Nine Butler University alumni and one professor emeritus who have demonstrated extraordinary professional achievement and service to the University and their communities will be honored at the annual Alumni Awards Recognition Program on Friday, October 25, at 6:00 PM in the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts, part of Homecoming Weekend festivities. Registration for the awards ceremony and all Homecoming activities can be made online.
This year’s recipients are:
- Butler Medal: Craig E. Fenneman ’71
- Butler Service Medal: Dr. H. Marshall Dixon
- Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award: Michele McConnell ’93
- Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award: James M. Bagnoli ’75
- Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award: LCDR Jennifer A. Cockrill ’04
- Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award: Marc A. Williams ’07
- Mortar Award: Joseph ’88 and Florie (Theofanis) Eaton ’88
- Foundation Award: Loren ’08 and Morgan (Greenlee) Snyder ’07
Butler Medal: Craig E. Fenneman ’71
Craig Fenneman graduated from Reitz High School, where he served as student council president. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Butler University and attended Indiana University School of Law for two years before pursuing a career in commercial real estate.
Mr. Fenneman founded two Indiana-based businesses: Fenneman and Associates, a real estate development company, and Southern Bells, Inc., one of the largest Taco Bell franchisees in the country. He has given back to his community in many ways, including serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the YMCA Camp Carson and Chairman of the Boy Scouts of America National Foundation. He also sits on the Board of the YMCA of greater Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Community Foundation of Morgan County.
In addition, Mr. Fenneman has been a loyal alumnus and friend to Butler University. A former member of Butler’s Board of Trustees, he held the position of Board Chair from 2011 to 2014. He also served on the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors, the Hinkle Campaign Cabinet, and the ButlerRising Campaign Cabinet. Craig and his wife, Mary Stover-Fenneman, are honorees of Butler University’s premier philanthropic giving community, the Carillon Society, and are recognized on Cornerstone Plaza for their generous lifetime giving to Butler University. Their philanthropic support has benefitted the Butler Fund, the Campaign for Hinkle Fieldhouse, the ButlerRising Campaign, the Craig Fenneman Endowed Scholarship, the Butler Business Consulting Group, and, most recently, they have joined the Founders Circle as donors to the new Lacy School of Business building and as lead donors to the Science Expansion and Renovation project.
Mr. Fenneman has received the Sagamore of the Wabash, YMCA Camp Carson Outstanding Volunteer Award, YMCA of Southwest Indiana “James Orr Award” as Outstanding Volunteer, Boys Scouts of American Silver Beaver, Award of Merit, Silver Antelope, Silver Buffalo, Distinguished Eagle and 2007 Ernst & Young Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
The Butler Medal is the highest honor conferred by the Butler University Alumni Association. It recognizes individuals for a lifetime of distinguished service to either Butler University or their local community while at the same time achieving a distinguished career in their chosen profession and attaining a regional or preferably a national reputation. Since 1959, it has recognized individuals who have helped immeasurably toward perpetuating the University as a great educational and cultural institution and have had, during their lifetime, a profound influence on the course of Butler University.
Butler Service Medal: Dr. H. Marshall Dixon
Marshall Dixon was born in the Bronx, but grew up in Southern Maryland, where he was a professional fur trapper at age 11. After receiving a PhD in physics from the University of Virginia, he served on the faculties of Tulane University and New Mexico State University, and also worked for Westinghouse Research Laboratory and White Sands Missile Range. Along the way, he served a term of duty in the U.S. Army.
He joined the faculty of Butler University in 1957 and taught physics, electrical engineering, constitutional law and the history of law for 53 years. Early during his tenure at Butler, the University hosted “scientifically minded” high school students in a program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Dixon taught physics to these students, and, when the NSF grant ran out, continued the program on his own in his third-floor laboratory in Jordan Hall. No one was invited or turned away and news of the class was spread by word of mouth. By 1972, The Indianapolis Star reported that over 100 exceptional youngsters had passed through the program, many of them eventually attending Butler.
In addition, Dixon housed and fed Butler students free of charge for decades, introducing them to a wide range of international cuisines (he did all the cooking himself) and mentoring them in their study of physics. As a result, close to 50 of his students went on to earn PhD’s.
Dixon retired from Butler in 2010, but continues to stay involved in physics education. Dixon and his colleagues developed a four-year, university-level physics program at Cathedral High School that prepares approximately 100 students each year for advanced study. Dixon has also gone on to publish Natural Philosophy: The Logic of Physics, a three-volume textbook series for Amazon.
The Butler Service Medal, established by the Alumni Association in 2001, is the second highest honor conferred by the Butler University Alumni Association and is reserved for recognition of emeriti faculty or retired faculty and staff (graduate or non-graduate). The recipient will have achieved a lifetime of distinguished service to Butler University and/or the community. Recipients will have helped to shape the past and future successes of Butler University and therefore shown a profound influence.
Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award: Michele McConnell ’93
A native of Indianapolis, Michele McConnell graduated from Butler University in 1993 with a degree in Music Education, minoring in Speech Communication and Theater. She has since launched a performance career spanning musical theatre, opera, cabaret, professional choral work, and touring productions.
