June 9, 2000
The University of Notre Dame National Monogram Club presented four honorary monograms at its annual awards dinner on Thursday night while bestowing the Moose Krause Monogram Club member-of- the-year award upon Mike Wadsworth and Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C.
The awards dinner, held in the Sport Heritage Hall on the Joyce Center concourse area, also included the formal introduction of five new board members for the National Monogram Club and recognition of the five retiring board members.
The four honorary monogram recipients included 12th-year men’s lacrosse coach Kevin Corrigan, former Irish assistant hockey coach Tim McNeill (who currently serves as an associate professional specialist in Notre Dame’s First Year of Studies), 14th-year head athletic trainer Jim Russ and assistant athletic director Bill Scholl, who is completing his 13th year as a member of the Notre Dame athletic department.
Wadsworth recently completed a highly-successful five-year stint as Notre Dame’s director of athletics while Beauchamp has concluded a wide-reaching, 13-year tenure as the University’s executive vice president, with his primary duties including overseeing the athletic program.
The following individuals were introduced as the new members of the Monogram Club’s board of directors and will serve a three-year term ending in 2003: Ken Haffey (’78, manager, Chesterfield, Ohio), Katie King (’98, women’s golf, Spokane, Wash.), Charlie Owens (’48, manager, Elkhart, Ind.), Joe Restic (’79, football, West Linn, Ore.) and Errol Williams (’98, men’s track & field, Loxahatchee, Fla.). Haffey has returned to the board of directors after serving a term from 1996-99.
The following Monogram Club directors were recognized for their recently-expired three-year terms: Pat Eilers (’89, football, baseball), Jack Lee (’55, football), Molly Lennon (’92, women’s soccer) and Bill Zloch (’66, football). Tad Eckert (’94, men’s tennis) will remain on the board for one more year, filling a vacated spot among the five-member group of directors to 2001.
SEGMENTS OF COMMENTS MADE IN PRESENTATION OF 2000 HONORARY MONOGRAMS
Presentation to Kevin Corrigan, by ND Sports Information Director John Heisler
“… In the case of this next individual, the achievements of his teams have come about without any scholarship assistance and they have taken place in an area of the county that is not yet a hotbed in his particular sport. And yet he has built a program that has routinely seen Notre Dame ranked among the top dozen teams in the country. His teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in eight out of the last nine years and nine of the last 11. It was just four weeks ago that his team won a rather remarkable NCAA first-round game against the fifth-seeded team in this particular tournament. … Considering that the same opponent had beaten us soundly here in South Bend about a month before during the regular season, it certainly qualified as one of the more noteworthy achievements maybe in the history of NCAA competition in the history of this sport. … We do exit interviews with each of our graduating seniors in every sport and I can tell you that his players are nearly unanimous in their praise of his ability to teach the game and prepare them for what is going to happen on the field.”
CORRIGAN’S COMMENTS: “There are two things that I value so much about being at Notre Dame and the first thing is the people that I work with.-the other coaches, the administrators … You should know, as former athletes, what a fabulous group of coaches we have. I learn something every day in watching these people work, in working with them, talking to them. It’s a great education and I know I’m a better coach because of all of them. The other thing I value so much is the chance to work with the athletes we have here.-a tremendous group of kids, unbelievable kids. I’m a better person for working with them.”
Presentation to Tim McNeill, by former ND hockey goaltender Mark Kronholm
“… We knew better than to try an excuse with Tim. … He forced us to make honest evaluations of our performance in relation to their impact on the team. … Being an athlete made us responsible for our own talent and for everyone on the team. … Tim was a serious coach because he was serious about making us better hockey players. … Tim’s goal as a coach was to make us better humans. He is one of those individuals that none of us will ever forget. … Tim has earned his place in the Monogram Club because of his consistent dedication that had a lasting impact on all of us.”
McNEILL’S COMMENTS: “I’m not an easy individual to surprise. But I am surprised and I am stunned. The past was great for me and for our family here at Notre Dame and I hope the past was great for every athlete that Lefty (Smith) and I had the chance to work with. But that was the past and we don’t live in the past. So this is probably a real neat opportunity for me to look out at all of you-coaches and former players-and say, ‘Good luck to Notre Dame in the future. Let’s really move ahead. Go Irish’.”
Presentation to Jim Russ, by ND associate athletic trainer John Whitmer
“I’ve been giving some great thought to the significance of a monogram from the University of Notre Dame. An athlete is awarded a monogram by meeting certain standards … I think that the significance of earning a monogram is lost on some of our athletes … remember, you earned it, so cherish it and take advantage of what it affords you. … I have the privilege to present an honorary monogram tonight to an individual who truly deserves it. … This is an award that must be earned, you cannot buy it, you cannot win it, you can’t lobby for it. It is not politically related. … I’m not going to address this individual’s accomplishments, his dedication or his professionalism. It would be embarrassing to this individual to do so. I will tell you that he has not missed a day or work since his arrival in 1986. … The task that this individual faces on a daily basis is very difficult. He must protect the athletes, be involved with their health and well-being and help them return to activity and at the same time help the athletic program that the athlete is involved with to be as successful as possible.”
