University President Joins Hall of Fame Honorees

March 18, 2011

The Department of Athletics at Saint Leo University has announced that University President Arthur F. Kirk, Jr., will be inducted into the Saint Leo Hall of Fame this year along with three remarkable athletes from the alumni community.
 

The 2011 Saint Leo Hall of Fame Class will be honored during an evening ceremony on Thursday, March 31. A reception begins at 6 p.m., to be followed by dinner and a formal program. The events will take place in the Student Community Center, in the Greenfelder-Denlinger Boardroom. A limited number of tickets are still available for this event.
 
The Saint Leo University Hall of Fame honors former students, coaches, and administrators from Saint Leo athletics programs at the prep school, junior college, college or university. The distinction celebrates those who have brought honor and a standard of excellence to Saint Leo athletics, and familiarizes the broader campus community and alumni with the university’s rich athletic history.
 
Since Dr. Kirk joined Saint Leo as president in January 1997, he has skillfully led the university on its mission of seeking balanced growth in mind, body, and spirit for all members of the university community. He reinstituted cross country and men’s golf programs, and made possible the addition of new athletic programs including men’s and women’s swimming, women’s golf, women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s lacrosse. Facilities have been added and improved, more scholarships for student-athletes have been funded, and the size of the athletics staff has doubled. Additionally, he has served twice as president of the Sunshine State Conference. Dr. Kirk is also a runner and serves as an example of someone who has continued to pursue sports and fitness throughout his demanding career.
 
Joining Dr. Kirk as the newest members of the Saint Leo Athletics Hall of Fame are: former Saint Leo University softball All-America and Sunshine State Conference Co-Player of the Year Denyve Duncan ('05, '07), as well as Holy Name Academy basketball players Gloria Garcia Fouts (’44), and Betty Schwartzwalder Herrmann (’43), who will be honored posthumously. 
 
Denyve Duncan is currently an officer in the Division of University Advancement. Gloria Garcia Fouts received her degree in elementary education and served the Lakeland public schools as an elementary school teacher for more than four decades. Betty Schwartzwalder Herrmann passed away in February 2010. She remained a close and loyal alumna, and was married to the late Dr. Stephen Herrmann, who served as president of Saint Leo College.
 
Tickets for the event are available for $35 per person. To purchase tickets or for more information on the 2011 Saint Leo Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, please contact Saint Leo Associate Athletic Director John Semeraro at john.semeraro@saintleo.edu or (352) 588-8223.