The emeritus title originates from the Latin emereri (meaning: earn one's discharge by service) and is often used in distinguished academic fields. In bestowing this title, we acknowledge and respect the two parts of the concept:

1) honor for service

2) continuation of belonging

The inspiration for this status is reflected in the inaugural class – each member has been both visionary in his leadership and dedicated in his service. In granting this new status, we confirm that, although they may not be with us on a regular basis, their exemplary service merits their always being an esteemed part of our organization.

Henry Amble

Henry Amble was born in 1926 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the older of two boys. His grandparents were born in Norway. The family moved to Lincoln Park, MI where Henry’s dad worked as an auto mechanic for Franklin Motor Car Company and then for Wonder Bread.

Henry enlisted in the U.S. Air Force even before he graduated from Lincoln Park High School in 1944. Although he wanted to be a pilot, after he did his basic training in Biloxi, MS, he was stationed at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, AL where he worked with a group of Ph.D.’s who gave psychological exams to enlisted men to see if they would be suitable for long-term service.

After World War II, Henry came back to Lincoln Park. He applied to University of Michigan but was rejected. Not discouraged, Henry went to Wayne State University for one year and then transferred to the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1950.

After graduation, Henry worked in California for North American Aviation, where he helped design the circuitry for the F86, the North American Sabre Jet, a single engine plane designed to be an interceptor which shot down bombers. It was a plane that would be very successful in helping win the Korean conflict.

After one year, Henry moved back to Michigan to enroll in UM’s graduate school in engineering. Subsequently, he got a job at Willow Run Laboratories. This former B-24 bomber plant during WWII was now part of the University and served as a commercial airport and labs working on infra-red recording instrumentation. In fact, one of its divisions invented the first side-looking radar.

Henry was also ‘side-looking’ at the time at a young woman named Phylis, who worked as a secretary in the radar lab. True to his maize and blue roots, their first date was a U of M hockey game at the old coliseum on Hoover Street. Engineering efficiently, they met in September 1953 and were married by September 1954. Phylis’s sister, who was taking bets, predicted that the marriage wouldn’t last a year. That was 56 years ago…

Henry continued to work on national level radar projects and decided not to finish graduate school. With top security level clearance, he became coordinator for the Tri-Service Radar Symposium, co-sponsored by the Air Force, Navy and Army. In addition, he was manager of the Willow Run Laboratories until Willow Run Labs became the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM) during the Vietnam Era. Later ERIM would ‘morph’ into General Dynamics, home of fellow Rotarians, John Ackenheusen and Dale Ausherman.

Henry says that he is most proud of his children. All four of his kids have master’s degrees, and as Henry says, he “likes to brag about them every chance he gets.” Karla, born in 1958, was a class mate of mine at Huron. She was a scholar and an incredible runner who went to Harvard, where she earned 9 varsity letters in track and cross-country. She is married with two boys and teaches math at Taft, a private prep school in Connecticut. Laura, born in 1960, was a swimmer who attended Cornell on a Naval ROTC scholarship. She spent five years in the Navy teaching math at the Naval Academy Prep School. Robin came along in 1962. Robin and her husband, Victor, have three daughters, Susanna, Christina and Gabriela. Robin earned a degree from the U of M in Library Science, worked as a research librarian in Washington, DC, and then returned to her roots in Ann Arbor. Henry’s youngest, David, was born in 1965 and attended the University of Michigan where he earned a degree from the College of Engineering in Naval Architecture. He is married, has a son, and lives in Seattle, where he is a consultant for the Port of Seattle.

About Phylis, Henry says, “She is the best thing that ever happened to me.” Together they have traveled around the world with favorite stops in Norway and Antarctica. Alaska is still on the ‘bucket list.’ In addition to travel, Henry collects German Leica cameras, enjoys reading mysteries and history, and going to Michigan football games.

Henry joined Rotary in 1977 at the urging of Bill St.Alban, his neighbor, who was Director of the Red Cross. His job in the Club back then was taking notes at weekly meetings for the Harpoon and delivering them to the Boy Scouts building, where they were printed. He is one of our Paul Harris Fellows. His advice to others is to always live by the Golden Rule “doing unto others as you would like them to do unto you.”

Our club is honored to honor you as a man dedicated to his family, service, research and his Country. [Remarks by Karen Kerry, Nov. 24, 2010]

Phil Alexander

Our Rotary Club gives four awards. Phil Alexander has now earned all four: the Distinguished Service Award, based on his service to the club; Paul Harris Fellow, based on his financial contribution to Rotary International; the Ambassador of Goodwill Award, which Phil himself founded, and since 2005 was honored more than 100 Rotarians and Rotaractors in District 6380 who have traveled to another country at their own expense to further the goals and objectives of Rotary; and today, an Emeritus Award. With this award, we celebrate Phil’s 34 years of service, dedication, and visionary leadership. He has touched people around the world--a playground in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, a water project in Dhule, India—just part of Phil’s diverse and rich life of giving.

