The National Association of Wabash Men (NAWM) is the Alumni Association of Wabash College.  Membership in the NAWM is mostly automatic, has no dues,  and lasts a lifetime.  The NAWM includes all alumni of the College, all tenured members of the Wabash faculty and emeritus faculty, all members of the Board of Trustees and emeritus trustees, and any other persons who have rendered service to the College and been accepted for membership by the Board of Directors of the NAWM.

Mission and Goals of the NAWM  |  The Board of Directors of the NAWM  |  Regional Alumni Associations

"How To Be A Good Alumnus" by Ben Rogge (Senior Breakfast, 1963)

On June 8, 1963, Dean Benjamin Rogge gave an address to the graduating class of 1963, which is reprinted in These Fleeting Years.  The content of this 40-plus-year-old speech has worn well with time.

"For you to be a good alumnus of Wabash College will demand as much of you over the years as being a good student at Wabash College has demanded of you in the last four years.  I am not talking solely or even primarily of the financial demands that will be made on you.  Rather, I want to talk of what you should and should not demand of this, your college, in the years ahead."

Among the advice Dean Rogge offered can be found these important reminders:

- Do not "demand that this college remain always what you will come to think it was when you were here.  Your Wabash College existed for only one brief four-year period, a period that is now closing."
- "[D]o not demand that the college seek out for admission only what you may conceive to be the typical or real Wabash man.  On the contrary you should demand of your Alma Mater that no typical Wabash man can be identified."
- "[D]o not demand that [the College's] faculty be of one type and one point of view. . . .  You should demand that the college always remain true to the words of John Stuart Mill which are now hung on the wall of your President?s office ? that there is always hope when men are forced to listen to both sides of a question."
- "But enough of the 'demand nots' . . .It is altogether appropriate that you demand of your college that it retain its integrity as a place of learning - that it not be led to serve frivolous or peripheral purposes, or to use means that would threaten that integrity."
- "[M]ost of all this is a college which seems to be able to influence the lives of those young men who attend it ? to provide them with an experience strong in its impact on what they are, what they think and say and do, and how they think and say and do it.  It is a college which commands affection and loyalty and, at its best, a lifelong inspiration to its graduates to seek to become something better than they are."

To read the full text of Dean Rogge's address to the graduating class of 1963, click here.

Mission and Goals of the NAWM

The Mission of the National Association of Wabash Men is to support the interests of Wabash College through encouragement and development of relationships which will help the College achieve its mission of "educating men to think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely."

The Goals of the NAWM shall be:

1. To advance the interest in the College through the support and participation by members of the Association;
2. To cultivate and maintain support and participation through the organization of graduating classes and alumni in geographical areas; and
3. To encourage and guide support of the College, to:
   1. "Spread the fame of her honored name . . ."
   2. Assist in bringing young men of high promise to the College as students;
   3. Promote vigorously the program of annual giving to the College;
   4. Ensure the flow of Wabash information to Wabash men;
   5. Critically support the standards of the College’s operation;
   6. Render service to the Board of Trustees, Administration, or Faculty as needed; and
   7. Assist students in the planning and establishment of careers.

The NAWM holds one general membership meeting annually at the College, usually at the Saturday Chapel during Homecoming Weekend.

The Board of Directors of the NAWM

The Board of Directors of the National Association of Wabash Men consists of the Officers of the Board (the  President, the Vice President, and the Recorder) and 23 Directors (9 Directors-at-large elected by the alumni to staggered three-year terms, from a slate of nominees selected by the Nominating Committee of the NAWM Board; six Directors-at-large selected by the NAWM board; two Class Agent Representatives elected by the Society of Class Agents to staggered two-year terms; two Regional Alumni Association Representatives appointed by the NAWM Board to staggered two-year terms; one Faculty Representative appointed by the President of the College for a two-year term; the Immediate Past President of the NAWM; and two ex officio members:  the Chief Advancement Officer of the College and the Director of Alumni Affairs of the College.

The Board holds three meetings each year at the College, usually in late January, at Commencement Weekend, and at Homecoming Weekend.

The latest report from the President of the NAWM 

Among its other activities, the NAWM Board awards three Alumni Awards of Merit:  The Frank W. Misch Alumni Service Award, presented to a Wabash alumnus who has distinguished himself by devoted service to Wabash College; the Fredrick J. Urbaska Civic Service Award, presented to a Wabash alumnus who has distinguished himself by making outstanding contributions to the community in which he makes his home; and the Clarence A. Jackson Career Service Award, presented to a Wabash alumnus who has distinguished himself by outstanding service to his chosen vocation.

Nominate an alumnus for one of these awards  |  View a list of past awardees

The NAWM also selects Honorary Alumni, members of the Wabash College Athletics Hall of Fame, and Alumni Admissions Fellows.  Honorary Alumni recognition is given to men and women who are not alumni of Wabash College but who nonetheless truly personifies the spirit and commitment that sets Wabash, its students, and the Wabash community apart from all others.  It is the highest honor the Association can give to a non-alumnus.  Membership in the Athletics Hall of Fame is granted to those who, by outstanding athletic achievement and service, have made lasting and significant contributions to the cause of sports at Wabash College, the state of Indiana, and the nation.  Alumni Admissions fellows are recognized for making a lasting and significant contribution to Wabash College by their outstanding service to the student recruitment and admissions effort.

Nominate an individual for one of these awards  |  View a list of past awardees

Regional Alumni Associations

A vital component of the NAWM is the College’s network of regional associations.  Stretching from Indianapolis to Istanbul, the College’s 41 regional associations bring the life of the College to their local area, wherever that might be.  Some associations are obviously bigger and more active than others.  All of these groups, regardless of their levels of activity and development, receive an intense level of support and nurturing from the Office of Alumni and Parent Relations.

Get involved by attending a luncheon, dinner party, golf outing, or other event sponsored by these groups. The areas listed here have active alumni associations. The name and contact information of each association chairman are included for your convenience. If you would like to start a group in your area, contact the Alumni Affairs Office at (765) 361-6369 or via e-mail at alumni@wabash.edu

List of Regional Associations