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Scientech Roll of Honor



Dedicated to Club Members who have made outstanding contributions to their profession and/or community or to the Club





Emeritus Members


Significance

Emeritus Members of the Scientech Club are selected by the Board of Directors to honor their service to the club. They must have been a member of the Club for 15 years, have contributed to the improvement of the Club, and must exemplify the objectives of the Club as stated in the Nature and Purpose. The number of Emeritus Members may not exceed 8% of the total Club membership.

Current Emeritus Members of the Scientech Club are:



  • Charles Angus

    Charles Angus

  • Michael Chaney

    Michael Chaney

  • Bob Chiplis

    Bob Chiplis

  • George Cunningham

    George Cunningham

  • Bob Rogers

    Bob Rogers

  • Kent Sharp

    Kent Sharp

  • Schmidt

    Alan Schmidt

  • Charles Shoup

    Charles Shoup

  • Steven Springer

    Steven Springer

  • Bill Stanley

    Bill Stanley

  • Tom Stump

    Tom Stump

  • Wagner

    Doug Wagner

  • James Wark

    James Wark

  • Victor Wenning

    Victor Wenning

  • Daniel Yates

    Daniel Yates

  • James Bettner

    James Bettner



In Memoriam


In tribute to the Emeritus Members from the recent past who have contributed so much to the success of the club but are now departed



  • Elmira Annis

    Elmira Annis

  • Bob Annis

    Bob Annis

  • Armstrong

    Bob Armstrong

  • Darrell Bakken

    Darrell Bakken

  • Robert Brueckmann

    Robert Brueckmann

  • Nelson Crooks

    Nelson Crooks

  • Forrester

    Ernest Forrester

  • Judkins

    Dick Judkins

  • Dorothy Kandrac

    Dorothy Kandrac

  • Charles Kleis

    Charles Kleis

  • Long

    Mal Long

  • Stahl

    Ralph Stahl

  • Barbara Storer

    Barbara Storer

  • John Storer

    John Storer

  • Paul Vos

    Paul Vos

  • Harold Wesselman

    Harold Wesselman







Sagamores of the Wabash


Significance

SagamoreHead300.jpg The award was created during the term of Governor Ralph F.Gates, who served from 1945-1949. Governor Gates was to attend a tri-state meeting in Louisville with Ohio and Kentucky. Aides to the Govenor discovered that the governor of Kentucky was preparing Kentucky Colonel certificates for Governor Gates and Senator Robert A. Taft, who was to represent the state of Ohio. The Hoosiers decided that the state of Indiana should have an appropriate award to present in return.

The term “Sagamore” was used by the American Indian Tribes of the northeastern United States to describe a lesser chief or a great man among the tribe to whom the true chief would look to for wisdom and advice. Each governor since Gates has presented certificates in their own way. It has been said that one governor even resorted to wearing full Indian headdress as he read the scrolls. The award was the highest honor that the governor of Indiana bestows (see Sachem award below). It is a personal tribute given to those who have rendered a distinguished service to the state or to the governor.

Among those who have received Sagamores have been astronauts, presidents, ambassadors, artists, musicians, politicians,and ordinary citizens who have contributed to Hoosier heritage. It should be noted that Sagamores have been conferred upon both men and women. there is no record of the total numbers which have been presented,as each governor has kept his own roll; just as each has reserved the right to personally select the recipients. It is a governor’s award, not a state award.

On 3 March 2006, Governor Mitch Daniels revived an award of higher regard than the Sagamore award with the Sachem award, which he said would be limited to one per year. The first recipients were former Purdue University basketball player and UCLA coach John Wooden (2005, retroactively) and former president of the University Notre Dame Rev. Theodore Hesburgh (2006).

Announcing the new award, Daniels stated:
“True greatness is rare, and implies more than just an accomplishment. Hoosiers believe that character counts, too, that the kind of life you live matters as much as the achievements that you’ve racked up. The Sachem will be reserved for those who lead by moral example as well as successful action.”







Club Members Honored as Sagamores


Member Date of Award
Jack Hall, M.D. 1968 and 1978
Elton T. Ridley 1986
Bob Annis 1987
William H. Dick, M.D. 1990
Larry L. Heck, M.D. 1990
Patricia A. Keener, M.D. 1992
J. Darrell Bakken 1994
Roberta Walton, R.N. 1996
Robert S. Sorensen, Ph.D. 1997
John Williams, M.D. 1998
Panayotis G. Iatridis, M.D., Ph.D. 1999
John N. Pittman, M.D. 2000
Leland Tanner 2000
Malcolm Mallette 2004
Charles R. Thomas, M.D. 2006
Richard L. Schreiner, M.D. 2006
James C. Dillon, M.D. 2017






Jack Hall, M.D. (Deceased)

Jack Hall

Dr. Jack Hall has done so much for the Indianapolis Medical community, in particular for Methodist Hospital. Jack hails from Kokomo. He earned his BA from Indiana University in 1952 and his M.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1956. Dr. Hall served a year with the U.S. Air Force in 1954 and was in the National Guard Army Reserve from 1960-1978.

Jack Hall served his both internship in 1957, and his Internal Medicine residency from 1958-1960, at Methodist Hospital. He took a Cardiology Fellowship at Harvard's West Roxbury VA Hospital in 1960. From 1960-1990, Dr. Hall was Director of the Department of Cardiology at Methodist Hospital. He served as Director of Medical Education and Senior Vice-President at Methodist Hospital from 1960 to 1980.

He earned his first Sagamore of the Wabash in 1968, during Governor Roger D. Branigan's Administration, for his service in helping to bring about the "Indiana Plan." This plan consisted of the School of Medicine as the hub and five regional campuses that would host the first two years of Medical School. Thereafter, the students would take the third and fourth year in Indianapolis. He was awarded the Lambert Award for Health Care and the American Association of Family Practice Distinguished Service Medal. In 1978, he was awarded his second Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Otis R. Bowen, M.D. That award was bestowed to him because of his role in founding Family Practice programs in the State of Indiana.

Moreover, he was a member of the National Academy of Science, Professor of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine and Assistant Dean at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He wrote a book entitled "Prospective Medicine," with Jack D. Zwemer and Lewis Robbins. Jack retired in 2007 and promptly joined the Scientech Club. He attends most meetings and is a solid member of the Club.

Congratulations Jack, on your two Sagamore of the Wabash Awards!







Elton T. Ridley (Deceased)

Elton Ridley

Elton is the retired Dean of Allied Health Sciences from IUPUI. He was born in Syracuse, NY when his father was completing a Ph. D. at Syracuse University. They soon moved to Chicago where his father was named the first Executive Director of the National Association of City Managers, a post he held for 25 years. (Indiana is the only state that does not have such a system for governing its cities.)

Elton Ridley graduated from the University of Chicago High School in 1945 and spent a year in the U.S. Army before graduating from the University of Illinois, Chicago in1950. Following that he earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1952. His field of interest was Hospital Management and then, as now, graduates are required to serve a residency. Elton stated that, “unlike his father who had the entire city to manage, and thus could not please everyone, he thought that he would take a segment of the city and try to do a good job of running it.”

The school suggested Indiana University Hospitals in Indianapolis and he moved here in 1952. At that time, an administrator managed Long, Coleman and Riley Hospitals, in addition to the Union building, the gift shop and bookstore. Later he was named Hospital Administrator of the three hospitals and was the first head of the new University Hospital when it was completed in the mid 1970’s.

He spent 35 years at IUPUI and in his later years he did some teaching and was named the first Dean of the Allied Health Sciences division, serving for two years. The Elton T. Ridley Minority Scholarship was developed in honor of his contributions to the Health Information Administration, which was previously known as the Medical Record Administration Program. Elton was an associate professor in the Indiana University School of Medicine for many years and taught the Hospital Organization and Management course.

Dean Ridley joined Scientech in 1973 after attending some meetings with fellow IU professors, Sam Hopper and Dick Adams, who was a long-time secretary of Scientech. He certainly has belonged to the Club longer than most members and is still seen frequently at the weekly lectures. In 1986, in appreciation of his many years of excellent service to IUPUI, he was awarded a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Robert Orr.

Elton enjoys the fine museums of Indianapolis and is an avid supporter of Children’s Museum, Connor Prairie, Eiteljorg Museum, Indiana Historical Society, Indiana State Museum and the Indianapolis Zoo. His first wife died in 2001 and they had no children. He married Margaret in 2005 and acquired several children and grandchildren.








