ONEONTA _ Oneonta businessman Gordon B. Roberts, a member of the Hartwick College class of 1947, has been awarded the Presidential Medal for Extraordinary and Exemplary Loyalty to the college.
Roberts was honored in conjunction with commencement exercises on the college campus Saturday, according to a media release.
"We are honored to have Gordie as an alumnus and friend of Hartwick College and as a citizen of the greater Oneonta area," Hartwick College President Margaret L. Drugovich said in a prepared statement.
"He and his wife, Alyce, have long been strong supporters of the work we do here at Hartwick and important members of our community,'' Drugovich said. ``It is our great pleasure to be able to offer Gordie this measure of our esteem."
Hartwick College is a private, liberal-arts school that enrolls 1,480 students.
Hartwick has an important role in the community, Roberts said, and it was nice to be recognized for his work and contributions.
``It's been a good relationship,'' he said Monday.
In a statement accompanying the presentation, Drugovich told Roberts that generations of Hartwick students have benefited from his efforts.
``Your dreams for and dedication to Hartwick College have helped us flourish,'' Drugovich said. ``Your dedication will favorably impact the education of Hartwick students for years to come.''
Born in 1924, Roberts moved from nearby East Meredith in Delaware County to the "big city" of Oneonta in 1937, the news release from the college said. He enrolled at Hartwick College in 1941 and took classes in what was then the campus' only building, Bresee Hall.
Taking time off from his business studies, Roberts earned the Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in the Air Force during World War II. He returned to Hartwick, graduating in 1947, and his Oneonta-based insurance business _ Gordon B. Roberts Agency _ became his focus.
Roberts has served in many capacities in the community.
At Hartwick, Roberts has served as a Hartwick trustee, trustee emeritus, Alumni Association board member and Kellogg Society member.
In the community, Roberts has been a benefactor, board member and supporter. He has served organizations including A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital, Oneonta's chambers of commerce, Oneonta Kiwanis Club, Future for Oneonta Foundation, West Kortright Centre, Catskill Symphony Orchestra, Clara Welch Thanksgiving Home and the First United Methodist Church.
Roberts received an honorary degree from Hartwick in 1997, and in 2001, the Hartwick College Citizens Board named him its Outstanding Citizen of the Year.
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