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CLINTON – The Presbyterian College Alumni Association presented its annual awards during Homecoming 2009 on Oct. 24. PC president Dr. John Griffith noted that the award winners – who are honored for their service, professional achievements, and dedication to their alma mater – accepted universally with humility and by recognizing the people at PC who helped them achieve success in college and in life.

The Alumni Association’s highest honor, the Alumni Gold P Award, was presented to 1959 graduate Herbert L. Entrekin of Clarksville, Ga. A U.S. Air Force veteran and a retired pilot with Delta Air Lines, he continues to serve as an aviator for Angel Flight of Georgia flying patients to medical facilities, delivering supplies during disaster relief, and reuniting families during times of crisis.

“God has blessed me with the ability to continue flying and to be able to help people through Angel Flight of Georgia,” he said. “I am very grateful for this honor and I thank you so very much.” John B. Jackson, an architect from Sumter, was presented with the Mary F. Lehman Alumni Service Award. A member of the PC Class of 1970, he designed Bailey Memorial Stadium and the college’s Armed Services Memorial in addition to serving as a member of the Board of Visitors, the Alumni Board of Directors, and as president of the Alumni Association. “Who would have thought that that scared freshman who got dropped off by his parents in 1966 would ever receive an award like this,” Jackson said, recalling his mother’s entreaty to an upperclassman to look out for her son. “And he did,” he said. “The next day they made all the freshmen line up in front of Neville (Hall); I was trying to be as inconspicuous at 6’4” as I could be and he said, ‘Where is Johnny Jackson? I want you out front. Your mama told me to take good care of you.’

“I tell people all the time, if I could live four years of my life over again, it would be these four years.”

The Rev. Alice Ridgill, a member of the Class of 1998, was named the 2009 Outstanding Young Alumna. A resident of Greenwood and a former member of the Blue Hose women’s basketball squad, she is the former pastor of Washington Street Presbyterian Church in Abbeville and campus pastor at Thornwell School for Children in Clinton. She now works for new church development ministry for Trinity Presbytery and teaches at Erskine Theological Seminary.

“I am grateful to God for the opportunity He presented to me to be a part of this Blue Hose family,” she said. “The four years I was here were wonderful years. I spend most of my time outside the classroom in the gym playing basketball but I enjoyed it. PC is a special place to me. I’m excited about where PC is heading and all the wonderful young people who come here and go out into the world to make their lives count and to do positive things.”

PC men’s basketball coach Gregg Nibert was named an Honorary Alumnus. Now entering his 21st season as head coach of Blue Hose, he has coached his teams to more victories – 344 and counting – than any other coach in program history. Nibert also was praised for his record of seeing to it that every senior he has ever coached has earned a college degree.

Nibert didn’t take full credit – noting the contributions of his assistant coaches and his players, the sacrifices made by his wife and two sons, and for the college’s administrators who hired him and continue to support him.

“I love this place,” he said. “It’s all about the people.”

The Rev. Herb Codington, a member of the Class of 1972, was presented with the Dum Vivimus Service Award for exemplifying the college motto, “While We Live, We Serve.” The pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church in Clinton, he is a leader in small church development in the Presbyterian Church-USA and has lead numerous mission groups to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

“This (award) is really a celebration of PC – and the core values that PC demonstrates and instills in the lives of its students,” Codington said. “Back when I was here during the ‘70s, it was chaplain Bob Piephoff, it was (professors) George Ramsey and Jack Presseau and so many others who encouraged us to do well and also made service to others part of that process. I am deeply grateful to them and to so many others.

“I’ve had the opportunity to live in this community for a number of years and I can say that I’ve seen hundreds – probably thousands – of PC students serving Laurens County and beyond in so many incredible ways. Roofing houses. Painting churches. Tutoring and mentoring. Leading Boy Scout and youth groups. Going to Haiti and the Dominican Republic and so many other countries. All I can say is go PC. Let’s keep doing it and don’t stop.”

The Thomas Aurelius Stallworth Alumni Award given annually to someone who embodies the characteristics of its late namesake – Christian leadership, strong bold character, integrity, moral courage and values, and who knows and demonstrates the true meaning of neighbor and friend – was presented to Joe and Mica Nixon of Clinton, members of the classes of 1963 and 1979, respectively.

Joe Nixon, the retired dean of students and director of admissions at PC, recounted his earliest encounter with Stallworth, who served the college for more than 40 years as a professor, chaplain, coach, and director of alumni affairs.

“Tom Stalloworth was my advisor at PC,” he said. “I can remember very vividly sitting in his office on the second floor of Douglas House trying to finagle some way for me to graduate.” Over the years, Joe Nixon said, Tom and his wife, Mary, became friends to he and his wife, Mica, a retired educator. “

Tom and Mary invited us into their home and into their hearts,” he said. “They shared their love of people with us – and they left us better people for having known them.”