West Virginia University Student Affairs officials will present an outstanding achievement award and induct two individuals into its Hall of Fame at the annual Student Affairs Awards Ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 25.

The honorees are Greg Van Camp, former director of WVU Radio and Television Services and associate professor of journalism; the late Brenda Eli, longtime administrative professional in the Office of Student Life; and the late Brentz Thompson, the first general manager of The Daily Athenaeum.

Outstanding Achievement Award

  • WVU will honor Van Camp, a former associate professor of journalism, with the Student Affairs Outstanding Achievement Award. He received his bachelors degree in speech, business and journalism from WVU in 1951 and his masters degree in journalism in 1965.

Van Camp began his broadcasting career in the U.S. Army, working with Radio Tokyo at Gen. Douglas MacArthurs headquarters in Tokyo. He is the founder and former manager of WWVU -TV, and he served as director of Radio and Television Services.

Van Camp played an instrumental role in the development of guidelines for the West Virginia Broadcasting Authority and its eight television and radio stations. He also helped create the statewide plan to broadcast educational television, including MDTV , a statewide medical television network.

In addition, he managed the Mountaineer Sports Network and maintained a weekly public affairs television series for 11 years. Van Camp also was involved in the development of WWVU -FM student radio station and obtaining its Federal Communications Commission license.

His past activities include governor and president of Rotary, president of Main Street Morgantown, manager of Vision 2020 for the Morgantown Area Chamber of Commerce, Citizens Bank board of directors and chair of the WNPB -TV Advisory Council.

He has received numerous awards, including Outstanding West Virginian by the West Virginia Chapter of Public Relations Society of America and the Order of Vandalia, and he guided WWVU -TV to four national first-place awards in public relations.

Van Camp is married to Deanie Fleming and has two sons, Scott and Kirk, and two grandsons, Zachary and Troy.

Student Affairs Hall of Fame

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Eli and Thompson will be inducted posthumously into the Student Affairs Hall of Fame.

Eli was an administrative professional in the Office of Student Life. She was

known to be an advocate for students, often consulting with them about personal, financial and academic issues.

Eli advised the Black Unity Organization and received the Fannie Lou Hamer Award in 1992 for her service.

She was to establish lasting relationships with students all over the world because of her ease in communication and her willingness to share herself,wrote Tom Sloane, senior associate dean of students, in his nomination letter.

Kim Mosby, assistant dean of students, echoed his praise in her nomination letter:Brenda was the perfect fit for working in Student Affairs. She was friendly, personable and had a genuine love for the students. She was a comforting and caring voice for parents.

Eli was born in Washington, D.C., and spent her early life in Gaithersburg, Md. She attended Stratford College and then moved to Danville, Va., where she met her husband, Robert Eli, currently a member of the WVU faculty in civil engineering.

Eli retired in 1992 and passed away in 2002. In addition to her husband, she is survived by three children, Robert, Brian and Kelli, and three grandchildren.

Thompson served as the first general manager of The Daily Athenaeum from 1970 until 1985, when he retired. He was the force behind the student newspaper becoming independent from the WVU School of Journalism.

Known by newspaper staffers asMr. T,Thompson served in World War II. Later, he received his journalism degree from WVU and became a stringer reporter for the Associated Press. He also worked for the Charleston Newspaper Agency, now the Charleston Daily Mail.

Paul Atkins, former professor of journalism, remembered Thompson traveling the country looking at other student newspaper buildings on campuses from Michigan to Iowa. His ideas and plans eventually led to the design of the new building that currently houses The Daily Athenaeum on Prospect Street.

Thompson was a past president of the Clearwater Beach Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow, a prestigious Rotary International award.

He is survived by his second wife, Jane Hines Thompson; two daughters, Jane Carolyn Thompson and Linda Clyde Dalcross; a son, Brentz Thompson; and two grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann Thompson and Ronan Patrick Dalcross.