Five
accomplished
alumni
were
chosen
for
the
highest
honor
conferred
upon
a
graduate
of
Baldwin
Wallace
by
the
BW
Alumni
Association:
the
Alumni
Merit
Award.
The
2018
honorees,
recognized
for
achievements
and
service
to
profession,
community
and
alma
mater,
are
Margaret
"Muggsy"
Bade
Mason
'59,
Nicole
M.
Bell
Mitchell
'04,
Dr.
David
O.
Norris
'61,
Helen
Rathburn
'66
and
Tom
Rathburn
'66.
Margaret
"Muggsy"
Bade
Mason
'59
A
1959
health
and
physical
education
graduate,
Mason
went
on
to
an
impactful
teaching
career
in
Cleveland's
western
suburbs
and
also
served
in
the
Case
Western
Reserve
University
(CWRU)
Athletic
Club
office.
As
a
BW
undergrad,
she
was
a
member
of
Delta
Zeta
and
played
basketball,
earning
induction
into
the
BW
Athletic
Hall
of
Fame
in
1998.
As
a
proud
alumna,
she
has
served
BW
as
a
class
representative
for
almost
60
years
as
well
as
a
vice
president
and
long-time
active
member
of
the
BW
Women's
Club,
raising
scholarship
funds
for
female
BW
students.
Mason's
generous
volunteerism
extends
beyond
campus
to
many
other
area
organizations.
Among
them
are
College
Club
West,
Alpha
Delta
Kappa,
Lakewood
Hospital,
Great
Lakes
Theater
Women's
Committee,
Gallery
Group
Inc.,
the
Robert
Page
Singers,
Rocky
River
Junior
Women's
Club,
Boy
Scouts,
Beck
Center
and
the
Eliza
Jennings
Retirement
Home.
For
37
years,
she
has
been
the
official
scorekeeper
for
Cleveland
State
University's
basketball
teams.
Nicole
M.
Bell
Mitchell
'04
In
April
of
this
year,
Bell
was
named
the
national
manager
for
diversity
and
corporate
social
responsibility
for
Kia
Motors
America
after
leading
the
Honda
Manufacturing
of
Indiana's
(HMIN)
office
of
inclusion
and
diversity.
Bell
has
been
recognized
as
an
accomplished
young
professional
by
the
Indianapolis
Center
for
Leadership
Development,
Kaleidoscope
Magazine
and
Crain's
Cleveland
Business.
After
earning
her
B.A.
in
business
administration
from
BW,
Bell
added
an
MBA
in
human
resources/management
from
Cleveland
State
University
in
2010.
Her
first
major
leadership
role
was
executive
director
for
The
Presidents'
Council
Foundation,
a
nonprofit
focused
on
research
and
entrepreneurial
education
in
Northeast
Ohio's
African-American
community.
At
her
alma
mater,
she
has
been
an
energetic
force
behind
BW's
Diversity
Alumni
Network.
She
has
provided
insights
through
board
and
advisory
council
service
for
Girl
Scouts
of
Central
Indiana,
the
500
Festival,
the
Indianapolis
Chamber
Hispanic
Business
Council
and
the
Indiana
Conference
for
Women.
Dr.
David
O.
Norris
'61
From
1966
to
2012,
Norris
taught
at
the
University
of
Colorado
where
he
is
now
professor
emeritus
in
the
department
of
integrative
physiology.
His
interests
involve
the
study
of
the
neuroendocrine
and
reproductive
functions
of
fishes
and
amphibians,
including
the
role
of
environmental
factors
such
as
pesticides
and
pharmaceuticals.
He
also
conducts
basic
research
and
consulting
work
in
forensic
botany.
In
recent
years,
he
has
published
the
fifth
edition
of
his
textbook
"Vertebrate
Endocrinology"
and
co-authored
"Forensic
Plant
Science."
Norris,
who
earned
a
B.S.
in
biology
at
BW
and
a
Ph.D.
from
the
University
of
Washington,
holds
memberships
in
civic,
law
enforcement,
church
and
singing
groups
in
his
community.
His
many
honors
include
the
Robert
L.
Sterns
Award
from
the
University
of
Colorado,
a
NASA
predoctoral
fellowship,
the
Irving
Geshwind
Memorial
Lecturer
award
and
election
to
the
American
Academy
of
Forensic
Sciences.
In
2018,
the
Society
for
Integrative
and
Comparative
Biology
selected
him
to
present
the
Howard
A.
Bern
Memorial
Lecture
and,
in
2005,
his
high
school
alma
mater,
Ashtabula,
inducted
him
into
its
Alumni
Hall
of
Fame.
Helen
Rathburn
'66
and
Tom
Rathburn
'66
Music
education
graduate
Helen
Rathburn
and
business
administration
graduate
Tom
Rathburn
have
been
a
united
force
for
good
at
BW
since
their
1966
graduation.
As
a
student,
Helen
Rathburn
was
a
member
of
Alpha
Gamma
Delta
and
several
arts
and
academic
honoraries,
a
frequent
cast
member
of
Berea
Summer
Theatre
productions
and
a
White
Rose
Ceremony
participant.
Tom
Rathburn
was
member
of
Theta
Alpha
Phi
theatre
arts
honorary
and
attended
graduate
school
in
speech
and
theater
at
Bowling
Green
State
University.
She
worked
in
public
relations
for
BW
beginning
in
1983,
retiring
as
associate
director
of
college
relations
in
2006.
His
career
as
a
CPA
took
him
to
Key
Bank
where
he
served
as
vice
president
and
senior
manager
of
trust
tax.
In
retirement,
the
couple
has
engaged
in
a
variety
of
volunteer
capacities
on
campus,
including
support
for
the
BW
Conservatory's
All-Steinway
School
Campaign
and
the
Friends
of
the
Conservatory
group,
of
which
Helen
Rathburn
currently
serves
as
president.
Together
they
have
contributed
many
additional
volunteer
hours
to
greater
Cleveland
arts
organizations
including
Playhouse
Square
and
Western
Reserve
Theatre
Organ
Society
(Tom),
Berea
Arts
Fest
(Helen)
and
the
Strongsville
Community
Band
(Helen
and
Tom).
Tom
Rathburn
has
also
been
a
frequent
Red
Cross
platelet
donor
in
the
last
25
years.
The
Rathburns
are
members
of
BW's
Heritage
Society
and
received
BW's
Family
Heritage
Award
in
2010.
Celebrating
the
honorees
President
Bob
Helmer
and
his
wife,
Linda,
celebrated
these
deserving
2018
Alumni
Merit
Award
recipients
at
a
private
event
at
their
home
in
late
May.
The
BW
Office
of
Alumni
Engagement
welcomes
fellow
graduates
to
send
a
note
of
congratulations
to
any
of
the
honorees.
Email
bwalumni@bw.edu
with
"Alumni
Merit
Award"
in
the
subject
line
and
your
message
will
be
forwarded.
