Judge William “Bill” H. Logan Jr. ’69, who has dedicated much of his life to the pursuit of justice from both sides of the bench, was recognized on Alumni Weekend 2024 as the recipient of the Roanoke College Medal, the college’s highest honor for alumni.
During the Society of 1842 luncheon on Friday, April 19, the college also honored Dessa Gypalo ’07 and Rosemarie Stephens-Booker ’08 with Emerging Alumni awards, and Amy R. Hughes with the Maroons by Choice Award.
The Roanoke College Medal recognizes outstanding alumni who demonstrate characteristics of responsible leadership, intellectual integrity and good citizenship through their professional accomplishments, and service to their community and alma mater.
Logan retired in 2015 from the 26th Judicial District Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court of Virginia, where he served as a judge for 16 years. The 26th Judicial District comprises the cities of Winchester and Harrisonburg and the counties of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren – and the town of Woodstock, which Logan has called home his entire life. He continues to serve in the capacity of judge, subject to recall.
Prior to his election to judge in 1999, Logan worked as a prosecutor alongside his father and served four terms as the Shenandoah County commonwealth’s attorney, a position his father, grandfather and great-grandfather also held.
As a kid growing up in Woodstock, Logan could often be found helping his grandparents on their farm. He played football in high school and participated in soccer and track at Roanoke. He excelled as a sprinter, winning the 60-yard dash at the Mason-Dixon Conference Indoor Championships. He was also a member of the 440-yard relay team that holds the Mason-Dixon record. He joked at the 1842 luncheon that the record will never be broken – because the race became the 440-meter relay the following year.
Logan fondly remembers some of his mentors at Roanoke, including soccer coach Andrew Moson ’62, track coach Elwood Fox ’42, Dean of Men Larry Arrington ’63, President Perry F. Kendig, and faculty members Homer Bast and Fred Hoback ’27.
Following college, Logan enlisted in the Army, then served in the National Guard for 32 years. He was selected as staff judge advocate, Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps and retired in 2001 with the rank of brigadier general.
Logan’s days begin and end on his 2,500-acre farm, where he maintains 1,000 acres of row crops (corn and soybeans), 100 acres each of alfalfa hay and ryegrass hay, and 450 cows that graze on 1,300 acres of pasture.
He is also a lifelong member of Woodstock United Methodist Church, where he has served on the board of trustees and was instrumental in establishing its community childcare center. He has served as president of the Woodstock Lions Club and the Shenandoah County Bar Association, and he remains a dedicated supporter of the Juvenile Livestock Competition.
Believing in the power of supporting individuals from rural communities in Virginia, Logan established the Logan Family Endowed Scholarship to honor the five generations of the Logan family that have attended Roanoke College: William Worth Logan, Class of 1877; George Kried Logan, Class of 1901; William Henry Logan, Class of 1929; William Henry Logan Jr., Class of 1969; and Daniel Worth Logan, Class of 2009. He is a member of the Society of 1842, the Presidents Society and the Monument Club.
At the 1842 luncheon, Logan said of all his achievements, he is most proud of his family, who were all in attendance. That includes his wife, Marian “Dee Dee” Logan; their children, Billy, Olivia, Chad, Daniel and G.O.; and their 13 grandchildren, most of whom live near Woodstock.
“If you asked me what the most important accomplishment in life is, it’s my family,” he said in a video screened at the luncheon. “And I say that because once I’m gone, I won’t be judged by what I accomplished. But what my family accomplishes will be a reflection on my leadership and ability to help them understand how to be successful in life.”
Watch the Bill Logan ’69 Roanoke College Medalist video here.
Judge William Logan (holding plaque) with three generations of his family at the Society of 1842 luncheon at Roanoke College on April 19, 2024.
Dessa Gypalo ’07 was the 2024 recipient of the Emerging Alumni Award. Gypalo serves as chief data officer (CDO) for Illinois, leading the development and implementation of a foundational statewide data strategy within the Department of Innovation and Technology. Before that, she was named inaugural CDO for Chicago-encompassed Cook County. Her career history also includes work with national advocacy groups such as Enroll America and Barack Obama’s reelection campaign.
In 2023, Gypalo was selected for the Obama Foundation Leaders USA Program, a six-month leadership development program that seeks to inspire, empower and connect emerging leaders across the country.
In her role with Illinois DoIT, Gypalo has also been named to the Global Data Power Women List 2023, 2022 and 2021, a feature in CDO Magazine that celebrates and recognizes the exceptional contributions of women in the field of data and analytics worldwide. Additionally, she has been named to the State and Local Leading Data Executives List – 2022 by CDO Magazine and the Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers 2022 list by Government Technology. In 2019, she was a member of the Civic Leadership Academy (CLA) at the University of Chicago, an interdisciplinary leadership development program for emerging and high-potential leaders in nonprofit organizations and local government agencies within the City of Chicago and Cook County.
Gypalo earned a BA in history and business administration with a minor in French at Roanoke. She was a member of the Honors Program, women’s soccer team, Phi Alpha Theta and Delta Gamma Sorority. Read more about Gypalo here.
(L-R): President Frank Shushok Jr., Dessa Gypalo '07, and Malon Courts, chair of the board of trustees.
Rosemarie Stephens-Booker ’08 was the 2023 recipient of the Emerging Alumni Award, and she was honored at this year’s luncheon because she was unable to attend last year’s event. Stephens-Booker serves as the director of state mobilization at Building Decarbonization Coalition, and she most recently served the Biden-Harris Administration as a presidential appointee within the Department of Energy. Read more about Stephens-Booker here.
(L-R): President Shushok, Rosemarie Stephens-Booker '08, and Board Chair Malon Courts.
Also recognized at the event was Amy R. Hughes, who received the Maroons by Choice Award. This award is reserved for friends of the college who may not be traditional alumni but are Maroons in the ways that matter most. Hughes is the mother of Garrett Hughes ’25, a member of the wrestling team, and she serves as the team’s director of operations.
Hughes and her husband, Brad, are members of the Maroon Club for athletics and the Parent Leadership Council. Amy Hughes has demonstrated unwavering commitment to her son’s team by contributing significantly to event coordination, fundraising initiatives and fostering community relationships in the Roanoke Valley.
Alumni are invited to nominate individuals for the Maroons by Choice Award through March 15 of each year. To make a nomination, visit our website.
The Society of 1842 honors alumni and friends who have generously included Roanoke College in their estate plans. Since the 2023 luncheon, 14 new members have joined the society. Those individuals represent a special fellowship of benefactors that has grown from 32 members in 1982 to a current roster of 1,143 members. This fiscal year, new planned gift provisions total more than $3.8 million. For more information about the society, visit its webpage.
(L-R): Mary Grace Theodore, interim vice president of advancement; Amy Hughes; and President Shushok.