Illini Comeback Award (Est. 1980)
Every year, the University of Illinois Alumni Association invite a group of prominent and accomplished alumni back to the campus to participate in various activities during Homecoming Weekend, with a focus on providing opportunities for honorees to interact with current students, sharing information about their professional experiences and the value of their University of Illinois education.
John Graf, ’80 LAS
John Graf, ’80 LAS, has spent a 40-year career in the global insurance industry, including senior leadership roles at AIG, American General and Conseco. Most recently, he served as chairman, president and CEO of Forethought Financial until its sale to Global Atlantic where he continues to serve on the board of directors.
In addition, he has served on the boards of insurance industry leaders QBE and Everest RE. He currently manages the investment activities of Rambler Ventures, a strategic investor in small to midsize, privately owned businesses.
Graf resides in Houston, Texas, where he is active in the philanthropic community, serving on the boards of the Houston and Nantucket Boys and Girls Clubs, Memorial Hermann Health System, and Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory of Houston. John and Maureen Graf are the proud parents of two daughters, Carly and Delaney.
Mary (Vest) Mason, ’90 LAS
Mary (Vest) Mason, ’90 LAS, is the chief medical officer of corporate health initiatives at Centene Corporation, a St. Louis–based managed care enterprise, where she oversees award-winning clinical programs that dramatically improve quality and lower medical costs in a managed Medicaid population. She also serves as director of the Centene Institute for Advanced Medical Education. Dr. Mason founded and leads the Little Medical School. This award-winning educational franchise has offices in more than 60 locations around the world, where it reaches more than 500,000 children, inspiring them to dream about careers in healthcare while learning about their own health.
An active member in the St. Louis community, Dr. Mason serves on the national board of Parents as Teachers and the national council for Washington University’s Institute of Public Health; she received both her MBA and M.D. from Washington. Mason is president of Little Medical School’s program for children in underserved communities, Dr. Genie’s Kids Foundation. She received a Washington University School of Medicine Alumni Achievement Award in 2019 and a Women in White Coats Hero Award in 2020.
Dr. Mason and her husband John, a general surgeon, have three children.
2019
Doris Derby, MA ’75 LAS, PHD, ’80 LAS
Leslie Geissler Munger, ’78 ACES
2018
Christina A. Brodbeck, ’01 LAS
Nick Ciffone, ’10 LAS, ’10 MEDIA
2017
Emily S. Gardner, ’05 BUS, ’05 AHS
Robert P. Gaynes, ’75 LAS
Thomas F. Larwin, ’65 ENG
2016
Michael Strautmanis, ’91 MEDIA, JD ’94
2015
James E. Sparks, ’77 MEDIA
Lyle Orwig, ’74 ACES
