| Year | Recipient | Title | Employer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Ruth Kelly | Educator and Public Servant | GRPS and City of Grand Rapids |
| 2023 | Olivia Margo Anderson | Educator | GRPS |
| 2022 | Loyd Winer | Engineer | Newhof & Winer |
| 2021 | Sekou Smith | Senior On-Air Analyst & Writer | National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| 2020 | Dr. Nkechy Ekere Ezeh | Associate Professor of Education and Director of Early Childhood Education Program | Aquinas College |
| 2019 | Teresa Weatherall Neal | Superintendent | Grand Rapids Public Schools |
| 2018 | Jane Doyle | Veteran,Women’s Air Force Service Pilot | 75 |
| 2017 | Dr. Scott Haraburda | Retired Colonel | U.S. Army |
| 2016 | Dirk Hoffius | Lawyer | Varnum LLP |
| 2015 | Terri A. Handlin | Board of Trustees (1991-2013) Administrator | Grand Rapids Community College Forest Hills Public Schools |
| 2014 | John A. Hallacy | Chief Judge | 10th Judicial District Court, Battle Creek, MI |
| 2013 | Kevin Belk | Chief of police | Grand Rapids Police Department |
| 2013 | Tom Rademacher | Columnist | The Grand Rapids Press |
| 2012 | Dr. Kevin O'Neill | Superintendent | Coopersville Public Schools |
| 2011 | James V. Buzzitta, M.D. | Founder Chief executive officer | Michigan Medical P.C. Hughes Management |
| 2011 | Janice L. Maggini | Board of Trustees (1991-2011) Administrator | Grand Rapids Community College Wyoming Public Schools |
| 2010 | Dave Custer | President Chairperson | Custer Workplace Interiors Board of Directors, GRCC |
| 2009 | Gary Schenk | Board of Trustees(1997-2009) Lawyer | Grand Rapids Community College Schenk, Boncher, Rypma P.C. |
| 2008 | George Lessens | Chief meteorologist | WZZM 13 |
| 2007 | Jim McKay | Chairperson | West Michigan Northern Trust Bank |
| 2006 | Bill Hardiman | Senator | 29th District, State of Michigan |
| 2006 | Michael Sak | State representative, Speaker pro tempore | House of Representatives, State of Michigan |
| 2005 | Edward "Ned" Fenlon | Attorney | State representative and Circuit Court Judge |
| 2004 | Dr. Donald R. Boyer | Provost and vice president of Academic and Student Affairs | Grand Rapids Community College |
| 2003 | Sara J. Smolenski | Chief judge | 63rd District Court |
| 2002 | John Selmon | Senior vice president | Davenport University |
| 2001 | Steven Pestka | State Representative | House of Representatives, 76th District State of Michigan |
| 2000 | Donald Maine | President | Davenport University |
| 1999 | Dr. Robert J. LaPenna | Cardiologist | Borgess Cardiology Group |
| 1998 | Gary Goode | Partner | Arthur Anderson |
| 1997 | Howard Stovall | Attorney | Baker & McKenzie |
| 1996 | Armen Oumedian | Senior vice president | Pinnacle Automation Inc. |
| 1995 | Beverly Drake | Executive Director | Area Community Services Employment and Training Council |
| 1994 | Dr. William LaPenna | Cardiologist | Borgess Cardiology Group |
| 1993 | Billie Alexander | Director | Project Rehab |
| 1993 | Wallace "Pete" DeMaagd | Columnist | The Grand Rapids Press |
| 1992 | Myrna Granderson | Health services manager | Grand Rapids Job Corps Center |
| 1992 | Gary J. Horton | Executive vice president, creative services | D'Arcy Masius Benton and Bowles |
| 1991 | Richard Reid | Foreign language instructor | Grand Rapids Community College |
| 1991 | James Robinson | Partner President | Honigman Mill Schwartz and Cohn State Bar of Michigan |
| 1990 | Sara E. Glover | Nurse | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1990 | William C. Woodson | Director of Graduate Studies in English | Illinois State University |
| 1989 | Timothy D. Leuliette | President | Siemens-Bendix Automotive |
| 1989 | Joseph Shears | Coordinator | Veterans facility |
| 1988 | Winfred Ferrell | Computer consultant | New York, NY |
| 1988 | The Rev. Russell McConnell | Founder | Grand Rapids Area Center for Ecumenism (GRACE) |
| 1987 | Dr. Richard M. Tooker | Physician | Kent County Health Department |
| 1987 | Audrey Wright | Educator | East Grand Rapids High School and Louisiana State University |
| 1986 | Dr. Kenneth Fellows, Jr. | Educator | Harvard Medical School |
| 1986 | Hugh D. Hammerslag | Partner | Seidman & Seidman |
| 1985 | Harry Bloem | Executive vice president | Bissel Inc. |
| 1985 | Dr. Robert Gill | Educator, cartoonist | Grand Rapids Public Schools |
| 1985 | William Lewis | Educator | University of Michigan |
| 1984 | David Cope | Poet, English instructor | Grand Rapids Junior College |
| 1984 | Roy Roberts | Executive and civic leader | General Motors Corp. |
