Award Winners

Since 1952, Lincoln College has honored a select group of individuals who have achieved extraordinary things as a result of professional acomplishments, selfless charity, volunteering or sponsorship.

Alumni Achievement - Robert Morris
Class of 1972
After graduating from Lincoln College in 1972, he continued his education at Western Illinois University earning a degree in Education. He started his coaching career at Northern Illinois University, where he was an assistant for the legendary coach John McDougal. His first head coaching position was at University High in Normal, where his teams won two Conference championships. After six years coaching at the high school level he returned to Lincoln College, working as an assistant for his former coach, Allen Pickering.

In 1989, he achieved a dream of coaching at the Division I level, when he joined the staff of the Illinois State University men’s basketball program as an assistant. With his guidance, the Redbirds, won three Missouri Valley Conference Championships and made a first round appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

He joined the WJBC Radio broadcast team in 1993, and provided color analysis for all the Redbird games for the next five years. Morris, along with his play-by-play partner Dick Luedke, were awarded the Silver Dome Award from the Illinois Broadcasters Association, for the outstanding broadcast team in collegiate basketball

He has a career record of 147 wins and 59 losses and has twice been awarded the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award.

Honorary Alumnus - John Guzzardo
John Guzzardo is a native of Lincoln, where for over three generations he and his family have owned and operated Guzzardo's Italian Villa restaurant, which his father started in 1957. He has dedicated a majority of his life to public service, first being elected to the Lincoln Elementary School Board, then as a Lincoln alderman and finally serving eight years as Lincoln’s mayor. During this time he also served as an elder for the Lincoln Christian Church.

He is a former vice president and member of the executive committee of the Illinois Municipal League and was the recipient of the Illinois Reaches Out Award, a statewide volunteer recognition program. He continues to devote himself to the betterment of the community and has served for the past two years as the chairman of the American Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life, which continues to help cancer victims and survivors.