Carey Brewer Alumni Award Criteria

Lynchburg College Alumni Association

Carey Brewer Alumni Award

At the 1983 Commencement, the Lynchburg College Alumni Association established the Carey Brewer Alumni Award to honor Dr. Carey Brewer for his distinguished career as president of the College from February 1964 through July 1983. The following statement was delivered at the 1983 commencement:

This day, May 14, 1983, Lynchburg College inaugurates the Carey Brewer Alumni Award presented by the Lynchburg College Alumni Association. This award recognizes young alumni who have made contributions to society so outstanding that they have brought distinction to themselves and to their alma mater.

The contributions of the alumni may include but not be limited to those made in the professional, civic, church, or alma mater arenas. An outstanding contribution in one area is reason for granting this award to an alumnus/a who received his/her undergraduate degree within the past 15 years and who is less than 40 years of age.

It is appropriate that this award should bear the name of Carey Brewer, a member of Lynchburg College's Class of 1949 and its seventh and youngest president, being but 36 years of age when he took office in 1964.

Fresh from a distinguished career in federal government, Dr. Brewer was to conduct a presidency that had a major impact on Lynchburg College. He found a strong institution, which he made even stronger through careful planning and the energetic enhancement of plant, endowment, faculty, and curriculum.

During his tenure, the number of major buildings on campus increased from nine to twenty, and two of the pre-1964 facilities were extensively renovated. Investment in plant rose from $3.9 million to $20.5 million, endowment increased five fold, full-time undergraduate enrollment soared from 828 to 1,602, the number of full-time faculty grew from 70 to 125, the undergraduate curriculum was considerably expanded and enhanced, graduate programs were introduced, and a School of Business was established. But bigness for the sake of bigness was never this president's goal; he once commented, "We are concerned with programs and with buildings because they provide the setting for the age-old but ever-new dialogue between student and teacher."

Dr. Brewer's interest in higher education has also extended far beyond the LC campus. He has often been a spokesman for private higher education in the state and has served as president of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges and the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia.

He had found time, too, to be involved in the community of Lynchburg. He has served as president of the Greater Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce, and in 1977 he was general chairman for the Lynchburg Salvation Army Capital Campaign.

Carey Brewer Alumni Award

A longtime active member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Dr. Brewer has been an elder, a leader in the church school program, a member of the choir, and a lay speaker. He has been a member of the General Board of the Christian Church and of the Finance Council of the Christian Church.

He has always been a dedicated alumnus of Lynchburg College and was president-elect of Lynchburg College's Alumni Association when he accepted the offer to become this institution's president. In 1970, his fellow alumni took note of his contributions to church, community, and alma mater by presenting its most prestigious award, the T. Gibson Hobbs Memorial Award, named for an alumnus who was a longtime chairman of the College's Board of Trustees.

Considering the contributions to society of this outstanding alumnus, a number of which were made before he reached the age of 40, the Lynchburg College Alumni Association believes that it is fitting that this award recognizing exceptional achievement by young alumni should be known as the Carey Brewer Alumni Award.

Anyone interested in nominating an alumnus/a for this honor should submit his/her nomination in writing no later than January 1 of each calendar year. Official nomination forms should be requested from:

Office of Alumni Programs

Lynchburg College

1501 Lakeside Drive

Lynchburg, VA 24501

434/544-8293, 800/621-1669

Fax: 434/544-8653

Following are guidelines for the Carey Brewer Alumni Award and a list of the Carey Brewer Alumni Award Recipients.

Guidelines for the Carey Brewer Alumni Award

Eligibility Requirements:

1. A recipient must have earned a Lynchburg College undergraduate degree or, in special cases, have attended Lynchburg College for at least two years and have graduated from another accredited college or university. Also, the above mentioned must have received his/her undergraduate degree within the last 15 years and be less than 40 years of age. Current alumni board, alumni faculty and staff members are eligible.

Criteria for Selection:

1. Each recipient of the Carey Brewer Alumni Award must have made an outstanding contribution to one area or society. Contributions may include but not be limited to those in the professional, civic, religious or alma mater arenas.

2. The Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee and the Alumni Board of Directors need to be ever cognizant of the fact that the Carey Brewer Award is a high honor bestowed upon a young alumnus/alumna (living or deceased) of the college and constantly strive to present the Carey Brewer Award only to individuals who are thoroughly qualified and deserving of this honor.

