2015 Knox Service Awards

The Knox Service Award, established in 1987, is given to any member of the Knox community to recognize outstanding volunteer service benefiting Knox College. Awards are presented during Homecoming Convocation. Annual nominations are due by January 31.

2015 Recipients

Carol Daugherty Egan '72
The best way to describe Carol Egan’s devotion to Knox College is by recognizing her compassionate leadership and service to Pi Beta Phi. Carol has served as the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Advisory Committee (AAC) Membership Counterpart as well as Illinois Beta-Delta Chapter House Corporation (CHC) Chair for more than 30 years.

Through her role on the advisory committee, Carol guides the Executive Board of the local chapter. In preparation for important events such as recruitment, Homecoming tea, and formal events, Carol gives her time to help buy groceries and meet with venue owners.  According to Anna Marquez, Class of 2015, Carol has the unique ability to listen to concerns and give sound advice while still empowering the women of Pi Beta Phi to make their own decisions.

As CHC Chair, Carol works with the College, the AAC, and the Chapter’s Executive Board to provide a safe, comfortable space on campus for members to gather and feel at home. She is known to show up with new furniture on random weekends because she “was thinking of her girls.”

Aside from her formal roles, Carol welcomes new members by treating them to a home-cooked meal. She opens her home during the holidays and hosts leadership workshops. She writes recommendation letters at a moment’s notice, and grabs lunch or tea to celebrate members’ achievements. As an organization with members from all across the country and world, Carol serves as a de facto mother away from home.

Carol is an active volunteer in the Galesburg community. She has fundraised for Costa Catholic School and is a longtime member of the Pilot Club, serving twice as President. Carol has also been a Relay for Life team captain and volunteered for Discovery Depot Festival of Trees.

Dudley McCarter '72
Dudley McCarter proves his commitment to Knox through his ongoing support of athletics, admission, and alumni relations. In the months leading up to the 2013 Football Reunion, Dudley joined fellow football alumni from his era in a fundraising effort to support the football program. He was a leader in contacting his fellow football classmates and encouraging them to help Knox by engaging their teammates and raising funds. That effort resulted in $25,000 to help Coach Tomeo and his staff recruit student-athletes nationwide.

When Knox decided to hire a full-time wrestling coach if alumni would cover the salary, Dudley once again committed funds and helped to track down good candidates for the position.

Over the years, Dudley has consistently helped the admission effort by recommending students and annually calls recruits to talk with them about Knox and Prairie Fire athletics.

Dudley’s volunteer work for alumni relations includes time on Reunion committees, as a Class Agent, and as a consistent supporter of the St. Louis Knox Club. He is a member of the K Club and President’s Circle. Most important, Dudley also hires Knox alumni.  His law firm currently has three lawyers with Knox diplomas hanging on their walls.

Dudley is active in many charitable and civic organizations. He served on the Board of the Children’s Trust Fund of Missouri, on the Board of the Parkway School District, the Missouri Foundation for the Prevention of Child Abuse, and was Chair of that organization from 2001 to 2003. He is currently serving on the Advisory Board of the St. Louis Crisis Nursery. Dudley has been on the faculty of the Missouri Trial Judges College every year since 1997, and is former president of the Mizzou Alumni Association.

Topper Steinman '70
When Topper Steinman goes to a Knox football game, his voice bellows from the bleachers. Certainly Coach Tomeo and the players can hear his encouragement down on the field. Topper maintains a strong relationship with the coaching staff and provides names and stats of prospective players.  He supports the program by motivating other football alumni to give back to their alma mater. Topper writes solicitation letters, makes phone calls, and played a leadership role in planning the 2013 Football Reunion, where $25,000 was raised for Knox football.

In addition to supporting our current student-athletes, Topper also supports the Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame by nominating fellow Knox athletes and by regularly attending the induction ceremony at Homecoming. He is a member of the K Club and participates in the annual Golf Outing at Soangetaha Country Club. Topper led a recent focus group formed to gather feedback from letterwinners on ways to involve current K Club members and grow the Club. He has also helped the Office of Advancement by serving as Class Agent.

For more than 20 years, Topper worked nationwide as an educational consultant and educator in the Champaign, Illinois, schools. He is an expert speaker on conflict resolution and other topics—to school children, teams, and teachers. Topper has served on the Advisory Board of LEAP (Linking Educators and Parents), an advocacy group for students with dyslexia and other learning challenges, as well as the Leadership Council for CUC2C, a group focusing on strategies for success from cradle to career.

Eric Wilson '84
Eric Wilson served on the Alumni Council as an at-large member for six years. During that time, he worked with a committee to change the by-laws regarding the Knox-Lombard Hall of Fame selection process and helped bring new life to an inactive Kansas City Knox Club. He accepted the vice chair position in 2005, and moved on to serve as chair in 2007 and 2008. As immediate past chair, he continued to return to campus for the next two years to represent the Alumni Council on the Board of Trustees.

Despite the fact that he was first, and foremost, the parent of two young daughters, as well as a working professional, Eric made time for the six hour trip from Kansas City to Knox two to three times each year, for more than 10 years.

Eric’s service to Knox also includes several years as Class Agent and time on the Knox Fund Steering Committee. He and his wife, Ellen, housed members of the Knox Choir during a spring break tour. Eric is a member of the President’s Circle, K Club, and a proud Star Giver.

In his local community, Eric is a member of Father’s Connection, a group supporting student-athletes at Shawnee Mission High School. During the past school year, Eric and Ellen hosted an exchange student from Spain. He is a volunteer musician at his church, and raised funds for Sunflower to Roses, a Kansas City-based nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting cancer and promoting core values of family, fitness and fun.

Previous Knox Service Award Recipients