The Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize alumni whose outstanding achievements and services to humanity have brought credit to University of the Pacific. Nominations for Alumni Awards from the University community and friends of the university are welcome.

In January 2025, five Pacific alumni will return to campus to be recognized for their outstanding achievements. These innovators and leaders will be honored with one of the Pacific Alumni Association's most prestigious awards, the Distinguished Alumni Award. Submit your nomination today!

Awards criteria and past recipients

The original award, broadened in future iterations to the different awards below.

Recipients

1956 Rockwell D. Hunt 1890, 1892 COP
1957 L. Eugene Root '32 ENG
1958 Ted F. Baun '27 COP 
         Alice Fellers Baun '27 COP
1959 Jo Van Fleet '40 COP
1960 Richard F. Pedersen '46 COP
1961 Gerald H. Kennedy '29 COP
1962 Eddie W. LeBaron, Jr. '50 COP
1963 Carlos C. Wood '33 ENG
1964 DeMarcus N. Brown, Jr. '23, '35 COP
1965 Daren F. McGavren '48 COP
1966 David W. Brubeck '42 MUS
1967 Robert E. Burns '31, '46 COP
1968 Cecil W. Humphreys '27 COP
1969 Robert T. Monagan, Jr. '42 COP
1970 Dino R. De Ranieri '63 PHS 
         Douglas H. Haner '65 RAY
         Jose G. Pantoja '67 ECC
         Ronald W. Shelly '65 ENG
         Anastasios N. Vrenios '62 MUS
         Ronald O. Loveridge '60 COP
         Horace M. Leake, Sr. '59 COP, '68 EDU
1971 Lester C. Tiscornia '32 COP
1973 Donald C. Harrington '35 COP
1974 Edith M. Tibbetts '05 MUS, '34 COP

Created in 1956

This award honors alumni who have made exceptional professional contributions to society through civic or other public service while employed by a non-profit organization or governmental agency.

Recipients

1976 Robert W. Miller '50 COP
1977 Pearl Steiner West '44, '69 COP
1978 Theresa Ting Woo '31 COP
1979 Jerome Keithley '38 COP
1980 Lim P. Lee '34 COP
1981 A. Alan Hill '60 COP
1982 Alexander M. Sinclair '44 COP
1983 Noel E. Manoukian '60 COP
1984 Allen F. Breed '42 COP
1985 George Tchobanoglous '58 ENG 
         Harold H. Spiess '51 COP 
         Mary Lou Crump Spiess '50 COP
1986 William L. Cunningham '50 COP
1987 Fernando Zumbado '67 ECC
1988 Terry L. Maple '68 COP
1989 George C. Vogt '77 COP
1990 Irvine H. Sprague '49 COP
1991 David W. Frederickson '66 COP
1992 Kathern Mumm Gaskins '68 RAY
1993 Mary T. Sukamoto '36
1994 Henry M. Hirata '64 ENG
1995 Michael Pastrick '73 PHS
1996 Floyd H. Weaver '59 COP
1997 Chrissie Woolcock Collins '28 COP
1999 Theodore B. Olson '62 COP
2000 Alfred H. Muller '53 COP
2001 Bill E. Beck '57 COP
2002 Armando B. Flores '71 COP
2003 Susan B. Neuman '78 EDU
2005 Kelly J. Acton, MD '77 COP
2006 Martin Burt '80 ECC
2007 Margaret Stimmann Branson '44 COP
2008 Edna Turner DeVore '67 RAY
2009 Jeanne Olson Farr '80 CAL
2010 Allene C. Zanger '77 COP
2011 Kathryn C. Anderson '81 ECC
2012 Paul Kawata `79 COP
2014 Alison Foster Davis `92 LAW
2015 Jon Christopher Schueler `78 COP
2016 Ronald B. Robie '67 LAW
2017 Connie M. Callahan '75 LAW
2018 Bev Perry '78 COP
2019 Mary Ann Gomez Orta '89 COP
2020 Arthur R. Coleman Jr. `81 MUS
2022 Greg Ruppert '92 SIS, '95 LAW
2023 Cindy (Bava) Spiro '76, '84 COP
2024 The Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson '79 LAW

Created in 1956

This award honors alumni who have achieved notable success in their professional field. This may include public or private enterprise.

