by Alyssa Speicher, Public Relations Writer
Cedarville University will honor outstanding alumni during the annual Legacy Banquet Friday, Oct. 6. The banquet is part of the university’s traditional homecoming activities.
Dr. Peter Lillback will receive this year’s Alumnus of the Year award. Lillback graduated in 1974 and now serves as president of Westminster Theological Seminary. He is also a professor of theology and church history and has published many notable works, including “George Washington’s Sacred Fire,” a biography of the United States’ first president that spotlights his devout Christian faith.
Joy Summers is this year’s Young Alumna of the Year. Summers, a 2010 Cedarville graduate, is half of WAY-FM’s Carlos & Joy afternoon radio show. She began her radio career as a host on Cedarville’s Resound Radio. Now, she reaches a nationwide audience through the Nashville-based Christian radio station.
Bill and Nora Bolthouse, founders of the Bolthouse Foundation, will receive the Honorary Alumni of the Year award for their distinguished and ongoing service to Cedarville University. Among many contributions to the university, they established the William J. and Nora J. Scholarship in 1994, and Bill is a member emeritus of Cedarville’s board of trustees.
John McGillivray, a 1970 graduate, will be presented the Distinguished Service award recognizing his nearly 45-year teaching career at Cedarville. McGillivray served as professor of kinesiology and allied health, recreation center supervisor and head men’s and women’s soccer coach at Cedarville. McGillivray has been with Cedarville since 1974, when he started as head coach of the men’s soccer team.
Walter Strickland, who graduated in 2006, will be awarded the One Another Mindset award, established in 2011 to honor alumni who exemplify service and Christian unity. Strickland is associate vice president for kingdom diversity initiatives and assistant professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also works as a diversity consultant, conference speaker and itinerant preacher.
Award winners were nominated by fellow alumni around the country and selected by the university’s cabinet.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,963 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.