The Butler University Alumni Association is recognizing the achievements of nine alumni and one University instructor as part of the 2022 Alumni Awards. The nine individuals receiving this year’s awards have demonstrated extraordinary professional achievements, generous service to the University, and unwavering commitment to their communities.
Award honorees will be recognized at a special Alumni Recognition Ceremony on Friday, October 21 during Butler’s annual Homecoming festivities.
This year’s recipients are:
· Butler Medal: William R. Shover ʼ52
· Butler Service Medal: Dr. Paul Valliere
· Robert Todd Duncan Alumni Achievement Award: Dr. Robert M. Jacobson ʼ80
· Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award: Patty Shute Wachel ʼ73
· Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award: Dr. Dana Altemeyer ʼ04, MS ʼ07
· Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award: Napoleon “Al” Carroll III ʼ13
· Mortar Award: William L. Sherwood ʼ84 and Dana L. Beaty Sherwood ʼ85
· Foundation Award: Bradley ʼ04 and Andrea (Sands) Hamann ʼ08
Butler Medal-William R. Shover ʼ52
William (Bill) Shover graduated from Butler in 1952 with a degree in journalism. Publisher Eugene C. Pulliam asked Shover to move to Phoenix in 1962, inviting him to further his journalism career and help better the city. Shover started his family in Phoenix and utilized the platform journalism offered, using his voice to help others and bring attention to his surrounding communities. Commonly referred to as “Mr. Phoenix,” Shover became well connected, getting things done and pushing for continuous growth within the city.
He helped bring the Super Bowl to the city for the first time in 1996 and was instrumental in the creation of what is now the Fiesta Bowl. Additionally, Shover was involved in the founding of numerous community organizations throughout the city including the Greater Phoenix Affordable Health Care Foundation, the Arizona Education Foundation, and the Phoenix Community Alliance.
Shover has always been an advocate for civil rights, taking the lead on making Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday an official holiday within Arizona by holding two public referendum ballot initiatives. He has received numerous awards, including The Cathedral High School Chartrand Award, the Arizona State University Distinguished Achievement Award, the National Football Foundation Quarterback Award, and induction into the Arizona Newspaper Association’s Hall of Fame. In addition, he is the namesake for numerous awards that have been established in his honor.
Shover’s love for basketball and passion for Butler University played a huge role in his development and leadership during his life. Shover and his wife Kay have continued to be loyal supporters of Butler University, making generous contributions to Butler Athletics, the Butler Fund for Student Scholarship, the Campaign for Hinkle Fieldhouse, and most recently, a leadership gift in support of the construction of Dugan Hall. Shover continues to mentor several Butler graduates, including the most recent Butler Medal Award recipient, Tom King. Shover embodies The Butler Way, representing the very best of Butler University in his personal and professional life.
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 even a national—reputation. Since 1959, this award has recognized individuals who have helped immeasurably toward perpetuating the University as a great educational and cultural institution and have had a profound influence on the course of Butler University.
Butler Service Medal-Dr. Paul Valliere
During Dr. Paul Valliere’s 47 years at Butler University, he left a mark on generations of students and faculty, becoming a lifelong mentor to many. Valliere touched many different areas and groups at Butler before retiring in 2018 as Professor of Religion and McGregor Professor in the Humanities. He arrived at Butler University with the initial task of directing the University’s Core Curriculum and Honors Program, while also serving as an academic advisor. Throughout his time, Valliere developed a new Core Curriculum requirement at Butler, which eventually evolved into the course all students take today titled Global and Historical Studies. He also played a crucial part in establishing the Butler Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Much of the Butler community also knows Valliere from the wide range of courses he taught within religion and humanities. These courses include a First Year Seminar called Faith, Doubt, and Reason, which quickly became one of the most popular First Year Seminar courses ever offered at Butler.
Valliere took on several other responsibilities throughout his time at Butler, including becoming the Head of the Philosophy and Religion Department, directing the Religion and World Civilization Seminar, and serving as Faculty Coordinator for the Center for Faith and Vocation. He co-wrote a $2,000,000 Lilly Endowment, Inc. grant in the early 2000’s to establish Butler University’s Center for Faith and Vocation. Additionally, Valliere’s work in establishing a series called the Butler Seminar on Religion and Global Affairs helped build a hub for religious life for the Butler community.
