Physical Education Professor and Coach Receives National Award from Fraternity

D. Scott (Scooter) Renninger Jr., Westminster College chair and associate professor of physical education, head tennis coach, and interfraternity council advisor, recently received the Floyd W. Field Award for Outstanding Greek Affairs Professionals, a national award given by the Grand Chapter of Theta Chi fraternity.

"Coach Renninger has selflessly put the Greek system at Westminster before himself. He spends many hours outside of the regular work day to assist the fraternities at Westminster College," states the letter of recommendation written by local members of the fraternity. "Coach Renninger deserves this award for the past 25 years he has served the Greeks of Westminster College&attending IFC meetings, coming to fraternity meetings to speak about hazing and what it means to be a brother, attending rush events, organizing pick-up day, and the countless other things he has done cannot go unrecognized."

Theta Chi Fraternity awards one "Floyd W. Field Award" each year to a professional who "exemplified our motto of The Helping Hand by reaching out to students in all areas." The award is given in recognition of Field, who was an instructor of mathematics at the Georgia School of Technology in 1906, when he convinced the school that they were not paying enough attention to the human side of its students. He went on to create the position of Dean of Men and served in that capacity. He went on to become the first initiate of Alpha Nu Chapter at Georgia and established minimum scholastic standards for fraternity membership and established the Student Government.

Renninger, who has been with Westminster College since 1978, earned his undergraduate degree from Heidelberg College and master's from Eastern Michigan University. He earned Presidents' Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors for women's tennis in 2006. In 2002, he was the first recipient of the award established in his name by the Westminster Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils, the Coach Scott Renninger Greek Service Award.

Contact Renninger at (724) 946-7311 or e-mail renninds@westminster.edu for more information.

Ryan Kirk, sophomore economics major from Pittsburgh and president of Theta Chi fraternity; D. Scott (Scooter) Renninger Jr.; and Lee Scott, senior history major from Butler and alumni relations chair of Theta Chi fraternity