NFF Distinguished American Award Recipients

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NFF Distinguished American Award Recipients
Name Name Title Alma Mater Year
William S. Carpenter Vietnam War Hero Army 1966
Archibald MacLeish Pulitzer Prize Poet Yale 1969
Vince Lombardi Legendary Coach Fordham 1970
Dr. Franklin L. Boyden Deerfield Academy Headmaster Amherst (MA) 1971
Dr. Jerome "Brud" Holland U.S. Ambassador to Sweden Cornell 1972
Bob Hope Actor/Comedian 1974
Rev. Theodore Hesburgh Notre Dame President Catholic U. (D.C.) 1975
Gen. James A. Van Fleet U.S. Army General Army 1976
Rev. Edmund P. Joyce Notre Dame Executive VP Notre Dame 1977
John W. Galbreath Industrialist Ohio 1979
Fred Russell Sports Editor & Columnist Vanderbilt 1980
David “Sonny” Werblin New York Jets Owner & Entrepreneur Rutgers 1981
Leon Hess New York Jets Owner & Entrepreneur Monmouth 1983
James Stewart International Film Star Princeton 1983
David M. Nelson Hall of Fame Coach/NCAA Football Rules Committee Secretary-Editor Michigan 1984
William J. Flynn Boston College Athletics Director Boston College 1985
John L. Toner UCONN Head Coach & Athletics Director Boston U. 1986
Issac N. “Ike” Sewell Businessman Texas 1987
Joe M. Rodgers U.S. Ambassador to France Alabama 1988
Edward W. “Moose” Krause Notre Dame Athletics Director Notre Dame 1989
Alvin “Pete” Rozelle NFL Commissioner San Francisco 1990
Joseph V. Paterno Hall of Fame Coach Brown 1991
Wellington T. Mara New York Giants Owner Fordham 1992
Richard W. Kazmaier Jr. Businessman Princeton 1993
B. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr. U.S. Naval Academy Deputy Commandant/U.S. Astronaut Navy 1994
Tom Osborne Hall of Fame Coach from Nebraska Hastings (NE) 1995
Rev. J. Donald Monan, S.J. Boston College President Woodstock College (MD) 1996
Roy F. Kramer SEC Commissioner Maryville College (TN) 1998
Arthur J. Decio Skyline Corp. Chairman Indiana 2000
Dr. James Frank NCAA President Lincoln (MO) 2001
George B. Young New York Giants General Manager Bucknell 2002
Dr. Robert C. Khayat University of Mississippi Chancellor Mississippi 2003
Robert F. Casciola NFF President Princeton 2004
Alan Cedric Page Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Notre Dame 2005
Pat Tillman U.S. War Hero/Hall of Famer Arizona State 2006
Rocky Bleier U.S. War Hero Notre Dame 2007
T. Boone Pickens Philanthropist Oklahoma State 2008
Billy Payne Augusta National Chairman Georgia 2009
Tom Brokaw Journalist & Author South Dakota 2010
Dr. Archie Roberts Renowned Physician Columbia 2011
George Bodenheimer ESPN Executive Chairman Denison (OH) 2012
Gen. Ray Odierno 38th Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army Army 2013
Rear Adm. Bill Byrne Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea Navy 2015
Capt. Jared Tew U.S. Air Force Pilot Air Force 2015
Maj. Graham White U.S. Army Ranger Army 2015
William H. McRaven Univ. of Texas System Chancellor & Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Texas 2016