Nominations:

1. Nominations will be solicited through the Lynchburg College Magazine.

2. Nominations must be received by January 1 of each calendar year. When needed, members of the Alumni Board of Directors will be asked for their suggestions of ways to increase nominations for the Carey Brewer Award.

3. The attached sample nomination form will be used. Nomination forms may be requested through the Office of Alumni Programs.

4. If a nomination form is submitted without adequate information, the executive secretary of the Alumni Association will contact the nominator with the suggestion that the nominator contact other individuals who might be able to provide more information about the nominee for the award. If the executive secretary knows of anyone who might have such information, he/she will inform the nominator.

5. The executive secretary of the Alumni Association will furnish to each member of the Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee any pertinent information which he/she may have concerning a nominee if this information is not included on the submitted nomination form.

Yearly Selection Process:

1. The president of the Alumni Association will appoint the Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee each year. The selection committee will be composed of three (3) young alumni who are members-at-large of the Alumni Association and three (3) persons who are presently serving on the Alumni Board. (Note: Young alumni are considered to be those who have graduated within the last 15 years.) The three at-large selection committee members should be individuals who have not served on the Alumni Board.

2. The Alumni Board will establish procedures for selection of nominee (s) for the Carey Brewer Award and has full authority for choosing Carey Brewer Award recipient (s). (See attached sheet for recommended procedures.)

3. The Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee will meet at least once prior to submitting its choice of recipient(s) to the Alumni Board of Directors.

4. No more than five (5) recipients will be selected each year. The Carey Brewer Award should not be given if there is no nominee who meets the qualifications outlined earlier.

Presentation of Award:

1. The Carey Brewer Award shall be presented on an annual basis with announcement of the establishment of the Carey Brewer Award being made at the 1983 Commencement. Award presentations will be made at the annual Alumni Association Meeting.

2. A statement regarding Dr. Brewer will be read when the Carey Brewer Award is established at the 1983 Commencement and thereafter read annually at the time of the presentation of the Carey Brewer Award.

3. Public announcement of the recipient (s) shall be made prior to the presentation of the award.

4. It is preferable for a recipient to be present to receive the award, but, if this is impossible, a representative may receive the award on behalf of a recipient.

Nature of Award:

1. A framed certificate will be presented to all Carey Brewer Award recipients.

2. A master display board will list all Carey Brewer Award recipients. (Dimensions: 3' X 4')

3. The master Carey Brewer Award board will be on public display in the Alumni House.

4. Recipients of the Carey Brewer Award will be formally recognized at annual Alumni Association Meetings and Commencement exercises when possible.

5. The Lynchburg College Magazine will have annually at least one special feature about the Carey Brewer Award and its history. Previous recipients will be listed in this article, and this special feature will be in addition to the annual article, which requests nominations for the Carey Brewer Award.

6. Whenever possible, a complete listing of previous recipients will be included in any written announcements or articles relating to the Carey Brewer Award.

7. Guidelines for the Carey Brewer award will be reviewed annually by the Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee for the first five (5) years and then every five (5) years thereafter.

Carey Brewer Award Selection Procedure:

1. The Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee and Chairman of Committee will be appointed by the President of the Alumni Association prior to the spring Alumni Board meeting.

2. The nomination forms will be sent in early February to the Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee members for ranking in order to choose the top ten candidates. A numerical system will be used for ranking nominees. Numbers should be sequential; however, if a tie exists, a number can be used twice but the following number should be omitted.

3. The summaries will be returned to the Executive Secretary for tabulation. The names of the top ten (10) nominees and other supporting materials will be sent to the Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee for its perusal and re-ranking. The new rankings will be returned to the Executive Secretary for tabulation and preparation for the Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee meeting. Again, numbers should be sequential; however, if a tie exists, a number can be used twice but the following number should be omitted.

4. A Carey Brewer Award Selection Committee meeting will be held prior to the spring Alumni Board Meeting to make the final selection(s) for recommendation to the Alumni Board of Directors.

5. At the spring Alumni Board Meeting, the Board of Directors will receive the Carey Brewer Award selection committee's recommendation(s) and grant final approval of recipient(s).