The vision award identifies and extends our sincere appreciation to the individuals in the history of the K-State Student Union whose efforts, commitment, influence and dreams energized the growth and service of our student union.

2024 Recipient

John Frese, former K-State Student Union Maintenance Repair Technician Manager

John Frese began working at the university as a student in 1966 cleaning residence halls and performing other maintenance tasks for the housing department. He moved to the Union maintenance department in 1968. Frese’s position transitioned over time to the maintenance repair technician manager.

During his five-plus decades of service, Frese had seen a multitude of changes – in the nation, on campus, and within the Union. He had been in the presence of Bobby Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Regan, and others through the university’s Landon Lecture series. Five different university presidents have held office while Frese was a part of the K-State family.

He was instrumental in the 1963 and 1970 expansions and the 1998 and 2015 renovations of the Union – updates advanced the Union from typewriters to computers, pay phones to cell phones, smoking in the building to a smoke-free campus, individual thermostats to computerized energy management systems and more. Frese also worked with five Union directors, hundreds of Union staff, and thousands of K-State students. He always enjoyed the liveliness and                                                                                        bustle of the Union and the campus.

Frese retired from the Union in 2020 after 52 years of service and is enjoying his retirement by spending time with his wife and traveling.

Past Recipients

2023: William "Bill" Smriga, sixth Union executive director

2022: Cindy Bontrager, vice president, chief operations officer

2021: Bill Muir, UGB ex-officio

2019: Bernard J. Pitts, fifth Union executive director

2018: Jack Connaughton, Union associate director

2017: Jack Sills, fourth Union executive director

2016: Nathan T. Spriggs, student body president who organized the 2015 Union renovation

2015: Ryan Patterson, SGA Privilege Fee chair who helped organize the 2015 Union renovation

2014: Pat Bosco, vice president of student life

2013: Jon Levin, Jeff Levin and Steve Levin, bookstore contractors 2002-2012

2012: Richard Blackburn, second Union executive director

2011: Walter Smith, third Union executive director

2010: Dr. Chester and Mrs. Doris Peters, former vice president of student life; and O.D. Milligan Construction Company, contractor responsible for building expamsion2011: Walter Smith, third Union executive director

2009: Green Construction of Manhattan, contractor that constructed the original building

2008: Dr. James McCain, university president who opened the Union; and Dr. C. Clyde Jones

2007: Dr. Ed Gillette, first Union Governing Board officer; and Leon Armantrout, first Union Governing Board officer

2006: Loren Kottner, first Union executive director

2005: Daniel Beatty

2004: Marianna Kistler Beach, student who organized the Union student fee campaign; and Franklin Richards