Phil was born in Olean, Missouri in 1929. The family story says he was born in the family’s farmhouse in time for supper. Soon after, the family moved to Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Phil skipped the first grade, which meant he was one of the smallest youngest boys in his class all the way through high school. His first job was as a paper boy, and he remembers launching a science club. He pursued his love of science at Case Western Reserve University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Chemistry in 1950. During those years, his social objective was to meet and date 100 girls. He began describing each in his little black book. However, somewhere before he reached 100, he met and married Elaine, who was at Hiram College with his sister.

After earning a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering, Phil completed Basic Training in the Army, and he and Elaine went to Dugway Proving Grounds in the Utah desert. Since there was no housing on the base, Phil and other fellow soldiers commuted 60 miles each day over the mountains. Phil and Elaine remember their quarters, a second basement apartment of a motel. After his second year of service, at Denver’s Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Phil worked for Dow Chemical Company for several years in Lake Jackson, Texas, earned a MBA at the University of California at Berkeley, moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida for three years, and then to Dow Chemical’s International Division in Midland, Michigan, where he did a lot of traveling.

But Phil had always wanted to run his own business, so the family came to Ann Arbor so Phil could work with Dr. Rensis Likert at the Institute for Social Research to gain experience in organizational survey and consulting. In 1974, Phil started his own consulting firm, Ann Arbor Consulting Associates, where he developed and implemented innovative strategies to help managers and their employees. Here he published over 50 articles on Quality and Organizational Development, materials that were used for the next 20 years. In the 1990’s, Phil became well-known in the field of Quality Control, and he was invited to lecture at several universities in Japan; he also received an award for leadership and distinguished service from the American Society for Quality Control.

Fred and I have known Elaine and Phil for over 35 years, and we have watched their children, Greg and Sue, grow and mature into wonderful adults. Phil has been actively involved in Boy Scouts and the First United Methodist Church, where he has held leadership roles. Elaine is so very proud of Phil. She says, “He’s been my life partner of 56 years. He is a very independent man –creative, inventive, with a lot of patience and persistence. “Service above Self” is the way he has lived his life.”

We have seen these traits of Phil’s in our Club--international travel with projects in Mexico and India, encouraging Sister Clubs with our club, the creation of the Ambassador of Goodwill Award, promoting our International Projects Committee, and creating the International Outreach Committee. Thank you, Phil, for all you have accomplished for our Rotary Club.[Remarks by Sue Beutler, Nov. 3, 2010]

Harvey Grotrian

It is my pleasure to pay tribute to our first-named Emeritus Rotarian, Harvey Grotrian.

Harvey joined our club 22 years ago this month in the Classification: University – Financial Aid. That understates it quite a bit as he was the Director of Financial Aid at the University for 22 years. Over that period he lobbied continually for University funding to support need-based financial aid, and as a result, numerous students were able to get a Michigan education in no small part due to his sage policies and management in support of the University’s education mandate. Harvey, I received a nice testimonial from Margaret Rodriguez – Senior Associate Director of the Office of Financial Aid.

However, that is not the entire story. Harvey earned his undergraduate degree in Geography and Business Administration from Valparaiso University and a Masters degree in Geography from Indiana University. For his achievements, Valparaiso awarded Harvey the Alumni Achievement Award in 1991. Here’s why.

After teaching Geography at Valparaiso in the late 60’s, Harvey went on to become Director of Financial Aid at Valparaiso and then at Wayne State University in the 70’s. In the spirit of Rotary service, Harvey became very active in his professional organizations, becoming President of the Michigan Student Financial Aid Association in the late 70’s and receiving their Special Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985. He was also President of the Midwest Association of Student Aid Administrators in early 80’s where he garnered the Presidents Award in 1987 and the Allen W. Purdy Distinguished Service Award in 1989. Finally, he was elected Chairman of the National Association of Student Aid Administrators in 1991 and received their Distinguished Service Award in 1992. He is also author in the area of financial aid. In these many roles, he certainly has had a positive effect on the availability of college education to a huge number of students.

In Rotary, Harvey was active on a number of our committees. After joining our club in 1987, he was on the Social Committee for about 3 years before he joined the International Humanitarian Projects Committee where he was co – chair in 2004 -05. I got to know Harvey better when I joined the committee, and he was a very helpful in “showing me the ropes” of International projects. He was instrumental in identifying and completing an irrigation project which helped a small village in Sri Lanka increase crop yields and provide the village a source of fish protein. Harvey also identified a similar project that was completed recently.

