Jan. 8, 2004
Three former Notre Dame varsity monogram winners – football player Darrell “Flash” Gordon (’88) and baseball players Jim Gillis (’51) and Harry Durkin (’53) – and two others with connections to the Monogram Club (Frank Eck ’44 and Joe Russo) were 2003 recipients of the Alumni Association’s prestigious annual awards.
Gordon received the 2003 William Reynolds Award, established in 1985 and conferred on alumni for exceptional work with youth for the betterment of the quality of life. The award was presented at halftime of the Blue-Gold intrasquad football game (April 26). Gordon is chief executive officer for Wernle Children’s Home, a residential treatment behavioral health care agency serving youth in Indiana and Ohio. Daily contact with Gordon has resulted in signs of heightened self-esteem among the boys at Wernle and he has rallied significant support to make Wernle a premier facility, including an exemplary board of directors.
Jim Gillis was presented the 2003 Harvey Foster Award.
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An adjunct professor of sports law at Ball State and former coordinator of the NCAA’s “Education and Stay in Bounds” program (which promoted the development of character and sportsmanship), Gordon played outside linebacker for the Irish football team and was a starter on the 1988 national championship team. – before earning his JD degree from Northern Kentucky’s Chase College of Law. He and his wife Tonia have a baby daughter, Justis.
Gillis was presented the 2003 Harvey Foster Award, established in ’82 and conferred on alumni, some athletes or in athletic endeavors, who have distinguished themselves through civic or University activities. The presentation took place at halftime of the ND-Washington State football game.
For more than 40 years, Gillis has organized Notre Dame Club of Los Angeles programs and events. Currently a resident of Toluca Lake, Calif., Gillis played for the Irish baseball program one in semi-pro baseball for one year with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He served two terms on the Monogram Club board of directors and is president and owner of Gillis Broadcasting, Inc. A former FBI agent, Gillis was encouraged toward that career by the namesake of this award, Harvey Foster ’39 J.D., who also was an FBI agent. Gillis worked for Foster when he was re-assigned from Pittsburgh to the FBI’s office in Newark, N.J. He and wife Jane have five children and nine grandchildren.
Past recipients of the Foster Award include nine former football players – Jim Mello (’48), Bob Scanell (’58), Jack Elder (’30), Bob McBride (’44), Joe Ruetz (’38), Jim Lynch (’67), Chris Zorich (’91), Nick Buoniconti (’62), Richard Soisson (’50) and Zeke O’Connor (’49) – plus basketball greats Rev. John Smyth (’57), Dick Rosenthal (’54, also played baseball), Ray Meyer (’58), Bill Hanzlik (’80) and Laphonso Ellis (’92). Others include track star Bill Hurd (’69), legendary ND assistant football coach and athletic administrator George Kelly (’53), former ND swimming coach Dennis Stark (’47), retired athletic trainer Gene Paszkiet (’50) and former student manager Marty Allen (’58).
Harry Durkin received the 2003 Richard Rosenthal Award.
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Durkin received the 2003 Richard Rosenthal Award, established in ’95 in honor of the former ND two-sport star and AD and conferred on a former board member for exemplary activity and support of the Alumni Association. The award was presented on June 6, during Alumni Reunion weekend. Durkin’s fundraising has benefited Catholic parishes and local alumni clubs and he served as president of the ND Club of New Jersey for six years before moving to Florida, accepting presidency of the ND Club of Fort Lauderdale in the late 1980s and invigorating that club with his energy. The club won several Alumni Association awards in his eight-year presidency and Durkin received the club’s Award of the Year in ’93 before being named a club exemplar in ’97.
He went on to represent Region 17 on the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors for three years and now serves as regional director of Notre Dame Senior Alumni, also organizing the tax assistance program for the Fort Lauderdale Club.
A native of Newark, N.J., Durkin played for the Irish baseball squad before spending six seasons in the Detroit Tigers organization while attending Seton Hall Law School (’60). A distinguished trial lawyer for 26 years, he was invited to teach a course in trial techniques at the Institute of Continuing Education. Harry and his wife Alice owned Durkin’s Mountain Inn, a 400-seat restaurant/catering business in West Orange, N.J., and they have four children: Danny, Marty, Mary Ann and Hap (’94).
Eck received the 2003 Rev. Edward Frederick Sorin, C.S.C., Award, established in ’65 and conferred on alumni (not current ND employees) who have rendered distinguished service to the University- with the award also presented during Reunion Weekend. Eck’s contributions can be seen throughout campus, including the Eck Tennis Center, Eck Baseball Stadium the Eck Center (housing the bookstore, Alumni Association offices, and visitors center). He also presented a gift to establish a collection of chemical engineering books at the Hesburgh Library and is a major benefactor for the Notre Dame Law School.
Frank Eck received the 2003 Rev. Edward Frederick Sorin, C.S.C., Award.
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A former member of the ND track team, Eck is an honorary member of the Monogram Club (’88). He is chairman and CEO of Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (Hilliard, Ohio), the world’s largest producer of engineered plastic drainage pipe used primarily in civil engineering. Eck earned his MBA from Harvard and has been a member of the ND College of Engineering advisory council. Son of architect Vincent Eck (’15), Frank and his late wife are parents of four children, including Frank Jr. (’89 JD; member of ND Law School advisory council).
Russo – who received an honorary degree from Notre Dame in ’92 – received the 2003 James Armstrong Award, established in ’78 and conferred on a current ND employee who has rendered distinguished service to the University (he received the award during an April meeting of the Alumni Senate). Russo has been director of financial aid at Notre Dame since 1978 and works closely in the administration of the Monogram Club’s Brennan-Boland scholarship fund.