ALMA — Hugh Brenneman, a member of the Class of 1967 and a longtime ambassador for Alma College in many respects, is being honored as the namesake of the Distinguished Alumni Award.
“My connection to Alma College has been one of the most rewarding relationships in my lifetime and I’m grateful that it will continue in this new way,” Brenneman said. “I feel overwhelmed and honored. To attend Alma College is to become part of the Alma College universe, which includes your family members who attended Alma, the college sweetheart you marry, and the students in your classes, dorms and on the playing fields. The universe also encompasses countless alumni nationwide who are waiting to meet you.”
During his time at Alma, Brenneman was a member of the Delta Sigma Phi (Zeta Sigma) fraternity, cross-country team, Alma College and Michigan College Republicans, Interfraternity Council, The Almanian and Model UN. Brenneman was also sports information director for the college. After graduation, he attended the University of Michigan Law School.
Brenneman has remained involved with the college through various pre-law outreach programs, attending alumni functions, recruiting high school students to attend Alma College, establishing a student scholarship and serving on the Alumni Board for six years. He retired from the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan after 35 years as a magistrate judge. Prior to that experience, Brenneman was a Captain, Army JAGC, federal prosecutor and private practice attorney in Grand Rapids, Mich. He has co-founded three legal societies, been an author and college instructor, and remains court historian for the federal court.
“Hugh Brenneman is the perfect exemplar of what we do at Alma College, which is challenge students to reach outside of their comfort zones and support them in all that they do,” said Vice President for Advancement Robert W. Murray ’88. “In this way, he’s the perfect namesake for the Distinguished Alumni Award — someone that all alumni can strive to emulate in their professional and extracurricular activities. We congratulate Hugh for this recognition and look forward to the first time we can give this award, at Homecoming in September.”
The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor presented to alumni. The award recognizes alumni who have brought distinction to Alma College College through their professions, have set strong examples for others and have served their communities in one of several ways: through personal accomplishments whereby the prestige of the college is enhanced; distinguished service or achievement in any field of human endeavor, including family, community, business and industry, science or the professions; or unusual or singular contributions to the development of cultural and spiritual life in society.
The Distinguished Alumni Award is given out annually at Homecoming, along with other Alumni Awards: the George and Bess Brown Hebert Award, named in honor of George Hebert ’20; the Smith Distinguished Service Award, named in honor of Art ’38 and Carra Jones ’42 Smith; the Young Alumni Award; and the Grand Marshal.
Brenneman is a previous recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award, in 1998, as well as the George and Bess Brown Hebert Award, in 2024.