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Founders Dinner Sets Attendance Record

Founders' Dinner

Guests at the Founders’ Dinner enjoyed a supper club atmosphere, complete with oversized lampshades and seating on three levels.

Robert Jordan (Ph.D. ’00), 2006 Damen Award recipient for the School of Education
Robert Jordan (Ph.D. ’00), 2006 Damen Award recipient for the School of Education (left); his wife, Sharon; Lawrence Underwood; and his wife, Sandra Millon Underwood (B.S.N. ’75, M.S.N. ’79), recipient of the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing 2006 Damen Award.
Loyola trustee Frank Hogan (B.S. ’59, M.Ed. ’80) and his wife, Nancy (Ph.D. ’87), enjoy the cocktail reception. John Felice (M.S. ’72), recipient of the Heart of Loyola award, and his wife, Kate, arrive for the dinner.
A record crowd of more than 860 alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of Loyola gathered June 3 for the fifth annual Founders' Dinner, celebrating Loyola's mission and accomplishments and honoring the shining achievements of the University's family and friends.

The beautiful summer evening began under an enormous clear-ceiling tent on Halas Field, where guests mingled with the evening's award recipients while enjoying "panini lollipops" and Jolly Rancher-infused vodka tonics. Following the reception, guests followed a tunnel into a completely transformed Gentile Center. Gone were the bleachers and basketball hoops, replaced by a 30-foot-wide replica of the Cudahy Library stained-glass rose window, enormous lampshades hanging overhead, and multi-tiered seating platforms reminiscent of a supper club.

Returning after their smash debut last year, the Founders' Dinner Chorus opened the evening,welcoming the crowd with a powerful rendition of Barry Manilow's "One Voice," while images of this year's award recipients accumulated on the screen. The chorus returned for several numbers throughout the evening, interspersed between dinner courses and the presentation of awards. Absolute Harmony, an all-alumni vocal jazz quartet which has performed at every Founders' Dinner, also entertained the crowd with its lush vocal sounds.

Michael J.Garanzini, S.J., Loyola president, presented Mary Ann McMorrow (J.D. '53), retiring from the Illinois Supreme Court this summer, with the President's Medal, while Founding Rome Center Director John Felice (M.A. '72) received the Heart of Loyola. Joyce Knight, senior evaluator for the College of Arts and Sciences,was honored with the Dux Mirabilis award, given to a faculty or staff member. In addition, alumni from each of Loyola's nine schools and colleges and classic Mundelein College were honored.

For a complete listing of all awardees, photos, award nomination instructions and more, visit www.luc.edu/founders.