McConnell made her Broadway debut in The Phantom of the Opera, starting in the ensemble, and then taking over the starring role of Carlotta for a record-breaking six years. McConnell also has the privileged distinction to be the longest running Carlotta in Broadway history, with over 2,200 performances in the role to her credit. Her other extensive credits include performing in the national tour of Camelot alongside Robert Goulet, appearing with the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players at City Center, in Montreal and Las Vegas productions of Beauty and the Beast, and in Carly Simon’s Romulus Hunt.
McConnell has given back to Butler by teaching master classes on campus and by her active participation in the NYC Butler Community. She’s also taught at the Manhattan School of Music, the University of Indianapolis, and the Berklee College of Music. Since 2010, she has been an adjunct faculty member in voice at New Jersey City University.
McConnell actively serves as the President of the Board of Trustees for Skyline Theatre Company in Bergen County, NJ. She had the distinction of being recognized in 2018 by the New Jersey Theatre Alliance for her “dedication to and impact on arts education.” In addition, she has received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation (her high school alma mater in Indiana).
The Robert Todd Duncan Award recognizes a graduate who is established in their career, and whose personal and/or professional accomplishment brings honor and distinction to the University, and individual attainment and/or contributions for the betterment of society. This award honors the spirit and accomplishments of Robert Duncan, a 1925 graduate, noted opera singer, and educator who in 1945, became the first African American to sing with a major white opera company, the New York City Opera Company.
Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award: James M. Bagnoli ’75
James M. Bagnoli ’75 is an enthusiastic Butler volunteer and comes from a family of fellow Bulldogs—his father, aunt, and brother are all Butler University alumni. A member of the Butler University Alumni Association Board from 2013 to 2017, he served as Vice President from 2016 to 2017. He has been an Athletic Department volunteer since 2013 and has worked on special projects for the Cross Country and Track and Field team. Bagnoli is also a frequent Bulldogs Into the Streets (BITS) participant and can regularly be found at events hosted by the Central Indiana Butler Community, including the annual Bulldog Crawl and basketball viewing parties.
Bagnoli retired from a four-decade career in banking in 2015. He began his career as a bank teller with Bank One in 1975 and worked his way through the ranks to become Senior Vice President – Business Banking. Later, as an Executive Vice President at USA Financial Services, he created a nationwide network of funding sources for commercial loan requests and marketed to residential brokers in the Midwest. As a Vice President at CU Channels, he coordinated the sales and marketing efforts for Indiana and Kentucky, located funding sources to supplement conventional mortgage programs, and coordinated efforts to generate new credit union relationships in the region.
Bagnoli received his bachelor’s degree in Social Studies from Butler in 1975. A member of Phi Delta Theta, he learned early in his time at Butler of the importance of volunteer work. That commitment to volunteerism and community engagement continued throughout his career and personal life.
The Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award recognizes a graduate who is established in their career, and has displayed and recognizes a long-term commitment of outstanding service to the University. The recipients of this award have provided demonstrable service to the University to assist in perpetuating Butler as a great educational and cultural institution. This award honors the memory of Katharine Graydon who graduated from Butler in 1878, and was a Professor of English Literature at the University from 1907 to 1930, receiving an honorary doctorate of literature in 1928. Graydon served as the Alumni Secretary and Editor of the Alumnal Quarterly from its first edition in 1922 until her retirement in 1929, when she was named Professor Emerita.
Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award: LCDR Jennifer A. Cockrill ’04
Since graduating from Butler University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Jennifer Cockrill has committed her professional career to advancing medical science and public health globally as a dedicated public servant and Commissioned Officer in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.
Her civilian service to the United States has included investigating the mechanisms of anthrax toxin at the National Institutes of Health, working toward the development of a malaria vaccine at the Naval Medical Research Center, and conducting epidemiological health surveillance of critical medical outcomes for members of the U.S. military at the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center.
As a quarantine officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, LCDR Cockrill was repeatedly hand-selected to lead challenging missions critical to protecting global public health, from aiding in the Ebola Response in Liberia in 2016 to fighting Zika in Puerto Rico to assisting in the responses to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and Michael, to name a few.
She is currently a Regional Emergency Coordinator for Health and Human Services’ Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in Region 10, where she works closely on public health preparedness and response efforts with the states of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Jennifer holds graduate degrees from UC Berkeley and Georgetown University, and is currently appointed as the Vice-Chair and Chair-Elect of the advisory group to the Surgeon General on matters affecting LGBT officers in the Commissioned Corps.
The Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award honors a recent graduate whose personal and/or professional accomplishment brings honor and distinction to the University, and individual attainment and/or contributions for the betterment of society. Hilton U. Brown gave a lifetime of service to his career and Butler University, including serving on the Board of Trustees for 71 years. He was an award-winning newspaper journalist and Managing Editor at the Indianapolis News for more than seven decades.
Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award: Marc A. Williams ’07
Marc A. Williams is a 2007 graduate of Butler University, where he earned his degree in Media Arts: Recording Industry Studies. Williams is the second Butler graduate in his family; his older sister, Danielle, graduated in December 2004. Danielle is responsible for introducing Marc to Butler and encouraging him to attend.
After graduation, Williams embarked on a career in education, earning his master’s degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Ball State University in 2015. He currently serves as the Assistant Principal at Fall Creek Intermediate School in Fishers, Indiana. In this role, he is committed to serving his school community by focusing on creating and sustaining a joyful and healthy school environment and experience. Williams is also an adjunct professor at Butler University, where he teaches “A World of Hip-Hop” in the Honors Program.
Williams uses the pseudonym “Mr. Kinetik” as a professional musician, DJ, and emcee. At the start of the 2009-2010 season, Marc began to volunteer as the on-court promotions emcee for Butler Men’s Basketball games, a role he still fulfills to this day. This passion for creativity and performance has given him opportunities to represent, serve, and remain connected to Butler as an alumnus.
Lindsey Martin ’05, Director of Athletic Marketing and Licensing for Butler, has this to say about Williams’ contributions to the atmosphere in Hinkle: “He has become such an integral part of our game day production that if he needs to miss a game for work or a family commitment, our Twitter feed is inundated with questions on his whereabouts—and the atmosphere in the arena is noticeably different.”
The Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award recognizes a recent alumnus who has demonstrated a significant commitment of outstanding service to the University. The award’s recipients have provided demonstrable service to the University to assist in perpetuating Butler as a great educational and cultural institution. The award honors the spirit and example of Joseph Sweeney, a young student with a great deal of potential, whose life was tragically cut short.
Mortar Award: Joseph ’88 and Florie (Theofanis) Eaton ’88
Joseph Eaton received his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Butler University in 1988 and earned his Juris Doctorate (cum laude) from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1991. He embarked on a career with Barnes & Thornburg as a Summer Associate in 1990, and was named Partner in 2000.
Eaton is a member of a number of professional organizations and has taken on many leadership roles throughout his three-decade career. His memberships include the American Bar Association, the Indianapolis Bar Association, the Indiana State Bar Association, the Defense Research Institute, Trial Lawyers of America, and International Association of Defense Counsel. He was honored as a Distinguished Fellow of the Indianapolis Bar Foundation in 2004 and has been named an Indianapolis Business Journal Super Lawyer (Civil Defense) every year since 2006.
His service to Butler has included membership on the Board of Trustees, the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and the ButlerRising Capital Campaign. He has also been a member of numerous civic organizations in Fishers and has been involved in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools Foundation.
Florie (Theofanis) Eaton received her degree in Public and Corporate Communications from Butler University in 1988 and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She began her career in communications in 1987 at an Indianapolis-based commercial real estate firm and later started her own specialty sales business.
She is a long-time member of the Fishers YMCA Board of Advisors and president of the Fishers Tri Kappa Associate Chapter. A dedicated Butler volunteer, Florie has served on the University’s Alumni Association Board, the Kappa Alpha Theta Advisory Board, and as an alumni outreach volunteer. She is a past volunteer with a number of civic and cultural organizations in Fishers.
Joe, Florie and their children, Kailey ’17 and Zach ’20, established the Eaton Family Scholarship at Butler University in 2018.
The Mortar Award, created in 1995, honors one person or couple each year who personifies the Butler spirit by demonstrating great vision, leadership, and generosity to Butler University.
Foundation Award: Loren ’08 and Morgan (Greenlee) Snyder ’07
Loren Snyder earned his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Butler University, where he served as the freshman class president, competed on the Men’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams, and served as the Dawg Pound President. He has served on the University’s Young Alumni Board and was recently invited to act as an advisor for Butler’s student-managed investment fund.
Snyder is a Senior Vice President and managing partner of The Matthews/Snyder Wealth Advisory Team. In 2018 and 2019, he was named a “Top 40 Under 40” wealth advisor by On Wall Street magazine. He is a third-generation Rotarian and recently completed his term as President of the Bloomington Rotary Club.
Morgan Snyder graduated from Butler University in 2007. She is the Director of Public Relations at Visit Indy, the city’s official destination marketing organization. She previously served as the Public Relations and Marketing Manager for the Conrad Indianapolis Hotel and as a member of the Hirons & Company team. An active member of the Society of American Travel Writers, the Public Relations Society of America, and Leadership Indianapolis, Morgan has been named a “Top 30 Under 30” by Destinations International and one of “Indy’s Best and Brightest” by Junior Achievement. She recently graduated from the Stanley K. Lacy Leadership Program and was elected to the Travel & Tourism PR Professionals’ national executive committee.
Along with fellow family members, the Snyders established the Lippert and Snyder Family Scholarship at Butler University and they both serve on the University’s recently formed Board of Visitors. Loren, Morgan, and their son, Coleman, live in downtown Indianapolis with their English bulldog, Franklin.
The Foundation Award, created in 2011, honors one person or couple (age 40 and younger) each year who personifies the Butler spirit by demonstrating leadership and generosity to Butler University.