The 50 Year Club — one of Colorado State University’s oldest traditions, dating back to 1934 — is set for October, with the Alumni Association ready to honor two outstanding alumni.
Celebrating its 88th anniversary, the 50 Year Club includes anyone who graduated 50 or more years ago from CSU. This year’s luncheon is scheduled for Homecoming and Family Weekend on Oct. 14 at the Hilton Fort Collins.
50 Year Club Luncheon
Date: Friday, Oct. 14, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Hilton Fort Collins (425 W. Prospect Road)
Registration and information: alumni.colostate.edu/50-year-club
Each year, the CSU Alumni Association and 50 Year Club Committee recognize two alumni who graduated at least 50 years ago for career achievement and public service.
The Career Achievement Award identifies and recognizes an alum who is recognized as outstanding in their occupation, field or profession by peers in that industry, who has brought honor to CSU and to themselves. The Public Service Award identifies and recognizes an outstanding alum who is recognized by the university community and also by the alum’s community as someone who has contributed works of public service.
Career Achievement Award: Len Carpenter
Len Carpenter (B.S., ’68; Ph.D., ’76) is a native Coloradan who grew up on a cattle ranch in the San Luis Valley before attending CSU for a degree in wildlife biology. Following graduation, he worked as a research assistant collecting data on mule deer and their habitats in north-central Colorado. That experience solidified his career choice, and he returned to CSU to earn a Ph.D. in range science.
During his career, Carpenter wrote nearly 70 manuscripts for scientific journals and books based on his fieldwork, focused mostly on collecting and analyzing research data on deer, elk, and moose. He has chaired or participated in dozens of professional conferences, assisted in developing wildlife policies, directed terrestrial wildlife programs, supervised long-term research projects conducted by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, as well as coordinated and reviewed wildlife programs throughout an eight-state region for the Wildlife Management Institute.
Carpenter also volunteered in numerous leadership roles with The Wildlife Society, which is the international society for professional wildlife biologists and globally advocates for wildlife conservation and management. He has the distinction of being elected president three times to serve at each level in the Society: the Colorado Chapter, the Central Mountains & Plains Section, and the national/international office.
His dedication has earned him national recognition and several awards, such as the Douglas L. Gilbert Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement in Wildlife Sciences, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Award for Outstanding Contributions to Management of Colorado’s Wildlife, and a Meritorious Service Award for Outstanding Contributions from the Colorado Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
One of Carpenter’s strengths is his lifetime relationship with his wife Jan (B.A., ’67; CERT., ’67), with whom he grew up in south-central Colorado. Jan, an educator, taught junior high students throughout her career. Beyond the couple’s professional accomplishments, they are longtime CSU athletics fans, members of the Ram Club, and support scholarships for student-athletes through the Rams Legacy of Champions program. In 2014, the Carpenters were given the Larry LaSasso Spirit Award in honor of their enduring and exceptional display of spirit and enthusiasm in support of CSU athletics.
Public Service Award: Maxine Schultz
The year Maxine Henke Schultz (B.S., ’60) graduated, the Associated Students of Colorado State University named her a “Pacemaker of the Class of 1960.” Her many activities as a student heralded big things for the future, and she has certainly lived up to the title.
A day after graduation, Schultz married Robert J. Schultz (B.S., ’61), who was a cadet in the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. In 1961, he began serving in the Army Nuclear Defense Laboratory and subsequently worked in the nuclear and energy industry. During those years, the couple lived in 10 states and had three children.
While her children were in school, Schultz became involved in public education, serving in parent-teacher organizations, coaching girls in multiple sports, and teaching science, health, and physical education in three states thanks to her degree from CSU. As a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, she also touched the lives of thousands of young women while serving in numerous leadership positions during her more than 60 years with the organization.
According to those who have worked with her, Schultz’s commitment to her community is unmatched. After the family settled in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, she volunteered with the Clinch River Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross of East Tennessee, the National Red Cross Disaster Relief Team, and the Oak Ridge Ecumenical Storehouse, and taught Red Cross first aid and swim classes for more than 50 years.
Schultz has dedicated a large portion of her volunteer effort and leadership skills to churches she has attended and various charitable organizations associated with them. At the First United Methodist Church Oak Ridge, she started an Adult Humanitarian Missions program, which has grown during the past 19 years from a single mission trip to Honduras to 68 teams serving in five countries. That program is now estimated to have improved the health and lives of more than 40,000 people worldwide. Through the years, she has led or participated in 64 humanitarian mission trips to seven countries, including Kenya, South Sudan, Honduras (24 times), Nicaragua, Haiti, Panama, and several states in the U.S.
In addition to her personal accomplishments, Schultz became the founding CEO and president of Smoky Mountain Management Services, a technical management consulting firm contracting with the U.S. Department of Energy. She is also an ardent traveler. In addition to performing foreign mission work, she has visited more than 80 countries.