Bob Annis (Deceased)

Bob Annis

Mr. Annis received the Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Robert Orr in 1987. This was just one of the many accolades awarded to this remarkable man, who was the embodiment of Scientech Club for many years. His death in 1999 at age 92 ended a 69-year relationship with Scientech. He and founding member D.J. Angus, are cited as the two most inspiring members of the Club. The term "mentor" is used to describe both of them.

Bob was born in Indianapolis in 1907. In school he was always good at drawing and designing. Because of his talent, he was awarded a scholarship to the John Herron Art Institute. He then attended Shortridge H. S. for one year but had to leave because of financial difficulties. He did manage to learn something about the new field of radio technology from a Mr. Crockett at Shortridge. He kept up his interest by joining the Indianapolis Radio Club in 1922.

While at the Radio Club he was introduced to D.J. Angus who arranged for a job for Annis at Thomas and Skinner Steel Products. On weekends Angus taught Bob about tools and tool making. While with the Steel Company, Annis built a magnet surge charger. In 1927, he enrolled at Arsenal Tech H.S., working in the afternoon at the Steel Company after he had attended school in the morning. While in high school, he began his own company in 1928.

The R.B. Annis Co. was in business with Bob at the helm for the next 69 years. Over the years, it made a wide variety of products, including transmitting and receiving devices for the U. S. Naval Reserve and the Indiana State Police. The first precision balancing machines were made in the 1930's and they were used in WW II. Annis also produced bomb sights and magnetizers for the U.S. Navy. A pocket magnetizer for the Ampex Corporation was a big success.

Nearly all of the business was gained by word of mouth from previous clients or people in the manufacturing business. Mr. Annis was very generous to his employees, paying them a good wage and monthly bonuses, based on sales. No one was ever laid off, even during the Great Depression.

Bob married Miriam Fay in 1949; she worked along with him at the company. Annis was a mentor to junior high school and high school students, giving many lectures. He also taught members at the Radio Club. In 1960, Annis spearheaded Scientech's participation in the Central Indiana Science Fair. (Remember, the Soviets launched spacecraft Sputnick in 1957.)

In 1966, after the death of D.J. Angus, one of Scientech's founding members, Annis and a group of club members began the D.J. Angus-Scientech Educational Foundation, which was chartered in 1967. Today it benefits the Children's Museum (especially in its science department), Grand Valley State University and over a dozen high school students with grants for college. Bob Annis never missed a weekly Scientech Club meeting unless he was out of town.

After his wife died in 1985, he established a scholarship in her honor with the Girl Scouts of America. In 1987, Mr. Annis was named a "Sagamore of the Wabash" by Governor Robert Orr for his many years of outstanding service to Indiana and to the USA. In 1988, Annis married Elmira Vermillion; she continues to attend weekly meetings to this day. Bob loved boats, as did D.J. Angus, and Bob and Elmira sailed around Florida and the Bahamas. They were truly world travelers.

In his earlier years, he fell in love with photography and even produced a photo developing process. He and D.J. Angus took many trips out west taking photos for travelogue shows. In those days, people did not travel that much and a travelogue was a great way for all to enjoy the sights of the U.S., especially the western states.

Mentor and educator - that was Bob Annis. He joined Scientech in 1930, was its president in 1948, helped begin its participation in the regional science fairs and assisted in the beginning the Foundation. The outstanding service of Bob Annis to the Scientech Club will be felt far into the future.








William H. Dick, M.D

Bill Dick

Bill Dick was born in Cleveland, OH, lived there for six months, and then in five different Ohio cities before graduating from St. Francis de Sales H.S. in Toledo in 1959. His father was manager and then superintendent for F.W. Woolworth Co. Bill then returned to Cleveland to attend John Carroll University for three years before being accepted to Indiana University School of Medicine. At JCU, he was named to Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit College Honor Society. Also at John Carroll, Bill met Maggie Steffens (a good friend and his sister introduced them) at a college mixer; the rest as they say is history.

After graduating from IU in 1966, Dr. Dick took his internship at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, and then stayed for one year of Internal Medicine residency. The military service called and Bill served at an outpatient dispensary at Ft. Monroe, VA, the site of Continental Army Command Headquarters for the USA (there were 16 generals and 400 colonels). Virginia is such an interesting state and the twosome visited Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown, in addition to Virginia Beach and the North Carolina beaches.

He returned to Methodist Hospital and completed his Medicine residency and a two year Nephrology Fellowship, which included the new field of Kidney Dialysis and Transplant. 
 
Beginning in 1970, he and his wife began a love affair with wine and the various people and cultures that surround it, a love affair that continues to this day. This led to a collecting hobby that eventually necessitated two large temperature-controlled wine cellars. Bill supplies local wine and food groups with older wine and has been buying and selling wine at auction for over 30 years. He was the first president of the Indianapolis Wine Society in 1977 and the Liquid Assets Tasting Society in 1993 and belongs to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, of which he was the local head for seven years, the International Wine & Food Society and the Confrérie du Normandy. Wine travels have taken them to California a dozen times and to France on four occasions. They have also been to Ireland for three visits (not too many vineyards there).
 
Bill and Maggie have three daughters, all of whom live close by, and two grandchildren, who are a special joy. They love to visit in the summertime at the backyard swimming pool. They also enjoy “spending the night” with Grandma and Grandpa.
 
In February 1984 the first lithotripsy (ESWL) machine for kidney stones in the USA arrived in Indianapolis at Methodist Hospital. In early 1985 Dr. Dick took a Kidney Stone Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic and started the Metabolic Kidney Stone Clinic at Methodist. In addition to caring for patients on dialysis and serving as Chairman of the Nephrology Fellowship Program, he spent the next 19 years working in the field of kidney stone prevention, having one of the largest practices in the Midwest. He discovered the cause of Ammonium Urate stone disease in adults (phenolphthalein laxative abuse) and the treatment for Brushite stones (high-dose potassium citrate).

Bill’s volunteer work has mostly been for the National Kidney Foundation of Indiana: He helped found the Central Indiana Chapter in 1972, served on the board for many years, was Midwest region national volunteer of the year in 1988, and chaired ten wine tasting and auction benefits for NKF, culminating in 1990 with an auction at which 460 people attended, still the largest in the city to date. For these efforts he was given the Key to the City of Indianapolis by Mayor William Hudnut in 1989 and the Sagamore of the Wabash in 1990 by Governor Evan Bayh. He was named a NKF Honorary Life Board member in 1999.
 
After going part-time in 1997 and then retiring in 2004, Bill had time for reading, mostly about wine, history and biography. Other interests include gardening, photography, writing (wine articles and others), travel and prior to his back injury and subsequent surgery, tennis, at which he won many country club and medical society tournaments. He joined Scientech Club early in 2005 and has served on the board since 2006.










Larry L. Heck, M.D.

Larry Heck

Dr. Heck hails from Lawrence , KS (home of the University of Kansas ), where he grew up on a farm. When he was in college at the University of Kansas , he had a linguistics professor who thought he could tell what part of the country a person was from by their of accent. He guessed Larry to be from Texas , and when that was not correct, then from Oklahoma . Larry has a very gentle drawl to his voice – sort of an “Aw, shucks” way of speaking. It matches his low-key friendly personality.

He met his wife Frances on the first day of freshman English in college and knew that she was the one. They have been married 45 years and have two children and two grandchildren. Their son is an attorney and a daughter is an M.B.A. graduate who works for a pharmaceutical company.

Larry graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School, Kansas City , KS, in 1966 . After completing a Rotating Internship, he was going to begin a Radiology Residency at the University of Kansas when the department head went back to the University of Chicago . Larry and Frances followed him to the big city and lived in a small duplex on Chicago’s south side. He was one of the early people to take a four-year Radiology residency and his fourth year was spent in Nuclear Medicine, then an early specialty.

He served in the Navy from 1971-73 and was the Director of Nuclear Medicine at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland . One of his teachers was Dr. Gene Van Hove (also a member of Scientech). Gene came to Methodist Hospital and began the Nuclear Medicine section; he recruited Larry to the hospital, where he spent the next 30 years. Dr. Heck was a great asset to the Interns and Residents as a teacher and an asset likewise for the Staff Physicians. He always made time for you when you had a question about a patient.

He has written three book chapters and published 31 scientific articles and abstracts – quite an achievement for a clinical Radiologist, one who is not in a full-time academic medicine. He is the past president of the American College of Nuclear Physicians from 1981-82. In Indiana he was a member of the state Radiation Control Advisory Board from 1982-1990, serving as its chairman in the last two years. Its duty was to supervise radiation amounts for hospitals, private X-ray offices and physician’s offices. For this important work, he was awarded a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Evan Bayh in September 1990.

