of the council the following year. After graduating cum laude from the University of WisconsinMadison Law School, Kahl practiced law in Madison and was voted one of the area’s “Best Lawyers” in a poll conducted by Madison Magazine in 2001. member of Ripon’s record-setting 400 Medley Relay team.

The sisters — yesterday and today — of Alpha Gamma Theta/Alpha Chi Omega celebrated the centennial anniversary of the founding of their sorority at Ripon. Pictured are, from left, Carol Grant Troestler ’60, Donna Haubrich Reichle ’59, Rebecca Nowak ’06, Sydney Rouse ’54, Angela Hodgson ’06, Danielle Paiz ’06, Kira Corsten ’04, Alison Nowak ’06, Pamela Mazurak ’06, Maggie Johnson LeFevre, Mary Jane Bumby ’52 and Marion Murner Harten ’59. Founded in 1904, Alpha Gamma Theta became Alpha Chi Omega in 1959. The inset painting of Lyle House, the sorority’s original Ripon home, was created by the late Mary Landwehr Berry ’54 in the 1950s.

“The liberal arts curriculum at Ripon forced me to broaden my horizons and expand my education,” says Kahl. He says his experiences at Ripon, where he tried new things and did well at them, made his leap to run for political office less of a gamble. “I knew my Ripon experience had provided me with the tools to succeed,” says Kahl.

The Hall of Fame recognizes alumni and coaches who have distinguished themselves through participation in Ripon’s athletic programs.

“Bruce made me look like I knew what I was doing as a swim coach,” says fellow hall of famer Chuck Larson ’65, who is better known for this abilities as tennis coach.

■ Sandra Secor Koresch ’89 of Mukwonago, Wis., was one of the first women at Ripon to letter in four sports: softball, volleyball, basketball and track. She received All-Conference honors in softball as a junior and senior and was named second team All-Conference in both volleyball and basketball as a junior. As a senior she was team captain of the softball, volleyball and basketball teams. She set school records in volleyball — an individual season record for digs with 334 — and in basketball — a career record for three-point field goals with 34.

“The greatest treasure I have taken from Ripon College is the people I have met here,” says Koresch. She says her involvement in athletics facilitated many of those relationships, affording opportunities to meet many people in different situations.

■ The first swimmer elected to the hall of fame, Bruce Haffner ’72 of Winnetka, Ill., was a co-captain and champion swimmer. He helped the swim team win two consecutive conference championships in 1971 and 1972. His record time of 49 seconds, set in 1971, in the 100 Freestyle held until 2003, and his record time of 22.4 seconds in the 50 Freestyle still holds today. He was also a Everett Wood ’89

■ “I did not play baseball to be part of the hall of fame,” says Everett Wood ’89 of Richfield, Wis. Wood was a leading pitcher and the college’s first four-time All-Conference baseball selection. He led Ripon to three Northern Division Titles and the 1989 Midwest Conference championship. He completed 33 games, making him second among NCAA Division III pitchers. With a 26-10 record, he is currently second in Ripon career wins and is among the leaders in Ripon’s baseball history with 18 career conference wins.

Professor of Art Emeritus Lester Schwartz hosted an exhibit of his Ripon College faculty and staff portraits, like the inset of former Dean of Faculty and Professor of English Douglas Northrop “contemplating paradise regained,” at his Gloria Hills gallery outside Green Lake. Joining Schwartz, in wheelchair, for an afternoon drink are, clockwise from Schwartz’s left, an unidentified visitor, Alexander Hooker, professor of Romance languages emeritus, and his wife, Frances.

“I simply played because I loved the game,” Wood says, adding he shares the award with his teammates. “I didn’t win any games. … All I ever did was keep the other team from winning,” he says.

■ Lee Zarnott ’87 of Mayville, Wis., was a two-sport athlete at Ripon, active in basketball and track. He was a five-time AllConference track team member and three-time letter winner. In basketball, he set a single-season record in field goal percentage in 1984-85 and remains second on the all-time record list. Zarnott, a four-time letter winner, was team captain as a senior. He set a season record for scoring that year with 453 points and was named Most Valuable Player. He was a three-time All-Conference selection and ranks among the best at Ripon in career points, career field goal percentage, career rebounds and games played. He was a member of consecutive Midwest Conference championship basketball teams in 1986 and

1987. In 2001, Zarnott received the first Ripon alumni “Coach of the Year” award as head coach of Green Lake, Wis., High School’s boys’ basketball team.

“The impact of the liberal arts education is visible on this stage tonight,” says Zarnott referring to his fellow award winners. “I am grateful for the association of friends and family at Ripon,” he says. r