The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges
250 E. Broad St., Suite 1700
Columbus, Ohio 43215-3722
For more information, please contact Cheryl Kight,
614-649-1950 ext. 111 or kight@ofic.org, or
Lynne Briggs, 614-469-1950 ext. 109, or briggs@ofic.org
April 20, 2010
For immediate release
The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges to Induct Ohio Wesleyan University Alumnus Evan R. Corns into Hall of Excellence
The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) will honor an alumnus of Ohio Wesleyan University by induction into its Hall of Excellence on April 21, 2010 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
In 1987, OFIC established the Hall of Excellence Award whereby outstanding alumni are inducted on an annual basis. This, OFIC’s twenty-fourth Evening of Excellence, will celebrate three alumni, whose achievements in their fields and service to society exemplify the values of a liberal arts education.
Evan R. Corns is a 1959 Ohio Wesleyan University graduate who achieved phenomenal success in the automotive design industry. Recognizing the great demand for truck customization, Corns co-founded Great Lakes Truck Equipment Company and with his characteristic entrepreneurial drive built the business, until, as America’s Body Company, it became the largest enterprise of its kind in the U.S., with seven facilities nationwide and sales of more than $120 million annually. He deeply appreciates his liberal arts experience at Ohio Wesleyan and says, “Whatever success I’ve achieved began in Delaware, Ohio.” Corns has generously given back both time and resources to his alma mater. A trustee for nearly 20 years, Corns provided a multimillion-dollar lead gift to renovate a university building to house the Department of Economics and the Woltemade Center for Economics, Business & Entrepreneurship. He serves on the Center’s Advisory Board and is both teacher and mentor to generations of the university’s students, provides generous scholarships to the most promising, and serves on its Advisory Board. An innovative fundraiser, he is co-chair of Ohio Wesleyan’s upcoming capital campaign. Also a dedicated public servant, Corns has provided tireless leadership to organizations as disparate as the Western Reserve Land Conservancy; The Gathering Place, a Beachwood support center that addresses the social, emotional, physical and spiritual needs of cancer patients and their families; the Laurel School in Shaker Heights, the Key West Film Society; and the Harry S. Truman Little White House Foundation in Key West.
Hall of Excellence inductees are selected from nominations submitted by OFIC’s member institutions. A committee of OFIC board members selects Hall of Excellence inductees whose lifetime achievements exemplify the traditions, ideals, strengths and values of private higher education. The 108 past Hall of Excellence inductees include Senator John Glenn, Jr. and his wife, Annie Glenn, Coretta Scott King, Hugh Downs, and Norman Vincent Peale.
The Evening of Excellence also honors donors, corporate and collegiate volunteers, and students.
OFIC is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 34 independent Ohio colleges and universities. OFIC member colleges collectively enroll 98,000 students and award one-third of all bachelor’s degrees in the state. For 60 years OFIC has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education and has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship commitments through funds raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in private higher education. OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders, as well as presidents of the 34 member colleges.
The member colleges are: Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg University, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone University, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum University, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.
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