H I S T O R Y

In 1976 the Board of Trustees established the Distinguished Alumnus/a award:
This award is presented to an alumnus/a in recognition of his or her distinguished contribution to the ministry of the church. The award is open to all, without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, denomination, form of ministry, length of service or public fame. Rather, the emphasis will be on quality and significance of exceptional contribution to the ministry of Jesus Christ.
 
E L I G I B I L I T Y

This award is given to living graduates and cannot be awarded posthumously. Further, retired presidents and professors are not eligible to receive the award for five years after leaving the Seminary. Only alumni can nominate, though anyone can be asked to submit a letter of recommendation.
 
C  R I T E R I A

The candidate for Distinguished Alumnus or Alumna:
  • Has graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary.
  • Has made an exceptional contribution in ministry, making and strengthening the connection between the local congregation and the world;
  • Demonstrates distinct leadership abilities and discernment, exhibiting concern not only for self but is a witness for others with a true sense of call in a specific time and place;
  • Leaves a lasting legacy in his or her work that has an impact on those near as well as upon the larger church;
  • Represents McCormick’s commitment to preparation for ministry, including ministry in a diverse and global context;
  • Has been effectively and thoroughly represented by the person(s) making the nomination, such that the selection committee has in hand a clear biography of the nominee, a definitive letter of advocacy, letters of recommendation and accurate contact information.

N O M I N A T I O N   A N D   S E L E C T I O N   P R O C E S S
 
The Alumni/ae Council, on behalf of the Alumni/ae Association, carefully reviews all nomination materials it receives so that it can make its recommendation to the spring meeting of the Board of Trustees, which officially names the Distinguished Alumnus/a.   Normally, the Council recommends only one alumnus/a be honored annually.
 
The Alumni/ae Council will actively seek nominees for the award, as early as McCormick Days of the preceding year.  At times, the Council itself may identify alumni/ae whom they would suggest as nominees; however, the Council believes McCormick’s alumni/ae, across the world, are the best source for nominees.  In addition, in years where there are multiple nominees, those not chosen will be kept for consideration in future years.
 
The Alumni/ae Council considers nominations based on the criteria listed above.  In the past, recipients have been recognized for “distinguished service in a particular ministry,” as well as “lifetime achievement.”
 
The Council emphasizes the importance of a complete nomination, which must include adequate information describing the person’s history and work, as well as at least two letters of recommendation.  All information must be submitted to Community Engagement & Alumni Relations. Please be advised that the Council can only review, and make its recommendation to the Board of Trustees based on the materials sent to them.  Therefore, a careful, thoughtful and complete nomination is most helpful in the selection process.
 
D E A D L I N E   F O R   C O N S I D E R A T I O N

Using the form included with this packet, please submit all nominations and other requested materials so everything is received no later than Friday, April 16, 2021. Return the form to:


Community Engagement & Alumni Relations
McCormick Theological Seminary
5460 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615
 
Email: alumrelations@mccormick.edu  
 
 
Questions? Call us at 773.947.6322 or email alumrelations@mccormick.edu
We will notify you as to whether your candidate is being placed in nomination.
 
 
P R E S E N T A T I O N   O F   T H E   A W A R D
McCORMICK DAYS, OCTOBER 2021
 
The Distinguished Alumnus/a Award will be presented during McCormick Days.  The Distinguished Alumnus/a and his or her guest will be our guest during McCormick Days.

Question Title

Image

Question Title

* 1. Your name:

Question Title

* 2. Your class and degree?

Question Title

* 3. Your contact information?

To nominate an Alumnus/a, please provide the following information:

Question Title

* 4. Name of Nominee

Question Title

* 5. Nominee's class and degree?

Question Title

* 6. Nominee's contact information?

Question Title

* 7. What has the nominee done to distinguish him/herself since graduating from McCormick? Guided by the criteria above, please attach an in-depth description of the history and work of your nominee. In addition, please include a curriculum vitae or resume and a list of the positions the person has held and / or where s/he has served.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.
Choose File
Please invite at least two other persons to submit personal letters of endorsement, and please note below from whom they are expected. They must be received by Friday, April 16, 2021. If you have already collected letters of endorsement, you can upload them in the spaces below. If not, provide their names below and instruct the endorsers to email their letter of endorsement to alumrelations@mccormick.edu. You can still submit your nomination at this time without the letters of endorsement. (Note: It is not the responsibility of the Alumni/ae Office to contact these persons if their endorsements are not received.)

Question Title

* 8. Reference #1 Name

Question Title

* 9. Reference #1 contact information?

Question Title

* 10. Upload reference #1 endorsement letter here.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.
Choose File

Question Title

* 11. Reference #2 Name

Question Title

* 12. Reference #2 contact information?

Question Title

* 13. Upload reference #2 endorsement letter here.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.
Choose File

T