I would like to read a short excerpt from the president and a past president of the Rotary Club of Colombo Fort in Sri Lanka.

“On behalf of the members of our Rotary Club, I would like to take this opportunity to convey our sincere sentiments to Rotarian Harvey Grotrian… We are very glad that Ann Arbor Club has bestowed Rotarian Harvey with Emeritus status to honor him for his yeomen service rendered to your club and the community at large.”

And with that, let me reintroduce a true gentleman, and a Paul Harris Fellow, Emeritus Rotarian Harvey Grotrian. [Remarks by Len Stenger, June 18, 2009]

Jim Lester lives by Gandhi’s motto, “be the change that you want to see in the world,” or perhaps better, “be the change that you want to see in Rotary.” Jim joined Rotary in 1963. In 1985, he and then president, John Rosemergy, had the vision to invest for the future by establishing the Ann Arbor Rotary Endowment. Through the years, interest from our Endowment supports projects and scholarships in the community every year. Jim also helped identify and solicit Rotary members who would contribute a Rotary Scholarship of $25,000 toward the $1 million dollar endowment goal. We are deeply grateful to Jim, who served as the treasurer of both the Endowment and the Club for over 27 years. He and his wife, Betty, also take a great deal of pride in the annual awards of the Jim and Betty Lester STRIVE Scholarship.

Jim received an electrical engineering degree from Virginia Tech and then arrived in Ann Arbor to pursue his MBA. He was a founder of several companies in Ann Arbor before moving on to seventeen years as the General Manager at Kaiser Optical Systems. Jim and Betty now live at Silver Maples in Chelsea, MI. Their two sons are close by for now. One is an attorney in Coldwater specializing in work with autistic kids and the schools; the other is a clerk at the Ave Maria Law School and will soon move to Naples, FL with the school.

Tom Dickinson

If you ask Tom about his years in our Club, he’ll tell you about “the personalities whose names graced the membership roster in the past—folks like Earl Cress, Larry Ouimet, Jack Hogan, Joe Hooper, Jack Dobson, Bob Fleming, Gage Cooper, Jim Brinkerhoff, Bill Pierpont, and Tom Rowe.” Today we want to tell you about Thomas L. Dickinson, whom we honor with our Emeritus Award.

Tom is an Ann Arbor original, born here in 1926, the son of Prof. Zenas and Mrs. Jean Dickinson. He’s devoted to wife Lois Jean, whom he married on September 26, 1949; they have three children and seven grandchildren. Together, they’ve taken numerous international trips and visited 99 countries over nearly five decades!

Educated at Cranbrook School, the University of Michigan, from which he holds a B.A. and study at the Institute of Public Administration, Tom also pursued graduate study at Northwestern University’s National Trust School.

Tom was a staff reporter at the Ann Arbor News from 1949-52 and Assistant Director of the UM’s Development Council before moving on to positions of increasing responsibility at Key Bank, from which he retired as a Vice President in 1990. During his career, Tom was a member of the bank marketing and trust marketing committees of the Michigan Bankers Association.

Tom’s dedication to community service is evident in a lengthy list of organizations and agencies on whose boards he has served or led including Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Greenhills School, University of Michigan Club of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw United Way, the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Child and Family Service Agency of Washtenaw, Huron Valley Swim Club, and Pittsfield Public Schools. Tom received the Distinguished Service Award as “Ann Arbor’s Outstanding Young Man” from the Junior Chamber of Commerce. And, of course, we know him as a Club member and contributor every year since he joined the Club in 1961.

For his many years of demonstrating “Service Above Self” we are honored to recognize Rotarian Thomas L. Dickinson with our Emeritus Award. [Oct. 7, 2009]

Jerry Hodge

It gives us great pleasure to acknowledge the many years of fine service of Rotarian Gerald P. Hodge. Jerry, as many of you know, is widely known for his medical and biological drawings. His artwork has appeared in hundreds of journals and books, and he has received several best-of-show awards for his art.

Jerry received a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in painting from the University of Colorado and pursued graduate work in medical art at Johns Hopkins University. He founded the UM’s graduate program in Medical and Biological Illustration in 1964 and holds appointments as Professor Emeritus at the School of Art and the Medical School.

Jerry is one of seven members of the Trompe l’Oeil society of Artists (fool the eye) and he exhibits regularly with this group. Several of his botanical illustrations are part of the prestigious collection of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University.

