Calvin News

A quartet of Calvin alumni will receive special recognition at the school's Homecoming weekend activities February 19-20.

Professor emeritus Howard Van Till, now of Holland, will receive the 1999 "Faith and Learning Award" from the Calvin Alumni Association. That award has been presented since 1991 and recognizes a former or current Calvin College faculty member who has "successfully and consistently integrated faith and learning in the classroom." The award honors the recipient as "a master teacher, making a significant impact on Calvin students in training for a life of service in God's Kingdom." Criteria include excellence in teaching, spiritual impact, concern for students and lasting influence.

To be honored with the Calvin Alumni Association's 1999 Outstanding Service Awards are Elsa Prince (of Holland), James Hooyenga (of Sun Valley, CA) and Gerald VanderWall (of Grand Rapids). The award has been given since 1969 and recognizes "individuals and organizations who have given outstanding service to Calvin College." Recipients need not be alumni of Calvin. Criteria include long-term service to Calvin in such areas as Alumni Board membership, Board of Trustees membership, recruitment of students, fundraising, public relations, staffing of on-campus festivals and more.

PROFILE OF 1999 CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION FAITH & LEARNING AWARD HONOREE

Howard Van Till , who retired in 1997, taught physics and astronomy at Calvin for 32 years. He may be best known for his book, The Fourth Day, which was published in 1987 and the subject of heated controversy from its printing into the early 1990s.

"I was very surprised with the feedback the book received," he said. "I expected response, but not in the style or intensity it was given. I had a growing dissatisfaction with the way the creation-evolution debate was going in North America. I was upset we were being presented as adversaries in battle. So, for better or worse, I made a decision to make a contribution to the discussion."

While some were upset by Van Till's writings, others were positively influenced. "Professor Van Till is totally devoted to his belief in God's sustaining of the entire universe as well as every individual person and creature," wrote an alumnus in nominating Van Till for the award. "This fact is portrayed so vividly in his book The Fourth Day. All of his writings encourage spiritual growth and will have a lasting impact, not only on the lives of former students, but also on future generations."

Said Van Till, when he learned of his honor: "What a difference a decade makes. Because of the peculiar history regarding how my work was received, to get this award now is very remarkable. It says a lot about the Calvin Alumni Association and the support that they have provided to me." After more than three decades of teaching, Van Till retired and is currently pursuing his interest in the area of faith and science through his lectures and writings for the John Templeton Foundation.

PROFILES OF 1999 CALVIN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD HONOREES

Elsa Zwiep Prince -- A 1954 graduate of Calvin College, Elsa Zwiep Prince has served Calvin in numerous capacties over the years. She has been a member of the Calvin College Board of Trustees and the Presidential Advisory Board. She currently is a member of the search committee for a new vice president of student life. A new Engineering Building at Calvin College includes the Prince Engineering Design Center and the Vermeer Engineering Projects Center. In addition, a $10 million Prince Foundation gift was designated for the establishment of the Prince Conference Center on Calvin's campus with groundbreaking for that facility (and the DeVos Communication Arts and Sciences Center) scheduled for later this year. Elsa Prince also has served as a mentor in the Calvin College Mentoring Program established on campus by school chaplain Dale Cooper. "The world is so global now," said Prince. "It's our responsibility in this world to find the leaders and encourage them to lead in a Christian way. That's what Calvin does and that's why I am a firm believer in the institution."

James Hooyenga -- A 1961 graduate of Calvin College, James Hooyenga has been shaped in profound ways by his experiences as an immigrant to North America from the Netherlands. "I understand the immigrant mentality," he said. "I understand wanting to be an American, not being able to handle the language and getting taken advantage of. I understand all of that because it happened to me." Hooyenga want to make the road easier for others, especially the Hispanics who have come to mean so much to him in his community in Sun Valley, California. He turned to Calvin as a place where the Hispanic youth of his community might be empowered to become leaders, bringing students to Grand Rapids for Entrada, an immersion program for ethnic minority high school students. "Our job is about creating hope," he said. "It couldn't happen without a place like Calvin. I am really proud of this college. Where previously their (the young people's) only option in life was in the service industry now all of the sudden they are seeing the opportunities and saying, ‘I can do this.' I'm seeing dreams fulfilled and that's a thrill."

Gerald VanderWall -- A 1951 graduate of Calvin College, Gerald VanderWall has watched the campus grow and change in the last few years – and has had a behind-the-scenes hand in making it happen. Since his retirement from dentistry in 1992, VanderWall has served on numerous fund raising committees for the college helping to raise thousands of dollars for various projects. "It just seemed like a natural for me to come back and volunteer for Calvin," he said. "I have no trouble asking for support for things I really believe in." He served on the steering committee for the Campaign for Calvin College from 1991-1996, an effort which raised nearly $60 million. His next project was the Paul B. Henry Chair and Archives. His most recent project is chairing the dental committee for the on-going Life Sciences Center drive, support for which has topped $18 million. "I read a quote that said, ‘Going to worship is an act of gratitude, not of penance or merit,'" he said. "I feel the same way about service. I do it to say thanks to Calvin."

Contact Mike VanDenend of the Calvin Alumni Association at 616-957-6142