In 1957, the Conference created the James Lynah Award in lasting appreciation of the important services rendered to the organization by the man for whom the prize is named. In 1935, Mr. Lynah, a Cornell graduate of the Class of 1905, was called out of retirement - which followed an eminently successful career in industry - to reorganize the athletic administrative program at his alma mater. While occupying the position of Director of Athletics at Cornell, he stimulated and led the movement which on January 1, 1938, established the Central office for Eastern Intercollegiate Athletics, the agency which ten years later became the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Thus, in honoring James Lynah, the ECAC is paying respects and giving thanks to its principle founder.
The James Lynah Distinguished Achievement Award is bestowed
annually to a maximum of four former ECAC athletic administrators
who have achieved outstanding success in their career and have made
an unusual contribution in the interest of intercollegiate
athletics, the NCAA and the ECAC. For the purposes of
defining the position, an eligible candidate must have been an ECAC
director, associate director or assistant director of athletics or
senior woman administrator.
Candidates will be accepted following one full year of retirement
and once nominated, will be eligible for election for a three year
period.
NOMINATION PROCESS
Nominators must provide a biography, resume or vitae
highlighting the following:
1. Active participation and leadership in affairs/committees of the
ECAC, NCAA Management Council, NCAA championships committees, rules
and other committees.
2. Evidence of a cooperative and caring attitude in offering their
own professional and personal expertise and assistance to
conference programs, services and member institutions.
3. Improvement of the athletics program at his or her institution
without sacrifice of standards as well as improvement of the
relationship between the athletics department and the
administration of his or her institution.
To nominate an individual, please complete the James Lynah Distinguished Acheivement Nomination Form.
Previous Recipients:
| 2012 | Dr. James Ciszek, University of Massachusetts-Lowell |
| Richard McKee, Colby College | |
| 2011 | Alden H. "Whitey" Burnham, Dartmouth College |
| Roy Van Ness, The College of New Jersey (Formerly Trenton State College) | |
| 2010 | Russ Reilly, Middlebury College |
| Jack Powers, Manhattan College | |
| Nicholas Rodis, Brandeis University | |
| Patricia Rogers, University at Albany | |
| 2009 | Lauren Anderson, University of Rhode Island |
| Paul Bogan, Westfield State | |
| John Simpson, Boston University | |
| 2008 | Bob Burke, American International College |
| Arthur Eason, William Patterson University | |
| Larry Schiner, New Jersey City University | |
| Bob Sheldon, St. Lawrence University | |
| 2007 | Curtis Blake, Rider University |
| Rita Castagna, Assumption College | |
| Jake Crouthamel, Syracuse University | |
| G. Thomas Lawson, Middlebury College | |
| 2006 | Herbert Gallagher, Northeastern University (posthumous) |
| Thomas Murphy, Hamilton College/SUNY Institute of Technology/Northeastern University | |
| Sid Watson, Bowdoin College (posthumous) | |
| 2005 | (none awarded) |
| 2004 | John Galaris, Salem State College |
| 2003 | Patrick Damore, State University of New York Athletic Conference |
| John Spring, USILA | |
| 2002 | William J. Cleary, Harvard University |
| William Leete, University of New Haven | |
| Richard Sakala, Union College | |
| 2001 | Bob Deming, Ithaca College |
| Bill Marshall, Franklin & Marshall College | |
| Al Shields, Bentley College | |
| Dan Starr, Canisius College | |
| 2000 | Linda E.Hopple, Middle Atlantic State Collegiate Athletic Corporation |
| Bill Moore, Little East Conference | |
| Ron Perry, College of the Holy Cross | |
| 1999 | Clayton Chapman, Former ECAC Commissioner |
| Rocco Carzo, Tufts University | |
| Fred Gruniger, Rutgers University-New Brunswick | |
| Frank Rienzo, Georgetown University | |
| 1998 | Joseph Barresi, College of Staten Island |
| Mary Barrett, University of Massachusetts-Boston | |
| Raymond DeFranceso, Southern Connecticut State University | |
| Edward Markey, Saint Michael's College | |
| 1997 | Irwin Cohen, Northeastern University |
| Harold "Bud" Elwell, Gannon University | |
| Jack Reardon, Harvard University | |
| Richard Yoder, West Chester University | |
| 1996 | Sam Howell, Princeton University |
| Jack Kaiser, St. John's University | |
| Charles Luce, Connecticut College | |
| Fran Poisson, University of Bridgeport | |
| 1995 | Robert Hatch, Bates College |
| Denis Lambert, University of Vermont | |
| Lee Morrison, James Madison University | |
| Carl Ullrich, U.S. Military Academy/Patriot League | |
| 1994 | George Bisacca, Fairfield University/NIT |
| William "Buck" Lai, Long Island University | |
| Eleanor Lemaire, University of Rhode Island | |