He enjoys golf, boating, pheasant hunting in Kansas , and rose gardening. He also serves on the Board of Director’s for the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease); he lost a brother to the disease at age 52. Dr. Heck joined Scientech in 2000, served on the Board from 2003-05 and still attends meetings frequently.










Patricia A. Keener, M.D.

Patricia Keener

Dr. Patricia Keener made a great contribution to humanity when she founded "Safe Sitter" in 1980. The idea came to her when the 18-month old child of a Riley Hospital nurse colleague died of a choking incident while in the care of an adult baby sitter. The plan was for an adult instructor to teach a one-day class to a half-dozen people regarding baby and child care. All instructors take a one-day class.

Pat Keener graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine with Honors in 1968. After her graduation, she took a Pediatric Residency at the Medical College of South Carolina. In 1974, she became Medical Director of Nurseries and Pediatrics at Community Hospital of Indianapolis. In 1989, she returned to Riley Hospital where she was eventually named Professor of Pediatrics and Adjunct Professor of Philanthropic Studies. She was also Medical Director of the Indianapolis Campaign for Healthy Babies.

Dr. Keener aided the education of young physicians and developed a cultural competency curriculum. It later became the Office of Medical Service Learning at IU. The American Academy of Pediatrics awarded her the Ross Education Award for outstanding accomplishments in pediatric postgraduate and continuing education. Many other awards have come to this medical and community leader.

The Safe Sitter program has been taught to thousands of people. The classes are now designed for young teens in grades 6-8. There are over 900 chapters in all 50 states. The classes began at the elementary school of one of Dr. Keener's children. Classes have been given at churches, YMCA's, schools, etc. The Essentials course is 5.5 hours long and includes Safety Skills, Child Care Skills, First Aid and Rescue Skills; and Life and Business skills. If CPR is included, an extra hour is needed. An expanded 11-hour course is also available.

Many children have been saved because of one person's idea. Dr. Keener's husband Dr. Gerald Keener, their three children and their three grandchildren are all very proud of her. What a remarkable achievement. This Hoosier citizen surely deserves to be an Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash. Congratulations!








J. Darrell Bakken (Deceased)

Darrell Bakken

Mr. Bakken, or Darrell as he is known to everyone, received his award in 1994 upon his retirement from the Indianapolis Water Co., where he worked for 29 years. Often retiring department heads at the Water Co. received this prestigious award but Darrell maintains that it was a surprise. He also had a day named for him by the Mayor of Indianapolis.

In addition to his many years of excellent service to the community in assuring water quality, Darrel could have just as well received the award for his tireless work on the boards of many non-profit organizations, beginning at age 26.

He was born in Wahpeton, ND, now a town of 10,000 people. Both grandparents emigrated from Norway : his paternal grandfather settled in SD and worked as a farmer; his maternal grandfather went to ND and was a lumberman. Darrell’s father left the family farm and began a well drilling business. One time his business took him to ND where he met a client’s daughter who later became his wife.

After graduating from Wahpeton H.S., he earned a bachelor’s degree from N.D. State with a major in Civil Engineering and a minor in Public Health. He then received a Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota . He soon went into the U.S. Army and served first as part of the Medical Service Corps in Germany as an environmental engineer. Then he was sent to Bordeaux, France with duties in civil engineering. There he met a girl named Ruth, who was later to be his wife. She had served at Ft. Devens , MA and was sent to France as secretary to the commanding officer.

They were married in MA, had the reception in ND and went to SD to live where they settled in Pierre . He worked for the state environmental agency in the field of drinking water quality. Darrell had worked part time and summers for his father in the well drilling business, so he was interested in drinking water from his early days. He served as secretary of the state Engineering Society and as treasurer of the Waste Water Association, beginning a lifelong commitment to community service.

In 1965, the Bakkens moved to Indianapolis as Darrell began his career with the Water Company. His area of expertise was waste water treatment; he eventually rose to the level of VP and Director of Engineering. One of Scientech’s early members had worked for the Water Co., so many employees knew about the Club. Darrell joined the Scientech Club in 1995 after he retired, was president in 2001 and was a board member for many years since then.

He and Ruth have one daughter who works at IU, Bloomington. She has a Doctorate in Religious Studies and works as a Historian. She is Assoc. Editor of the IN Magazine of History. He and his wife love to travel and have visited China, Russia, Greece, Italy, many Persian Gulf states, Egypt, Jordan and Israel. They have visited Norway five times and they traveled to the villages of his grandparents. In July 2007, they plan a barge trip to Bordeaux, where they met.



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Roberta Walton, R.N.

Roberta Walton, R.N.

Roberta Walton was born in Butte, Montana and she was one of identical twins. She earned a R.N. from St. Patrick School of Nursing in Missoula, MT in 1967. Later she completed a B.S. in 1981 from St. Francis College in Joliet, IL.

She is married to Dr. Robert Walton.

Mrs. Walton was named to a Woman of the Arts Award in 1993. In 1996, she was the Volunteer Fund Raiser of the Year from the National Society of Fund Raising Executives. Also in 1996, Governor Evan Bayh conferred the Sagamore of the Wabash honor to Mrs. Walton. In addition, Roberta was named an Indiana Business Journal Health Care Hero from the Volunteer category because of her work for the St. Vincent Foundation.

Roberta was a cardiac recovery and intensive care nurse for many years. Then she went into a volunteer field, with great results!

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Robert S.Sorensen, Ph. D.

Bob Sorensen

Bob was born in Stoughton, a southern Wisconsin city made up of Norwegian immigrants. Bob explained that Sorensen is spelled with an “e” in “sen.” “Norwegians and Danes spell it with an “e” in “sen” and Swedes use the “o” in “son.” That is, most of the time.

His father worked in sales for Graybar Electric and was promoted to a position in Oak Park, IL and then on to West Lafayette, IN where Bob graduated from H.S in 1959. He won a prestigious four-year U.S. Navy ROTC scholarship to Northwestern University but at the beginning of his sophomore year he was diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and lost his scholarship. The following year later he entered Purdue and earned a B.S. in Industrial Management in 1963. Then in 1964 he took an M.B.A. from Northwestern in the field of Production Control. Later he obtained a Master’s from Purdue in the area of Financial Control and in 1997 he became Dr. Sorensen when he earned a Ph.D. from Purdue in Higher Education Administration.
 
He met Linda in his senior year at Purdue. They have two children and five grand children. Naturally they are very proud of the entire crew. Bob and Linda love to travel and they have been to Norway to visit some of his mother’s relatives. Bob’s parents are ages 97 and 95 and Linda’s mother is 101 years young.
 
From 1966, for seven years he was a Systems Analyst at Purdue, working in the new field of computers. In 1973 he was named to the prestigious post of Comptroller of Purdue University for a term of eleven years. After a series of consulting positions and serving for a few years as the Associate V.P. and Treasurer for St. Louis University, he worked for Ivy Tech State College as Director of Regional Business Affairs and Computer Services from 1987-2001, eventually rising to the position of Chief Information Officer in 2002. He is now retired and wonders where all the time goes.
 
Bob was named an Eagle Scout in 1957 and has been active in Scouts for 50 years. He has participated in two World Scout Jamborees and four National Boy Scout Jamborees. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow, a Scouting Honorary Society. On two occasions he served as President of the Sagamore Council Board. Currently, he is the Chairman of the Capital Campaign. For his dedicated service to the Boy Scouts of America, he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Frank O’Bannon in 1997. Approximately seven years ago, Bob was instrumental in obtaining the Boy Scout license plate in the state of Indiana.
   
He has served on numerous college and university volunteer boards and was also an Advisor to the U.S. Department of Education on two separate projects. Most of us know Dr. Sorensen from Scientech Club. He was introduced to Scientech in 2004 by Steve Springer, who was a student at Purdue when Bob was employed there and has served as a board member, Vice-President and President.



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John Williams, M.D.

Bob Sorensen

Dr. Williams is a native of Louisville, KY. However, his family moved to Indiana where he graduated from Greensburg H.S. in 1949. He attended Hanover College and then went on to graduate from Indiana School of Medicine in 1956.

Jack took his Cardiology Fellowship at IU and then spent two years as an NIH Fellow. He was on the Faculty of the IU School of Medicine and he voted a Distinguished Faculty Member. Later a Chair was endowed in his name at IU. He served in the U.S. Army from 1961-63.

Dr. Williams is also a Distinguished Alumni member of Hanover College. He is a Master of the American College of Cardiology and was its president in 1984-85. In addition, he served as CEO of Wishard Health Services. Lastly, he was awarded a Sagamore of the Wabash in 1998 by the Governor Frank O’Bannon for his eight and one-half years as CEO of Wishard Hospital.

Jack enjoys golf, reading and travel. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife Janice.



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John N. Pittman, M.D. (Deceased)

John Pittman

Dr. John Pittman hails from Princeton, IN where his father was a math and science teacher in the public schools. John graduated from its high school in 1950 before attending Indiana State University. He was accepted into Indiana University School of Medicine after three years, graduating as president of his class in 1957. He was named to Alpha Omega Alpha, the esteemed national Medical Honor Society.
 
Next he took an Internship at the U.S. Army Tripler Hospital in Hawaii. A second year at the hospital was spent in ENT. His third year in the military service was spent at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, where he was director of the EENT department. Since two Optometrists took care of the Eye Department, Dr. Pittman was able to do much surgery and even a fair amount of OB. After his stint in the Army, he took a Surgery residency at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis from 1960-63.
 
He then ventured to the University of Michigan to take a Thoracic Surgery Fellowship from 1963-65. He returned to Methodist and inquired about starting a Cardiac Surgery program (he had several out of state offers to join other programs). This was a revolutionary idea as very few private institutions would be able to staff and manage such a program. But through the leadership of Methodist president Jack Hahn, a program did indeed begin in 1965 as Dr. Pittman teamed with Dr. Harry Siderys. This was quite a tribute to John’s winning personality and his extensive surgical skills. John was a member of the surgery team that performed the first heart transplant surgery in Indiana at Methodist Hospital.
 
John and his wife Euna have four sons and one daughter with 18 grandchildren! He has been active in farming and land development. Indeed one son is in real estate development and another is an attorney practicing in the legal aspects of real estate. He loves to travel and has taken a few recent trips with his medical school classmate and fellow Scientech member, Wayne Schmalhausen.

In 2000, in recognition of his exceptionally valuable contributions in the field of Cardiovascular Surgery, Dr. Pittman was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Frank O’Bannon. He has been a great supporter of Indiana University School of Medicine, having worked on the Dean’s Council and the J.O. Ritchey Society committees. In 1982, the Pittmans donated a scholarship to Indiana University for outstanding academic students who are interested in surgery. This past May, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Indiana University at the 50th anniversary reunion of the Medical School Class of 1957.

John joined Scientech Club in 2007.



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Leland Tanner

Leland Tanner

Leland Tanner is a native of Lowell, IN which is in southern Lake County. His father attended Indiana University for two years but had to return home to help support the family. He had done some barbering at the Union building while in school and so he opened up a shop where he worked for the next 65 years.

Lee graduated from Lowell H.S in 1951 and went to Indiana University in Bloomington, graduating in 1955 with a B.S. in Finance. At IU he met his future wife, Marilyn; they have two sons and two granddaughters, who live nearby. Marilyn studied accounting at IU, education at Indiana Central, and then earned a degree in Interior Design at Butler University in the evening school.

Lee had thought of going to graduate school - his grades were very good, but he decided to go to work. He was employed at a variety of positions. In late 1956, he had a ruptured appendix, peritonitis, required 24 pints of blood and spent six weeks in Gary Methodist Hospital. The new drug, Aureomycin, is credited with saving his life.

In October 1957, he joined American Fletcher National Bank (now Chase Bank) in the Trust department. He worked there for five years and advanced to Senior Vice-President. However, some changes at the bank led him to switch his employment in 1973 to Indiana National Bank, where he managed some money for the State of Indiana Public Employees Retirement Fund (PERF). Later he began his own company, Prime Capitol Management, where one of his main functions was managing and overseeing PERF money. After 25 years in this position he sold his company in 1999 and retired. In 2000, he was honored with a citation from PERF and a Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Frank O'Bannon.

Lee enjoys reading, gardening, skiing (before a fractured ankle) and family activities. He and Marilyn have quite an interest in wine and food; they belong to a long-time gourmet club in town. Lee became interested in wine while living in Milwaukee after college. In Indianapolis, he was one of the early members of the Les Amis du Vin, for which he was treasurer and later president. He also belonged to the Indianapolis Wine Society, Liquid Assets Tasting Society and the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin for which he served as treasurer of the Tastevin for 12 years. He and Marilyn are long-time acquaintances of Charlie and Jill Thomas and Bill and Maggie Dick.

He also worked with Hank Wolfla's father in the Trust department at AFNB - it's a small world. Lee and Hank became acquainted at Lee's first visit to the Scientech Club. We are honored to have Lee as a member of Scientech Club.



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Malcolm Mallette

Malcolm Mallette

Mr. Mallette was born in Evansville, IN and later moved to Petersburg where he graduated from high school in 1959. He graduated from Purdue in 1963 after having studied physics, math and education. Switching from science to law, he attained a J. D. from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1967.

Mlcolm was a law clerk for US District Judge S. Hugh Dillin. After that excellent experience, he joined Kreig, DeVault law firm, became a partner, and worked there for the next 36 years. His specialty was business litigation. He is now retired.

He married Joyce in 1968; she is also a Scientech Club member. She has a BA in Zoology and a BS in Medical Technology from IU. She worked for several years in the Bacteriology Lab at Indiana University Medical Center. Joyce later became a co-owner of the Golden Thimble Yarn Shop. She is now retired also.

Malcolm became interested in amateur radio when he was a student at Purdue. He later developed a serious interest in astronomy. He has his own 8-inch telescope. It is fascinating to listen to him discuss the stars and planets (stars twinkle). He has visited the Link Observatory near Brooklyn, IN many times, as well as the McCloud Nature Park in western Hendricks County. They enjoy the "star parties" hosted there. The city lights are everywhere it seems, and stargazing is more difficult than years ago because of population growth. He is a member of the Indiana Astronomical Society and provides technical support for a small-dish radio telescope at the University of Indianapolis.

Mr. Mallette received the Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Joe Kernan in 2004 upon retiring from his law firm. The award was predominantly for his outstanding years of service to the American Red Cross. In the Greater Indianapolis chapter, he has held multiple positions in the area of disaster relief. In the early 1970's he put his amateur radio skills to use for the Red Cross. He was part of the disaster action team, which responded to apartment and home fires after 5 p.m. and on weekends and was later a duty officer for the disaster action team.

From managing a shelter during the 1978 blizzard to managing a shelter for Katrina evacuees, he has been involved in most local disasters. For many years, he served as Chairman of the Emergency Services Advisory Committee and later was named to the Board of Directors. He is now Legal Advisor to the Chapter. In 1980, he received the Lynn Award as the Chapter's volunteer of the year.

The Mallettes enjoy traveling and visited Arizona earlier this year, where the stars shine brightly. They also are ardent sailors; their boat is docked on Eagle Creek Reservoir.

Though they are new members of Scientech Club, they can be seen nearly every Monday at the weekly meeting. Welcome to Scientech!!



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Charles R. Thomas, M.D.

Charles Thomas

Charlie, as he is known to all, is an Indy native. He graduated from Arsenal Tech H.S. in 1950 and Indiana University in 1955. From there he went to Indiana University School of Medicine, graduating in 1958. He took his Internship and OB-Gyn residency at Methodist Hospital . Then he opened an office on the south side of Indianapolis , only the second person to practice OB-Gyn specialist in that area of town. During the blizzard of 1978 he delivered a baby in the dining room of a south side family, having traveled there by a snowmobile provided by the Fire Department.

Dr. Thomas is yet another example of a gentleman who came from a middle class background to attain a graduate degree and other honors. His father descended from generations of Welsh coal miners but he became an electrician. Charlie elected to attend Tech H.S. because they had a good science program. He took Comparative Anatomy and Embryology at Tech, very advanced courses for a high school.

In the mid 1970’s he bowled in the Medical Society’s league and while waiting for a ride home from his wife, he wandered in to the Wine Art store on Keystone Ave. The owner, Sol Crash, persuaded him to take home a wine kit and try his hand at making wine. (The store still exists and remains in the family’s hands today.) He practiced at the art but was not satisfied and dreamed of obtaining grapes from California . In 1973, he had taken the IUPUI Wine Course and was later named the Course Chairman. Marcia, the son of Robert Mondavi, taught a class at the wine course. Charlie visited the Mondavi winery in 1976 with a group from Indianapolis . He used that contact to purchase some grapes from  Napa Valley in 1978. The story of how 25 gallons made its way from the San Francisco airport to Indianapolis would require another article. Suffice it to say that Charlie did make a 1978 Napa Valley Cabernet in his basement. (I tasted this wine in the mid-1980’s and it was excellent.) After years of practice, and many years as chairman of the State Fair wine tasting, he opened Chateau Thomas Winery in 1984. His wines are known for their elegance, aging ability and very fair prices. He has won so many gold medals at the IN State Fair and other locations that he stopped counting them. What began as a home winemaking project has become Chateau Thomas, a 14,000 square foot facility that produces 40 different wines and 12,500 cases a year.

