Dr. Bettina Hilman Receives Centenary Alumni Association's Highest Award;
Carl Stewart and Fletcher Thorne-Thomsen Named Honorary Alumni;
Katherine Cheesman Receives Alumni Loyalty Award
Dr. Hilman, a member of the Centenary Class of 1949, practices in Shreveport and is a long-time researcher and faculty member at the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. She has been associated with clinics, hospitals and universities throughout the U.S. and has lectured throughout the world on pediatric cystic fibrosis.
The Alumni Association also announced three other honorees during its Awards Banquet at 6 p.m. at Centenary. They are:
* Honorary Alumni: Federal Judge Carl Stewart and Shreveport businessman Fletcher Thorne-Thomsen. Both are members of the Centenary Board of Trustees and have served for many years on behalf of Centenary causes
. * Loyalty Award: Katherine Turner Cheesman, who is president of the Alumni Association, a member of the Centenary Board of Trustees, and chair of the 1997 and 1998 Alumni and Family Weekends. Mrs. Cheesman is the retired business administrator of First Baptist Church in Shreveport.
Additional information about the honorees follows:
Dr. Bettina Hilman
After graduating summa cum laude from Centenary in 1949, Dr. Hilman went to New Orleans, La., where she graduated magna cum laude with a Master of Science degree in anatomy from Tulane University. She earned her M.D. from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. She is currently a practicing physician in Shreveport, but has held positions in clinics, hospitals, and universities all over the country. Dr. Hilman is also the author of numerous written works and has presented lectures and presenta-tions on cystic fibrosis all over the world.
In Shreveport, Dr. Hilman has been recognized with the Humanitarian Award for the National Conference of Christians and Jews, 1989; the Shreveport Medical Society Distinguished Service Award, 1996; and the Women Who Make A Difference Award, presented in 1997 during Shreveport's Celebration of Women Week.
Judge Carl Stewart
Judge Carl Stewart graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dillard University in 1971. In 1974, he obtained his law degree from Loyola University Law School. After practicing many phases of law, Judge Stewart was elected as a district judge for the 1st Judicial District Court of Caddo Parish. On Jan. 25, 1991, he was elected to the Louisiana 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal in Shreveport and on Jan. 28, 1994, President Bill Clinton nominated him to be a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Judicial Circuit. He was sworn in as a member of the 5th Circuit following unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate, becoming the only African-American to serve on the 5th Circuit as it is presently constituted.
Judge Stewart's previous board memberships include the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, American Red Cross, and the Northwest Louisiana Biomedical Research Foundation. Currently, he is a board member of the Community Foundation of Shreveport Bossier, the Volunteers of America, the Lighthouse Educational Enrichment Program, and the Centenary College Board of Trustees. In 1991, Judge Stewart was a Louisiana delegate to the White House Conference on Library and Information Services. He has also received several awards as a result of his civic and community involvement.
Mr. Fletcher Thorne-Thomsen
Mr. Fletcher Thorne-Thomsen is owner and chairman of the board of Par Excellence, a local commercial photographic lab. He received training in mechanical engineering at Purdue University and received additional education from Grinnell College, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Chicago. He served in the field artillery in Europe for three years during World War II.
He is a previous owner of Fabsteel and subsidiaries in seven states, employing 5,000 people in the fabrication of structural steel. He has served as co-chairman of the Louisiana Coalition Against Racism and Nazism, a member of the Louisiana Poverty Steering Committee and a board member of the Southern Institute of Education and Research. He is a member of the Centenary Board of Trustees and the Centenary Executive Committee, and is a board member of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, the American Civil Liberties Union, Live Oak Retirement Community, and the Economic Policy Council of the United Nations.
As an avid photographer, he has had numerous one-man shows around the country. He is also dedicated to the concept of art in the form of photographs in hospitals and medical facilities for their psychological and therapeutic value.
Mrs. Katherine Turner Cheesman
After graduating as one of seven valedictorians from Byrd High School in 1943, Katherine Turner
Cheesman attended Centenary and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1947. In 1948, she received her Master of Arts degree in guidance and counseling from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and returned to Centenary to serve as the assistant dean of students.
From 1949-55, she served as the dean of women. Mrs. Cheesman is currently a deacon and a member of the Personnel Committee at the First Baptist Church of Shreveport. From 1986-91, she served as the Church's business administrator.
Mrs. Cheesman has served on the Centenary College Board of Trustees since 1971. She has also served as president of the YWCA Board of Directors, the South Highlands School Group, and the Junior League of Shreveport.
The 1998 annual Alumni Awards Dinner was held in conjunction with Centenary's annual Founders' Day and Alumni and Family Weekend Celebration.
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