Pershing 'P.E.' MacAllister, a Carroll University alumnus who has served on the school's board of trustees since 1963, will receive a prestigious national award.
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education, better known as CASE, wil bestow upon him the 2014 Ernest T. Stewart Award for Alumni Involvement, which recognizes an individual for service to one's alma mater. It is the highest honor CASE presents to an alumni volunteer.
At nearly 95, MacAllister continues to serve as chairman emeritus.
He will be honored at an award presentation on July 14 during CASE's annual Summit for Leaders in Advancement in New York City.
'Since the late 1930s, P.E. MacAllister has been an integral part of the Carroll community as a student, a trustee and a friend,' said Doug Hastad, president of Carroll University. 'His thoughtful leadership and unwavering commitment to Carroll throughout decades of growth, expansion, and even challenges are remarkable traits. He has made an indelible mark on his alma mater and Carroll is immeasurably grateful for his many talents, service and dedication. For more than 50 years this campus has been blessed to be the beneficiary of this one-of-a-kind individual.'
In addition to volunteerism at Carroll, the alumnus extraordinaire established the P.E. MacAllister Endowed Chair in 1990, and in 1996 he and his wife donated funds to increase the endowment to $1 million. The endowed chairmanship was renamed to the P.E. and Becky MacAllister Chair in Religious and Biblical Studies.
On Carroll's campus, MacAllister Hall is named for him. It houses the current religious studies offices.
There are also full-tuition scholarships awarded to future students based on academic excellence and outstanding achievement funded through the MacAllister Fellowship.
MacAllister's other notable accomplishments include many in the city of Indianapolis. He is the former executive director of the Council on Cities; an awarded honorary doctorate in Law, Public Service and Humane Letters; former President George W. Bush's appointee to the advisory committee on the arts for the JFK Center for the Arts; and currently serves as chairman of the board for the MacAllister Machinery Company.
MacAllister was also instrumental in attracting the NFL's Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis, developing the Hoosier Dome, and establishing the Indianapolis Opera Company. In 2009, the Indiana Historical Society recognized him as a 'Living Legend.'