Westminster College Announces 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

Alumni honored for service and contributions to the community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Krista DeAngelis (801) 832-2682

Sept. 15, 2008

SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster College is pleased to announce the following 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients: DeAnne Hanson (Class of ’64), Jackie Robertson (Class of ’78) and retired Col. Roberta Roberts Patrick (Class of ’56). The honorees will be recognized at an awards banquet at the college on September 20.

Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are chosen for their service and contribution to the welfare of the community. This award reinforces the emphasis Westminster places on community with the service learning aspect of a Westminster College degree. Award recipients are nominated, considered and selected by Westminster College alumni.

These three award recipients join a distinguished list of award winners from throughout the country.

DeAnne Dunn Hanson
Class of 1964, B.S. Political Science
Hanson has been an activist and community advocate in the political and non-profit arena for her entire post-college life. In the early 1960’s, Hanson was a caseworker for Salt Lake County. She also began an active involvement with her community. She served as a member of the Women’s Legislative Council, The League of Women Voters, University of Utah’s Board of Trustees, the Salt Lake Ballet Build, Westminster College Woman’s Board and the Salt Lake County Bar Auxiliary. Hanson also became very involved with the Democratic Party, locally and nationally. In 1984, she became chair of the legislative district for the Utah Democratic Party and a delegate to the historic 1984 Democratic Convention. Her involvement with the Democratic Party earned her respect among the party as well as a feature article printed during her husband Stewart’s run for Utah Governor in 1992 called “Hanson: Her Political Skills Rival Husband’s.” Notably, she became heavily involved with the Odyssey House where she served various roles in her 19 years of service and is currently the president of the Western Odyssey House Conference.

John “Jackie” Robertson

Class of 1978, B.S. Behavioral Science, B.S. Business Administration and Economics

As a gifted student athlete and member of the Westminster College football team, Robertson received the Scholar Athlete Award for his academic efforts and determination. His love of athletics continued and he has worked to share the determination and focus he received from sports with the community. During the 1990’s, he worked with Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini to coordinate a Salt Lake City program of late night basketball aimed to mentor at-risk youth. He has also coached community softball teams and oversees adult basketball activities at the Calvary Baptist Church.

As a first generation college graduate, Robertson recognized the importance of utilizing the opportunities his education provided. Shortly after graduation, he began working with PacificCorp/Utah Power and has steadily moved up in positions within the company for the past 30 years. Today, he is a labor relations consultant and negotiates management policies with the company’s 3,000 unionized employees. He is also known as a great example to his fellow co-workers and has received numerous recognitions within the company for both his commitment to professionalism and community service, including the Spirit of Excellence Award in 2005.

In addition to his coaching work with the Calvary Baptist Church in Salt Lake City, Robertson serves as the church’s chief finance officer. In 1996, he began a campaign to raise funds for a new church facility. In 2001, he oversaw the construction of the $3.5 million church building and today he manages the church’s operational funds.

Col. Roberta Roberts Patrick, USMC (ret.)

Class of 1956, B.A. Speech and Theatre

Born to teachers on the White Rock reservation in Roosevelt, Patrick graduated from Westminster as its first four-year drama student. She then went on to obtain the rank of full colonel in the U.S. Marines – the highest rank possible for a woman at the time. Patrick was head of protocol in Hawaii during the Vietnam War; the second woman to attend the Naval War College and was responsible for executing the first steps to modernize the role of women in the Marines.

A gifted singer and actress, she performed on stages throughout the world. After retiring to care for her parents, Patrick started “Music a la Carte.” This group performed throughout the Intermountain West to raise money for charities and organizations.

Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu.