The past few weeks have brought plenty of changes and awards for members of the Notre Dame National Monogram Club. Here's a quick rundown of the latest happenings (click on above headline links for complete releases):

Several honorary monograms have been bestowed by the Club in recent months, with four presented at the June 6 Monogram Club dinner: local automobile dealer Mike Leep, former Irish lacrosse coach and Rec. Sports director Rich O'Leary, law school professor Charlie Rice and local attorney Charlie Sweeney. Notre Dame trustee Art Decio and athletic director Kevin White were presented honorary monograms in a separate ceremony on June 5. Several other honorary monograms had been awarded in recent months - with recipients including longtime Notre Dame football secretary Jan Blazi, retired local TV and radio sports personality Tom Dennin, former Irish football coaches Dan Devine and Gerry Faust, retiring director of Notre Dame's Center of Social Concerns Rev. Donald McNeill, C.S.C., ND benefactor John McCullough, retired softball coach Liz Miller and University vice president Scott Malpass.

The Moose Krause Award-which recognizes a Monogram Club member who has displayed outstanding dedication to the spirit and ideals of Notre Dame while demonstrating a responsibility and concern for the community-was presented to Dr. Bill Hurd, a world-class sprinter and 1969 Notre Dame graduate with a degree in electrical engineering who now is a noted eye surgeon - with an ophthalmology practice in Memphis that specializes in cataract, glaucoma and diabetic treatment and keratorefractive surgery.

Five new members of the Monogram Club board of directors were approved and will serve three-year terms through 2005: Dave Bossy (hockey, '77), Jim Brocke (football, '65), Elizabeth (Bathon) Brown (fencing, '80) and former Irish baseball players Dick Nussbaum ('74) and Rick Pullano ('77).

A final tribute was paid to the board members whose three-year terms ended in 2002: Anthony Mandolini (fencing, '54), Bob Neidert (football, '71), Bob Senecal (baseball, '58), Alan Targgart (manager, '85) and Heather Winiecki (swimming, '92). Senecal will remain active in the Monogram Club as an advisor.

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Monogram Club directors present at the 2002 dinner included (sitting, from left) Marty Allen, Mike Heaton, Julie Doyle, Fr. Jim Riehle, C.S.C, Jim Carroll, Pat Novitzki, Charle Owens, Bob Senecal and former president Jack Stephens; (standing, from left) Bill Scholl, Marc Kelly, Molly Anderson, Alan Targgart, Anthony Mandolini, Joe Restic, Liz Brown, Ken Haffey, Jim Brocke, Jim Seymour, Rob Neidert, Rick Pullano, Tad Eckert, Dick Nussbaum and Dan Shannon.