Patricia Parrish Marmion '53
Katharine Merrill Graydon Alumni Service Award, 1998
Pat Marmion '53, by her own admission, was literally born in a
"Butler family." She is today one of the University's strongest
supporters and most loyal volunteers. Her Butler story, told
eloquently in her own words, follows...
"I was fortunate to have been raised in Irvington by a family of
'Butler-ites.' My maternal grandparents were Irvington 'pioneers'
and so it followed that my mother and her sister and brother would
attend Butler, along with assorted cousins and many of their
friends. My father also attended Butler and all by my mother
attended both the old Irvington campus and the present Fairview
site. All were Kappas and Phi Delts, so in those days my
grandparent's Irvington home was known as the "Phi Delt-Kappa
Annex." I grew up around so many Butler family and friends that I
firmly believed I would follow their footsteps... I, and many of my
classmates proceeded on to Butler, graduating in 1953 with a degree
in radio and television."
Since her graduation, she has filled many roles. She has been
wife, mother, professional with Indiana Bell, and educator, patient
advocate and counselor for a local surgeon. She also has lent her
talents to the Indianapolis community in a number of volunteer
capacities, including the Pan Am Games, Ballet Internationale
(formally Indianapolis Ballet Theatre) and OASIS (a not-for-profit
educational and enrichment organization for adults 55 and over). In
addition to these many commitments, her relationship with Butler
has continued to grow and be an integral part of Pat's life. She
has served the University through the years in countless leadership
roles. Since 1994, she has served as the chair of the Ovid Butler
Society Executive Committee, working tirelessly to organize OBS
events and contact fellow alumni and friends regarding the
importance of the organization to the life of Butler. She also has
been instrumental in the establishment of several new initiatives,
among which are the "Mortar Award," presented annually to an OBS
member demonstrating outstanding service, and the OBS Associate
Program that strives to involve young alumni. Butler University is
blessed to count among its alumni an innovative woman who continues
to lead and to inspire. With her vision and steadfast commitment,
Pat Marmion truly embodies the spirit of the Katharine Merrill
Graydon Alumni Service Award.
Updated 1998