John Hanlon, a 1964 graduate who was paralyzed in Vietnam combat and went on to serve his fellow veterans during a distinguished 21-year career with the Veterans Administration, is Eastern Kentucky University's Outstanding Alumnus for 2002.

Hanlon, of Memphis, Tenn., and five inductees into the University's Hall of Distinguished Alumni will be honored at the annual Alumni Awards and Recognition Banquet Saturday, April 27. The banquet, at 7 p.m. in the Keen Johnson Ballroom, is the concluding event of EKU's Alumni Weekend April 26-27. Tickets for the banquet are $20 each and may be reserved by calling the University's alumni relations office, 859-622-1260 or, toll-free in Kentucky, 1-800-262-7493, ext. 1260.

The Hall of Distinguished Alumni inductees are: Eric Abercrumbie, '70, Cincinnati, Ohio, director, Office of Ethnic Programs and Services, and director, African American Culture and Research Center, University of Cincinnati; Judge James E. Keller, 2000, Lexington, justice, Supreme Court of Kentucky; Janie Abbott Miller, '77, Shelbyville, commissioner, Kentucky Department of Insurance; Elizabeth Snoddy Monarch, '80, Paris, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital; and Judge Danny C. Reeves, '78, Lexington, Federal District judge, Eastern District of Kentucky.

(Keller attended Eastern from 1960 to 1963, then was admitted to the University of Kentucky Law School. He was awarded a baccalaureate degree in 2000 under a University policy that allows for the transfer back of appropriate credits.)
Hanlon began his military service after earning a bachelor's degree in geography and geology and a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army through Eastern's ROTC program. While serving in Vietnam with the 1st Cavalry Division, he was severely wounded during the Battle of la Drang Valley in November 1965 made famous by Hal Moore's book "We Were Soldiers Once … and Young." The fighting, some of the fiercest in the entire war, marked the beginning of the massive ground war in Vietnam.

For his heroics, Hanlon received a Silver Star and Purple Heart, among other decorations, but, after 32 operations to heal his wounds, he was left permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Later, his valor was recognized at EKU when a campus street, John Hanlon Drive, was named in his honor.

He joined the VA Medical Center in Memphis in 1978 and held a series of progressively responsible positions, until retiring in 1998 as chief of the Management Advisory Section, Resources Management Service.

Throughout his career, Hanlon worked diligently to foster awareness and sensitivity to issues and barriers faced by disabled employees. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors, Mid-South Chapter, of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, co-chairman of a fund-raiser for spinal cord research. For his efforts, he has earned numerous awards from the Veterans Administration.

After arriving on the Eastern campus from Carroll County in 1959, Hanlon recalled that his "world immediately grew a lot larger. Until graduation, my ol' knowledge knapsack was filled with provisions and some tools for gathering more that have sustained me this far along the journey, and I know will keep me as far as I have to go. It seemed we got to stand on the shoulders of some wonderful professors and look a ways farther down the way we were choosing than we might ever have seen without them.

"I don't consider myself a distinguished alum but, rather, a richly blessed and proud alum of a distinguished University."

Candidates for the awards are selected each year on the basis of professional and personal achievement from among nominations received from EKU graduates by the Executive Committee of the EKU National Alumni Association.

"Each year, Eastern looks forward to recognizing those graduates who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields," said Dr. "Skip" Daugherty, associate vice president and executive director of the EKU National Alumni Association. "These honorees are among EKU's best, and we're delighted they are returning to the campus to be recognized for their contributions to society."

Alumni Weekend this year features special reunions for the graduation classes of 1927, 1932, 1937, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, 1972 and 1977. Invitations also have been sent to alumni who graduated one year before or after the special reunion classes.

The April 26 schedule at the Arlington House includes a 6 p.m. faculty/alumni reception, alumni dinner at 7 and a "Casino Night" from 8:30 to 10 p.m. The cost for the dinner is $20 a person, and advance reservations are recommended. Admission to Casino Night is $10 a person.

The fun continues Saturday, April 27 at the Keen Johnson Building, where registration and a "Getting Reacquainted Continental Breakfast" begin at 9 a.m. The day also includes a 11:30 a.m. class buffet luncheon (cost $11), class meetings and photographs, and recognition of EKU Pioneers, those who graduated from the University at least 50 years ago.

Any graduate from 1952 and earlier who would like to be recognized this year as an EKU Pioneer should contact the Alumni Relations office to make reservations. For more information about Alumni Weekend, or to make reservations for any of the events, call 859-622-1260 or, toll-free in Kentucky, 1-800-262-7493, ext. 1260, or e-mail alumni.event@eku.edu.