He is certified in Ob-Gyn and has given his lecture on the “Health Aspects of Wine” to their national meeting. He gave the same lecture to Scientech Club in 2005; it was very well received, inspiring many to drink more red wine. After more than 30 years in medical practice he retired but that meant that he could now work full time at the winery!

His interest in wine and food has carried him to leadership positions in the Les Amis du Vin, Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and Confrérie du Normandy, along with memberships in the International and Wine and Food Society, Chaine des Rotisseurs, Indianapolis Wine Society and Liquid Assets Tasting Society.

For his volunteer activity he has been honored with the Key to the City of Indianapolis twice. (No, didn’t lose the key and they didn’t change the lock.) The first key, awarded by Richard Lugar, was a reward for his work with the March of Dimes. The second one was given by Mayor William Hudnut for his work with the Police Merit Board (he was chairman for 10 of the 12 years that he served). He also served as Deputy Coroner for 15 years. He received a Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Mitch Daniels for his diligent efforts to promote tourism in Hendricks County , especially in Plainfield , the location of his winery. Other interests include photography, writing and travel, which have taken him to the wine country in California , France , Italy and Spain . To this tribute, one could add he is a guy who never forgets a joke and has a story for every occasion; and he is a great storyteller.

He and his lovely wife Jill have seven children between them, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren! Jill is a very accomplished photographer and loves to show off her nature photos and of course, photos of the grandkids.



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Panayotis G. Iatridis, M.D., Ph.D. (Deceased)

Panayotis Iatridis

Dr. Iatridis was born in Alexandra, Egypt and was a Greek citizen by birth. He became a U.S. citizen on 1 May 1975. He graduated with an M.D. degree from the University of Athens in 1951 and from the same school he earned a Ph. D. in Physiology in 1968. Then he was a Research Associate in Physiology from 1963-66 at the University of North Carolina.

From 1969-1972, he was on the faculty in the Department of Physiology at the Graduate School of the University of North Carolina. In 1972, he joined the Department of Physiology at the Indiana School of Medicine and the Northwest Center for Medical Education in Gary, IN. Eventually he was a Professor of Medicine and in 1998 he was given the Glenn W. Irwin, Jr. Distinguished Faculty Award. In 1999 he retired and was made a Professor Emeritus of Physiology, Biophysics and Medicine.

At IUPUI, NW he was a teacher and a researcher with over 80 publications. He taught Physiology to Freshman Medical Students and also taught the Introduction to Medicine Course. For his long service to IUPUI, NW, he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash in 1999 by Governor Frank O’Bannon. The award was given for his service, from 1975-1999, as Director of the Northwest Center for Medical Education, Indiana University School of Medicine. He was also Assistant Dean of the School of Medicine.

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Richard L. Schreiner, M.D.

Richard Schreiner

Dr. Richard Schreiner was born in Hammond, Indiana and went to St. Louis University for his college years. He chose to stay in St. Louis and attend Medical School at Washington University, from which he graduated in 1971. After taking a Residency in Pediatrics, he joined the staff of the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

Over the next 30 years, he served as Director of the Section of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Director of the Section of General Pediatrics, and Chief of Pediatrics at Wishard Memorial Hospital. After serving as Associate Chairman, he was made the Physician-in-Chief of Pediatrics at Riley Hospital and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics. Lastly, he was named the Edwin L. Gresham Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics.

Dr. Schreiner was instrumental in bringing the technical age of Pediatrics as he used simulators to teach procedural skills, developed more than 25 educational videotapes and two monographs. Rich was author or co-author of over 150 publications and more than 60 book chapters. He was a great Chief of pediatrics at Riley Hospital, and for this he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Mitch Daniels in 2009.
 

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James C. Dillon, M.D.

James C. Dillon

House Speaker Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis) presented longtime physician and community leader Dr. James C. Dillon with a Sagamore of the Wabash Tuesday (22 August 2017) in Carmel. Dillon, a former member of the Hamilton County Council and Clay Township Board, received the State's highest honor presented on behalf of Gov. Eric Holcomb during the Clay Township Board meeting. Jim has served on that board for 17 years where he spearheaded the acquisition of land for Central Park.

Dillon is a retired cardiologist and Professor of Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Jim graduated from DePauw University and from the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he was an Honors graduate in 1966. Dr. Dillon was born and raised in Noblesville as was his wife, Sue, a local genealogist who teaches seminars. They have lived in Carmel for over 30 years.

"Dr. Jim Dillon has been a tremendous public servant, and he's a leading advocate for heart health in Indiana" Bosma said. "He played a critical role in bringing innovative safety techniques and equipment to the community, including the use of AEDs and severe weather sirens." In addition, Dr. James Dillon has served in other public roles including Chairman of the Indianapolis Mayor Emergency Medical Services Commission from 1976 to 2004; and he served as chair of the Indiana Emergency Services Commission from 1974 to 1980. He was also Hamilton County deputy coroner from 1967 to 1970.

Dr. Dillon served in various roles with the Wayne Township Volunteer Fire Department in Marion County and received the Department's Heroism Award twice. Upon retirement, he honed his golf game, spent more time with family and continued his volunteer efforts. One position that he accepted was president of the Scientech Club in 2012. His work at the Hamilton County Council had taught him, among other things, the arcane art of By-Laws, a skill which he used at Scientech to help amend its By-Laws.

Congratulations to Jim Dillon!

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Keys to the City


Significance

Next to a Mayor's Proclamation, the highest award given by the Mayor of Indianapolis is a Key to the City.







Club Members Who Have Received Keys to the City


Member Date of Award
Dr. Charles Thomas 1974 and 1988
Charles Shoup Jr., PhD 1977
Jeffrey Rasley 1978
Dr. William H. Dick 1989







Dr. Charles Thomas

Charles Thomas

Charlie had been awarded two keys to the City. The first one was in 1974; it was given to him by Mayor Richard Lugar. Charlie tells the story that he had always been interested in the March of Dimes. When he was six years old, his mother would take him to the corner of Meridian & Washington Streets where mothers would add a dime to the long trail of dimes donated for the fight against polio.

In 1974, Charlie was named co-chair, along with Charlene Lugar for a March of Dimes National Meeting. The title of the meeting was called "Quality of Life." Committee members were drawn from all over the USA. It was a very important meeting for the March of Dimes, and for the city of Indianapolis.

Later in 1988, Charlie received a second Key to the City, this time from Mayor William Hudnut. For 12 years, Dr. Thomas had been a member of the five-person Indianapolis Department's Merit Board. In those days, the Board did all of the hiring and firing in the Police Department. In addition the normal monthly meeting, interim meetings would be called to deal with urgent issues. Charlie was president of the Merit Board for eight years. This was exhausting work, all voluntary, and we thank Dr. Thomas for his efforts in giving his time in order to make Indianapolis a better place to live.










Charles Shoup Jr.

Charles Shoup

Past President (2010) of Scientech, Charlie Shoup, received a Key to the City in 1977 from Deputy Mayor David Frick; Mayor Bill Hudnut was out of town. He has been a member of Scientech since 2001.

Dr. Shoup moved a manufacturing venture from the Boston area to the Park 100 in Indianapolis. Charlie brought several employees with him. They bought land, built a new office and plant, plus a laboratory. New local employees were hired and the business did well. It had steady growth and acquisitions. It has since been acquired by 3M.

Congratulations to Charlie Shoup for his Key to the City.










Jeffrey Rasley

Jeff Rasley

Mr. Jeff Rasley was given his Key to the City in 1978 by Mayor Hudnut. Jeff was an Indianapolis Summer Intern just before his last year in law school. He was paid a small sum to visit each of the pieces of land that was owned by Indy Parks. His mission was to write a report on the condition of each property for the potential of tort liability for the city. He was given the authority to make recommendations to the City Safety Director. It also gave him information for a law review article.

During his time in service, Jeff discovered that a supervisor for City Parks was using City employees and equipment on a hidden garden on the Skiles Test Estate property. The supervisor was growing vegetables in that garden and selling them for his own profit.

Mr. Rasley and his fellow Interns had breakfast with Mayor Hudnut once a week. This was a stimulating experience because the Mayor was quite well educated. One week he might discuss the city's sewer system. The next week he might discourse on the Scottish Enlightenment philosophers.

Congratulation to Jeff Rasley, a Scientech Club member since 2010, on receiving a Key to the City!










