Preview
Award Date
1997
Award Description
J. Janvier '50 and Martha Coolidge Wetzel '52 of South Pasadena, Calif., both come from Illinois Wesleyan families: Janvier's mother, father, sister and aunt all attended IWU, while Martha's mother is a 1919 graduate. Martha and Janvier have served as co-presidents of the IWU Los Angeles Regional Alumni Association. They have hosted numerous committee meetings and regional alumni "Connections" in their home and throughout the area. In addition, as co-chairs, they successfully organized volunteers and surpassed the financial goals of the Greater Los Angeles Regional Campaign. Martha taught school until 1981 when she became the owner and operator of a number of Diet Center and Diet for Health locations throughout Southern California. She serves on the IWU Board of Trustees and as the leadership agent for her class. She is a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority. After graduation from IWU and three years in the U.S. Navy, Janvier joined a Los Angeles department store group, Broadway Department Stores. Prior to retiring in 1988, Mr. Wetzel was executive vice president for marketing and sales promotion for the 52-store chain. In addition to his other volunteer roles for IWU, Janvier has served as class agent for his class. Janvier is a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. The Wetzels have been involved in a variety of community services activities in Los Angeles. They are founders of the Los Angeles County Music Center and patrons of the Los Angeles Museum of Art. Married since 1952, the Wetzels have three children - Janvier Read Wetzel, Kay Wetzel Leavens, and Timothy Ives Wetzel - and seven grandchildren.