July 12, 1999 Volume 21, No. 17

Alumni Association Honors Three at Reunion Weekend The Ithaca College Alumni Association paid tribute to a former longtime faculty member and two accomplished graduates during Reunion weekend. Gustav "Skip" Landen, Ted Thoren ’49, M.S. ’52, and Marjorie Rooke Schwab ’69 were honored at the association’s annual awards banquet June 5. The presentations were made by Jock Bethune ’66, one of his last official acts as the association’s president. From left to right: Jock Bethune, outgoing Ithaca College Alumni Association president; Marge Schwab; Skip Landen; Ithaca College president Peggy R. Williams; and Ted Thoren.   Landen received the James J. Whalen Meritorious Service Award, which recognizes distinguished achievements and contributions to Ithaca College by nongraduates. Landen began his 23-year affiliation with the College in 1968, supervising motion picture production. He then joined the faculty and later chaired the Department of Cinema and Photography. Though his professional accomplishments are many — he produced and directed almost 150 films at the College, played a leadership role in the development of the Ithaca College Communications Program in Los Angeles, and served as a member of the Rating and Classification Board for the Motion Picture Association of America — Landen is best known for his skills as a mentor, teacher, and colleague. He forged many lasting relationships, especially with students. After his retirement, alumni and friends established the Skip Landen Professional in Residence Program, which brings a professional filmmaker to the campus each year to work with students. The Lifetime Achievement Award — presented to graduates who have performed with distinction at the highest levels of their professions — went to Thoren, whom Collegiate Baseball called "one of the best pure coaches in the history of college baseball." Thoren, who received a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the College in 1949 and a master’s three years later, broke into the college ranks at Cornell University, coaching freshman football and varsity baseball. In 1962 he was named head baseball coach, and when he retired from the university in 1990 he owned a string of all-time Cornell and Ivy League coaching records, including most wins in all sports (590), games coached in all sports (1,142), baseball wins (520), baseball games coached (1,017), baseball years coached (28), and seasons coached in all sports (38). One of the highlights of Thoren’s career was serving as host coach for the Eastman Kodak All-America Football Team from 1972 to 1983. His baseball teams also had some great moments, including a 1979 win over number-one-ranked University of Hawaii, and a victory over top-ranked Arizona State in 1972. Named Collegiate Baseball’s special coach of the decade in 1990, Thoren was also the Ithaca Journal’s coach of the year in 1977. He is a member of the Ithaca College Sports Hall of Fame and the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Schwab received the Distinguished Alumni Award for her loyalty and long-standing service to Ithaca College. A piano accompanist with a degree in music education, Schwab is connected to the College through strong family ties — her father, husband, daughter, and son-in-law are all alumni. Those ties have been greatly strengthened by 30 years of enthusiastic service and support, including hosting many College events with her husband, Bill Schwab ’68. Marge Schwab served as an active volunteer fund-raiser for the science initiative campaign in 1993. In addition, she chaired the recently completed capital campaign for the James J. Whalen Center for Music. Her leadership in that two-year campaign was vital in helping the College achieve — and exceed — its goal of raising $10.5 million toward the project to nearly double the amount of teaching and performance space in the School of Music.