What do a president, a hot rod and two successful businessmen have in common? They are the latest inductees into the West Virginia University Academy of Distinguished Alumni. Meet the Class of 2005: James Caveney, Rodney C.Hot RodHundley, Earl G.KenKendrick Jr. and Verl O. Purdy.
The WVU Alumni Association will present the inductees during a ceremony at the Erickson Alumni Center at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12.
These native West Virginians define Mountaineer greatness,said Stephen L. Douglas, president and CEO of the WVU Alumni Association.These men have made their footprints in their respective fields, and we are proud to include them among the ranks of the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
Heres a look at the Class of 2005:
Dr. James Caveney
James Caveney is a man of many firsts. He is the first WVU graduate and West Virginian to serve as president of the American Association of Orthodontiststhe oldest and largest dental specialty. In this role, Dr. Caveney is committed to promoting the field of dentistry and improving education programs to existing orthodontic students and faculty in North America.
In 2004, he coordinated the 104th annual session,Universal Celebration of Smiles,in Orlando that attracted doctors from 90 countries and 20,000 attendees. At the session, Caveney also introduced two new educational programs: TheRising Starslecture series, which featured 25 junior faculty from around the world, and the first Resident Clinicians Scholars Program of table clinics which presented $50,000 to orthodontic residents.
Almost a decade after he began practicing orthodontics, Caveney was elected president of the West Virginia Dental Association and was the first graduate of the WVU School of Dentistry to hold this position. He served in the American Dental Associations House of Delegates and, in 2003-04, was chairman of the ADA s Dental Specialty Groups, which includes all nine ADA recognized specialties.
Caveney is past president of the Southern Association of Orthodontists, which includes 11 states and 12 graduate-orthodontic programs. For his dedication and service, he received the SAO s Distinguished Service Award and the SAO Citizenship Award. He is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists and the Federation of Dentaire International.
A native of Wheeling, Caveney is a three-time graduate of WVU . He graduated from the WVU School of Dentistry in 1968 and also earned bachelors and masters degrees from WVU
in 1964 and 1972, respectively. Following graduation from his orthodontic residency, he founded the West Virginia Orthodontic Alumni Association and became its first president. Caveney is passionate about his work and has maintained his private practice in his hometown for more than 32 years.
Caveney remains dedicated to his alma mater, helping to raise thousands of dollars to renovate the orthodontic clinic at WVU . In his honor, WVU dedicated the orthodontic conference room and resident offices as the Caveney Conference and Creativity Center. He has contributed to the WVU School of Dentistry Building Greatness Campaign and founded the Dr. W.W. Merrow Millennium Society to honor the chairman of the orthodontic department. Caveney is a special visiting professor to the WVU School of Dentistry.
The Caveney family has a strong legacy at WVU . Caveneys wife, Karen, and their three children, Susan, Scott and Brian, are all graduates of WVU s dental and medical schools. Dr. and Mrs. Caveney reside in Wheeling and have five grandchildren.
Rodney C.Hot RodHundley
Take a look back at his dribbling antics and daredevil maneuvers, and its easy to see how Rod Hundley earned the nicknameHot Rod.His entire life has revolved around the game of basketball. His love and talent for the game led him to achieve honors in high school and most notably during his college years. A legend at WVU , Hundley played to packed crowds at the Old Field House.
A native of Charleston, Hundleys talent for the game was evident during his youth. At Thomas Jefferson Junior High School, he set the state scoring record with 441 points for a season and 20 points per game. In high school, he averaged 30 points per game, breaking the states four-year scoring record in just three years. He was named a high school All-American and was offered scholarships to many of the nations major universities.
Hundley played for WVU from 1954 to 1957. The Mountaineers made their first NCAA appearance and three total appearances between 1955 and 1957. During his junior year, Hundley averaged 26.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. He scored more than 40 points per game six times, which led to the Mountaineers scoring over 100 points in nine games. The Mountaineers were ranked No. 20 in the nation in 1955 and No. 4 in 1956. Hundley holds a varsity school record with 54 points in a single game against Furman and holds a freshmen team record of 62 points against Ohio University.
Hundley was the fourth player in NCAA history to score more than 2,000 points during his career. He averaged 24.5 points per game for three seasons and finished his collegiate career with 2,180 points. He was a two-time, first team All-American and currently holds eight school records. In 1957, he was the first pick of the NBA draft and played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1958 to 1963 where he averaged 8.4 points per game and had 1,400 assists.
Today, fans will find Hundley in the broadcasters booth where, for 26 years, he has been the voice of the Utah Jazzthe only announcer the team has ever known. In 1982, he received the NCAA Silver Anniversary All-America Team for distinguished service for his lifes accomplishments, and in 1992, he was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame. He received the NBA s Distinguished Broadcaster award in 1994. In 2003, Hundley received the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famethe only former professional player to achieve such an honor. In June 2004, he was voted into the Utah Broadcast Hall of Fame. He is the author ofHot Rod Hundley: The Man With A Lot to Smile About and You Gotta Love It Baby.
