Northwestern Honors Distinguished Alumni

Under the newly refurbished Tiffany dome in the Chicago Cultural Center, Northwestern alumni, faculty, staff, and friends gathered to honor 20 distinguished alumni at the 76th annual Northwestern Alumni Association Alumni Awards ceremony, held September 26.

Carole Browe Segal (WCAS60), Crate & Barrel co-founder, received the Alumni Medal, the highest distinction the NAA grants to Northwestern graduates. The award recognizes her success as an entrepreneur and her generosity as a volunteer and philanthropist.

The evening ended with a surprise tribute to President Henry Bienen and his wife, Leigh Buchanan Bienen. Tom Hayward (WCAS62, L65), former NAA President and Vice Chair of the University Board of Trustees, announced that the NAA Board recently voted to grant alumni status to Mr. and Mrs. Bienen. To close the celebration, the couple was presented with the Alumni Medal.

Associate Professor of Theatre and Chair of the Department of Theatre at the School of Communication Rives Collins served as master of ceremonies, while undergraduates in Northwestern’s Music Theatre Certificate Program treated guests to original songs honoring the award recipients.