Elmhurst to Give Alumni, Faculty, Staff Merit Award

Submitted by Elmhurst College.

As one of the highlights of the 2015 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend in early October, Elmhurst College will present Alumni Merit Awards to three of its graduates who have made exemplary contributions to society and to the College. The College also will present its Faculty and Staff Merit Award posthumously to Elmhurst College Professor Emeritus William Barclay.

Established in 1962 by the Alumni Association of Elmhurst College, the Alumni Merit Awards are given to alumni who embody and achieve excellence in community, career or service to the College. Awardees are nominated by the College community and voted on by a select committee of Elmhurst College alumni. The awards will be presented on Saturday, October 10, during the Alumni Breakfast.

Chuck Canfield (Class of 1989), of Bethesda, Md., will receive the College’sDistinguished Service to Society Award. A globally recognized leader in his field, Canfield is a senior corporate governance officer with the World Bank Group. Over the last 10 years, he has drafted law and regulations for 10 countries, and worked with thousands of companies in the developing world to improve environmental, social and governance practices.

As an alumnus, Canfield has contributed to Elmhurst College’s success in a number of ways. While living in Hong Kong, he met with visiting professors fromElmhurst and helped them to develop a J-Term course in China. He also has supported the College’s wrestling team through direct financial assistance, as well as by organizing other alumni to donate time and money to the annual Al Hanke Wrestling Tournament.

John Brown (Class of 1950), of Louisville, Ky., will receive Elmhurst College’sDistinguished Service to Alma Mater Award. A retired biochemistry professor and administrator at the University of Louisville, Professor Brown has long been passionate about education and Elmhurst College. After serving in the Army at the end of World War II, Professor Brown attended Elmhurst, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He credits his success in life to the College—it is where he met his late wife, Lois (Class of 1949), and where several professors made a profound impact on his life. He pursued his passion for teaching at the University of Louisville, where he taught biochemistry for more than 40 years. Professor Brown also has been a longtime supporter of Elmhurst College through generous gifts to the chemistry department.

Erik Ellingson (Class of 2011), of South Elgin, Ill., will receive the College’sYoung Alumni Award. Through hard work and dedication, Ellingson has advanced in his career while continuing to give back to the Elmhurst community and beyond. Ellingson is a director of acquisitions at First Union Rail Corp. As an alumnus, Ellingson supports the basketball program, connects other Alpha Tau Omega alumni to the current chapter members on campus, and frequently attends alumni events.

The Dr. Andrew K. Prinz Faculty/Staff Merit Award will be given posthumously to William Barclay, a revered English professor at Elmhurst College. Students and colleagues recall Barclay’s remarkable depth and breadth of knowledge about English literature, and the work he did to help develop academic programs at theCollege. He was an inspiration to his students, and stayed in touch with many of them long after they graduated. Professor Barclay began teaching at Elmhurst in 1953, and was promoted to professor in 1963. He became a professor emeritus when he retired in 1990. He died in 2006, at the age of 83.

Elmhurst College alumnus Mark Andel (Class of ’79), who nominated Professor Barclay for the award, said “Dr. Barclay represented everything positive about what theElmhurst College experience was for me ... He lived what he was—a fine, distinguished gentleman and role model and an undiminished, inextinguishable credit to ElmhurstCollege.”