Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters

The Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters of Rutgers, honored by the Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA), are individuals who have made a meaningful and long-standing commitment to the betterment of Rutgers University by exemplifying extraordinary alumni service or by making a significant impact on University life and culture.

Nominations are made by existing Loyal Sons and Daughters, and the finalists are named by a special selection committee. Founded in 1831, the RAA is the nation’s fourth-oldest alumni association, serving 200,000 alumni at Rutgers’ New Brunswick/Piscataway campus. 

The following Livingston College alumni have been named as Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters:

  • Year unknown: William R. Fernekes, LC’74, GSED’85
  • Year unknown: Margaret S. Cox, LC’87, RBSG’00
  • Year unknown: Patrick Morris, LC’82
  • 2000: Brian Crockett, LC’82
  • 2009: Marty Siederer, LC’77
  • 2012: Iris Martinez-Campbell, LC’75, SSW’81
  • 2013: Michael Beachem, LC’73, GSED’78,’84
  • 2014: Jason E. Goldstein, LC’02, RBS’05
  • 2015: Debra A. Holston O’Neal, LC’87
  • 2016:  Greg Brown, LC’82
  • 2017: Eric Clark, LC’98
  • 2018: Jeffrey M. Armus, LC’77, School of Business’82
  • 2024: Anthony C. Culpepper, Jr., LC’85
  • 2024: Rosemary C. Agrista, LC’76

Photo: Livingston College alumni celebrate the induction of Michael T. Beachem (rear center) as a Rutgers Loyal Son on April 13, 2013. Front (l-r): Michele Ostrowski, Rosemary Agrista, Iris Martinez-Campbell and Langston Campbell, Jr. Rear (l-r): Marty Siederer, Eric Schwarz, Michael Beachem and Jason Goldstein.




Jeffrey Armus Honored as Loyal Son for His Service to Rutgers and Its Alumni

Jeffrey M. Armus, 1977 graduate of Livingston College at Rutgers UniversityThe Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA) honored Jeffrey M. Armus, a 1977 graduate of Livingston College, as one of eight Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters of Rutgers for 2018.

As of 2021, Armus is the President for the Livingston Alumni Association (LAA), and previously served as the LAA’s Vice President, Secretary, and Secretary.

Giving back to his school and to the university at large has been a labor of love for Armus.

As a student he discovered his passion and commitment to volunteerism and turned that into almost two decades of service to Livingston College. He has served on the Livingston College Dean’s Advisory Council and the LAA’s executive board, including serving as Community Service and Nominations Awards chair.

He extended his alumni work to the Rutgers Alumni Association, as a Community Service Committee chair. Armus also stepped up to serve as Class of 1977 Gift Campaign Chair for his class using his enthusiasm and drive to convince alumni to support their alma mater.

Jeffrey M. Armus, 1977 graduate of Livingston College at Rutgers University A lover of history, Jeff was instrumental in the historical preservation of Livingston College through the Livingston Legacy Archive Project.

Armus, who also graduated from Rutgers’ School of Business in 1982, was  honored on April 14, 2018, during the 60th Annual Loyal Sons and Daughters Dinner, a “scarlet” tie event held at Neilson Dining Hall on Rutgers’ Douglass Campus.

The Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters of Rutgers are individuals who have made a meaningful and longstanding commitment to the betterment of Rutgers, the State University by exemplifying extraordinary alumni service or by making a significant impact on University life and culture. Nominations are made by existing Loyal Sons and Daughters, and the finalists named by a special selection committee of the RAA. The RAA is the nation’s fourth-oldest alumni association, serving alumni in multiple colleges and schools on Rutgers’ New Brunswick/Piscataway campus. 