Widely-traveled, Jerry was spent a sabbatical in Spain, has collected and photographed entomological specimens in Southern Mexico, Turkey, the Amazon basin and Rondonia, and taught a course in Archaeological Illustration in Jordan

He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the UM’s Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, the Crosby Distinguished Achievement Award from Johns Hopkins University, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Medical Illustrators. The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor is pleased to add its name with those honoring Jerry as we bestow on him our Emeritus Award. [Oct. 7, 2009]

Bob Pratt

It is my high honor and distinct privilege to make a few remarks about our friend, Robert Pratt, one of the most distinguished Rotarians we honor today.

Bob is known to us and to the wider Ann Arbor community in several capacities: as a Rotarian since 1964, which means Bob is one of our more senior members, and as significant contributor to the Ann Arbor musical scene, and as an honored member of the Pioneer High School Musical Department and its faculty.

Bob served as our Club’s president during the 1977-78 years; he was a member of the Club's Music Committee and an outstanding accompanist for the Rotary Club' chorus during our Wednesday meetings. Bob was honored for his service to the Club with the Distinguished Service Award and was named an honorary Paul Harris Fellow in 1993. Bob's love for Rotary extends through his family; his daughter, Carolyn, is the immediate past President of the Rotary Club in Bloomington, Minnesota. On a more personal note, Bob, along with John Rosemergy, was my sponsor when I joined the Rotary Club. Bob has served our Club well.

Bob's role in enhancing the musical scene in Ann Arbor is noted by his ten years as the conductor of the Youth for Understanding Chorale, an organization of high school music students who visit European and South American countries to encourage and support student exchange programs. This group holds reunions biannually, and at their latest reunion, there were over 170 former and current members in attendance. Their affection for Bob could hardly be expressed in words alone. WOW! What the expression of appreciation must have meant to Bob. Additionally, Bob has conducted the community's sing-along of Handel's Messiah for over 20 years. Bob also organized the Plymouth Oratorio Society and was its conductor for over 20 years. Another example of Bob's role in the local musical scene is his leadership as choir director at Bethlehem Church of Christ, Zion Lutheran Church, and the First United Methodist Church. Ann Arbor sings well when Bob is the conductor.

Several of us - Bob Albritton, Joan Knoertzer, Chuck Ritter and I - know Bob well as a fellow members of the Pioneer High School faculty. He retired in1984 after 34 years of excellence in teaching. He was one of the original members of the popular and successful Humanities program and was given a John Hay Fellowship in the Humanities to study music in Brazil. During his years as president of the Club, the Humanities Team members and the Pioneer principal had to adjust Bob's schedule so he could attend Rotary meetings on Wednesday. No music lectures for Bob that day! Bob's choruses and choirs participated in many local and state music competitions, and as a result, Bob and his students were well-known and respected by his peers throughout the state.

We Rotarians know what Bob has meant to two of his students, Ken Westerman and Rich Ingram, who are conductors at Pioneer and Huron High Schools respectively and who are, incidentally, honorary Paul Harris Fellows. They are fine choral conductors and teachers and their musical groups are well-known throughout Michigan and aboard. By hearing their students perform so well annually in December and May, we have first hand evidence of what Bob's legacy is and will be. Many thanks, Robert Pratt! [Remarks by Milo White, Oct. 7, 2009]

Herb Ellis

Herb’s many accomplishments include being the first African American to teach in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, the first elected to the Washtenaw Board of Commissioners, a leader in the founding of Community High School, and the first African American inducted into the Ann Arbor Rotary Club. [Note: more about Herb's remarkable life will be forthcoming soon; Remarks by Mark Ouimet, Nov. 4, 2009]

George Cress

George Cress has been an active member of this club since 1963, when he was sponsored for membership by Tom Dickinson. In the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s, this club pushed regular attendance and community service. George fulfilled these requirements with gusto, and he is a Paul Harris Fellow. His service included serving on our Membership Committee, and acting as General Campaign Chairman and also Chair of the Board of the Washtenaw United Way. George recruited and sponsored or co-sponsored a number of our Rotarians, including Duane Renken, Dale Berry, Bernie Bedell, Mary Hays and Mike Nold. He and his lovely wife, Connie, have three children and four grandchildren, all living in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

The name George Cress is synonymous with Ann Arbor Trust Company. It was founded by his father and mentor, Earl Cress, whose tests of George far outnumbered our Four Way Test. As its CEO, he led it from a pure trust company to a full service commercial bank, and it was under his leadership until he retired in June 1997. Soon after taking early retirement from the bank, he continued his community service and took on the duty of president of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and, of course, it flourished under his leadership.

