Two longtime Wartburg College supporters, Ann Henninger and Shirley Walker, will receive the Wartburg Medal during December Commencement on Sunday, Dec. 12, in the Wartburg Chapel.

The Commencement ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. and will be livestreamed on Knight Vision at www.wartburg.edu/knightvision. Presentation of the Wartburg Medal will be part of the ceremony.

The Wartburg Medal is awarded by the college to recognize individuals who have provided significant service to the college over a sustained period of time, and recipients have a personal commitment to the college’s mission, quality and character.

Henninger, a professor emerita of biology, served the college for 33 years before retiring in 2016. Over the years, she held several roles, including registrar, chair of the biology department, coordinator for the Cedar Valley Science Symposium and the Wartburg College Quiz Bowl, and member of numerous faculty committees. She wrote the proposal for Wartburg West, the College’s urban studies program in Denver, Colorado.

She plays an active role in the local and state American Association of University Women (AAUW) organization and was recognized by the Iowa chapter with the Faculty Excellence Award. A cancer survivor, Henninger co-founded the Bremer County Breast Cancer Education and Support Group. She has been active in many American Cancer Society initiatives, including Reach to Recovery and Relay for Life. She also is an executive member of the Wartburg Scholarship Club.

Walker, whose late husband, Richard “Dick” Walker, served as the Knights’ wrestling coach and chair of the Department of Physical Education until his death in the early 1990s, has embodied the values of Wartburg and served the institution in countless ways.

She served on the Campaign Steering Committee for Transforming Tomorrow and participated in the Commission on Mission strategic planning process. She has made generous contributions to numerous capital projects on campus, and her scholarship fund honoring her late husband has helped to make a Wartburg education affordable for dozens of students. An active member of Trinity United Methodist Church, she served for many years on the Waverly Health Center board of trustees.