Bios for all of the 2018 honorees are online. In addition to Armus, they are:

  • Harold P. Baird, RC’59
  • Robert L. Barchi, Rutgers University President
  • Anthony J. DePetris, CCAS’84
  • Ladislas F. (Laddie) Feher, RC’56, NLAW’59
  • Lora L. Fong, DC ’79, NLAW ’91
  • Christopher J. Paladino, RC’82, CLAW’85
  • Helen F. Pirrello, UCNB’00, SSW’05

Photos: Jeffrey Armus in 2016 (top), and in the 1977 Livingston College yearbook, The Rock, Volume II. 




Eric Clark, LC’98, Named as Loyal Son of Rutgers; Revitalized Chicago Alumni Club

Eric Clark, 1998 graduate of Livingston College at Rutgers University
Eric Clark (2014)

Eric O. Clark, a 1998 graduate of Livingston College at Rutgers University, was honored on April 8, 2017, as one of seven Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters of Rutgers for 2017.

Clark, an Illinois native, has been the President of the Rutgers Club of Chicago for more than 12 years. A member of the Rutgers men’s basketball team during his years on the Banks, he was inspired to take on the task of revitalizing the Rutgers Club of Chicago upon his return to his home state. The position included the challenge of reaching out to the 2,500-plus alumni living in and around the Windy City.

Clark became and continues to be the Rutgers “go-to” guy for any BIG Ten event in Chicago, and was named the B1G10K Rutgers Representative in 2014. In 2006 Clark received the William of Orange Award for Dedicated Volunteerism from the Rutgers University Alumni Federation.

The Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters of Rutgers are individuals who have made a meaningful and long-standing commitment to the betterment of Rutgers, the State University by exemplifying extraordinary alumni service or by making a significant impact on University life and culture. Nominations are made by existing Loyal Sons and Daughters, and the finalists named by a special selection committee of the RAA. The RAA is the nation’s fourth-oldest alumni association, serving alumni in multiple colleges and schools on Rutgers’ New Brunswick/Piscataway campus. 

Eric Clark, 1998 graduate of Livingston College at Rutgers University
Eric Clark (1998)

The awardees were formally recognized during the 59th Annual Loyal Sons and Daughters Dinner, a “scarlet” tie event held at Neilson Dining Hall on the Douglass Campus. Bios for all of the 2017 honorees are online. In addition to Clark, they are:

  • Joan A. DeBoer, CC’84
  • Luis Largo, GSE’07
  • Melissa Lieberman-Elimanco, DC’05, GSE’06,’14
  • Alyssa Gentile Salvesen, RC’09, GSE’10
  • Dorothy M. Stanaitis, UCC’82
  • Roy H. Tanzman, RC’73, CLAW’76

Photos: Eric Clark in 2014 (top), and in the 1998 Livingston College yearbook, Diversity: Memorable Reflections, Volume VIII.




Michael Beachem, Former LAA President, Honored as Loyal Son of Rutgers

Livingston College graduates celebrate the induction of Michael T. Beachem (rear center) as a Rutgers Loyal Son of 2013. Front (l-r): Michele Ostrowski, Rosemary Agrista, Iris Martinez-Campbell and Langston Campbell, Jr. Rear (l-r): Marty Siederer, Eric Schwarz, Michael Beachem, Jason Goldstein.

Michael T. Beachem, past president of the Livingston Alumni Association (LAA), was one of eight Rutgers University alumni who were honored April 13, 2013, as Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters by the Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA).
 
Beachem is an extremely dedicated alumni volunteer, serving on the University Senate and Board of Trustees, as well as several positions within LAA: president, nominations committee chair and executive council member.

Beachem holds three degrees from Rutgers: Livingston College ’73, Graduate School of Education ’78, Graduate School of Education Doctorate ’84. He has played key leadership roles with the Graduate School of Education Alumni Association and Kappa Delta Pi, the honor society of the Graduate School of Education. Beachem was recognized for his across-the-board dedication to Rutgers in 2007 with the presentation of the Meritorious Service Award. He lives in Old Bridge, NJ.