George chuckles when he sees an image of Jack Lousma, Ann Arbor’s astronaut, floating in space. George said he more readily recognized Lousma upside down because for three years at Ann Arbor High School, George was the center and Lousma the quarterback of its football team. During those three years they never experienced a loss. George, you have been a winner ever since! And you have always placed “Service Above Self.” [Remarks by Mike Nold, Dec. 16, 2009]

H. Dean Millard It is a great pleasure for me to be part of our Rotary Club’s new tradition of recognizing and honoring our senior members who are not able to attend our weekly meetings. Our board of directors last year developed this new category of membership, Emeritus member, and to date has awarded that status to seven of our senior members. Today we will add one more member to that honored group, H. Dean Millard.

H. Dean Millard, “Dean” as most people call him and “Chief” to me since I trained under him here at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, was born in Grayling, Michigan and then grew up in Flint. He graduated from Flint Central High School in 1942 and immediately joined the Army Air Corps. He trained to be a radio repairman and helped keep the radio transmission equipment both in airplanes and on the ground in working order. He helped to fix the wiring on damaged planes so that they could fly again, even to the point that they put the good front end of one B-17 together with the good back end of another, and then wired the bomber so that it could return to duty. Dean spent his 15 months of World War II in Italy.

After returning from duty, he chose not to re-enlist but to apply for the new GI bill. He came to Ann Arbor and took a 6 week refresher course at Rackham for veterans which taught them how to study. Dean went to Flint Junior College for one year and then transferred to U of M. After a year and a half, he applied to dental school at the suggestion of his hometown dentist. He received his acceptance to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry for the Fall of 1948 while he was on his honeymoon with Dolly on whom he had a crush since the seventh grade. At the end of Dental School, Dean was invited by Dr. Donald Kerr to stay on at the school and teach dentistry. Dean became a graduate student in Periodontics. He proceeded to earn the first-ever degree granted in Oral Diagnosis. When Dr. Kerr established the School’s Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology, Dean became its chairman.

Dean, along with other faculty members, became involved in Project Hope, a ship- based charitable organization dedicated to medical and dental education. He had a tour of duty on the ship while docked in Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka). He also traveled to Ethiopia with Project Hope to evaluate a site in Asmara. He got me involved in Project Hope, and I spent a year with my family in Egypt.

Dean was coauthor of the universally-accepted textbook on oral diagnosis. The book went through 8 revisions. It was so popular that even at a 50 cent a copy royalty, he was able to use it to pay their first daughter’s college tuition. Dean retired as department chairman from the Dental School in 1989. But he used his retirement to further the field of oral diagnosis and oral medicine by organizing three World Workshops. Each of these produced a book in the latest research and trends on the subject.

And last, Rotary. Dean joined in 1978 and became president for the 1986-1987 year. When asked if he would be president, he said only if Bill Stegath would remain as the program chair, and Bill did. Dean is responsible for my joining Rotary and also Jed Jacobson, who was the club secretary until his job took him out of the area. And, of course and importantly, Dean was a long serving member of the Rotary bowling team.

Dean is joined today by his son Tom. I’m pleased to present our latest emeritus member, Herbert Dean Millard. [Remarks by Wayne Colquitt, Feb. 17, 2010]

Paul McCracken

"Love for one, Friendship for many and Goodwill for all" --

Paul W. McCracken

Today the Ann Arbor Rotary adds another distinguished member to the status of Rotarian-Emeritus; Paul Winston McCracken, the University of Michigan Edward Ezra Day Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, Economics, and Public Policy.

Paul grew up in rural Iowa on the family farm where he did his share of chores. Following his primary education in a one-room schoolhouse, he attended William Penn College in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where he earned a B.A. in mathematics in 1937. His first job was teaching English to Appalachian students at Berea College. There Paul met Ruth, the love of his life, and they were married forming a partnership that flourished for 59 years until her recent death. Paul and Ruth have 2 daughters--Linda, who lives in upstate New York, and Paula, who resides in Chicago. Paul has been a long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor where he has served as an Ordained Elder.

Paul’s interest in economics and business led him to study at Harvard University where he earned a PhD in economics. Paul worked for the US Department of Commerce and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis before coming to the University of Michigan’s School of Business Administration in 1948. He was appointed the Edmund Ezra Day Distinguished Professor of Business Administration in 1966 in recognition of his teaching skills and his contributions to national economic policy. Paul holds honorary degrees from William Penn and Albion Colleges, Central and Northern Michigan Universities, and from Berea College, where he continues to serve on the President’s Council.

From 1956 to 1959 Paul was a member of President Eisenhower’s Council of Economic Advisors and was Chairman of President Nixon’s Council from 1969 to 1972. In the 1980’s he served on President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board.