RUSS’ COMMENTS: “A lot of thoughts are going through my head right now, a lot of feelings. … I almost want to thank you for a thank you and that’s the confusion, because I enjoy what I do. I enjoy coming to work every day and helping people. … Part of my job is to motivate the athlete … at times, the athletes will complain and whine about going back on the field … and there are always little short stories about when I was an athlete and if I go too far the athletes look and say, ‘Well, you were never an athlete.’ … So now I guess it’s legit for me to say, ‘When I was an athlete”, because I have the monogram to prove it.”
Presentation to Bill Scholl, by ND Monogram Club past president Marty Allen
“… Before he joined the Notre Dame staff , he distinguished himself as the director of financial development for the 1987 Summer Special Olympics. He was asked to raise $4.8 million but he raised $8 million. He held a similar position at South Bend’s Logan Center. A graduate of Notre Dame’s class of 1979, he returned to his alma mater as promotions manager where, among other achievements, he increased the awareness of the university’s Olympic sports program. He later became director of ticket and marketing for four years until assuming his current position, where he oversees Notre Dame’s entire ticketing, marketing and merchandising programs as well as serving as administrator for the Irish baseball team. … Bill’s attitude always has been, ‘We can do it for you,’ and that’s the kind of person he is.”
SCHOLL’S COMMENTS: “Where’s Jim Russ? Talk about not being an athlete, Jim. We’re sinking to new lows here. It’s kind of strange because it took me three tries to be admitted to Notre Dame as a student and to be here tonight … thanks to all of you but a particular thanks to Dick Rosenthal. If it weren’t for Dick, I wouldn’t be working for Notre Dame. Thank you all.”
Presentation to Mike Wadsworth, by former ND football coach Ara Parseghian
“This man is most deserving and, first and foremost, he certainly is a Notre Dame man which I had the privilege of coaching in 1964 and ’65. … His leadership has been very evident. … His versatility is very remarkable. He has a law degree, he did announcing, he was an ambassador and several other involvements. … The challenges ahead for him will be met with the same determination and the same abilities. … (During his time at Notre Dame), he commanded the respect of all the people who were under his direction. … This is what a leader does: brings people under him, gains their respect and they move forward. … I could go on and on about the number of things that Mike Wadsworth has done, but as far as I’m concerned, Mike Wadsworth as I knew him as a player and as an athletic director is without question is a winner and he is a class act.”
WADSWORTH’S COMMENTS: “For 34 years, I’ve had an opportunity of speaking to various groups about leadership and about the difference that one person can make. And the example that I always have used is the experience that I had at Notre Dame, witnessing the difference that Ara Parseghian made to all of us who were here at that time. … Five years has gone very quickly. … I have never encountered a group so outstanding, so dedicated and so loyal as the Notre Dame athletic department staff. … There’s an inate loyalty that this alumni base has for anybody that represents the university and I’ve benefited from that and appreciate it tremendously. In closing, I want to wish to Dr. Kevin White great success. Kevin, I know because of your history in athletics that you will be immensely successful at Notre Dame, because of what you have accomplished and because of the people that you will have working with you. So good luck to you. Good luck to all the coaches and the administration of the department. I’m going to miss you.”
Presentation to Fr. Beauchamp, by former ND athletic director Dick Rosenthal
“It was my great fortune to be recruited to the university by Fr. Beauchamp. … I think most of you know that (his duties) encompass … virtually everything that happens at the university that isn’t truly academic in nature. … He has been the architect of the campus beautification program and, without question, the University of Notre Dame campus is considered to be the outstanding college campus in America today, largely and completely through his direction and his vision. He was also the person who administered the most dramatic building program in the university’s history. … He was singularly the person most responsible for the NBC television contract that has literally poured millions of dollars into scholarships for university students. … Not only has the number of sports increased dramatically, but their sophistication. They compete at the national level, play the best in the land and their goal is always to be in the national tournaments and they have been there. Father, we all owe you a great debt for that. … Father Bill is a consummate gentlemen. He will add a special grace and dignity to the Moose Krause Award.”
BEAUCHAMP’S COMMENTS: “I’ve had many wonderful moments at this university, this is certainly one of them. … It’s an honor to be associated with this wonderful group of people. What is so special about the Monogram Club? … To me, why the Monogram Club is special is not because of victories, All-Americans, trophies. It’s because you represent the finest in intercollegiate athletics. You have been very much a part of an institution that does things the right way when it comes to athletics. That’s been our history, that will always be our history. … I look forward to all that Kevin White will accomplish and all the people who will continue to work with him. As I said, we are in a room surrounded by history, accomplishments and by a record that is unequaled in intercollegiate athletics and most importantly a record that is really the foundation of where we go from here.”