Dr. William Dick

Bill Dick

Dr. William Dick, a Scientech Club member since 2005, was awarded a Key to the City of Indianapolis in 1989 by Mayor William Hudnut. Scientech Bill knew Mayor Bill; the Mayor beat Dr. Bill in the semifinals of the Highland Country Club Tennis Tournament in 1982.

Bill Dick was given the Key because of his volunteer work for the Kidney Foundation of Indiana. The Foundation began as a statewide organization in 1970, when most people still died from their kidney disease. That was to change in 1973 when ESRD, end-stage kidney disease, was brought into the Medicare program.

Dr. Dick helped found the Central Indiana Chapter of NKFI in 1972. In 1988, Bill was given the National Volunteer Award for the Kidney Foundation's Midwest Region. He served on the Board of Directors for over ten years and was honored in 1999 as an Honorary Life Board member.

In 1989, Bill hosted the last of nine wine tastings and auctions, which raised over $100,000 total. In 1990, the Classic Wine Auction receipts totaled over $100,000 alone.

Congratulations to Bill Dick for his Key to the City!







Academic Honors


Kent Sharp

Kent Sharp Medal

Former President (1999) of Scientech and board member Kent Sharp was honored on 26 May 2007 at the 120th Commencement of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, in Terre Haute, IN. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1957.

Kent paraded with robes and caps in line with the other 50-year members of the Class of 1957. They were awarded a commemorative diploma and a 50-year medallion on a ribbon.

Congratulations to our good friend, Kent Sharp.










Professional Recognition


Club Members Who Have Received Professional Recognition


Member Date of Award
Dr. Charles Thomas 2008
Hank Wolfla 2009
Doug Wagner 2013
Patricia Mirsky 2013
Helen Czenkusch 2013
William E. Segar 2014







Chateau Thomas's CDP - Indiana Wine of the Year


Chateau Thomas Winery

Of the 96 awards that have come to Chateau Thomas Winery in International competition during 2008, one notable award was the "Best Indiana Wine" given to the CDP wine in the most recent Indy International Competition. This wine is a blend of 4 different grapes-Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Viognier, all grapes originating in the southern Rhone Valley of France.



Charles Thomas

Note: The Chateau Thomas Winery is owned and operated by Scientech member Charles Thomas, our "oenological engineer" (see his entry in the list of Club Sagamores).

The Southern Rhone is famous for several wines including Tavel Rosé, Côtes du Rhône, Beaumes-de-Venise, etc., but the most famous is the Chateauneuf du Pape, which translates as the "new house of the Pope." In the history of the Roman Catholic Church, the Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309-1377 during which seven Popes, all French, resided in Avignon, France. Charles decided in 2005 to create a wine with the same grape proportions as Chateauneuf du Pape and vinified as it has been done in France since the 14th century.

When dealing with the Government, however, nothing comes easily. He produced this wine and proposed the name, "Chateauneuf du Pape," which was roundly rejected because it was the same name as wine from France. Then he attempted the name, "Chateauneuf," then "Chateau Eneuf," and finally, (this was his wife's idea) "Chateau Enough." All were rejected because they "sounded like a word, that sounds like a place, in France." Finally, he submitted the name "CDP" and got it approved. Voila!

In the 2008 Indy International Competition, CDP was the only Indiana wine to garner a Double Gold Medal, and was named the "Indiana Wine of the Year." The wine is dark in color, offers rich aromas of cherry, blackberry, and dark spice. The complex finish lingers with soft French oak tones. This wine is best served with hearty dishes such as game, beef, lamb, stews, barbequed meats, and sturdy cheeses.










Hank Wolfla - IRRC Award Winner


Wolfla IRRC Award

Hank Wolfla

Hank Wolfla recently won the 2009 Technical Excellence Award from the Indiana Radio Club Council (founded in 1947). He was also President of Scientech at the time. The award is given for outstanding technical achievement to the Amateur Radio Community. This prestigious honor was a complete surprise to the recipient.

Hank has been a "Ham Radio" enthusiast since his teen years. D.J. Angus, a charter member of Scientech Club, was an early member of the Indy Radio Club. Bob Annis met Mr. Angus through the Radio Club in the mid-1920s, as did Mr. Wolfla in the early 1960s.

The Amateur Radio community was an early member in the field of public service. They served, and still serve, as storm and tornado spotters for the National Weather Service. They took their radios into their autos and thus had an early form of mobile telephones. The Ham Radio crowd was into email long before businesses adopted it.

Indiana has about 50 radio clubs, with Indianapolis having a number of clubs. They meet twice a year, once in Indianapolis where the technical excellence award is presented and once in Ft. Wayne where the best radio person award is given. They all belong to the Amateur Radio Relay League, a national organization which publishes a monthly journal.

Hank received an associate degree and bachelor degree from Purdue University in 1965 and 1968. He taught at IU-Kokomo for a while before entering the bioengineering field. He has worked for Clarian, Community Hospital, and Hancock County Hospital, which gave him the Health Community Award. Among his many contributions to the healthcare field was his work in designing the Community North campus. In addition, he helped to development instrumentation for the insertion of cardiac pacemakers, and received a patent for his design of an ergometer (exercise device) used in cardiac rehabilitation.

Congratulations, Hank!










Doug Wagner - Aero Club President


Doug Wagner

Former Scientech Club president (2005) Doug Wagner is the new president of the Indianapolis Aero Club, a local pilot and flying enthusiasts club. Its modern origin dates to 1933 and is descended from two previous clubs, the first of which in 1922 was also named the Aero Club.

In the early days, member fly-out trip were taken to various destinations, often with over 40 airplanes. Trips were made to Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Calgary, Banff, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. On a Florida trip 45 airplanes made the trip.

In 1983, with only forty-five members, the Aero Club nearly died at age 50. A man named Bob Bruce took over the club and instituted many important changes, including the expenses of the guest speaker. Soon the membership increased to over 200 people and many noted speakers, such as many famous pilots in addition to astronauts.

The list of speakers and the many trips of the Aero Club are indeed impressive. The Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., NASA in Huntsville, AL and trips to Pensacola, FL are featured on the list. In the early years of the rejuvenation a scholarship program was initiated.

Today the Club travels on a commercial charter jet rather than on a Piper Cub. The Club meets monthly for a dinner and talk by an interesting person. Today more of the Club members could be called "Aviation Enthusiasts" rather than pilots. But that's OK; the Aero Club is thriving and continues to attract those who enjoy the thrill of an airplane flight.










Patricia Mirsky - Memorial Lecture Series


Pat Mirsky

The IUPUI School of Science has recognized Professor Art Mirsky, the founding chairman of the Geology Department and his wife Pat, a long standing member of Scientech by creating the ANNUAL DRS. ARTHUR AND PATRICIA MIRSKY MEMORIAL LECTURE SERIES

The first lecture was given at the University April 11, 2013 by Bruce Sidner, Ph.D. Executive V.P., Hall-Houston Oil. Dr. Sidner has the distinction of being the first Geology student to graduate at IUPUI. This 1971 graduate was selected and accepted the honor of being the first speaker for this Memorial Lecture Series. The title of his presentation was: My Journey from IUPUI to the Oil and Gas Fields of the Gulf of Mexico. He emphasized the positive influence of Dr. Mirsky and spoke of his own long and successful career in oil exploration to an audience of approximately 100 students and friends of IUPUI.








Helen G. Czenkusch, M.D.



Helen Czenkusch

Dr. Czenkusch is a Scientech Club member who joined the club in July 2012. Helen is a retired Pediatrician, who was married to a Leonard, a mechanical engineer. He was a Purdue University graduate who worked at Allison Gas Turbine. Though that fact was not necessary for admission to the club, she thought that it might help. She has four boys, one of whom is an electrical engineer.


Helen is from Madison, Indiana. She earned an AB from Indiana University in 1946 and an M.D. in 1949. She was an Intern at IU in 1950 and did her residency in Pediatrics at Riley Hospital in 1951-52. Dr. Czenkusch was in the private practice of Pediatrics on the west side of the city. She was a volunteer Assistant Clinical Professor in Pediatrics at Riley Hospital from 1954-1992. It has been said that she never missed the weekly Pediatrics Grand Rounds at Riley Hospital.


Dr. Czenkusch was the first female President of Indianapolis Medical Society. She was also named a recipient of the Mayor Hudnut Award, which is a Community Safety Award. Recently, on 3 October 2013, she was awarded the prestigious J.O. Ritchey Emeriti Faculty Service Award from the J.O. Ritchey Society of the IU School of Medicine. Congratulations!








