Illini Comeback

Each year since 1980, the Student Alumni Ambassadors of the University of Illinois Alumni Association invite a group of distinguished alumni back to the campus to participate in traditional activities such as the Homecoming Parade and Pep Rally. These alumni honorees also interact with current students and talk about their professional experiences since leaving their Alma Mater.

2012 Illini Comeback Honorees

Ron Bess ’69 bus, ms ’ 72 media has been a driving force in the Chicago advertising community for more than 25 years. As president of Havas Worldwide in North America, he oversees the growth of the global marketing agency’s regional network; in his role as CEO of Havas Worldwide in Chicago, he is credited with leading the most significant turnaround in the agency’s history. Bess’ ability to help clients achieve dramatic results has been the hallmark of his career, and he has worked with some of the nation's most respected companies, including McDonald's, Anheuser-Busch, Gatorade, General Mills, Sprint and Kraft. The former co-captain of the football team and all-Big Ten Conference offensive back has served on the boards of the UI Athletic Association and the Department of Advertising’s James Webb Young Fund, and is a member of the UI Foundation. He is a life member of the Alumni Association and in 2010 was named Chicago Illini of the Year. Bess maintains an interest in initiatives that assist children, including the Off the Street Club (Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club), as well as programs that prevent child sexual abuse and help families of children with special needs. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1969 and a master’s degree in advertising in 1972.

The notable career of Sheldon Siegel ’80 bus has taken a two-pronged path – as a corporate attorney at the San Francisco office of the international law firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP and as the New York Times’ best-selling novelist of eight legal thrillers. A dozen years ago, Siegel set a goal of completing a first draft of a novel by his 40th birthday; he made the deadline by three days, and in 2000, Special Circumstances was published, the first of seven critically acclaimed courtroom dramas featuring two San Francisco defense attorneys. His eighth novel, The Terrorist Next Door, introduces two detectives as new protagonists and takes place in Siegel’s hometown of Chicago. At present, the attorney/author, whose works have sold in the millions, writes full-time and practices law part-time as a specialist in corporate and securities law. He is also the first-base coach for the Mount Tam Pirates, a high school travel baseball team in Marin County, Calif. A life member of the UI Alumni Association, Siegel keeps in regular touch with the College of Business at the University of Illinois, from which he graduated in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy and Bronze Tablet honors, the highest accolade bestowed by the University to the top 3 percent of its graduates.

Beverly Washington, ’78 ffa, FAA is the president and owner of Image Factor, a Chicago-based professional training, coaching and image-consulting firm that offers seminars and workshops around the world on personal and professional development. A successful entrepreneur, she has also worked as a motivational speaker, guest lecturer, model, television host, author and a fashion merchandising and corporate buyer for major stores such as Marshall Fields & Co., the Limited Express and Hart Schaffner Marx. A four-time Big Ten champion high jumper and three-time recipient of the George Huff Award for athletic and academic success, Washington was a member of the 1979 U.S. Olympic training team, as well as the U.S. Women’s All-American Track and Field Team as a high jumper and long jumper. Her many honors include the Outstanding Achievement Award from the University’s Black Alumni Association and being one of the top 100 women selected by Today’s Chicago Woman news magazine. Washington has served on the University’s Athletic Advisory Board and as an Illinois Connection ambassador, and has been a featured speaker at many University events. A life member of the UI Alumni Association, she earned a bachelor’s degree in 1978 in the teaching of dance.

Past Illini Comeback Guests

 

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