Mizzou Alumni News

Mr. Mendenhall’s Missouri Mission

More than 180 years ago, Richard Mendenhall’s great-grandfather traveled on horseback to solicit funds for a new state university. That tradition of support for both Mizzou and Columbia has been upheld by the family ever since; Mendenhall, broker and co-owner of RE/MAX Boone Realty and RE/MAX Jefferson City, is a founding member and past president of the University of Missouri Flagship Council and continues to serve on its board.

His impact on Columbia’s business landscape has been key to MU’s continued growth, and vice versa. As president of the National Association of Realtors, Mendenhall’s acumen has made him a transformational leader among the members of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. He also successfully campaigned to create the Women’s Network, now the chamber’s largest branch. In 2003, Mendenhall received the network’s Athena Award — the only man to receive this honor to date.

Before earning his undergraduate degree, Mendenhall enlisted in the U.S. Army, became a member of the Special Forces and served during the Vietnam War. Decades after returning, his advocacy for veterans became a driving force in the creation of Patriot Place, a rent-subsidized apartment complex for homeless veterans. Mendenhall also co-chaired a $3.6 million campaign for Welcome Home, a 32-bedroom facility serving homeless and transitioning veterans and their families. A member of the Jefferson Club and McAlester Society, Mendenhall is a life member of the Mizzou Alumni Association. — Theresa Lichty, BJ ’12

FACULTY-ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS

67th Distinguished Service Award

Richard A. Mendenhall, BS Ed ’70, M Ed ’72 Broker and Co-Owner, Re/Max Boone Realty and Re/Max Jefferson City 63nd Distinguished Faculty Award

Angela K. Drake Professor of Law; Founder and Director, MU Law Veterans Clinic Kia Breaux, BJ ’96 Regional Director, The Associated Press 55TH ALUMNI AWARD

Marcia Chatelain, BA, BJ ’01 Professor of History and African American Studies, Georgetown University

Sharon L. Langenbeck, BS ME ’74, MS ’76, PhD ’79 Manager of Mechanical Engineering, Retired, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Claire McCaskill, BA ’75, JD ’77 Political Analyst, NBC

Amanda Hinnant, MA ’99 Associate Professor, School of Journalism

Lori L. Popejoy, BSN ’93, MSN ’96, PhD ’07 Associate Dean for Innovation and Partnerships, Associate Professor and Interim Dean, Sinclair School of Nursing 55TH FACULTY AWARD

Chi-Ren Shyu Paul K. and Dianne Shumaker Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering; Director, MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics Christina Wells Enoch H. Crowder Professor of Law, School of Law

Stevan P. Whitt, MD ’94 Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Professor, School of Medicine; Chief Clinical Officer, MU Health Care