Dr. William Segar


William Segar

Bill Segar will be awarded the Indiana University Distinguished Alumni Award on 17 May 2014 at the 67th Annual Strawberry Shortcake Luncheon. The award will be presented by the new Medical School Dean, Jay Hess, M.D. The event will be held at the NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis. Dr. Segar was in the class of 1947 at the Indiana University School of Medicine and he completed his Residency in Pediatrics in 1951. Bill was on the Staff at Riley Hospital until 1967. He was noted for his excellent teaching of Water Balance, Fluids and Electrolytes. Bill Segar was born in Indianapolis, graduated from Shortridge H.S. in 1942 and from Indiana University with a B.S. in 1944. He was an Honors graduate from I.U. Medical School in 1947. Dr. Segar belonged to numerous medical organizations and received many teaching awards. Dr. Segar was on the staff of the Mayo Clinic and went on to become Chief of Pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, a position that he held for a dozen years. Bill has many hobbies including travel, bridge and photography. He retains his keen mind and his great sense of humor. Congratulations to Dr. Bill Segar!





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Community Contributions


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Member
Jeff Rasley
Jim Baize
Gonzola Chua, M.D.
Alison Brown
Bonnie Carter
Jill Meisenheimer
Carol Mutter
Jim Bettner
Carl Bernard Huesing
Jim Wark
Dan Yates
Alexander Rearick








Jeff Rasley, AB '75 (Member since 2010)

Jeff Rasley


Mr. Rasley received the University of Chicago's Alumni Service Award for 2012. To quote the Alumni page, "Rasley, a published author and philanthropist, is being honored for his extraordinary contributions to the University. He has devoted his time to alumni and students, building Summer Send-Off events in Indianapolis, chairing Reunion Committees, and serving on the Alumni Board of Governors. His volunteerism extends beyond the UChicago community, and he has received a key to the city of Indianapolis."





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Jim Baize (Member since March 2009)

Jim Baize

Jim Baize's life can be called an American success story. He became a man first, then a student. He was a Marine first, then an engineer.

Mr. Baize has spoken to Scientech Club in the past about the original 1945 Iwo Jima invasion, with its huge casualty list, including the speaker. On this special trip to IWO Jima, twelve men of the 100 survivors of the battle returned to the island. The anniversary tour was sponsored by The Greatest Generation Foundation. A journalism student from The Ohio State University was assigned to each veteran. The group was honored and saluted everywhere they went. Delegations from the service branches, veterans and government officials met them at airports in LA, Oahu and Guam. On Iwo Jima, they were met by Marines from Okinawa. Today Iwo Jima is owned by the Japanese government. The island is uninhabited. An air strip and monuments are all that remain on Iwo Jima.

Now flash back to 1942. In Indianapolis, with his parents gone, Jim Baize lived with a grandfather and then in a hotel room by himself. Tiring after six months of delivering Western Union telegrams by bicycle, he went with a friend to enlist in the U.S. Navy. He passed all the tests but did not possess a birth certificate. Later an adult claiming to be his father attested that Jim was seventeen; his actual age was fifteen. In early 1943, he was a proud member of the U.S. Navy.

Jim was trained at Camp Pendleton to drive an amphibious boat. He participated in the invasions of Saipan, Tinian and Guam, all without difficulty. Next up was Iwo Jima. He piloted a Higgins boat (LCVP) toward the beach when it took a direct hit. All the men were killed but Baize. Wounded, he was pulled ashore by a fellow Marine. There he stayed on the island as part of the assault force until he was later moved to a hospital ship.

The small island of Iwo Jima (five miles long and two and one-half miles wide) had to be taken because it was on the flight path to Tokyo. The conquest was expected to be over in three days; it took 36 days. There were 22,000 Japanese dug into 17 miles of tunnels. After the battle, only 800 of the enemy survived. The U.S. had 70,000 troops and suffered 8,000 killed and 6,000 wounded. Jim was on the island to witness the raising of the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi. That was surely a grand sight.

Mr. Baize earned his GED in the service and then attended Northwestern University, earning a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1948. He attended General Motors Institute with Management as the focus of his study. Later he attended Purdue University and secured a degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1968.

Jim was an early entrant into the field of aviation engineering. In 1951 he was a design engineer and the Chief Plant Engineer at General Motors. He contributed to state-of-the-art testing of aircraft engine components, earning him national prominence. In 1959 he formed an Engineering Company and in 1963 he founded an Architectural Engineering Consulting Firm, Baize Engineering, which he managed until his retirement in 1995. The corporate office is in Indianapolis and there are three branch offices on the U.S. mainland. Additional offices can be found in Hawaii, Guam, Manila, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Tokyo. Various family members are involved with the company, which built the parking garage at the new Wishard Hospital.

Mr. Baize's list of community contributions is simply staggering. Among them are: Past Board Chairmen of the Indiana Amateur Baseball Association, 500 Festival Committee (1998-90), Chairman of Construction for the 10th Pan American Games in Indianapolis in 1987, Past President of Ben Davis Lions Club, and he was a Charter Member of the Optimist Club of Indianapolis. He joined Scientech Club in 2009 and is a Director of the D.J. Angus-Scientech Educational Foundation.

Jim is a member of many military organizations including the American Legion, Purple Heart Association, Veteran of Foreign Wars and the Iwo Jima Survivors Association. He belongs to nine professional organizations, one of which is the American Nuclear Society.

Jim Baize has earned many awards over his lifetime. He has an Outstanding Service Award from Lions International, is listed in Who's Who in Science and Engineering, and was named as one the Outstanding Intellectuals in the 21st Century in 2000. Additionally, he has a patent for an Internal Combustion Power Unit, is Chairman for the business promotion by the National Council of Engineers and is an Honorary Member of Phi Kappa Tau of Indiana University. Moreover, his war record is part of the Congressional Record and he has been part of the Words on War Book, Vol. 4. Jim has been Grand Marshall of a Fourth of July Parade in Oaklandon. But the best one is - He was selected as the "Best Dressed Man in Indiana" in 1969!

Most importantly, Jim is a great guy, a great family man and a great citizen.

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Gonzalo Chua, M.D. (Member since September 2009)

Gonz Chua

It is our good fortune that Dr. Gonz Chua came from the Philippines to Indianapolis for his Radiology Fellowship at Indiana University Medical Center, because he stayed in the Indianapolis medical community. Gonz was honored with an Outstanding Service Award, Senior Division for his work in founding and administering the "Asian Community Clinic." It is a Free Clinic. Dr. Chua founded it when he was President of the Indianapolis Chinese Medical Association.

Gonz was Chief of CT and Ultrasound Radiology at Methodist Hospital. During his more than 30 years of service at Methodist he won numerous teaching awards and was named a Gold Medalist of the Indiana Society of Radiology. He garnered many medical awards but one would guess that he is most proud of this humanitarian award.




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Alison Brown (Member since January 2011)

Alison Brown

In the past few years, Ms. Brown received two awards for her 25 years in active volunteer work for Women's Issues through the Autonomous Women's Center (AFZ) in Austria. She was named President twice and also held offices of Secretary, Public Relations, Comptroller, and the Cultural Activities Committee. The Center is a multi-purpose women's center with political discussions, feminist lending library, activities supporting women in the arts, free legal counseling for women and a rape crisis center.

Ms. Brown represented the AFZ publicly at women's events and national conferences, in public fora, through articles in various media, and on the radio. Alison worked as CEO and managed the staff for many years. For the many years of valuable service to the AFZ, the Parliament of Upper Austria awarded her the Honorary Title "Konsultentin für Soziales" and bestowed upon her the "Humanitätsmedialle."



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Bonnie Carter (Member since July 2010)

Bonnie Carter

The May Wright Sewall Leadership Award from the Indianapolis Woman’s Club was given to Bonnie Carter in November, 2012. She has provided 30 hours per week to the Woman’s Club and other community service organizations.


Bonnie joined the Indianapolis Woman’s Club in 1990 and has served as Treasurer, Recording Secretary and President. Her enthusiasm, energy and warmth have earned her many friends. The Woman’s Club, a 137-year-old organization, is being brought into the digital age with help from Mrs. Carter. The Club archives are stored at the Indiana Historical Society. They include a list of all members since 1875, and important Club papers. May Wright Sewall was one of a handful of founding members.


May Wright Sewall was born in Wisconsin in 1844 and died in Indianapolis in July 1920. She earned a B.S. and M.S. from North Western Female College (later part of Northwestern University). She married in 1880 and was prominent in Indianapolis as a charter member of the Art Association of Indianapolis, the Propylaeum Club and the Contemporary Club. Mrs. Sewall was one of the important voices in the women’s suffrage movement.


