2007-2008 Alumni Leadership and Service Awards

Class Agents

Cornell’s class agents serve as a vital link between the college and its alumni. Class agents’ letters share news of the campus and classmates, encourage classmates to support the college financially to ensure the continued quality of the Cornell experience, and help to deepen alumni ties to the Hilltop. The personal touch class agents provide through shared memories and experiences cannot be duplicated by any other program.

I’m pleased to recognize the following class agents with Leadership and Service Awards. These four have fulfilled this role for a total of 200 years.

Dorothy Collins Brindle, Class of ’42, put her economics degree to work for several years before starting a family. “Bate,” as she is known to classmates who have received her correspondence for the past 65 years, crafts class letters known for their opening jokes, one-liners, proverbs, and musings of the day.

James King, Class of ’47, retired from the faculty of Northern Illinois University after 26 years in teacher education. At Cornell, Jim was a football and wrestling letterwinner, a member of Delta Phi Rho, and he met his wife, Barbara Dunfrund, Class of 1949, on the Hilltop. He is marking his 60 th year as class agent.

David Klaus, Class of ’67, is retired from World Bank, which kept him on the go over many years, but always provided interesting news for the class letter.

Peter Holmes, Class of ’72, comes from a family of Cornellians. His mother, father, sister, brother, and brother-in-law all walked the Hilltop. Pete was also a Delt, and he was named Sportsman of the Year as a senior. His late wife, Barbara Bibbs, was a classmate.

Each of you has shown a strong commitment to the college and played a vital role in celebrating Cornell over many years. Congratulations on your Leadership and Service Awards.

Gene Hinman '52 and Dorothy Boden Hinman '53

presented by Joe Campanelli '69
Homecoming Convocation
October 13, 2007

I’m pleased to present Cornell’s Leadership and Service Award to Gene Hinman, Class of 1952, and Dorothy Boden Hinman, Class of 1953. This award recognizes, in particular, your work with the national American Red Cross Disaster Team.

Gene, you retired from Cornell in 1995 after 37 years as a professor of geology. Dot, your career included positions in admissions at Cornell and in adult and continuing education programs at Coe, Iowa Wesleyan and Virginia Wesleyan colleges, in addition to raising a family. When you both retired, you began searching for a meaningful outlet for your time and talents. The result has been work benefitting communities locally and across the country.

For the past 10 years, as Red Cross disaster volunteers, you have responded when people need your help the most – following the devastation of tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes along the East Coast and in New Orleans, floods in Texas, and numerous tragedies that displace your eastern Iowa neighbors, from fires to flash floods. You have provided hot meals and hugs to disaster victims and first responders. Gene, you have specialized in logistics. Dot, you launched a partnership between your local Humane Society and the Red Cross to provide shelter for large and small pets during disasters. You both assist in damage assessment. You know firsthand the value of this support, having experienced Hurricane Celia in Texas in 1969, and the ensuing work of the Red Cross in the recovery. Now you are eager to give back.

Your efforts with the Red Cross have been recognized with awards from both the Grant Wood Area Chapter in Cedar Rapids and the Hawkeye Chapter in Waterloo, and you have been cited as Iowa’s Disaster Volunteers of the Year.

Gene and Dot, Cornell also recognizes you for your unselfish work to improve the lives of others. Your commitment to give of your time and talents to strangers in their hour of great need embodies the spirit of service Cornell desires to empower in its graduates.