Paul served on many boards of directors and his expertise is found in numerous papers, monographs, and timely perspectives appearing regularly in the Wall Street Journal. He has lectured and traveled widely, has been an active participant in national and international economic commissions, task forces, and conferences. We can imagine their respect for Paul’s research and thoughtful judgment.

Paul continues to go to his campus office most days to respond to mail and have lunch with his colleagues. After 50 years of service at the University, he was honored at a two-day celebration of his contributions to the Business School, the University, the community, the nation and the field of economics. Paul’s influence on how we think about economic policy has reached from the academic to the popular press to the highest reaches of government.

Those who know Paul McCracken have been rewarded and recognize him as a kind, compassionate, sincere and humble man. He is interested in people, listens and hears. His judgment and advice are much appreciated. Recently he celebrated his 94^th birthday, and his life has slowed a bit. What a privilege for the Ann Arbor Rotary Club to honor him with the Rotarian Emeritus Award and to congratulate him for his service and contributions to his family, church, students, friends, the University, and the Nation. Love for one, Friendship for many, and goodwill for all--Paul W. McCracken [Remarks by John D. Debbink and David G. Anderson, March 10, 2010]

Bob Meyers

Emeritus membership in the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor is granted to a select group of Rotarians who have distinguished themselves by dedicated years of service to Rotary and to our community. This award recognized the impact of Dr. Robert A. (“Bob”) Meyers on everyone who has known him.

Bob graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in 1958 and his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1962. Next came post-graduate training in pediatric dentistry to prepare him for a long successful career. After receiving his MS (pediatric dentistry) in 1964, Bob was appointed an assistant professor of dentistry in the Dental School.

Bob practiced pediatric dentistry in Ann Arbor until he retired in 1997, treating countless numbers of children with warm, gentle, skillful care. He managed all of his own emergency cases, often working late into the night. During these busy practice years, Bob joined the board of Delta Dental of Michigan, an innovator in dental insurance.

Bob’s fingerprints can be found all over Ann Arbor. Bob served on the board of the Washtenaw Children’s Dental Clinic; volunteering there as an operating dentist for many years. If Bob encountered children with special problems, he managed them in his private office but at no charge. He devoted years to serving Washtenaw United Way and was responsible for giving from the dental community. Bob served as a director of the Washtenaw Association of the Retarded Children. This commitment resulted from his special interest in the dental problems of children with neurological disorders. His service included assistant scoutmaster to Boy Scout Troop 4. These same community fingerprints are visible today in the surgical waiting area of the North Naples (FL) Community Hospital where he spends 2 days each week easing the anxiety of families waiting to learn surgical outcome. His hospital nickname is “Sunny Bob.”

Bob joined the Ann Arbor Rotary Club in 1966. During his Rotary days, Bob served as a director, and also served on several major committees including the Membership and Community Allocations Committees. Bob further gave of himself to establish the Robert A. Meyers Scholarship at Washtenaw Community College.

Bob and his family were members of The First Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor. Here, Bob first served as an usher, next was ordained a deacon and then was ordained a ruling elder. Bob’s faith runs deep with the strength of a mighty oak tree, a faith that has been his unbending source of strength and power to live through family tragedies, a faith that he passionately shares with others.

Bob married Norma Van Tuyl, his high school sweetheart, in 1958. Bob and Norma were blessed to have 3 children; Richard, Steven, and Susan. Bob, Norma, and the family always summered at their cottage in the Congregational Summer Assembly on Crystal Lake. In later years they traveled extensively across all of North America with their recreational vehicle to visit the depth of our land, a land that he and his family love so dearly.

Bob lost Norma in 1991 following her personal struggle with cancer. He was blessed to then meet Phyllis Clark, whom he later married. Both share their days together in Fort Myers during the winter and at Crystal Lake during the summer. Bob and Phyllis have worked as facilitators for Ann Arbor Hospice bereavement groups as they have grown together.

Abundant leisure time is not Bob’s nature, yet he became an accomplished skier and skilled sailor, a great outdoors sportsman.

Here is Bob Meyers, a classic portrait of a love of life. [Remarks by Bob Buchanan, June 28, 2010]

Lee Danielson

Lee Danielson was born in Youngstown, Ohio and moved to Detroit at the age of seven. He attended High Park Junior College, where he took up fencing and taught ballroom dancing. He then attended Antioch College. While he was there, World War II called him into the Marines. He attended Officers’ Training School, and later, active duty found him in the Pacific Arena as a forward observer on Iwo Jima. Later, he served in Japan with the Occupational Forces. Lee returned to Antioch to complete his degree and then moved on to The University of Michigan for his Masters and Ph.D. in Industrial Psychology.

