The 1997 Harvard Alumni Association Awards will be presented at the opening dinner of the annual fall HAA meeting on Thursday, Oct. 23, in the Charles Hotel.

Established in 1990, the purpose of the HAA Award is to recognize outstanding service to the University through alumni activities.

The following alumni will be honored this year for their contributions:

Douglass M. Carver '59 is committed to the promotion of Harvard's standing in the international community, and has played key roles in building ties between Europe and Cambridge. As past president of the Harvard Club of France, "he raised the status and prestige of the Club to new heights," one supporter wrote. Carver has served as chairman of the Club's Scholarship Fund since 1986, locating worthy candidates for admission and raising substantial funds. An HAA regional director for Europe for six years, Carver's attendance at the meetings and contributions to the board were outstanding.

F. Sargent Cheever '32, MD '36, who died on Sept. 19 after a long illness, distinguished himself in service to the University over numerous years. An Overseer from 1963-69, he chaired visiting committees to the Biology Department and Related Research Facilities, the Medical and Dental Schools, and the University Health Services. A former HAA vice president, he was a member of the HAA Committee to Nominate Overseers and Elected Directors, and member of his Reunion Gift and Class Steering Committees. Cheever's four children are alumni of the College.

Herschel L. Langenthal '50, MBA '53, has been an inspiration to other alumni volunteers, who describe him as "Mr. Harvard" in Maryland. Former president of the Harvard/Radcliffe Club of Maryland, he has been an active Schools and Scholarships interviewer for over 25 years. As an HAA regional director and chair of the HAA Human Resources Committee, Langenthal spearheaded the successful Spring Internship Program, which he piloted in Baltimore and nurtured in Clubs throughout the country. He also initiated and organized the HAA Summer Jobs Program, and has been a regular participant in Harvard fundraising efforts.

Warren (Renny) M. Little '55, class secretary and secretary of the HAA Happy Observance of Commencement Committee, has been described as "a real trench worker, a modest and effective leader." Current co-chair of the Athletic Department's Committee on Harvard Athletics Hall of History, Little researched and produced the exhibit "Athletics For All" for Harvard's 350th celebration in 1986. He was chief marshal for his 25th reunion, and served as president of the Association of College Class Secretaries. He is a member of the HAA Committee on Undergraduate Relations, and actively participates in the Harvard College Fund.

Champ Lyons Jr. '62 was a founding member of the Harvard Club of Mobile, Ala. He served as president, vice president, and Schools Committee chairman, and has continued his diligent work interviewing prospective students since 1967. Lyons' relaxed Southern style and wit, combined with his strong leadership skills and commitment to the University, made him a superb HAA president in 1995-96. He has served as HAA regional director for the Southeastern States, chairman of the HAA Committee on Undergraduate Relations, and as a member of the Harvard College Fund's Gift and Class Steering Committees.

Rosalinda Reynolds Ratajczak '66 has worked effectively to strengthen the bonds between Harvard and Radcliffe. The first woman president of the Harvard Club of Georgia, Ratajczak has been its schools chair, program chair, and board member for years. She has been an alumna admissions interviewer for the University for more than 25 years, and member of the HAA National Schools and Scholarships Committee from 1984-92, chair from '87-89. A former Radcliffe trustee and an HAA regional director for the South Atlantic States, she is a current member of the HAA Committee to Nominate Overseers and Directors.