Torch Award recipients (left to right) John Thrasher, Max Carraway, Patrick Hogan and John McKay.
FLORIDA STATE HONORS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI WITH TORCH AWARDS The Florida State University Faculty Senate presented Torch Awards to four alumni who have contributed significantly to the university’s ability to fulfill its academic mission on Oct. 5. The Torch Awards, established in 1996, are named for the three torches in FSU’s seal: vires, symbolizing moral, physical and intellectual strength; artes, symbolizing appreciation of aesthetics and the beauty of intellectual pursuits; and mores, symbolizing respect for customs, character and tradition.
CLASS NOTES
John M. McKay (B.S. ’71) Artes Award Recipient
68 Vires
John Thrasher (B.S. ’65, J.D. ’72) Vires Award Recipient State Sen. John Thrasher was elected to the Florida House in 1992 and unanimously elected as speaker of the House in 1998. During his term, Florida State received approval and funding for the College of Medicine, the nation’s first new allopathic medical school in more than 20 years. The medical school building bears his name. Following his service as a state representative, Thrasher was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to be the first chairman of the FSU Board of Trustees. While he was chairman, he assisted in creating the policies and procedures under which it operates today, and the College of Medicine received accreditation. Thrasher was elected to the state Senate in 2009 and became chairman of the Florida Republican Party in 2010.
McKay, a real estate developer, investor and manager, served as a state senator from 1990 to 2002, the final two years of which were as senate president. During his term in the Florida Legislature, McKay formulated a plan to allow management of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Fla., to be taken over by Florida State. McKay’s extensive community service includes serving as a member of the board of trustees of Manatee Rural Health Foundation and the board of directors of the LeRoy Collins Institute. Maxwell Carraway Jr. (B.S. ’70) Mores Award Recipient Carraway, the university’s registrar emeritus, served as university registrar from 1976 until his retirement in 2003. In 1997, Carraway received the Florida State University President’s Humanitarian Award. In 2007, the Max Carraway Employee of the Year Award, which is presented annually to the employee who has consistently demonstrated service
excellence to Florida State, was named in his honor. Carraway continues to serve the university as coordinator of the docent program for the President’s House and as a member of the FSU Heritage Committee. He served as president of the FSU Association of Retired Faculty in 20092010 and is still an active member. Patrick W. “Pat” Hogan (B.S. ’55) Mores Award Recipient Hogan served as vice president for public affairs from 1979 until his retirement in 1990. During his lengthy career at the university — which began in 1951 while he was a student working in the sports information office — Hogan served six university presidents, and the student body increased from 5,000 to 28,000. Hogan is a member of the Alumni Association and the Varsity Club. He is a recipient of the FSU Gold Key Award for Service and Leadership as well as the FSU Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award. He was inducted into the FSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990.