Recipients

1976 Kenneth M. Stocking '33, '41 COP
1977 Roy O. Williams '64 COP
1978 Walter E. Fellers '40 ENG
1979 Wesley N. Sawyer '30 COP
1980 Bradford M. Crittenden '34 COP
1981 E. Pendelton James '54 COP
1982 William N. Biddick, Jr. '41 COP
1983 Duane C. Sewell '40 COP
1984 Tom R. Flores '59 EDU
1985 David M. Gerber '50 COP
1986 Ralph Guild '50 COP
1987 Wallace R. Anker '51 COP
1988 George C. Bralye '38 ENG
1989 Boyd Thompson, Jr. '43, '48 EDU
1990 Bruce W. Shore '56 COP
1991 Jane K. Sweeney '67 COP
1992 Judson Klooster '47 DEN
1993 Randall Behr '75 MUS
1994 Robert “Bud” Stefan '43 COP
1995 Jane Westfall '50 COP
1996 Susan C. Harlan '74 COP
1997 Fred Hirning '70, '72 PHS
1998 Walter P. Stewart III '56 COP
1999 Russell Greenlaw '66 ENG
2000 J. Baxter Urist '71 CAL
2001 Suzanne B. Gehri '69 COP
2002 Charles F. Bender '63, '65 COP
2003 Jinny Kahle Beyer '63 COP
2005 John Marks '63 COP
2006 Dr. Hanmin Liu '66 COP
2007 John S. Hambright '71 PHS
2008 Robert D. Sweet, Jr. '59 BUS
2009 David Giovannoni '71 COP
2010 Scott D. Boras '77, '82 COP, PHS
2011 Larry N. Groupe '79 MUS
2012 Bob Moorefield III `68, `85 MUS
2014 Pete Carroll `73 BUS, `78 EDU
2015 Paula Brown `82 ENG 
2016 Connie X. Rishwain '79 COP
2017 Gerald Dieter Griffin '71 PHS
2018 John G. Red Horse '62 COP
2019 Steven Goulart '80 BUS
2020 Scott Liggett `71 MUS
2022 Heather Cox '92 COP
2023 Leonard Armato '75 COP
2024 Ralph Clark '80, '81 COP

Created in 1992

This award honors alumni who have made exceptional contributions to society through volunteer, civic or other service.

Recipients

1992 Beverly Wright Bastian '41 COP
1993 Harold Fick '61 BUS
1994 Dushan Angius, Jr. '74 EDU
1995 Michael Pastrick '73 PHS
1996 James T. Watters '49 BUS
1997 Robert W. McConnell '50, '63 COP
1998 Ursula Herrick Meese '54 COP
1999 Arden Farey '55 COP
2000 Jayna Powell '78 COP
2001 Elvera Giorgi Melby '44, '51 EDU
2002 Marion Jacobs '47 COP
2003 Jeffrey Moses '77 DEN
2005 Judith E. Jewett '95 COP
2007 Samuel L. Jackson '77 LAW
2008 Sharon Alexander Williams '65 COP
2009 Roberta "Bobbie" Bitcon Wallinger '64 COP
2010 Albert M. Irwin '42 COP
2011 Shirley Richesin King '60 COP
2012 Mitsu Kumagai `75 EDU
2018 Julio Hallack '76 ECC
2019 Benjamin Reddish, Jr. '71 EDU
2024 Alan Cook '77 COP

Created in 1962

This award honors alumni whose contributions to, and efforts on behalf of, the University of the Pacific are worthy of special recognition.

Recipients

1962 Arthur R. Farey '29, '40 COP
1964 Fredric H. Busher '25 COP
1967 Janet Lancaster '57 EDU
1968 Ellen L. Deering '26 COP
1969 Donald G. Smiley '50 COP
1971 Larry E. Heller '36 COP
1976 Alice Fellers Baun '27 COP
1977 Grace Weeks Burns Baun '34 COP
1978 Robert L. Breeden '22, '34 COP
1979 Loren S. Dahl '42 COP
1980 Iva Belle Cooley Colliver '15 COP
1981 Evelyn Berger Brown '21 COP
1982 Robert E. Young '54 ENG
1983 Robert W. Combellack '41 COP 
         G. Jerald Kirsten '47 BUS
1984 Garth R. Lipsky '52 COP
1985 Burruss E. Claypool '27, '30 COP
1986 Martha H. Jones '33 MUS
1987 Percy A. Smith '27 COP
1988 Harriet Davidson Stadtner '42 COP
1989 The Orange Aide
1990 L. Douglas Pipes '65 COP
1991 Herbert K. Yee '48 DEN
1993 Edward Koehler '39 COP
1995 Herman Saunders '40 COP
1996 Lewis A. Ford '41 COP
1998 Neven C. Hulsey '57 BUS
2000 John Goble '72 ENG
2003 Kenneth Kjeldsen '62 ENG
2005 Haworth "Al" Alfred Clover '54 MUS, '57 COP, '60 EDU, '77 EDU
2006 James E. Jewell '51 COP
2007 Richard R. Paulsen '79 COP
2011 Richard N. McClure '78 COP
2012 Marshall H. "Pete" Wallace `59 ENG
2014 Bob Berryman, Jr. `83 COP
2015 James Mair `68 BUS
2020 John C. Beyer `62 COP
2022 Eric Dingler '87 BUS
2023 Ted Leland '70, '74 COP

Created in 1964

This award honors a family, some of whose members have attended University of the Pacific and have given special service, made outstanding contributions, and brought great honor to Pacific.