Hundley, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, has three daughters Kimberly, Jacquie and Jennifer.
Earl G.KenKendrick Jr.
Ken Kendricks passion for sports started at a very young age. As a boy growing up in Princeton, he attended many sporting events with his father. Today, his passion for sports remains strong.
His love of baseball led him to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 1995, he became a partner of the Major League Baseballs expansion team where he has played an integral role in helping to shape the teams future. In 1998, the Diamondbacks began playing, and by 2001, won the World Series. But with that success came a series of hurdles. With most of the initial capital depleted and skyrocketing costs, the team needed a boost. In 2002, Kendrick, along with his three partners, invested $160 million in capital in the Diamondbacks in exchange for control of the organization.
His love of sports doesnt stop there. Kendrick is also helping to establish the next generation of young golfers in their quest to break into the PGA . He also owns several golf courses and has a small share in the Phoenix Suns basketball team.
Kendrick supports many community ventures in Arizona. He is one of the main investors in the Dodge Theater in Phoenix, a state-of-the-art entertainment venue that seats approximately 5,500. He also owns the Bumble Bee Ranch and Bumble Bee Ranch Adventures, LLC , which includes more than 74,000 acres for horseback riding, cattle driving, off-road and helicopter tours, overnight facilities, and team-building activities for companies and corporations.
Kendrick honed his entrepreneurial skills early. After graduating from WVU in 1965 with a degree in business administration, Kendrick started his career with IBM in Baltimore, Md. Three years later, he founded Datatel, Inc., which has become the industry leader in the development of software for the management of infrastructure technology for colleges and universities. Today, Kendrick remains semi-active in the operation of Datatel, serving as chairman, and also as president of the Datatel Scholars Foundation, which provides college scholarships to students throughout the United States and Canada.
As Datatel continued to grow and prosper, Kendrick stepped down from the daily oversight of the organization to explore new business opportunities. He served as president of a Texas-based banking technology company for four years in the 1980s until it was purchased by a subsidiary of General Motors. In 1989, Kendrick invested in a community bank in Woodlands, Texas. Woodforest National Bank now has more than $1.7 billion in assets and is one of the largest employee-owned banks in the United States.
Kendrick remains true to his alma mater and to West Virginia. Last year, he helped raise funds for new video editing software for the athletic department and lent his expertise to ensure that the equipment would meet the needs of the football team.
Kendrick, and his wife, Randy, reside in Paradise Valley, Ariz., with their nine-year-old twins, son Cal, and daughter, Catie.
Verl O. Purdy
You may not know it, but Verl Purdys clients are part of your everyday life. As founder of AGDATA group of companies, his firm provides research and marketing services to Dow, Shering-Plough, BASF and other companies that provide valuable services to families.
Purdy has helped grow the AGDATA group of companies into one of the largest agricultural, animal and human health data analysis and marketing companies in the world. AGDATA provides Internet and business-to-business solutions to major agrochemical, animal health, hospitals and physicians throughout the world with offices in Europe, Canada and the United States.
A native of Poca, Purdy graduated from WVU with a bachelors degree in chemical engineering in 1964 and received a masters degree in business administration from the University of North Carolina in 1973.
After working for B.F. Goodrich Chemicals, he joined FMC Corporation as an area production manager in 1967. In 1969, he joined the BASF group where he played a major role in developing the company into a multi-billion dollar corporation. While employed at BASF , he held numerous positions before becoming vice president of the Intermediate Chemicals group, a corporate officer, and a member of the executive committee. In 1980, he left BASF to become CEO of Rio Tinto Zinc Chemicals in the United States and Canada. He shaped the company from the ground-up into a leader in the chemical treatment industry.
Today, Purdy remains a loyal Mountaineer by giving his time to the University. He represented WVU s chemical engineering department in the Building Greatness Campaign, helping to raise more than $22.5 million. His generosity and leadership also led to the renovation of the Alfred F. Galli Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory at WVU .
He is a member of the WVU Chemical Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni, where he serves as second vice president, and the West Virginia Business Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was appointed to the board of directors of the WVU Foundation.
In addition to serving on numerous boards throughout the world, Purdy is a Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International and has been a Rotarian for more than 15 years. He is also a sponsor of the Technology Forum at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and the Business Advisory Committee of the Belk College of Business at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. In addition to his commitment to WVU and various business and community associations, Purdy also established annual scholarships for Poca High School students in West Virginia and has been actively involved with Habitat for Humanity.
He and his wife, Joyce, have three children, J. Scott, Susan and Steven. Mr. and Mrs. Purdy reside in Charlotte, N.C.
The WVU Alumni Association, chartered in 1873, represents more than 160,000 University graduates residing in every county in West Virginia, every state in the union and approximately 60 foreign nations. With nearly 100 registered chapters and constituent groups, the Associations 26,000 dues-paying members support Homecoming Weekend, the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni and dozens of other social and philanthropic programs. For more information about the WVU Alumni Association, visithttp://www.wvu.edu/~alumni/.