Valliere’s impact and contributions to Butler University are visible through the countless testimonies of students and faculty who were touched by him. He is a well-respected individual and beloved member of the Butler community. He has been married to his wife, Marjorie, for over fifty years and has three adult children. Valliere has faithfully served the Butler community as a colleague, professor, leader, and friend for over 47 years, and is a true example of a lifetime of distinguished service to Butler.
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 and therefore shown a profound influence.
The Robert Todd Duncan Award-Dr. Robert M. Jacobson ʼ80
Dr. Robert Jacobson is a pediatrician at the Mayo Clinic and holds the rank of Professor of Pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. He also serves as the medical director for the Population Health Service Program at the Robert D. and Patricia E. Earn Center for Science of Health Care Delivery.
Jacobson’s education began at Butler University, where he earned a degree in Chemistry, graduating summa cum laude with Highest Honors from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1980. After leaving Butler, Jacobson attended medical school at the University of Chicago, followed by an internship and residency in pediatrics, with a fellowship in Clinical Epidemiology, at Yale University School of Medicine. In 1988, he received his certification from the American Board of Pediatrics. He specializes in research on childhood and adolescent vaccines and has published 247 peer-reviewed research papers. Jacobson focuses on population-based interventions to improve vaccine delivery for both children and adults. He continues to further his expertise within his field through several different professional medical organizations including being elected into membership within the Society of Pediatric Research and the American Pediatric Society.
In 2003, Jacobson was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Dedicated Work on the Anthrax Vaccine Human Clinical Trial, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has received numerous awards at the Mayo Clinic for excellence in teaching, including Pediatric Days Distinguished Educator, CTSA Teacher of the Year, and also Faculty of the Year. Jacobson’s wife Renee is also a Butler graduate and the couple has four adult children: Seth, Alec, Tess, and Eli.
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.
The Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award-Patty Shute Wachel ʼ73
Patty Shute Wachel, an Indianapolis native and a proud alumna of Butler University, graduated in 1973 with a degree in sociology. Wachel is part of a third generation Butler family, with her father, Duane Shute ʼ33, and daughter, Katie Wachel ʼ14, both being proud Bulldogs. Wachel grew up on Butler’s campus and wanted the experience that her father had with the University. She is also married to a Butler graduate, Stan Wachel ʼ74. Wachel retired in 2020 from her professional career in human resources, where she worked to develop and implement training platforms and recruitment strategies.
During her time as a student at Butler, Wachel was a member of Delta Gamma (DG). She has served several roles within DG, including Vice-President of Membership, and she spent time traveling to over 40 college campuses around the country to visit different Delta Gamma chapters. She currently serves on the Delta Gamma Board of Advisors, where she is working with the re-established DG chapter at Harvard University. She is a Rose Circle Honoree and has received the Delta Gamma Cable and Loyal Awards.
Wachel’s foundations at Butler University and Delta Gamma instilled a deep commitment to volunteering and serving her surrounding community. She has served on several organizations’ Board of Directors, including the Wichita Catholic Charities Board and the Delta Gamma Center for Children with Visual Impairments Board. Wachel continues to be extremely involved with Butler University, serving on the Alumni Board of Directors from 2014 until 2018. Wachel and her husband co-chair the Greater Boston Alumni Community, which recently celebrated its third anniversary in August. The couple also funded the Shute-Wachel Liberal Arts Scholarship. This year, Wachel has begun working with the Alumni Board and the Alumni Engagement Committee as a Putnam Society Emeritus Director. Wachel left Butler with a sense of confidence in her professional and leadership abilities, which she has applied to every aspect of her life.
The Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award recognizes a graduate who is established in their career, and who 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.
The Hilton Ultimus Brown Alumni Achievement Award-Dr. Dana Altemeyer ʼ04, MS ʼ07
Dr. Dana Altemeyer graduated from Butler in 2004 with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in French. Upon graduating, Altemeyer became a French teacher at Franklin Township Middle School, where she piloted the first years of a world language program.
In 2007, Altemeyer received her Master of Science in School Counseling, leading her to a role as a school therapist and counselor in the Indianapolis Public School district. For several years, she provided mental health services in a non-traditional setting, removing obstacles that prevent students’ social and academic success. She eventually became the director of Guidance at Harshman Magnet Middle School and served in this role from 2010 to 2012. Through the University of Indianapolis, she once again furthered her education with the iLead Principal Preparation Program in 2011. With this additional certification, Altemeyer became an Assistant Principal and implemented several important programs for the Indianapolis student population. In 2017, Altemeyer graduated with her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Indiana University.