| Al Paul, Columbia University | |
| 1993 | Royce Flippin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Tom Niland, Le Moyne College | |
| Milt Piepul, American International College | |
| Bob Sheilds, Fairleigh Dickinson University | |
| 1992 | William Dioguardi, Montclair State University |
| Andrew Laska, Assumption College | |
| Edwin Muto, University at Buffalo | |
| Dave Ocorr, University of Rochester/University of Scranton | |
| Harry Pure, Philadelphia University | |
| Jeanne Rowlands, Northeastern University | |
| 1991 | William J. Flynn, Boston College |
| Olav B. Kollevoll, Lafayette College | |
| Robert Latour, Bucknell University | |
| Rich Regan, Seton Hall University | |
| Donald Russell, Wesleyan University | |
| 1990 | Edward Steitz, Springfield College |
| John Tulley, Elizabethtown College | |
| 1989 | Bo Coppedge, U.S. Naval Academy |
| Will Renken, Albright College | |
| Scotty Whitelaw, ECAC | |
| 1988 | Andy Mooradian, University of New Hampshire |
| Davey Nelson, University of Delaware | |
| Rob Riedel, SUNY Geneseo | |
| 1987 | Robert Frailey, American International College |
| Russ Granger, Clark University | |
| John Toner, University of Connecticut | |
| John Winkin, University of Maine | |
| 1986 | Ernie Casale, Temple University |
| Raymond Whispell, Muhlenberg College | |
| Pete Carlesimo, University of Fordham/University of Scranton | |
| Hal Westerman, University of Maine | |
| Gib Holgate, Yale University | |
| Robert Priestley, Norwich University | |
| 1985 | Red Brown, West Virginia University |
| Dick Coleman, Middlebury College | |
| Danny Lynch, St. Francis College (NY) | |
| Mox Weber, Hamilton College | |
| 1984 | Ben Carnevale, New York University |
| George Hansel, Widener College | |
| Doc Jacobs, Saint Michael's College | |
| James McDermott, Iona College | |
| Seaver Peters, Dartmouth College | |
| Joe Zabilski, Northeastern University | |
| 1983 | John Eiler, East Stroudsburg University |
| Karl Kurth, Trinity College | |
| Sam Molnar, SUNY Potsdam | |
| William Stiles, Hobart College | |
| Gus Sullivan, University of Massachusetts-Boston | |
| Harvey Woods, Fairleigh Dickinson University | |
| 1982 | Frank Carver, University of Pittsburgh |
| "Taps" Gallagher, Niagara University | |
| Rev. John Horgan, Seton Hall University | |
| Duke Nelson, Middlebury College | |
| Raymond Oosting, Trinity College | |
| Bob Pritchard, Worcester Polytechnic Institute | |
| 1981 | Rev. Aloysius B. Begley, Providence College |
| John Bunn, Springfield College | |
| Ken Germann, Columbia University | |
| Kenneth A. Norton, Manhattan College | |
| Dudley W. Purdy, U.S. Naval Academy | |
| Charles R. Scott, University of Pennsylvania | |
| Ross H. Smith, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | |
| 1980 | Thomas D. Bolles, Harvard University |
| J. Edward Donnelly, University of Vermont | |
| Peter Finnerty, Pace University | |
| Frank W. Keaney, University of Rhode Island | |
| Paul F. Mackesey, Brown University | |
| Robert L. Tierney, Queens College | |
| 1979 | Delaney Kiphuth, Yale University |
| Robert Kiphuth, Yale University | |
| James W. Liebertz, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy | |
| R. Victor Stout, Boston University | |
| Albert W. Twitchell, Rutgers University-New Brunswick | |
| 1978 | Harry Arlanson, Tufts University |
| 1977 | Robert J. Kane, Cornell University |
| 1976 | Thomas J. Hamilton, U.S. Naval Academy |
| Wilford H. Ketz, Union College | |
| Robert A. Rolfe, Dartmouth College | |
| Adolph W. Samborski, Harvard University | |
| 1975 | Jeremiah Ford II, University of Pennsylvania |
| James J. Henry, La Salle Univesity | |
| Warren P. McGuirk, University of Massachusetts | |
| Edward S. Parsons, Northeastern University | |
| 1974 | (none awarded) |
| 1973 | J. Shober Barr, Franklin & Marshall College |
| James H. Decker, Syracuse University | |
| Eugene Flynn, College of the Holy Cross | |
| William A. Reid, Colgate University | |
| 1972 | R. Kenneth Fairman, Princeton University |
| William H. McCarther, Dartmouth College | |
| Walter T. McLaughlin, St. John's University | |
| 1971 | John P. Curley, Boston College |
| George L. Shiebler, ECAC | |
| 1970 | Ralph J. Fure, Columbia University |
| Ernest B. McCoy, Pennsylvania State University | |
| 1969 | Henry T. Bream, Gettysburg College |
| James A. McLane, Alfred University | |
| 1968 | J. Orlean Christian, University of Connecticut |
| 1967 | Everett D. Barnes, Colgate University |
| 1966 | Percy L. Sadler, Lehigh University |
| 1965 | Lewis P. Andreas, Syracuse University |
| 1964 | H. Jamison Swarts, University of Pennsylvania |
| 1963 | Earl R. Yeomans, Temple University |
| 1962 | Harry, J. Rockafeller, Rutgers University-New Brunswick |
| 1961 | Clayton E. Bilheimer, Gettysburg College |
| 1960 | Clarence P. Houston, Tufts University |
| 1959 | Asa S. Bushnell, Princeton University |
| 1958 | John F. Coffey, Fordham University |
| 1957 | William J. Bingham, Harvard University |