PROVO -- The Brigham Young University Alumni Association will honor nine people with awards Oct. 7 as part of Homecoming 1999.
Honorees are Jae R. Ballif, Stephen R. Covey, Georgia Green Fooks, Susan Hickenlooper, Blayne L. Hirsche, Elder Kwok Yuen Tai, Howard Wall and Lon and Margaret Childs.Ballif began his decades of service to BYU by teaching physics. He served as chair of the BYU Faculty Advisory Council and later as dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. He was then appointed to be an administrative vice-president and next served as provost and academic vice-president.
He is currently an emeritus professor of physics. He, along with Covey, Fooks and Hickenlooper will receive the Distinguished Service Award.
Covey is perhaps best known as the author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," a number-one bestseller for years.
Time Magazine named him as one of America's 25 most influential people. He received a doctoral degree from BYU, has served as assistant to the president at BYU and taught classes at BYU in business management and organizational behavior.
Georgia Green Fooks has given a lifetime of service to her hometown of Lethbridge in southern Alberta, Canada.
Her television productions include a program about the history of southern Alberta. She taught journalism and communications at Lethbridge Junior College. Fooks has written several books about the history of southern Alberta and currently serves as the chair for the Sir Alexander Galt Museum and Archives.
Susan Hickenlooper is "a blessing wherever she goes." As a violinist, she has shared her talents through teaching private lessons and playing in symphonies from San Francisco to Connecticut. She coordinates community blood drives and serves on the board of an interfaith community service organization.
She also serves as the National Executive Director for American Mothers, Inc.
Hirsche, Elder Tai and Wall are recipients of the Honorary Alumni award.
Each year, Utah physician Blayne L. Hirsche and a team of medical experts go to Central America at their own expense to perform plastic surgeries on children with cleft palates and similar maladies. He has established the Hirsches Smiles Foundation to further his efforts to transform the lives of children in Central America.
Elder Tai joined the LDS Church as a teenager in Hong Kong. He worked in international chemical marketing. After he served as mission president in Hong Kong, he was called to the Second Quorum of the Seventy.
Elder Tai has been the host of BYU performance groups several times in Asia. His son-in-law, Kenneth Cheng, says Elder Tai's efforts have "directly and indirectly made BYU a well-known American university in China."
Howard Wall champions BYU's cause. He has served as a charter member of the BYU President's Roundtable, created by former BYU president, Rex E. Lee.
His high positions in companies dealing primarily with communications have aided his work as chair of BYU Communications Development Advisory Board, which has resulted in one of the highest funding figures of any BYU department.
When Lon and Margaret Potter Childs were married, they joined two families.
Both had lost their first spouse. One friend says, "The melding of two families into one is a challenge that they have met with great success. (Lon's) children knew (Margaret) loved them, and as the teen years came, she was there to guide them through."
Lon and Margaret have been stalwart examples of happy family life. They have been the designated honorees for the Service to Family award.