2004 Recipients

Ms. Kilpatrick, who began her career as a teacher in the Detroit Public Schools, earned a master's degree from the University of Michigan. In 1978, she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, where she served for 18 years.

She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Michigan's 13th district, in 1996 and was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, which authorizes spending for all areas of the federal government.

Dr. Bruininks earned master's and doctoral degrees from Peabody College, now Vanderbilt University. In November 2002, he was appointed the 15th president of the University of Minnesota, culminating nearly 35 years of service to that institution as a professor, researcher, dean, and executive vice president and provost.

Throughout his career, he focused on assisting public and private agencies with improving educational, human service, and social service policies and programs.

Mr. Haworth began his career at Haworth, Inc., the company founded by his father, in 1964 as an assistant sales manager and rose through the ranks to vice president, president and CEO, and finally, chairman of the board in 1994.

Throughout the next 14 years, he continued to build the company into a global, multi-product line company with sales of $1.65 billion and more than 7,300 members worldwide. Today, Haworth has manufacturing plants and showrooms in most major American, European, and Asian cities as well as a global dealership network. He holds 18 patents.

A member of the WMU Board of Trustees from 1991 to 2001, he served as board chair in 1997. Mr. Haworth continues as Haworth Chairman Emeritus and a Board member while remaining engaged with customers, product development, engineering, and community projects – his areas of special passion.

Updated, 2016.