2014
Suheily Natal Davis, ’04 MEDIA
James E. Schlueter, ’80 MEDIA
Dr. Der-Tsai Lee, ’76 ENG, PHD ’ 78 ENG
2013
Jeffrey D. Breslow, ’65 FAA
Col. Michael S. McBride, ’84 LAS
Tonise Paul, ’79 MEDIA, MS ’ 80 MEDIA
2012
Ron Bess, ’69 BUS, MS ’72 MEDIA
Sheldon Siegel, ’80 BUS
Beverly Washington, ’78 FAA
2011
Ryan Baker, ’91 MEDIA
Paul Schrage, MS ’59 MEDIA
Bud Strom, ’54 AHS
2010
Bob Epstein, ’74 MEDIA
G. Robert Hillman, ’72 MEDIA
Jon Khachaturian, ’78 ENG
Laura Rowley, ’87 MEDIA
2009
Mark Filip, ’88 LAS
Robert G. Kennedy, ’78 ENG
Marvin White, ’69 LAS
2008
Scott W. Atlas, '77 LAS
Barry Sabath, '74 LAS
2007
Lee Archambault, ’82 ENG, MS ’84 ENG
Cathy Larson Koerner, ’87 ENG, MS ’89 ENG
Maj. Matthew C. Shortal, ’94 BUS
2006
C.O. “Doc” Erickson, ’43 ACES
Gregory Paw, ’85 MEDIA
Betty Lee Sung, ’48 LAS
2005
Andrea Darlas, ’94 MEDIA
Stuart M. Kaminsky, ’57 MEDIA, AM ’60 LAS
Ann Davenport McBrien, ’82 BUS
2004
Mary Frances Fagan, ’76 MEDIA, MA ’83 LAS
Bridget Later Lamont, MS '72 LIS
John David Mooney, MFA ’65 FAA
Grover “Russ” Whitehurst, AM ’68 LAS, PHD ’70 LAS
2003
John Burgstone, ’95 ENG
Londa Jorgensen Dewey, ’82 LAS
Carol Hillsman Sagers, ’79 MEDIA
2002
Scott Altman, ’81 ENG
Temple Grandin, PHD ’89 ACES
Laura McInerney Jennings, ’83 BUS
Barbara Baxter Pillinger, ’56 AHS
Andrew A. Sorensen, ’59 LAS
2001
Daniel J. Balz, ’68 MEDIA, MS ’72 MEDIA
Henry Givens Jr., EDM ‘61
Edward L. McMillan, ’69 ACES
Sheldon B. Rubin, ’64 LAS, ’66 VM, DVM ’68
2000
Dr. Scott Anderson, MS ’36 ENG, PHD ’40 ENG
Carol Ross Barney, ’71 FAA
Dianne Sautter Campbell, ’71 ED
Merle Gilmore, ’70 ENG
Mary Kay Kretch Haben, ’77 BUS
1999
Cheryl R. Berman, ’74 MEDIA
Lu Ann Walker Maddox, ’74 AHS, MS ’76 AHS
Peer Pedersen, ’47 DSSWV, LLB ’48 LAW
Fred A. Rubin, ’72 FAA
Lt. Gov. Corinne J. Giese Wood, ’76 LAS
1998
Doris Kelley Christopher, ’67 ACES
Eileen F. Fisher, ’72 ACES
Fred F. Guyton Jr., ’61 FAA
John A. Johnson, ’64 ENG, MS ’65 ENG
Arthur Ramer Wyatt, ’49 BUS, MS ’50 BUS, PHD ’53 BUS
1997
Rowine Hayes Brown-Truitt, ’38 MEDIA, MD ’39 MEDIA
Julia J. Henderson, ’36 LAS, AM ’37 LAS
David F. Linowes, ’41 BUS
Park C. Livingston, ’30 LAS, MED ’81
Charles B. Shuman, ’28 ACES, MS ’29 ACES
1996
James M. Benson, ’68 LAS
Judge Maynard Glitman, ’55 LAS
Debra L. Mitchell, ’75 FAA
Cordell Reed, ’60 ENG
Dr. Katie Harper Wright, ’44 LAS, EDM ‘59
1995
Judge Eugene N. Hamilton, ’55 LAS, LLB ’59 LAW
R. Rolando Hinojosa-Smith, PHD ’69 LAS
Carol Ann Keiser, ’68 ACES
Robert D. Novak, ’52 LAS, HON ’98
Gary K. Wolf, ’63 MEDIA, MS ’69 MEDIA
1994
K. Kenn Allen, ’71 LAS
Samuel T. Balen, ’57 FAA
Steven H. Gerdes, ’77 ACES
Nada J. Rowand, ’58 FAA
Joyce E. Tucker, ’70 LAS
1993
Emiel Hamberlin, EDM ’77, EDD ’83
Mannie L. Jackson, ’60 AHS
Robert B. Levin, ’65 MEDIA
Terri L. Ludwig, ’85 LAS
David A. McConnell, ’54 VM, DVM ’56
Eleanor H. Moty, ’68 FAA
1992
Jacqueline Triche Atkins, ’69 LAS, JD ’73 LAW
Herbert Y. Chang, ’60 ENG, MS ’62 ENG, PHD ’64 ENG
