Distinguished Alumni Award - Office of Alumni Relations

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Each Homecoming, The University of Montana Alumni Association honors outstanding alumni with Distinguished Alumni Awards. University alumni and friends are invited to nominate on an individual basis a graduate or former student for this award.

Recipients of the award are individuals who have distinguished themselves in a particular field and who have brought honor to the University, the state or the nation. The University of Montana Alumni Association Board of Directors Awards Committee focuses on career achievement, professional honors, professional membership/directorship, community service and UM &/or UMAA recognition/service in selecting recipients.

Click here to see a list of former Distinguished Alumni Award recipients

Click here to nominate an individual for the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award

2009 DAA Award Recipients

Leon Billings, Bill Veazey, and Jim Wylder are the recipients of this year's Distinguished Alumni Awards. These men will be honored Friday evening, October 9, at 6:00 in the University Center Ballroom. Join us for this special awards ceremony and reception – a traditional Homecoming highlight. The event is open to the public.

Billings image

Leon G. Billings - 1959 Bachelor of Arts/History

A Helena native, Leon is a nationally recognized authority on environmental issues with a lengthy history of public service at the local, state, and national levels. Leon served twelve years in the Maryland State Legislature and was chair of the Environment Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Leon served as chief of staff for Edmund S. Muskie for thirteen years and for twelve years as staff director for the Senate Subcommittee on Environment, where he had primary staff responsibility for writing the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Leon was a key participant in the development of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and the transportation legislation which made federal highway funds available for mass transit.

President of Leon G. Billings LLC, Leon is the leading contributor to UM's Billings Family Scholarship, the Journalism School’s largest award given annually to a female graduate student. He and his wife, Cherry Allen Billings, live in Bethany Beach, Delaware. Leon has three children – Shannon, Paul, and Erin, a 1995 Master of Arts degree graduate from UM in journalism.

William Ward "Bill" Veazey (deceased, May 2008) -1970 Bachelor of Arts, Economics, 1975 Master of Business Administration/CPA

A native of Butte and Missoula, Bill was a Distinguished Military Graduate from UM. He received the Army ROTC’s Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for exemplary leadership during an era of widespread campus unrest. Following graduation, he served in the Army Finance Corps.

In 1975 Bill began his professional career as an accountant with Cargill, a global food processing and commodities company and the largest private corporation in the U.S. His responsibilities were worldwide and included living for many years in Brazil and England. At the time of his death in Minneapolis, Bill was Cargill’s chief financial officer, senior vice president, and member of the board of directors.

Bill consistently put UM “on the map” with Cargill and served as a mentor to many young employees. He had hoped to return to UM in retirement to share his experience with international business and finance students. Bill and his former wife, Kathryn Caras Veazey ’70, have three children – Katie, Thomas, and Michael.

James M. Wylder – 1951 Bachelor of Arts, History/Political Science

Jim managed the Great Falls Coca-Cola Bottling Company for twenty-five years, increasing the company’s sales from $250,000 to $16 million; his franchise territory becoming the largest in the state during that time. When Jim retired in 1986, he was the company's president and CEO. Jim then began a second career in photography.

Jim's volunteer work and advocacy for the Great Falls community and The University of Montana are legendary. He has served as a board member for the UM Foundation, the Business School, Grizzly Riders International, and the Davidson Honors College. Jim is a lifetime member of the UM Alumni Association and has served as both a member and president of its board of directors.

Jim is a founding member of the Great Falls "Bringing the U to You" lecture series. In 2005 he and his wife, Frances Jorgensen Wylder '53, received UMAA's Community Service Award. Jim has been a Grizzly football box holder since 1987. His family says he probably hasn’t missed a Grizzly football game in more than twenty years.

The Office of Alumni Relations

and the Alumni Association

Brantly Hall, Rm. 115

406.243.5211 / 877.UM.ALUMS