Recipients

1964 Parson Family
1965 Easterbrook Family
1966 Wagner Family
1968 Knoles Family
1978 Corson Family
1980 Jacoby Family
1981 Sprague Family
1982 Crummey Family
1983 Fellers/Baun Family
1984 Farley Family
1986 Schrader Family
1987 Cho Family
1989 Schaffer/Sweet Family
1990 Emerson Family
1992 Stark Family
1994 Swagerty Family
1998 Cunningham Family
2002 Spanos Family
2005 Werner Family
2006 Francis Family
2007 Betts Family
2008 Hull Family
2009 John Muir Family
2010 Dugoni Family
2011 Winterberg Family
2014 Eberhardt Family
2016 Chan Family
2017 Bodley-Reinelt-Payne Families
2018 Low Family

Created in 1984

This award honors young alumni of distinction in any of the above categories who have attended University of the Pacific in the last 15 years.

Recipients

1984 Chauncey L. Veatch III '70 COP
1985 Theodore W. Thomas '73 CAL
1986 Michael S. Policar '72 COP
1987 Mark K. Rogo '75 COP
1989 Hilda H. Yao '75 COP
1990 Brooks A. Esser '80 BUS
1991 Donald E. Shaver '81 LAW
1992 Marvin V. Curtis '90 EDU
1993 Randall S. Eisenberg '86 BUS
1994 Debra A. Schneider '81 COP
1995 Chris Isaak '80 CAL
1996 Pamela A. Hamel '85 BUS
1997 Bob S. Bejan '82 COP
1998 Robert V. Blakey, Jr. '84 BUS
1999 Lee Cataluna '88 COP
2000 Hope Young '89 MUS
2002 Jaclyn Rann Cohen '91 COP
2003 Anthony Shafer '97 ENG
2008 Elissa D. Lumley '97 COP
2009 Travis Schlaht '97 COP
2012 Becky Straw `03 COP
2014 Keith Walker `05 ENG
2015 Grant W.A. Ennis `07 SIS
2018 Mahrukh Hasan '07 SIS
2019 Julia Engel Berolzheimer '12 BUS
2022 Zephanii Eisenstat '15 EDU
2023 Daniel Idzkowski '12 BUS
2024 Natalie Compton '13 COP

Created in 1993

This award recognizes and honors alumni who are faculty, staff or Regents who have exhibited outstanding and exceptional service to University of the Pacific, their profession and community.

Recipients

1993 Robert T. Monagan '42 COP
1994 Robert M. Eberhardt '51 BUS
1995 Ted F. Baun '27 COP
1998 Nancy Hane Spiekerman '57 COP
2001 Judith McMillin Chambers '58, '60 COP
2002 Ralph L. Saroyan '64 PHS
2006 Arthur A. Dugoni, DDS '48 DEN
2008 Dianne L. Philibosian '68 COP
2016 Morrison C. England, Jr. '76 LAW
2017 Kathleen Lagorio Janssen '68 EDU
2019 Jose Hernandez `84 ENG
2022 Donald Smith '52 COP
2023 Tony Chan '77 PHS & Virginia (Chang) Chan '77 PHS
2024 Richard Fleming '69 COP

Created in 1996

This award recognizes alumni who have given special service to the Pacific Alumni Association.  The nomination is by the President of the Pacific Alumni Association.

Recipients

1996 Christopher A. Greene '58 BUS
1997 Helen Wolber Brinkmann '53 COP
2010 Alex A. Vereschagin, Jr. '57 COP and
         Geraldine McCarl Vereschagin '57 COP
2020 Dean Butler `79 COP

This award, the highest honor that the Pacific Alumni Association can present to someone who did not attend University of the Pacific, recognizes individuals who through their leadership, personal involvement and support have contributed significantly to the advancement of the University. 

Recipients

2008 Donald V. DeRosa
2008 Karen M. DeRosa
2010 E. Leslie Medford, Jr.
2015 William Coen
2015 Peter B. Ottesen
2016 Paul Fairbrook
2017 Patrick D. Cavanaugh
2017 Dean J. Janssen
2020 Phil Gilbertson