George M.C. Fisher, ’62 ENG, HON 96
Graham C. Grady, ’80 LAS
John G. “Red” Kerr, ’54 UIUC
Cecilia McCane “Ceil” Kuzma, ’70 LAS
Miriam J. “Jess” Marlow, ’58 DSSWV
Lester H. McKeever Jr., ’55 BUS
1991
William F. Kirk, ’64 ACES
Landon Parvin, ’70 BUS
Roger L. Plummer, ’64 ENG
David A. Powless, ’66 BUS
Christina Walton Tanner, ’86 LAS
Eddie N. Williams, ’54 MEDIA
1990
Stewart D. Daniels Jr., ’49 LAS
Stanley L. Elkin, ’52 LAS, AM ’53 LAS, PHD ’61 LAS, HON ’86
Laura Barber Fraley, ’77 LAS, MS ’79 BUS
William E. Geist, ’68 MEDIA
Charla M. Krupp, ’75 MEDIA
Robert “Bob” Martinez, AM ’64 LIR
William F. Mellberg, ’75 BUS
Dora Dougherty Strother, AM ’53 ED
Barbara Seaquist Williams, ’49 BUS
1989
Nancy Goodman Brinker, ’68 LAS
Richard B. Fink, ’50 VM, DVM ’52
Rita Bell, ’65 BUS
Jacquelyn Knight Gates, ’71 UIUC
H. Richard McFarland, ’52 ACES
Susan Sowle Suter, ’72 LAS
1988
Gary K. Bielfeldt, ’58 ACES, MS ’59 ACES
Lee H. Falk, ’32 LAS
Richard H. Frank, ’65 BUS
Grover G. Hankins, JD ’72 LAW
Hachiro “Buddy” Koyama, AM ’80 LIR, HON ’95
Kathy Olesker Pounds, ’71 LAS
Gail Shapiro Steinberg, ’69 LAS
1987
Max Abramovitz, ’29 FAA
Barton A. Cummings, ’35 MEDIA
W. Leonard Evans. Jr., ’35 BUS
John C. Houbolt, ’40 ENG, MS ’42 ENG, HON ’05
George E. Keck, ’32 BUS
Jack S. Kilby, ’47 ENG
Thomas A. Murphy, ’38 BUS
James B. “Scotty” Reston, ’32 MEDIA
Alfred B. Swanson, ’45 MEDIA, MD ’47 MEDIA
Phillips Talbot, ’36 MEDIA, ’36 LAS
Robert C. Underwood, JD ’39 LAW
Wilma L. Vaught, ’52 BUS
1986
Lee L. Morgan, ’41 ACES
Steven R. Nagel, ’69 ENG
Lou Proana, ’66 LAS
Edith Ann Stotler, ’68 LAS
John L. Strom, ’35 MEDIA
1985
Michael Colgrass Jr., ’56 FAA
Donald C. Johanson, ’66 LAS
Barbara Miller Knuckles, ’70 LAS, MS ’71 MEDIA
Prentice H. Marshall, ’49 DSSWV, JD ’51 LAW
Lynn Morley Martin, ’60 LAS
Sherman Ted Rice, ’43 ACES, MS ’48 ACES, PHD ’50 ACES
B. Kenneth West, ’55 LAS
1984
Andrew Barr, ’23 BUS, MS ’24 BUS
Richard A. Campbell, ’49 ENG, MS ’50 ENG
Roger J. Ebert, ’64 MEDIA
Richard A. Greenberg, ’70 FAA, MFA ’72 FAA
Charles Marshall, ’51 ACES
Cesar Pelli, MS ’54 FAA
Meredith Pleasant Sparks, PHD ’36 LAS
1983
James S. Brady, ’62 MEDIA
Harry J. Gray, ’41 MEDIA, MS ’47 MEDIA
Gardner W. Heidrick, ’35 BUS
Herbert H. McKenley, ’49 UIUC
Godfrey Sperling Jr., ’37 MEDIA
Marion Morse Wood, PHD ’65 MEDIA
1982
John B. Anderson, ’42 LAS, JD ’46 LAW
Arnold Orville Beckman, ’22 LAS, MS ’23 ENG
Carole Kamin Bellows, ’57 LAS
Earl B. Dickerson, ’14 LAS, HON ’84
Malcolm C. Todd, ’34 LAS
Craig S. Virgin, ’77 MEDIA
1981
Harold R. “Hal” Bruno Jr., ’50 MEDIA
Arthur S. “Arte” Johnson, ’49 MEDIA
Kathleen K. Kellaigh, ’76 FAA
Alfred N. Koplin, ’49 DSSWV
Lester G. Leutwiler, ’29 ENG
Timothy J. McCarthy, ’72 BUS
Nina Temple Shepherd, ’55 LAS
Larry A. Werries, ’62 ACES
1980
John S. Coleman, ’57 MEDIA
Sheldon F. Good, ’55 BUS
Alan M. Hallene Sr., ’51 ENG
Nancy Thies Marshall, ’79 LAS
Cirilo A. McSween, ’54 LAS
Judith Ford Johnson Nash, ’73 AHS
Jane Hayes Rader, ’54 LAS