While studying at the U of M, Lee worked on an off-campus research project at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He joined an active reserve group, which was one of the first units to be called into the Korean Conflict. After a year and a half of state-side service, Captain Danielson returned to the U of M to complete his graduate studies. Following the granting of his Ph.D., Lee joined the faculty of the U of M School of Business Administration, where he spent his entire professional career.

In today’s terms, “Human Resource Development” would seem to be the umbrella under which Prof. Lee taught classes, did his research, and provided consultation. Sharing the titles of a few of the classes he taught will give us an insight into his academic interests: Management of Personnel; Interpersonal Dynamics in Management; Seminar in Personnel Administration; and Human Behavior and Organizations. Lee wrote over 100 professional articles which were published in such journals as Michigan Business Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, The Detroiter [Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce], and the Management of Personnel Quarterly.

Downes Herold and I, when in the University Extension Service, called on him to speak to the seminar on management briefing in Traverse City and many conferences and short courses on campus. Lee’s teaching and consultative expertise reached not only U of M students at undergraduate and graduate levels but also bankers, accountants, government officials, hospital and personnel administrators and research and engineering managers in the U.S., the Netherlands, and Venezuela. Lee also served on thirteen administrative and advisory committees in the School of Business and University-wide. The First Presbyterian Church also benefited from Lee’s contributions as an usher and elder. Of course, our Rotary Club also benefited from Lee’s 18 year membership including his co-chairing the Planning Committee and serving seven years as a Rotary Reader.

Now to Lee’s family. Lee’s wife, the ever elegant Millie; his vivacious daughter Lisa, a rehab nurse for 25 years at the U of M Hospital and her son, Alex, a Rotary Scholarship Award winner, and her daughter, Nora; Lee’s son, Mike, who is Lisa’s twin, a band director and music teacher in Arcadia, Colorado, who was named “Top Educator of the Year” and his wife, Blennie; Lee’s son Chris, a Methodist minister in Lagrange, IN, and his wife, Carolyn; and Lee’s sister-in-law Virginia McKeachie, and her husband, Bill. And that, my fellow Rotarians, is our newest emeritus member, Lee Danielson! [Remarks by Al Storey and presented by Al and three mic-runners Wendy Correll, Ed Hoffman, and Dan Balbach, August 11, 2010]

Howard Dubin

Howard Dubin was born in New York City where he attended the Bronx High School of Science. He matriculated at Columbia University at the age of 16 and Columbia Medical School at age 20. While in Medical School, he met a young nurse, Patty, an assistant head nurse on the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Three days after he graduated from Medical School, they were married, and four days later they moved to Ann Arbor!

After completing his internship and residency at the University of Michigan, Howard fulfilled his “Berry Plan” commitment by serving in the U.S. Army from 1964-66 as a Captain. As a medical officer at the 93^rd Evacuation Hospital at Long Binh, Vietnam, he was awarded two medals.

Upon his return, Howard completed a one year fellowship at Columbia University in cardiology; he then completed a residency in dermatology back at the UM where he joined the faculty before breaking away to start a private practice along with the Chairman of the Department, the late Dick Harrell.

Howard has remained a clinical faculty member at the University of Michigan, an ideal situation for a private practitioner which made him the envy of his colleagues. Along the way he published over 35 scientific research papers. Even in retirement, he still regularly attends meetings and participates in diagnostic conferences at the University.

Howard’s professional activities included becoming a Fellow in the American College of Physicians and a Fellow in the American Academy of Dermatology. He served as the President of the Michigan Dermatology Society from 1985-87, and on the Board of Trustees and President of the Dermatology Foundation, an organization dedicated to funding research focused on younger researchers who show great promise is advancing patient care. The Foundation awarded Howard its Distinguished Service Medallion upon his stepping down from the Presidency.

Howard practiced medicine in Ann Arbor for over 35 years in private practice and was also on staff at St. Joe’s and the University of Michigan Health System. By one estimate, Howard conducted over 300,000 patient visits over his career and is recognized in Ann Arbor and beyond as a tremendous clinician and citizen.

Howard and Patty had four children . As the kids got older and enrolled at Greenhills School, Howard was asked to serve on the board of trustees and eventually he took the reins as President where he presided over the long range planning committee, a plan that proved to be a pivotal point before the considerable expansion in the 15 years that followed. Howard was very proud of his service and was President of the Board when fellow Rotarian Dave McDowell was named Headmaster.

