Meritorious Service Award Winners

Bernard T. Lomas, ’46
President Emeritus Albion College
Grand Rapids, Mich.

Bernard Lomas actually began his “Albion presidency” as class president while he was a student. Almost 24 years later, Lomas, a visionary and leader in post-secondary education, became the twelfth president of Albion College. His 13-year presidency was marked by curricular and campus development in several areas.

Under his leadership, the Carl A. Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management and the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service were established. These programs are still growing and thriving today, due in large part to Lomas’s understanding that competitive academic programs must view education holistically, balancing academic rigor with social development. In addition, Albion’s honors program, now known as the Prentiss M. Brown Honors Institute, was begun during his tenure and has now grown to nearly 300 members.

The campus landscape changed markedly during Lomas’s tenure as well. He was instrumental in fund-raising efforts for the Herrick Center for Speech and Theatre, the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Recreation and Wellness Center, the Dean Aquatic Center, Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium, the Whitehouse Nature Center Interpretive Building, the Gerstacker International House, the Seeley G. Mudd Learning Center, and Olin Hall. The Fieldhouse within the Dow Center, named in honor of Dr. Lomas, is a lasting reminder of his dedication to providing Albion students and faculty with exceptional learning facilities. In addition to serving as a venue for varsity sports practices and physical education classes, the Bernard T. Lomas Fieldhouse is the site of a wide range of campus events, such as recreational/intramural sports contests, convocations, concerts, the Homecoming Picnic, and many others.

Throughout his presidency, Bernard Lomas was noted for his forward-thinking in terms of enrollment, endowment, and faculty compensation. He drew on this expertise while representing Albion College on the national and state levels as a consultant to the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C. and as an executive committee member of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Michigan and the Michigan Colleges Foundation, as well as many other organizations.

Today, he serves as a counselor to the president of the Heritage Foundation.

He is the recipient of many awards, including the Ohio Junior Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year Award in 1958, an honorary doctorate from Albion in 1965, and the Albion College Distinguished Alumni Award in 1978. Albion has benefited greatly from his service as president, trustee, and Alumni Association board member and his continuous involvement in Albion College campaigns and initiatives.

Albion students recognized Lomas’s commitment to the student body and the school by establishing a presidential scholarship in his name.

Lomas earned his master’s degree from Oberlin College and his doctorate from Vanderbilt University. He makes his home in Grand Rapids, Mich. with his wife, Barbara. Their son, Paul, lives in Holland, Mich., and Paul’s daughter, Torrey, attended the College. Their son, David, ’73, passed away in 2004.