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Marietta College announces 2023 Alumni Award winners

by Tom Perry

Marietta, Ohio (09/15/2023) — On Saturday, October 21, Marietta College will recognize 12 individuals as part of the Marietta College Alumni Awards ceremony in the Alma McDonough Auditorium.

The program is part of MC's 2023 Homecoming Weekend.

The Hall of Honor is the College's most cherished award, and this year, one individual will be inducted - Samuel Hall, valedictorian of the first graduating class in 1838 and the College's first librarian, who helped form the Washington County Anti-Slavery Society in 1836.

Hall was an exceptional student who worked hard and valued his liberal arts education, excelling in music and math (and able to teach both, as well). While on campus and throughout his life, Hall was a noted abolitionist, risking his life for the cause. His actions inspired other students and community members to speak out against slavery and provide help to freedom seekers.

Hall was equally brave in his personal life. While still a student, he cared for a young professor dying of smallpox and later buried the man's body alone. Hall's compassion was forever cemented in the minds of the Marietta College community.

Greg Maloof '67 will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Maloof has remained extremely loyal to his alma mater for more than 50 years with his financial support and service to the fraternity Delta Tau Delta, and by mentoring students. In 2022, he was elected mayor in the town of Monteagle, Tennessee. He is the oldest living member of Marietta's chapter of Delta Tau Delta, which he helped found on campus.

Maloof is a real estate professional, who was awarded the prestigious Graduate Realtors Institute (GRI) designation by the Tennessee Association of Realtors and is a member of the National, Tennessee, and Middle Tennessee Associations of Realtors.

The College will recognize Chad Walker '10 and Chase Oberfield '12 with the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

Walker was named Head Athletic Trainer with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks in July after serving as the Assistant Athletic Trainer for five years. Before that he worked with the San Diego Gulls and Arizona State University. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training at Marietta and a Master of Education at Arizona State University.

After graduating from Marietta with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Oberfield joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he serves today as an Inspector Instructor. He has also served as a Company Commander and Platoon Commander. Major Oberfield's personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (2nd award) and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Three individuals will be recognized as Honorary Alumni - former softball coach Jeanne Arbuckle and long-time benefactors Joe and Linda Chlapaty. The late Dr. Gama Perruci will also be recognized this year. His family was unable to attend the ceremony last year when he was named the 2022 Honorary Alumnus.

Arbuckle was a three-sport standout at Slippery Rock University and was inducted into the SRU Hall of Fame in 2002. She is also a member of Marietta's Athletic Hall of Fame following a stellar coaching career. As the Pioneers softball coach for 31 years, Arbuckle amassed 571 victories, one Ohio Athletic Conference championship and two NCAA appearances. She also coached volleyball for 10 seasons and won 172 matches.

Joe and Linda Chlapaty are esteemed philanthropists and dedicated advocates for education and community development. Mr. Chlapaty is the Former Chairman, President, and CEO of Advanced Drainage Systems, a pipe manufacturer in Hilliard, Ohio. Ms. Chlapaty has worked as a court-appointed advocate for children in Franklin County, Ohio.

Together, their generosity to education in Iowa and Ohio, cancer research, and support of children has changed countless lives. With a commitment to fostering positive change, the Chlapatys have demonstrated their passion for empowering individuals and creating opportunities for others to succeed. Through their remarkable leadership and generous support, they have made a profound impact across the MC campus.

Perruci, the former Dean of the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business, passed away on July 9, 2021, at the age of 59. He was recognized as a McCoy Professor in 2001. He also authored and co-authored multiple articles and books on leadership and leadership education, including Global Leadership: A Transnational Perspective. Dr. Perruci also co-authored Understanding Leadership: An Arts and Humanities Approach, now in its second edition, with his colleague Robert McManus, which is now in its second edition. Perruci also published Teaching Leadership: Bridging Theory and Practice with Sadhana Hall, Deputy Director of the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College.

A native of Brazil, Perruci served as the Interim Provost for two years (2011-13) while maintaining an active role in the McDonough Program.

Roger Patterson '62 will receive the Liz Tribett Service Award. As a mentor and advisor to the Beta Rho chapter of the ATOs at Marietta College for more than 30 years, Patterson has guided hundreds of young men to succeed as students, campus leaders, and, most importantly, compassionate and community-minded adults.

During his time as chapter advisor, his wife's struggles with multiple sclerosis gave the chapter a charitable cause that was near and dear to members and alumni alike. To date, they have raised more than $167,000. Patterson's positive influence, unwavering support, and dedicated service to the ATOs and Marietta College was recognized in 2015, when more than 95 alumni traveled back to campus to establish a scholarship in his name.

The College is also pleased to welcome Paul Adams '69, Ruth Gilbert Whitner '72, and Christine Zernick Suter '84 as the new inductees into the Adkins Society. The Society was initiated to recognize the special contributions of former Marietta College Alumni Association leadership, keep them informed of current college activities, encourage them to maintain close personal connections to Marietta College, and thank them for their service. The inductees have collectively dedicated 13 years of service to Marietta College.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy, which was founded in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today, Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major.

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