Features Overview

The Sphinx Club has always chosen its own members and, on rare occasion, chooses outstanding Wabash community members for induction as Honorary members.

1923

George Valentine Kendall, Dean of the College from 1923 - 1939, was elected as the first Honorary member of the Sphinx Club of Wabash College not long after the club’s founding in December 1921. Kendall was born in Kirkwood, Missouri on February 14, 1891. His Valentine’s Day birth was the source of his unusual middle name. An alumnus of Brown and Columbia as well as a veteran of World War I and World War II, Kendall joined the Wabash faculty in 1920 to teach English and was named Dean three years later. He left Wabash to serve on the staff of General MacArthur during World War II, finishing with the rank of Lt. Colonel, before returning to Wabash to serve as Dean of the Faculty. He retired from the college in 1957.

Today

The Sphinx Club has continued the good tradition of electing Honorary members with exceptional service to the Wabash community through the present day. Listed below are the names of approximately 70 Honorary members that records show have been elected since Dean Kendall in 1923. Due to record loss during the World War II years, we only know the names of Honorary members and their years of election since the club resumed the practice in 1968.

Honorary Members of the Sphinx Club of Wabash College

1920s

George Kendall (1923) - Dean of the College

1960s

David Britt (1968) - Professor

John Erickson (1968) - Professor

Phil Daly (1969) - Coach

John Lawrie (1969) - Professor

Wayne Robinette (1969) - Athletic Trainer

1970s

William Bonifield (1970) - Professor

Phil Mikesell (1970) - Wabash Class of 1963, Professor

Karl-Heinz Planitz (1970) - Professor

Thad Seymour (1970) - President of Wabash College

Chick Clements (1973) - Equipment Manager

Willis Johnson (1973) - Wabash Class of 1925, Professor

Jack Kudlaty (1973) - Wabash Class of 1959, Professor

Norm Moore (1973) - Dean of Students

Eliot Williams (1973) - Professor

Dave Lantz (1974) - Coach

Vic Powell (1974) - Professor and Acting President of Wabash College

Bob Smiley (1974) - Professor

Ralph Moon (1976) - Professor

Greg Huebner (1977) - Professor

Connie Riggs (1978) - Assistant to President Thad Seymour

1980s

Tobey Herzog (1980) - Professor

Lee Sido (1980) - Professor

Charles Wright (1980) - Professor

Les Hearson (1981) - Professor

Thomas Tiemann (1981) - Professor

John Dzurovcik (1982) - Father of Paul Dzurovcik ‘85

Paul McKinney (1982) - Wabash Class of 1952, Professor and Dean of the College

Richard Theroux (1982) - Professor

John Zimmerman (1982) - Professor

Robert Jovanovich (1983) - Father of Ray Jovanovich ‘84

Lewis Salter (1983) - President of Wabash College

Diana Springer (1983) - Secretary of the Dean’s Office

Cal Black (1984) - Wabash Class of 1966, Director of Admissions

Bob Whitesell (1986) - Professor

1990s

Gary Ross (1993) - Friend of the College

Andy Ford (1994) - President of Wabash College

Rob Johnson (1994) - Coach

David Blix (1997) - Wabash Class of 1970, Professor

Jimmy Haffner (1999) - Friend of the College

Hall Peebles (1999) - Professor

Bill Placher (1999) - Wabash Class of 1970, Professor

Thomas Bambrey (1999) - Wabash Class of 1968, Dean of Students

2000s

David Kubiak (2001) - Professor

Mac Petty (2001) - Coach

Sherry Ross (2003) - Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Students

Rick Warner (2005) - Professor

Jim Amidon (2006) - Wabash Class of 1987, Chief of Staff of Wabash College

Brent Harris (2006) - Sports Information Director

Mark Flexter (2007) - Wabash Class of 1979

Dan Rogers (2007) - Professor

Beth Swift (2007) - College Archivist

Hugh Vandivier (2007) - Wabash Class of 1991, Associate Director of Annual Giving

Pat White (2007) - President of Wabash College

Jonathan Baer (2008) - Professor

Bill Cook (2009) - Wabash Class of 1966, Professor

Tom Runge (2009) - Wabash Class of 1971, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations

Richard Woods (2009) - Director of Safety and Security

2010s

Susan Albrecht (2010) - Fellowship Advisor

David Hadley (2010) - Professor

Joe Emmick (2011) - Wabash Class of 1992, Dean for Advancement

Jeremy Hartnett (2012) - Wabash Class of 1996, Professor

Clyde Morgan (2012) - Coach

Lon Porter (2012) - Professor

Lexi Hoerl (2013) - Professor

Jason Hutchinson (2014) - Coach

Kim Johnson (2015) - Director of Communications

Mark Elizondo (2016) - Athletic Trainer

Laura Wysocki (2016) - Professor

Trace Bulger (2017) - Wabash Class of 2019, Student Athlete and Leader

David Denham (2017) - Coach

Michele Pittard (2018) - Professor

Rob Shook (2018) - Wabash Class of 1983, President of the National Association of Wabash Men

Rem Johnston (2019) - Wabash Class of 1955, known as “The Big Cookie”

2020s

Steven Jones (2020) - Wabash Class of 1987, Dean for Professional Development

Tyler Scheidt (2021) - Wabash Class of 2023, Posthumously

Jeff Drury (2021) - Professor

Sara Drury (2021) - Professor

Jill Rogers (2021) - Health Advisor and Program Coordinator

Kyle Brumett (2022) - Coach

Peter Mikek (2022) - Professor

Marc Welch (2022) - Wabash Class of 1999, Associate Dean of Students

Nick Casad (2023) - Wabash Class of 2025, Posthumously

Byron Kemp (2023) - Owner, 1832 Brew

Buck Waddell (2023) - Director of Safety and Security