In addition to Beachem, the other Loyal Sons and Daughters for 2013 are:

  • Charles Churchill (RC’59)
  • Steven Darien (RC’63)
  • Jeanne M. Fox (DC’75, CLAW’79)
  •  M. Wilma Harris (DC’66)
  •  Joseph H. Lemkin (RC’90)
  •  Houshang Parsa (RC’80)
  •  David Singer (CC’01)

These dedicated alumni volunteers were honored at a formal “red” tie dinner held Saturday, April 13, 2013, at the Nielsen Dining Hall on the Douglass campus. University President Robert L. Barchi was the keynote speaker.
 
The Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters of Rutgers are individuals who have made a meaningful and long-standing commitment to the betterment of Rutgers, The State University by exemplifying extraordinary alumni service or by making a significant impact on university life and culture. Nominations are made by existing Loyal Sons and Daughters, and the finalists named by a special selection committee.

Founded in 1831, the Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA) is the nation’s fourth-oldest alumni association, serving alumni from the university’s New Brunswick/Piscataway campus.

View additional photos from the event.




Iris Martinez-Campbell Named as a Rutgers Loyal Daughter in 2012

Iris Martinez-Campbell (front row, center) celebrates with her colleagues on the board of the Livingston Alumni Association (LAA). Front, from left: Michele Ostrowski, Martinez-Campbell and Rosemary Agrista. Rear, from left: Eric Schwarz, Jason Goldstein, Michael Beachem and Marty Siederer.

Iris Martinez-Campbell of Somerset, NJ, was among 10 Rutgers University alumni who were honored as 2012 Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters by the Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA).   

The honorees were inducted during a black-tie affair held at Neilson Dining Hall on the Cook/Douglass Campus of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, on Saturday, March 31, 2012.

Martinez-Campbell, who earned degrees from Livingston College in 1975 and the Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work in 1981, has been a tireless advocate for Rutgers.

In spite of the demands of her job with the Perth Amboy Public School district, Martinez-Campbell has always found time to give back to her alma mater in many ways, ranging from service as an officer on the boards of the Livingston Alumni Association and Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work Alumni Association to serving as a mentor to Rutgers students in the Latino and social work fields.

Her involvement on the Rutgers Center for Latino Arts and Culture advisory board, and Rutgers University Board of Trustees and Rutgers University Alumni Federation have all been additional examples of Iris’s leadership in action.

A member of the Rutgers University Board of Trustees since 2002, Martinez-Campbell has served on many of its committees, including its nominating and executive committees, and has also been a member of several Rutgers Board of Governors committees. Martinez-Campbell spreads the Rutgers gospel throughout all of her activities and is a Loyal Daughter of Rutgers at heart and in all of her actions.

A 54-year tradition, the Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters of Rutgers are comprised of individuals who have made a meaningful and long-standing commitment to the betterment of Rutgers, the State University by exemplifying extraordinary alumni service or by making a significant impact on University life and culture. Nominations are made by existing Loyal Sons & Daughters, and the finalists named by a special selection committee. Founded in 1831, the Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA) is the nation’s fourth-oldest alumni association, serving 200,000 alumni on the New Brunswick/Piscataway campus of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.




LAA’s Debra O’Neal Honored as a Loyal Daughter of Rutgers

Debra A. Holston O'Neal

Debra A. Holston O'NealThe Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA) is pleased to announce the 2015 class of Loyal Sons and Daughters, honoring eight Rutgers alumni, including Debra A. Holston O’Neal, LC’87 (pictured).

O’Neal, a 1987 alumna of Rutgers’ Livingston College, is Vice President for Outreach of the Livingston Alumni Association (LAA). O’Neal currently lives in Delaware and serves on the Rutgers University Alumni Association (RUAA) Board, where she chairs the RUAA Regional Clubs Committee. She is a past president of the National Association of Social Workers, Delaware Chapter. O’Neal was actively involved with reunion and campaign planning for her 25th reunion in 2012, where she serves as her class vice president and has been a hands-on volunteer leader for the LAA, the RAA and the RUAA, despite the distance she must travel to return to campus. She is currently working with other LAA volunteers to capture the history of Livingston College.