Perhaps these words from Dave McDowell best summarize Howard’s style of service and leadership in a way that fits quite well with Rotary’s four way test. In Dave’s words:

“Howard Dubin represents the very best of what a trustee and a board President ought to be. When I read the National Association of Independent Schools trustee Handbook, I sometimes think that whoever wrote it must have had Howard in mind. Despite the fact that all four of his children attended the School during his time as a trustee, he could be counted on, without exception, to step back and to see what was best for the School and to guide the board toward decisions which were in the best long term interest of the School.”

Sounds like Service Above Self, doesn’t it? Welcome, Howard Dubin, to the rank of Rotarian Emeritus! {Remarks by Tom Conlin, Oct. 27, 2010]

Peter Wright

Peter Wright spent his formative years in Presque Isle, Maine, before moving to Ann Arbor to start the 9th grade at Ann Arbor High School. Following high school graduation, he entered the University of Michigan where he earned his BA degree and subsequently married Margie, now his wife of 60 years. Peter's academic work was interrupted by the calling of Uncle Sam's Army. He served two years and was trained as a Russian Interpreter. To this day, he attempts to speak Russian to anyone willing to listen. Returning to Ann Arbor after completing his military duty, Peter enrolled in the MBA program and obtained his degree in 1956 (yes, he is an old guy). He then enrolled in a PhD program but dropped out after one year to start a long and illustrious career at the Ford Motor Company in labor relations.

Peter retired at the young age of 56 after serving 31 years with the company. The next five years found Peter serving as an Industrial Relations Consultant and as a Labor Arbitrator. Peter was active in many ways in the community. He served as chairman of the Republican Party in Ann Arbor when fellow Rotarian Jim Stevenson was elected Mayor. In addition, he served six years on the school board and two of those years were as vice president and president. He served five years on the board of AATA and acted as Secretary. Four years were spent on the board of the Huron Valley Humane Society including one year as President. He served two years on the Ann Arbor Zoning Board of Appeals. Lastly, he served five years as a consultant to the Ann Arbor Police Officers Association. Peter joined Rotary in 1989 and wasted no time in becoming active in the club. He served as the first coordinator of the Rotary Readers program. He was involved in the establishment and chartering of the Interact Clubs at both Huron and Pioneer High Schools. He also served a term on the board of directors of the club. Lastly, he has been a steadfast and regular member of the Rotary bowling team for 20 years and has given new meaning to the term "anchor man." (Remarks by Dick Elwell, November 16, 2011)

Gene Ingram

It is indeed a great honor and pleasure to introduce Eugene Ingram as our latest recipient of the Emeritus Award. Gene has been a member of the Ann Arbor Rotary Club since 1974, and he brings to us a record of professional and community achievement that exemplifies Rotary’s ideal of ‘Service Above Self.’

Gene was born and grew up in Louisville, Nebraska. He attended Nebraska Wesleyan University until World War II. He enlisted in the Air Force and attained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He finished his Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of Nebraska in 1948. A favorite professor, Dr. Elliott, told him that a position was open at the University of Nebraska as a buyer, and he got the job. By 1956 he was named Director of Purchasing at Nebraska. During those years in Lincoln, he was also very active in the Jaycees, serving on their Board of Directors and as President.

In 1965, Gene was offered the post of Director of Purchasing at the University of Michigan, retiring from there in 1993. Early in his tenure at the U-M, he was involved in the planning and implementation of a Minority Vendors Program which served as a nationwide model. Other significant changes that occurred were the implementation of a new phone system, and the computerization of the University. As you might guess, the Purchasing Department played a big role in setting up policies and procedures for such huge projects. In addition, the Purchasing Department began a University-wide program of coordination with all units, resulting in a centralized purchasing system that reached every part of the institution.

Gene also served his profession for many years as President and longtime board member of NAEB, the National Association of Educational Buyers. His enthusiastic involvement on a national stage reflected his belief in sharing his ideas with others.

Gene has been married to Margaret for more than 60 years. They have four children, Rick, married to Susan Froelich, one of our own Rotarians; Rick, by the way, has been awarded the Honorary Paul Harris Award having brought the Huron High School choirs here for a number of years. Other children are Doug, married to Jamey Ingram of New York City, David here in Ann Arbor, and Margene, married to Brad Biederman of Philadelphia. There are four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Today we have with us Margaret, Rick, Susan and Doug. I have known this family since 1965 when they moved to Ann Arbor and have served with Gene in several areas of leadership both at Zion Lutheran Church and at First Presbyterian Church.

His longtime involvement in Rotary has included membership on many Rotary committees, especially the Scholarship Committee. He treasures his Rotary friends, and looks forward to many more years of Rotary fellowship. (Remarks by Lois Jelneck, Nov. 23, 2011)