CoSIDA Hall of Famer Dave Wohlhueter, who retired in June 2012 as the organization's treasurer after
three-plus decades of service, will be honored on Saturday, Oct. 12 with the Ithaca College Edgar "Dusty" Bredbenner Jr. '50 Distinguished Alumni Award. He will receive the honor during Ithaca College's Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. This is the highest award the alumni association presents.
Wohlhueter was the recipient of CoSIDA's 2012 Lester Jordan Award for exemplary service, dedication and support of the Capital One Academic All-America® program and the promotion of the ideals of being a student-athlete. Among numerous other honors, he also received CoSIDA's "Distinguished Service Award" upon his retirement. Both of these awards were presented during the 2012 CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis, where Wohlhueter also was honored at Busch Stadium in ceremonies featuring St. Louis Cardinal great Ozzie Smith. In recognition of his tremendous legacy of service, CoSIDA presented Wohlhueter and his wife Susan with a trip to London to attend the 2014 Wimbledon tennis tournament.
(They are pictured, right, at Wimbledon).
Information courtesy of Ithaca College Alumni Association
Edgar "Dusty" Bredbenner Jr. '50 Distinguished Alumni Award
2013 Recipient: Dave Wohlhueter
This award is presented to graduates who have demonstrated outstanding loyalty and service to Ithaca College over a long period, and is the highest award the alumni association presents. Past recipients have served with distinction in organizations such as the alumni association board of directors or the board of trustees or have made significant contributions to one of the college's schools or programs. Formerly known as the Distinguished Alumni Award, the award was renamed to honor one of the most involved alumni in college history.
Dave Wohlhueter earned his bachelor's degree in television-radio, with a minor in music, from Ithaca College in 1960. After graduation, he joined the staff at WDOS, a radio station in Oneonta, New York, working as sports director and in advertising sales. He returned to Ithaca College in 1965 as the first full-time sports information director and subsequently served in this capacity at two other institutions: Bucknell University (1967-77) and Cornell University (1977-98).
In 1981, Dave's career gained a more worldly dimension. That year he began a decades-long relationship with the U.S. Olympic Committee, working as a press liaison officer at events ranging from the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival, the Pan American Games, and the World University Games to the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 2002 Winter Olympics. As press liaison, Dave was responsible for writing stories and features, making athletes available to news media, and facilitating news coverage.
Dave's career in sports information and his contributions to his professional community have been recognized by many. Notably, in 2012, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), a trade organization for public relations, media relations, and communications and information professionals in collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. In the 57-year existence of the organization, the Distinguished Service Award has been given to only one other person. Dave has been recognized by CoSIDA on numerous other occasions as well, through his receipt of the Lester Jordan Award, the Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award, and the prestigious Arch Ward Award, which is given annually to one individual and honors outstanding contributions to the college sports information profession.
A bevy of other accolades recognize Dave's many contributions to his profession. He received the Wilbur Snypp Award from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association for outstanding service to college baseball, and he has been inducted into the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame, the Cornell University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the CoSIDA Hall of Fame.
Dave served his profession as treasurer of CoSIDA for 35 years, as vice president and president of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors Association, and as president of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Currently, Dave's service is primarily in the Ithaca area. He is president of the Ithaca Concert Band, chairman of the Cornell Hockey Association's Coach's Club, a member of the athletic hall of fame selection committees for Ithaca College and Cornell University, and treasurer of the Cornell Faculty Tennis Club. He is also a member of the Ithaca College Alumni Association Board of Directors and serves as secretary of the board.
Dave is married to the former Susan Walker and has two children and six grandchildren.