| 1984 | Vern Terpstra | Professor emeritus | International Business, University of Michigan |
| 1983 | Marvin DeWinter | Architect | DeWinter Associates Inc. |
| 1983 | George Nelson | Superintendent | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1983 | Caroll Streeter | Community leader | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1982 | Helen Morsink | Instructor | Central Michigan University |
| 1982 | O. Steward Myers | Instructor | Grand Rapids Junior College |
| 1982 | David E. Post | Architect | Post Associates Inc. |
| 1981 | Abe Drasin | Mayor | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1981 | Bonnie Marris | Wildlife artist | Saranac, MI |
| 1980 | Gerald A. Elliott | Writer | The Grand Rapids Press |
| 1980 | Calvin Jeter | Administrator, businessman | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1979 | Dorothy L. Judd | Educator and civic leader | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1979 | John P. Steketee | Presiding judge | Kent County Juvenile Court |
| 1978 | Carl Morgenstern | President | Old Kent Bank |
| 1978 | Marjorie Shepard | Principal | South High School |
| 1978 | Adrian Swets | Composer, playwright and designer | Grand Rapids Junior College |
| 1977 | Elias Lumpkins | Dean of Students | Grand Rapids Junior College |
| 1977 | Jo Ellen Stuit | President of Alumni Association | Grand Rapids Junior College |
| 1977 | Werner Veit | Editor and publisher | The Grand Rapids Press |
| 1976 | John D. B. Luyendyk | Lawyer | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1976 | Lumen Martin Winter | Artist, sculptor and muralist | New York, NY |
| 1975 | Dr. Clarence A. Boonstra | Foreign service officer Ambassador | U.S. Government Costa Rica |
| 1975 | The Rev. Robert Hesse | Catholic missionary | Holy Cross Fathers, Ankole, Uganda |
| 1975 | Dr. Jerome F. Mancewicz | Physician | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1975 | Dr. Theresa R. Palaszek | Obstetrician and gynecologist | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1974 | Richard L. Cooper | Journalist, Pulitzer Prize | Rochester, NY |
| 1974 | Dr. Isla G. Depree | Physician | For Myers, FL |
| 1973 | Dr. James A. Ferguson | Physician | Ferguson Hospital |
| 1973 | Elizabeth Wilson | Actress | Broadway stage, screen, and television |
| 1972 | Edward Goebel | Industrialist | Holland, MI |
| 1972 | Ray E. Stevens, Jr. | Dentist and photographer | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1971 | Dr. Harvey M. Andre | Surgeon | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1971 | Dr. Henry A. Bruinsma | Educator | Calvin College |
| 1970 | Dr. Ray B. Loeschner | President | Olivet College |
| 1970 | Arthur S. Nicholas | Founder | Leon Chemicals Inc. |
| 1969 | Dr. Russell N. DeJong | Neurologist | University of Michigan |
| 1969 | Vernor H. Eman | Dentist | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1968 | Dr. Bernadine DeValdis | Physician | Holland, MI |
| 1968 | Christian Sonneveldt | Mayor | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1967 | The Rev. John M. Burgess | Bishop | Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts in Boston |
| 1967 | Dr. Howard J. Schaubel | Orthopedic surgeon | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 1966 | Dr. Gould A. Andrews | Surgeon and administrator | Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies |
| 1966 | The Rev. Robert j. Lignell | Minister | Faith Lutheran Church |
| 1965 | Harry E. Cheesebrough | Product Planning and Development | Chrysler Corp. |
| 1965 | George Huebner | Director of research | Chrysler Corp. |
| 1965 | Dr. Jay L. Pylman | Superintendent | Grand Rapids Public Schools |
| 1965 | Dr. Clarence Straatsma | Professor | Plastic and reconstructive surgery, New York Medical College |
| 1964 | John T. Bargert | Engineer | Bell Telephone Laboratories |
| 1964 | E. Ray Baxter | Dean | Grand Rapids Junior College |
| 1964 | Russell Christopher | Musician | Metropolitan Opera |
| 1964 | Edward N. Cole | Industrialist and executive | General Motors Corp. |
| 1964 | R. Hiley Davis | Industrialist | American Seating Co. |
| 1964 | Lawrence J. Fuller | Brigadier general | U.S. Army |
| 1964 | Richard M. Gillett | Chairman | Old Kent Bank |
| 1964 | Arnold Gingrich | Publisher | Esquire |
| 1964 | Dr. John Hannah | President | Michigan State University |
| 1964 | Dr. Andrew Kosten | Minister | Ridgefield Park, NJ |
| 1964 | Robert Lindquist | Banker | Harris Trust and Savings |
| 1964 | K. William Stinson | Congressman | U.S. House of Representatives |