In 1933, when Heidelberg College was struggling to survive the Great Depression, the idea of forming an Honor Society to promote the ideal of scholarship was introduced at the February 7 faculty meeting by President Charles E. Miller.
The Phi Beta Kappa members of the faculty and the Dean of the College were appointed to formulate plans for the Honor Society of Heidelberg College. The Society was to be patterned after Phi Beta Kappa and to recognize and promote scholarship in the liberal arts. Today, the Heidelberg University Honor Society is Heidelberg’s only all-University scholastic honor society. The organization is maintained by Heidelberg faculty and staff who were themselves inducted into the Honor Society as Heidelberg seniors or who are members of Phi Beta Kappa.
Each spring the Society inducts seniors with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better in programs leading to the Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree, who rank in the top fifteen percent of their class, and are projected to complete at least 60 credit hours at Heidelberg by the end of the semester.
Through the years the induction ceremonies and meetings have changed, but the Society remains focused on scholarship.
The first induction of new members took place in a classroom and early meetings often included a faculty member reading a scholarly paper. Later, in 1938, there was an attempt to include leadership among the criteria for election to membership, but the society refused the proposal and continued to recognize and to encourage scholarship.
In 1940, a small group consisting of the initiates and the faculty members of the Society met in the small dining room of the Shawhan Hotel for dinner and the induction ceremony.
As College facilities improved, the initiation dinners were moved to campus and all honor students were invited to attend. In 1954, the Society began the custom of formal dress for women and faculty, which lasted for 15 years. From 1955-2002, underclass honor students were guests at the annual initiation banquet. In the fall of 2011, the Honor Society was invited to induct new members during the Academic Excellence Dinner, held each spring, beginning with the event in 2012.
The Heidelberg University Honor Society continues to focus on scholarship and academic excellence. Heidelberg is proud of its members, not only for their academic leadership as undergraduates, but also for their achievements after graduation.
After the completion of each semester, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of the University publishes a list of those full-time students who attained an average semester GPA of at least 3.5 and have no grade below a “C-”. Those full-time students who attained semester and cumulative averages of at least 3.5 with no grade below a “C-” and were enrolled in graded courses for at least 5 semester hours will also be included on the Dean’s List. A student receiving an incomplete (I), “PR” or a “U” in 0-level courses is not eligible for the Dean’s List.
Heidelberg is committed to affirming values that produce creative, responsible individuals, and challenges all students to reach their full potential as whole persons. The Faculty of the University established an Honors Program - entitled “The Life of the Mind” - to support and challenge the University’s highest academic achievers in the development of intellect and character. This comprehensive program, which integrates learning and life experiences, stems from the mission of the University and features contact with the fundamental values that underpin self-worth and traditions, as well as a lifelong habit of commitment to the community and concern for social responsibility. To achieve these goals, the program engages students in four areas of intellectual inquiry: the Scholar, the Scientist, the Artist, and the Citizen. In this way, the program empowers students to explore their abilities within a supportive community of scholars and learners.
Robert Berg, Ph.D., Emeritus
Linda Barger, B.S.
Kathy Borton, B.S.
Morgan Harrigan M.A.E.
Daniel Higgins, M.A.C.
Kurt Huenemann, M.S.
Sean Joyce, M.S.
Tobey Robison, B.S.
Stacy Wheeler, M.B.A.
Michele Castleman, Ph.D.
Philip Harner, Ph.D., Emeritus
Robert Huntington, Ed.D.
Emily Isaacson, Ph.D.
Douglas Kane, Ph.D.
Susan McCafferty, J.D., Psy.D.
Marc O’Reilly, Ph.D
Paige A. Allen-Marsh
Wayne, Ohio
Honors Program
Alejandro Barrientos
Ligonier, Indiana
Dean's List All Semesters
Zariyah Maya Baynard
Fremont, Ohio
Honors Program
Taelir Aubrie Beery
Wadsworth, Ohio
The Honor Society
Emily Claire Bogard
Tiffin, Ohio
Dean's List All Semesters
Julia Louise Campbell
Cincinnati, Ohio
Dean's List All Semesters
David J. Carey
Norwalk, Ohio
Dean's List All Semesters
Bailey Croft
Spencerville, Ohio
Honors Program
Eric George DeVore
Grove City, Ohio
Dean's List All Semesters
Gillian Blake Duer
Blacklick, Ohio
Honors Program
Rachel Lynn Ensman
Shelby, Ohio
Dean's List All Semesters
Shaadia Akili Flint
Columbus, Ohio
Honors Program
Rebecca Lynn Helt
New Carlisle, Ohio
Honors Program
Hannah Kilps
Liberty Township, Ohio
Honors Program
Kellen P. McGuire
Grafton, Ohio
Honors Program
Mason Andrew Metz
Chardon, Ohio
Honors Program
Megan Lynn Newell
Carey, Ohio
Honors Program
Nicholas Rettig
Findlay, Ohio
The Honor Society
Maxine E. Trout
Middleburg, Ohio
Honors Program
Mark Richard Ward
Urbana, Ohio
Honors Program
Macy J. Zachary
Crawfordsville, Indiana
Honors Program
Kyle Robert Alexander
Medina, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Jessica A. Ballow
Wooster, Ohio
Honors Program, Dean's List All Semesters
Devyn Elise Carder
Delphos, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Kasandra A. Christner
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Ashley Claire Dawson
Baltimore, Maryland
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Cedric Ebbeler
Grove City, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Cole William Geiser
Dalton, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Trevor Edward Harrison-Rawn
Canal Winchester, Ohio
Honors Program, Dean's List All Semesters
Alexa Kerrin Hawk
Ada, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Lo Erin Jackson
Canal Winchester, Ohio
Honors Program, Dean's List All Semesters
Logan Shohei Kittaka
Piketon, Ohio
Honors Program, Dean's List All Semesters
Brooke-Lynn Taylor Lewis
Huntsville, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Shelby Dakota Lewis
Springfield, Ohio
The Honor Society Dean's List All Semesters
Vanessa Juliette Macias
San Diego, California
Honors Program, Dean's List All Semesters
Christina Jean Mealwitz
Lagrange, Ohio
Honors Program, Dean's List All Semesters
Kristen Lenae Means
Shelby, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
James Robert Meyer
Gahanna, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Peyton Elizabeth Miller
Tiffin, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Amanda Lynn Overy
Perrysburg, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Grace Addison Keeley Richardson
Ridgeway, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Jacob T. Rigsby
Marysville, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Autumn L. Simpson
Stow, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Bailey Ann Snarski
Erie, Pennsylvania
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Jayden Stanton
Fostoria, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Jamie A. Whitney
Athens, Ohio
Honors Program, Dean's List All Semesters
Dylan Jacob Work
Tiffin, Ohio
The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Katherine Elisabeth Bauman
Granville, Ohio
Honors Program, The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Allison Blythe
Pataskala, Ohio
Honors Program, The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Anna Corrinne Cavanaugh
Morrow, Ohio
Honors Program, The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Alyssa Kathryn Edmond
Tiffin, Ohio
Honors Program, The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Vicki Ann Farmer
Plainfield, Illinois
Honors Program, The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Conner K. Hickman
Bucyrus, Ohio
Honors Program, The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters
Eric James Svoboda
Parma, Ohio
Honors Program, The Honor Society, Dean's List All Semesters