Bios for all of the 2015 honorees are online. In addition to O’Neal, they are:

  • Robert V. Cancro, RC’73, GSE’78 
  • Carlton F. Cassaday, RC’66 
  • Susan Darien, DC’64, SSW’66 
  • Kendall Hall, RC’88 
  • Stanley Liptzin, RC’59, GSE’63 &’75 
  • Matthew M. Lunemann, ENG’06, GSNB’09 
  • Mark Gregory Robson, CC ’77, GSNB’79 & ’88, SPH’95 

The awardees were formally recognized during the 57th Annual Loyal Sons and Daughters Dinner, a “scarlet” tie event held Saturday, April 18, 2015, at Neilson Dining Hall on the Douglass Campus. George B. Stauffer, Mason Gross School of the Arts Dean from 2000 to 2019, was the keynote speaker.




LAA President Jason Goldstein Honored as a Loyal Son of Rutgers

The Rutgers Alumni Association (RAA) in 2014 honored 10 alumni as Loyal Sons and Loyal Daughters, including Jason E. Goldstein, LC’02, RBS’05 (pictured).

Goldstein was the president of the Livingston Alumni Association (LAA) from 2012 to 2015, and has been a member of the LAA board since 2002 (including serving as second vice president from 2003 to 2006 and first vice president from 2006 to 2012).

As one of the first board members of the Rutgers University Alumni Association, Goldstein advocated for programming and marketing that embraced all of Rutgers’ alumni constituents.

Goldstein’s service to Rutgers includes:

  • Founder and chairman of the Livingston Theater Company Alumni Association; as an undergraduate founded the Livingston Theatre Company. 
  • Many service and community events such as theater night and speed networking.
  • Driving force behind LAA’s public relations and marketing activities.

Goldstein has been a key partner with the RAA, particularly in producing a video for the 2013 Loyal Sons and Daughters dinner, and portraying Colonel Henry Rutgers at the Loyal Sons and Daughters’ 50th anniversary event.

Each year since 1958, RAA has honored an illustrious cadre of Loyal Sons and Daughters.

Bios for all of the 2014 honorees are online. In addition to Goldstein, they are: Ruth Ann Burns, DC’67, GSNB‘75; Joseph A. Carlani III, RC’84; Evelyn Sermon Field, DC’49, GSE’65, SCI’75; Robert I. Kanarick, RC’63; Brian L. Kelly, Pharm’94; Rene Robbins Lawless, DC’81; Margaret O’Donnell, CC’93; Christine Tiritilli, DC’92; and James C. Van Vliet, Eng’53.

The honorees were formally recognized during a “scarlet tie” dinner on Saturday, April 12, 2014, at 6 p.m. at Neilson Dining Hall on the Douglass Campus. Julie Hermann, then Rutgers Athletic Director, was a guest speaker.


LAA President Jason Goldstein, left, is congratulated by RAA President Tom Carpenter as Rutgers Alumni Association’s Class of 1931 Award winner, in a presentation at the Rutgers Student Center on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Photo courtesy Steven Allen, RAA board member.

As part the Rutgers-New Brunswick ReUnion on Saturday, May 18, 2013, RAA President Tom Carpenter (Rutgers College, 1957) presented the Class of 1931 Award to Goldstein.

The RAA cited Goldstein’s extensive volunteer involvement with programs on behalf of Rutgers alumni, and the partnerships on programs such as theater nights in conjunction with musicals presented by the Livingston Theatre Company, Alumni-Student Speed Networking events, a November 2012 coat drive, and other activities.

The annual Class of 1931 Award honors a graduate, ten years or more from graduation, for volunteer service to the RAA, to one’s class or community, or to other Rutgers constituencies. The award also recognizes potential for leadership in the future.

In 2007 Rutgers University Alumni Federation honored Goldstein with the Meritorious Service Award.