NOTRE DAME NATIONAL MONOGRAM CLUB BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO 2003
KEN HAFFEY (’78, manager, Chesterfield, Ohio)
Haffey-originally from the Cleveland suburb of Gates Mills, Ohio-graduated from Notre Dame in 1978 with a degree in accounting, after serving as the head football manager during the 1977 national championship season … he received a masters of business administration from DePaul University in 1983 and has been a CPA for 20-plus years, including eight years with Ernst & Young, a stint as a partner with a local firm and 10-plus years as a bank CFO … Haffey worked as an auditor and senior consultant with Ernst & Whinney/Ernst & Young from 1978-84 (in both Cleveland and Chicago) before serving as assistant vice president of the First National Bank of Chicago, in 1984 … he returned to Ernst & Whinney as a member of its bank consulting group in 1985-86 and then was vice president of corporate planing for Republic Bank in Chicago, from 1986-88 … Haffey then returned to Cleveland and served as the CFO for Security First Bank Corp., from 1988-95 … he was a CPA and partner with Skoda, Minotti & Reeves from ’95-’98 before assuming his present position as vice president for Century Business Services (in Cleveland) … Haffey also has served as an adjunct professor for three years at both Northwestern University and DePaul, plus 10 years at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland … Haffey has served as treasurer of the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Cleveland since 1992 … he has been a three-year board member of the Community Dialysis Center of Cleveland, Ohio, and has served as a board member of the Hillcrest YMCA … he and his wife Elizabeth are the parents of two children.
KATIE KING (’98, women’s golf, Spokane, Wash.)
King currently is pursuing her masters in athletic administration at Gonzaga University (in her native Spokane, Wash.), where she serves as a graduate assistant in the athletic department’s marketing and promotions office … after graduating from Notre Dame in 1998 with a business administration degree, she served as the head women’s golf coach at Paradise Valley (Ariz.) Community College … King was a two-year captain of the Notre Dame women’s golf program and a three-time team MVP … she holds six major Notre Dame women’s golf records, including career stroke average (82.10), season stroke average (79.50, ’97-’98) , lowest round (71) and lowest 36-hole score (149) … she serves as the young alumni coordinator for the Notre Dame Club of Spokane.
CHARLIE OWENS (’48, manager, Elkhart, Ind.)
Owens made the journey to Notre Dame from Kansas City, Mo., and was a senior manager with the ’47 national championship football team before graduating in 1948 with a degree in pre-professional studies … he received his masters in public health education from the University of North Carolina in 1949 and has been both a student and instructor in American Management Association courses, in addition to attending the pharmaceutical advertising club seminar and an advanced management program at the Harvard Business School … a World War II veteran, Owens served two years in the medical corps attached to Air Force engineers, with one year in the European theater … he worked for 33 years with Miles Labs, ultimately serving as an executive vice president, and then worked from 1982-95 as a consultant in the pharmaceutical industry … from 1992-95, Owens was CEO of Genesis Labs and has spent his first five years of retirement as a member of various corporate and community boards … he served as director of the National Pharmaceutical Council for several years and was that organization’s president in 1965 … he and his wife Cheryl are the parents of five children.
JOE RESTIC (’79, football, West Linn., Ore.)
Restic-the son of legendary Harvard football coach Joe Restic, Sr. (’70-’93)-came to Notre Dame from Milford, Mass., and was a four-year letterwinner as a punter and free safety … his 209 career punts rank second in ND history while he still holds the Irish record for punting average in a single game (51.6 yards), after booting five kicks for 258 yards vs. Air Force in ’75 … Restic helped the Irish claim the ’77 national championship and graduated in 1979 with a pre-professional science degree … he received his doctorate in dental medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in ’85 and received certification from the orthodontic residency program at Oregon Health Sciences University in ’88 … he worked as a general dentist and an orthodontist in the Boston area during the late ’80s before founding his own orthodontist practice in Wilsonville, Oregon … Restic was a two-time GTE Academic All-American (’78, ’79) and was an ’83 member of the Matthew Cryer Honor Society, recognizing the top 10 students at the University of Pennsylvania … in ’79, he was one of 10 college football players nation-wide who received the Scholar-Athlete award from the National Football Foundation … he also was a recipient of a prestigious NCAA postgraduate scholarship and was one of the recipients of the annual Byron Kanaley Award, which recognizes ND student-athletes who are exemplary as students and leaders … he played three seasons in the United States Football League (’83-’85) while pursuing his career in dentistry and orthodontics … Restic’s professional football career actually is related to his shift to the west coast, as he played in the USFL with the Breakers franchise that was based in Boston before moving to New Orleans and then Portland … Restic was attracted to the Oregon area and resumed his medical studies in that part of the country when the USFL folded in ’85 … Restic and his wife Susan-who also is a dentist-are the parents of two children.
ERROL WILLIAMS (’98, men’s track and field, Loxahatchee, Fla.)
Williams came to Notre Dame from Lauderhill, Fla., before graduating in 1998 with a degree in accounting … he served as a tax intern with Deloitte and Touche during the summer of ’98 and worked as a camp counselor at the Florida Sheriff’s Youth Ranch during the summer of ’99 … since October of ’99, he has served as an accounting associate with Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP … a four-year monogram winner as a participant in the 110-meter hurdles, Williams earned All-America honors in 1999 after placing third at the NCAA Outdoor Championships before earning GTE Academic All-America honors for men’s spring “at-large” sports … he also was one of the first two recipients of the Chris Zorich Award (in ’98), which recognizes Notre Dame student-athletes for their community service involvement.