West Virginia University will honor three of its own at the Student Affairs award ceremony at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in Hatfields.

WVU will present Professor of Law Franklin D. Cleckley with the Student Affairs Outstanding Achievement Award for his life-long service and commitment to students. A graduate of Anderson University, Cleckley holds law degrees from both Indiana University and Harvard University.

During the 1960s, he served three years as a Navy JAG officer and gained the reputation as the most requested lawyer in Vietnam. In 1969, when there were few African-American lawyers in West Virginia, he became a public defender for the state, frequently taking legal aid-type cases for clients who did not have the resources to hire an attorney.

That same year, Cleckley joined WVU s College of Law faculty, becoming the first African-American full professor in the history of the University. In addition to being a distinguished scholar, Cleckley is also the author of several books on the criminal justice system. His writings include the Handbook on Evidence for West Virginia Lawyers and Handbook on West Virginia Criminal Procedure.

Throughout his career, Professor Cleckley has been known asthe poor mans Perry Mason.He inspired the Franklin D. Cleckley Foundation, a nonprofit organization which helps former convicts receive education and employment opportunities.

For his work in criminal cases and civil rights, Cleckley has received numerous awards including the William Robert Ming Award, the highest honor given to an attorney by the NAACP . Other honors include the Excellence in Criminal Justice Award, NAACP Civil Libertarian of the Year and Thurgood Marshall Award.

Former West Virginia Gov. Gaston Caperton further acknowledged his accomplishments in 1994 when he appointed him to the state Supreme Court. Cleckley was the first African-American to receive such an honor.

For over 30 years, Frank has been an outstanding role model for young students and particularly young lawyers. He has demonstrated that through hard work and dedication and the use of ones talents and abilities, a single individual can truly make a difference both in the lives of others and in the community in which he or she lives,said John Fisher, dean of the WVU College of Law.

In addition to the Outstanding Achievement Award , two former WVU employees will be inducted into the Student Affairs Hall of Fame Wednesday night.

A 1961 graduate of Milsaps College, Frank G. Carney pursued his graduate study in theology at Duke University. His specialization was counseling which proved to have a significant impact on him as he changed his career direction toward career planning and placement.

Carney spent two years teaching high school social studies in North Carolina, but eventually pursued a position in the Placement Office (now known as the Career Services Center) at WVU .

Beginning in 1966, he served as the assistant director and was promoted to coordinator in 1974. It was in this role that Carney developed a new philosophy and approach to assisting students with career decision-making, career planning and providing the necessary tools for them to effectively job search. During his tenure at the Placement Office, he also received a doctoral degree in higher education administration from WVU .

Frank has been widely respected in the field of career planning and placement. In 1974, he took what was known then as a placement bureau and changed the name to Career Services and brought us into the modern era of career planning and placement delivery of services to students,said Bob Kent, director of Career Services.

In 1980, Carney left West Virginia to become the director of the Placement and Career Information Center at Mississippi State University and later director of Career Services at Louisiana State University.

The Southeast Association of colleges and Employers awarded him the STAR Award (the second highest award given by the association) and the Lifetime Membership Award. He continues to serve his local community through volunteer work with the American Red Cross and Friends of Families, an organization which helps the homeless.

Frank Carney and his wife Carol live in Baton Rouge, La. They have two children and two grandchildren.

William W. Livengood, another new Student Affairs Hall of Fame inductee, is being honored for his 34 years of loyal service to WVU . Beginning in 1965, he worked in theOld Lairas a part-time employee with the custodial staff.

Over the years, Livengood has worked with hundreds of staff and thousands of students. His skills and work ethic not only gained him respect among fellow employees, but earned him a full-time supervisory position in the Mountainlair Food Service Department.

Recognized as the 1996 WVU Technical Employee of the Year, Livengood has always worked to insure that all the inventory was where it was supposed to be and in accurate quantities. He is credited with effectively moving Food Services from a manual inventory control system to one that was more computer-based.

All those who worked alongside found him to be compassionate, ethical and a true man of integrity,said Ken Gray, vice president for Student Affairs.He never treated his position as a job. Bill was one of those people who took pride in his work, believed in service to students and the campus and felt his position was an integral part of the educational mission of the University.

Bill Livengood and his wife Eileen have been married 34 years and have three children and six grandchildren. They reside in Fairchance, Pa.