Bonnie has volunteered for many other community organizations including: Indianapolis Junior League for 20 years with service as a Board member; Indianapolis Museum of Art Alliance, a 15 year member, who worked on the IMA Greenhouse as a Master Gardener; Indianapolis Symphony Women’s Committee, a 15-year association; Methodist Hospital Task Core, a 10-year volunteer; Zionsville Band and Orchestra; and the Hoosier Salon.


Bonnie Carter is an important member of Scientech Club. She has obtained many speakers for the Monday presentations, currently serves on the Board of Directors and is co-editor of the newsletter.



Scientech Club is proud to have her as a member!



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Jill Meisenheimer (Member since September 2010)

Jill Meisenheimer

In addition to being an IU graduate, wife, mother to three children and a grandmother of three, Jill has had a career as a community volunteer. For this work, she was honored with the prestigious Jefferson Award in 2000. The Jefferson Awards were started in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Senator Robert Taft, Jr., and Sam Beard. Both national and local awards are given to a few people each year.

The local awards are given for volunteer and community services. In addition to involvement in several community groups, Jill was recognized for her volunteer work for Prevail, Inc., which is a Victim Awareness and Support Program. She was also involved with the Indiana Association for Gifted Children and with the Presents of Mind Resource Show. In addition, she created and coordinates a weekly program called OPTIONS, which is for teens in detention at the Hamilton County Juvenile Services Center.



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Gen. (Ret) Carol Mutter

Carol Mutter

Retired Lt. Gen. Carol Mutter was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame early in 2017 at Seneca Falls, NY. Carol was a trailblazer for women in the military. She became the first woman nominated for a three-star rank in the military. She served for 32 years in the Marine Corps.

Gen. Mutter was born in Greeley, CO and lived in Eaton, CO. After earning a B.S. in 1967 at the University of Northern Colorado in Computer Technology, she went to Salve Regina University in Newport, RI, where she earned an M.A. in 1985. Carol also graduated from the Naval War College at Newport, RI in 1985 with an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies. She later was awarded Honorary Doctorate degrees from Salve Regina University and the Naval War College.

Among her many assignments and commands, one was at the United States Space Command, J-3 (Operations) Directorate in Colorado Springs, CO in 1988.

She is married to James Mutter, a former Marine Corps colonel, who worked in aviation command and control.



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Jim Bettner (Member since 2002 - President in 2007)

Jim Bettner

At this year's State Fair, Jim won First Prize in the Watercolor Painting category. He has been painting since his retirement in 2002. He took lessons at the Indianapolis Art Center. After winning numerous Blue Ribbons, in addition to Grand Champion, in the Hendricks County Fair, he decided to try to submit his paintings to the Indiana State Fair. He won a Blue Ribbon at this year's fair. His painting "Quiet Shady Lane" will be on display with other art work at the ArtSpace at the Athenaeum.

Jim also has retained some of his mechanical engineering skills learned at Purdue and Rolls Royce/Allison. He is part of a committee of a dozen people who work once a year for the National Academy of Sciences. They travel to Aberdeen Proving Grounds near Baltimore, MD in order to assist the U. S. Army in performing research on various pieces of equipment. Normally the scientists are there for a week.


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Jim Wark

Jim Wark

1948 Purdue graduate Jim Wark received the prestigious Boilermaker Pride Award in 2008. The award is sponsored by the Purdue Alumni Association. It recognizes someone who has contributed time and service to the alumni club program and to the Purdue Alumni Association over a long time.

 

This award was established in 2005. Recipients are from all corners of the U.S. In the beginning, one member was selected for the award each year. In the third year of its existence, the award has been given to two people each year.

 

Recipients are selected on the basis of these criteria:

 

                Has served the club for more than 10 years

                Has served as an officer in a local club

                Has unselfishly contributed time and effort to a local club

                Is a current Purdue Alumni Association member


The presentation of the award is accomplished at the fall Alumni Leaders Conference Celebration Dinner.

 

Mr. Wark was recently named the 2009 recipient of the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Project Seed Award for his work with K-12 science education programs. He was honored for his personal and professional support of the program which is based at IUPUI. Jim attends the various ACS awards programs at IUPUI during the summer. This year they surprised him with an award.

During the summer months the school's Physics students work on a research project which is explained to the professor and to Jim Work. Jim acts as a mentor and makes comments and suggestions to the students. In addition, local area junior high school students spend two weeks at IUPUI learning the process of how research is done. That program started six years ago and has been very good in helping students learn science.

Jim Wark is a 1948 graduate of Purdue University in Electrical Engineering. Jim worked for Indianapolis Power and Light and was Chief Energy Consultant for IPALCO. He has received the Purdue Pride Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the Electric League of Indiana.

Mr. Wark has been a valuable member of Scientech Club. He is an emeritus member who joined the Club in 1983 and served as president in 1991.



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Dan Yates

Dan Yates

Dan Yates, former Scientech Club president in 1984, recently received the Indianapolis Bar Foundation's "Distinguished Fellow Award." Fellows are well-respected members of the legal community who have contributed selflessly to the profession and community for years. The Foundation has granted over $1 million since 2000 to a variety of community programs that touch families and people in crisis across Indianapolis.

Dan has also received the 2007 Volunteer Fundraiser Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals - Indiana Chapter. He was recognized for his contributions to the Central Indiana Community Foundation, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis Zoo, and the St. Vincent Hospital Foundation. Dan, for the second year in a row, also was named by Worth magazine as one of the nation's top 100 lawyers.

Mr. Yates works in the field of estate planning and trusts as a partner at Bose, McKinney and Evans. He has received three degrees from Indiana University: A.B. 1969, M.B.A 1973 and J.D. 1973. He a member of many professional associations, has received numerous awards and serves on many local boards, including the D.J Angus-Scientech Club Educational Foundation and the R.B. Annis Educational Foundation.

Dan enjoys boating and golf. He and his wife Diana live in Indianapolis.



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Carl Bernard Huesing

Carl Bernard Huesing

Bernie Huesing has been a Scientech Club member since August, 2016. He is an Electrical Engineer graduate from Purdue in 1959. He also has an MBA and a CPA. Moreover, Bernie also served four years in the U.S. Navy. Mr. Huesing was an owner/manager of a mid-size manufacturing company.

Bernie retired in 2002 and decided to devote his time to writing. He attended writing seminars and practiced. Mr. Huesing published a novella, which had some success. Next, he wrote a Civil War era novel. It was a murder mystery entitled, "The Trouble with Cass."

His Community Contribution comes in the form of his second book, which is now for sale everywhere. That book is "Kill Abby White Now!" It is a historical fiction thriller set during the Roaring Twenties, the 1930's and early World War II years. Abby and a group of journalism interns find themselves caught in life-threatening situations around the world.

Congratulations to Bernie Huesing on his successful book.

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Alexander Rearick

Carl Bernard Huesing

Mr. Rearick was born in Lafayette, IN and lived in Winamac. He was bored with school and he had a cousin in the service. He did not like dictators ruling the world. So, in order to do something about that, he joined the Army Air Corps. (He did not want to go to the infantry.) Alex was put in service as a radar operator. The Army had too many gunners.

Rearick served on a B-29, a four-engine large bomber. Radar school was mostly theory and little practice. Radar sets did not work well early in the war, but the mechanics repaired them. At first the runs were scary. They went on a "milk run," an easy trip in the B-29 bomber. The second run was not too scary. Mr. Rearick said that "after the third mission, it was like getting on a bus and going downtown." Each flight lasted about 11-12 hours. He flew 26 missions, (half day and half night) in all, and was never shot down or hurt.

Alex Rearick was promoted to Sergeant and he visited many of the Pacific islands: Tinian, Saipan, Quajalein, and Iwo Jima (to refuel.) He did visit Hawaii once and thought that it was paradise. Alex never got shot down or got hurt but 27% of the B-29 crews died in action. The most dangerous mission was the one over the Kawasaki aircraft factory on the south coast of Japan. The plane came in at 6-7,000 feet which was low for such a large airplane. They were successful in the night raid and won many medals for their action. He won three Oak Leaf Clusters, a Distinguished Flying Cross, an Air Medal and an Asiatic/Pacific Medal with three battle stars - six in all.

After the war, he graduated from high school in 1946. He worked in a few factories but then went to college on the GI Bill, first to Butler University for one year and then to Bradley University (Peoria, IL) for two years. He went to work as senior safety engineer for an insurance company and stayed for 36 years. After the War, he went to many service reunions and enjoyed the experience. He has spoken before schools and at the WW II Roundtable.

We salute Alexander Rearick!

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