Since 2014, Altemeyer has served as the Director of Communications in the Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Lawrence Township. She was presented with the MSD of Lawrence Township Superintendent’s Award in 2020. Within her professional career, Altemeyer has also been awarded the National School Public Relations Association Publication and Digital Media Award of Merit every year since 2019.
Altemeyer has led a life of personal and professional accomplishments, serving Indianapolis residents and going above and beyond her daily responsibilities. She served on the Butler University Young Alumni Board of Directors from 2011 to 2014 and has served on the board of directors for several nonprofit organizations throughout the city.
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.
The Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award-Napoleon “Al” Carroll III ʼ13
Napoleon “Al” Carroll III is a leader within business and civic talent attraction, development, and retention. Carroll received a degree in marketing from Butler University in 2013 and went on to receive his Masters in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University in 2020. Carroll is currently the President and CEO of IndyHub and has served in several different civic and leadership roles within his community, including time with the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and TechPoint. He has provided in-depth advising to public-private partnerships, proposing unique ways cross-sector entities in Indianapolis can collaborate and move the community forward.
Carroll has focused on collaborating with universities within Indiana to recruit college students to live and work in Indianapolis. One of his accomplishments includes delivering the virtual S.O.S. Challenge for over 500 participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. His efforts were recognized as the Best Workforce and Pipeline Development program in 2021 by Technology Councils of North America. Since 2017, Carrol has served as a Trustee for the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation (HOBY). Carrol currently lives in Lawrence Township with his wife, Nicole, and their two children, Eliana and Leo.
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.
The Mortar Award-William L. Sherwood ʼ84 and Dana L. Beaty Sherwood ʼ85
William (Bill) L. Sherwood and Dana L. Beaty Sherwood met as students at Butler University and have now been married for more than 37 years. The couple is extremely passionate about their Butler roots, exemplifying aspects of strong leadership and generosity to the Butler community. Bill graduated in 1984, with Dana graduating a year later, both with degrees in Accounting.
Bill and Dana are both CPAs, with Bill being a seasoned financial executive with over 35 years of experience and Dana serving as the President of C-tech Corporation, Inc. since 1989. The Sherwoods were both walk-on student-athletes at Butler and, with their personal experiences, they acknowledge the importance of scholarship funds for students competing in non-major sports. The couple has also been Butler Basketball season ticket holders for several years, supporting the team’s journey to the NCAA National Championship in 2010 and 2011.
Their Bulldog family has continued to grow over the years, as their son Jared attended Butler and graduated in 2015, in addition to Dana’s sister LeAnne being a Butler graduate from the class of 1989, and two of their nieces recently transferring to Butler as well. Dana has served on the boards of several not-for-profit organizations, including First Christian Church, Shelby County United Fund, and the Franklin Township Education Foundation. She also serves on the Board and as Treasurer at Christian Theological Seminary. The Sherwoods are committed to The Butler Way and consistently give back to the University that has had such an immeasurable impact on their family.
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.
The Foundation Award-Bradley ʼ04 and Andrea (Sands) Hamann ʼ08
Bradley and Andrea (Sands) Hamann are Butler graduates and active members of the Indianapolis community. Andrea holds her Doctorate in Pharmacy, and was a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity and Butler Student Association of Pharmacy during her time at Butler. After graduating, she was a Compounding and Staff Pharmacist at Walgreens and currently is a pharmacist with Accredo/Cigna. She has served as a preceptor for the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where she introduced students to retail pharmacy. Andrea has also served as a judge in selecting Butler’s Top 100 Outstanding Students and continues to be active in connecting prospective and current students at Butler. Andrea and Bradley are advocates for the Indiana Donor Network, as Andrea is a 2018 kidney transplant recipient.
In 2003 and 2004, Bradley was honored twice as one of Butler’s Top Ten Outstanding Students. He graduated with a degree in marketing with a minor in psychology. He served as the Bulldog mascot for three years and mentored students as a Resident Assistant and Assistant Hall Director. Shortly after graduation, Bradley began his real estate career in two different states, receiving “Rookie of the Year” in 2008. He currently runs his own brokerage in Indiana. He has remained actively involved with Butler, mentoring students in the Lacy School of Business and serving on the Butler Young Alumni Board of Directors. He was honored by the Butler Alumni Association in 2015 with the Joseph Irwin Sweeney Alumni Service Award.
The couple are active members at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and share a passion for serving Butler University. They are scholarship donors and Butler basketball season ticket holders. The Hamanns reside in Butler-Tarkington with their dog, Sophie.
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.