March 31, 2006

The 2006 OFIC Evening of Excellence Honors W. R. Timken, Jr. and
Ward J. Timken with Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award

 

The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC) presented W. R. Timken, Jr. and Ward J. Timken with its Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2006 Evening of Excellence at The Westin Great Southern Hotel in Columbus, Ohio on March 29. 

This year’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award winners are members of the Timken family of Canton, which has supported the mission of OFIC for nearly fifty years. 

Since its founding by Henry Timken in 1899 The Timken Company has carried on a strong tradition of service to the community.  The company has financially supported the mission of OFIC for almost fifty years and has taken its place in OFIC’s Leadership Club, which recognizes cumulative giving of more than one million dollars.  Both The Timken Company and The Timken Foundation have provided funding for collaborative projects designed to contain costs and facilitate innovative academic programs for OFIC member colleges and universities. 

The Timken family has also generously contributed time, expertise and leadership to assist in OFIC’s campaign efforts.  Both W. R. Timken, Jr. and Ward J. Timken, brothers and the fourth generation of the family to lead the company and foundation respectively, have ably and enthusiastically served OFIC in numerous volunteer capacities, including those of Chair of the Board of the Trustees, Statewide Campaign Chair and serving on several board committees for a cumulative total of 26 years. 

W. R. “Tim” Timken, Jr. was elected to the OFIC Board of Trustees in 1988.  He served as a trustee for 11 years and as Statewide Campaign Chair in 1988-89.  He held the position of Board Chair as well as Statewide Campaign Chair during the 1990-91 campaign.   In 1991-92 he received the Canton Area Volunteer of the Year award.  Additionally, in 2000 he was named a member of the 50th Anniversary All-star Team, which represented the best of the best of OFIC’s volunteers. 

Ward J. “Jack” Timken has volunteered his time and talents to OFIC since 1991.  He served as the 1993-94 Stark/Tuscarawas Area Campaign Chair and received the Canton Area Volunteer of the Year award in 1996-97.  Mr. Timken was elected to the OFIC Board of Trustees in 1997 and still serves as an OFIC Trustee today.  Also named a member of the 2000 OFIC 50th Anniversary All-star Team, he served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the year 2003-2004.  He takes a personal interest in OFIC’s operations and as Board Chair, traveled to several college campuses to learn first-hand how OFIC’s efforts benefit its members.  That commitment to independent higher education continues today.

OFIC is the primary corporate and foundation solicitation organization for 35 independent Ohio colleges and universities. OFIC member colleges collectively enroll more than 96,000 students and award one-third of all bachelor’s degrees in the state. For 56 years OFIC has worked to highlight the leadership, value and excellence of independent higher education and has provided unrestricted operating funds and scholarship commitments through funds raised in annual solicitations of businesses and foundations, thereby assuring continuation of excellence in private higher education.  OFIC is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of Ohio’s corporate leaders as well as presidents of the 35 member colleges.

The member colleges are: Antioch College, Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bluffton University, Capital University, Cedarville University, University of Dayton, Defiance College, Denison University, The University of Findlay, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Franklin University, Heidelberg College, Hiram College, John Carroll University, Kenyon College, Lake Erie College, Lourdes College, Malone College, Marietta College, Mount Union College, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Muskingum College, Notre Dame College, Oberlin College, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio Northern University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Otterbein College, Urbana University, Ursuline College, Walsh University, Wilmington College, Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster.