Auburn Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement

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2007 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

"Recipients will be recognized for significant achievement in their professional lives or for distinguished human service. Faculty and administrators will be recognized for their meritorious service on behalf of the quality and advancement of Auburn University…

To be selected for the Auburn Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award, nominees must have attained prominence in their professional careers and be persons of such integrity, stature, and demonstrated ability that the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Auburn University will take pride in and be inspired by their recognition. Selection to the Lifetime Achievement Award will be bestowed for outstanding achievement, and no compromises diminishing the significance of the honor will be made." - Guidelines

The following are summaries of excerpts taken from the supporting materials submitted for each recipient.

C. Harry Knowles '51

Harry Knowles was born August 15, 1928. After serving two years in the United States Marine Corps, Mr. Knowles received his B.S. in physics from A.P.I. In1953, he earned a master’s degree in physics from Vanderbilt University.

As a student at Auburn, he was very involved on campus. His activities included being editor of the Glomerata and Student Government Association vice president. He was a member of Spades, a Rhodes Scholar nominee, founded AU’s chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma (physics honor society), and a member of the wrestling team under Coach Swede Umbach.

Mr. Knowles founded Metrologic Instruments, Inc. in 1968. In 2002, Metrologic sales were $140 million. Among the products he developed are the following: the first programmable bar code scanner, the first handheld laser scanner and the first mini-slot scanner for supermarkets. He was named Inventor of the Year by the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1995. Mr. Knowles has won numerous other honors and awards.

In 1998, Mr. Knowles and his wife endowed the Howard and Carolyn Carr Chair in Physics at Auburn, in appreciation of Dr. and Mrs. Carr’s influence during his student tenure there. The Janet H. and C. Harry Knowles Science Teaching Foundation was established in 1999 to strengthen the quality of science and mathematics teaching in grades 9-12 in United States schools. Mr. Knowles was featured in the 2000 winter issue of Auburn Magazine.

He and his wife, Janet, live in Moorestown, New Jersey.

Carl E. Mundy, Jr. '57

Born July 16, 1935 in Atlanta, Georgia, Carl Mundy grew up in North Carolina and graduated from high school in Montgomery, Alabama. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve at 18 and attained the rank of sergeant. In 1957 he graduated from Auburn with a degree in business administration and was commissioned second lieutenant.

General Mundy advanced to become commandant of the United States Marine Corps and member of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff. As commandant he was responsible to the president and the secretary of defense for military advice on national security matters, to the Secretary of the Navy for command and management of the Marine Corps, and to the Congress for the well being and preservation of the Corps, including preparation and execution of an annual budget of $13 billion. For his military service, he is the recipient of seventeen personal decorations and ten unit and general service awards. Following his retirement in 1995, he served four years as president and chief executive officer of worldwide USO operations. Currently he is director of the General Dynamics and Schering-Plough corporations; a member of the Advisory Council to the Comptroller General of the United States and to the National Navy League of the United States; a member of The Council on Foreign Relations; and chairman of the Marine Corps University Foundation Board of Trustees.

General Mundy was featured in the summer 1994 issue of Auburn Magazine. General Mundy and his wife, Linda, live near Mount Vernon, Virginia.

John Thomas Vaughan '55

Vaughan Born in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1932, John Thomas Vaughan has dedicated most of his life to service and instruction. A graduate of Auburn in veterinary medicine in 1955 and also receiving his master’s in 1963, Dr. Vaughan started his teaching career as an instructor in 1955 at Auburn’s College of Veterinary Medicine, quickly proving his love for instruction as an assistant and then associate professor by 1970. His impact at Auburn is evidenced by the numerous students that have benefited from his personal touch and the dedication he showed the college and Auburn over the years. Dr. Vaughan became the head of the large animal hospital at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1970, but soon his love for Auburn brought him back to Alabama. In 1974 he became the head of the Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery in Auburn and soon rose to become the 6th Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, where he served for 18 years. As dean he oversaw and was instrumental in many developments and projects such as the Scott-Ritchey Research Center, the creation of the Ware Imaging Center and renovations and updates to the Small Animal Hospital.

Dr. Vaughan has not only excelled in instruction but has also shared his vast knowledge through print. He has been published internationally and contributed to a vast amount of veterinary texts. As a speaker and leader, Dr. Vaughan has been sought after by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association. As trustee of the AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust, Dr. Vaughan continues his professional service even today.

In 1995, Dr. Vaughan retired as Dean Emeritus, and in 2003 university officials honored Dr. Vaughan for his service to the university by naming the large animal hospital the John Thomas Vaughan Large Animal Hospital.

Earl H. (Buddy) Weaver '62

Buddy Weaver Dr. Earl Haygood (Buddy) Weaver was born on October 22, 1938 in Brewton, Alabama. After completing high school, Dr. Weaver earned his bachelor of science in education from Auburn University in 1962 and later his master of education in 1964. Dr. Weaver’s zeal for knowledge and education continued as he earned his doctor of education from Auburn in 1978. In his service to education and the community, Dr. Weaver taught at the high school level for several years before moving into an administrator role at Escambia County Middle School and as the assistant superintendent of education for the Escambia County School System. In 1994 Dr. Weaver served Auburn University as the interim VP for Alumni and Development and had numerous leadership positions throughout the university. He served the Auburn Alumni Association for more than 15 years including as its President from 1983-85. The Auburn University Foundation has also benefited from Dr. Weaver’s tireless efforts and love for Auburn through his service on that board from 1985-2002, including its presidency in 1994-2002. Dr. Weaver also served on numerous search committees and was the co-chairs our current “It begins with Auburn” capital campaign.

Both Dr. Weaver and his wife Sandra share their philanthropic spirit through their support of various professorships, scholarships and funds for excellence at Auburn University.

As a pillar of his community, Dr. Weaver loved the city and community in which he was born. Brewton benefited from his service on local boards and councils of civic and cultural nature.

Dr. Weaver passed away on September 27, 2006.