Ferris State Alumni Association
420 Oak Street, Big Rapids
(231) 591-2345
Since 1956, Commencement week activities have included the presentation by the Ferris State University Alumni Association of Distinguished Alumni Awards recognizing exceptional career success and noteworthy fidelity and devotion to the University. Winners of the award from 1956 to 2005 are listed below.
Distinguished Alumni Award
| 1956 | Frederick L. Calenda Ralph Pino Nate S. Shapero |
| 1957 | Walter R. Braund Jean DeBoer Edward M. Sharpe |
| 1958 | C.V. Burnett John H. Butts Ray M. Hardy Maurice C. LaClaire Charles W. Martin Fred B. Post W.C. Taggart Robert H. Wisner |
| 1959 | Howard C. Grimes James T. Jones Willard J. Nash Arthur R. Sherk |
| 1960 | Manley M. Ellis Thomas F. Heatley Thaddeus B. Taylor |
| 1961 | C. V. Buttleman Merta L. Reed Gideon E. Smith |
| 1962 | Walter Armbruster Joseph C. Hirschfield Hattie Smith Lear Baribeau |
| 1963 | Clare F. Jarecki Charles S. Neithercut John W. Tenny |
| 1964 | Bess Rose Fishman Lewie H. Hull J. Arthur Pino |
| 1965 | Leo F. Duggan C. Gordon Phillips George C. Quinnell |
| 1966 | L. Dale Faunce Carlton H. Runcieman |
| 1967 | Albert F. Cleveland Roy A. Darling James C. Finney Sr. Willard J. Nash |
| 1968 | Norman E. Borgerson Ann W. Sawasky Reuben E. Trippensee |
| 1969 | Carroll Boutell Elmon Cataline |
| 1970 | Charles E. Fairman Ethel Taylor Pierce John Stahlin |
| 1971 | Stanley J. Byington Gerald McKessy Raymond Sines |
| 1972 | Clarence Freeman Delbert Long Ramsay Wardrop |
| 1973 | Bert C. Brennan Albert B. Doherty III John W. Spicer Fred A. Westerman |
| 1974 | Frank Curtis Phillip Runkel Colin Smith |
| 1975 | Rex O. Graff Fred Schnarr Chester I. Williams |
| 1976 | S. John Byington Gerald L. DeHaan Clare G. Johnson H. James Renaud |
| 1977 | James R. Hess Florence I. Holden Robert J. Norsworthy |
| 1978 | Ruth Gibson Butler Leonard W. Gopp Robert C. Redman |
| 1979 | Peggy A. Frazier Thomas P. Scholler Lee A. Westberg |
| 1980 | E. Elaine Davies Kuno Hammerberg John F. Mangrum |
| 1981 | Alvin L. Burridge Floyd E. Curtis Avis J. Ericson |
| 1982 | Howard L. Dell Jack M. Newcomb Rena D. Westra |
| 1983 | Douglas W. Call Darnell E. Cole Margaret Ethel Denise Elton "Ott" Gingrich |
| 1984 | Richard C. Andresen Edmund D. Farhat Kenneth J. Hicks |
| 1985 | Jean D. Deupree Arnold L. Johnson Bruce N. Parsons |
| 1986 | Richard L. Antonini Bertil G. Carlson Kenneth L. Cook Jack D. Lewis |
| 1987 | Maurice Q. Bectel Roger W. Anderson H. Kearney Walters |
| 1988 | Marjorie L. Fleming George H. Ryan Sr. Gordon E. Kamstra Charles E. Lippert |
| 1989 | Albert J. Coudron Kenneth W. Kirk George J. Menoutes Jerry R. Tubbs |
| 1990 | Philip E. Hoffman Dennis B. Lerner Roger G. Stoll Clinton L. Swinehart |
| 1991 | Darroll Z. Howard Jane Reagan Jones Kenneth E. McCourt |
| 1992 | Paul E. Boyer Richard E. Hurst Carolyn C. Kilpatrick James Middaugh |
| 1993 | Eugene A. DeFouw Douglas P. Johnson Barbara L. Ottinger Louis M. Sesti |
| 1994 | Joseph C. Barney Jr. Vernita Burrows R. Thomas Cook Kenneth Hoexum Robert N. Tenney |
| 1995 | William Adrian Jack Bates John Bradac Lawrence Marfechuk Ronald Snead |
| 1996 | David V. Dellar |
| 1997 | John Wheeler |
| 1998 | Steve Harvey |
| 1999 | Jerry Woodcock |
| 2000 | Daniel F. Niccolai |
| 2001 | Robert S. Buckingham John D. Chinonis Robyn D. Myers Robert K. Scranton |
| 2002 | John C. Bond Joseph J. Corcoran II James B. Meyer |
| 2003 | William J. Buckingham Suzette Compton |
| 2004 | Mark E. Alley Stephen R. Ehardt Dr. Gary Kadlec Richard Sauve |
| 2005 | Dick Dolack Randy Seaman |