Hastings College will induct two individuals and a family into its Pro Rege Society on Thursday, April 18, honoring Hal Dittmer ‘62, Jim Dugan and the Kim and Tom Dinsdale Family.
Hastings College will recognize the individuals and family for their long-standing dedication to the College. The ceremony will be held at Lochland Country Club in Hastings and feature a musical tribute by the Hastings College Department of Music and Theatre. A reception begins at 5:00 p.m., with the dinner and ceremony beginning at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $125 each, or a table of eight is $950.
Details and tickets are available at hastings.edu/prorege.
A tradition since 1997, the Pro Rege Society is the highest non-academic recognition Hastings College bestows. Selected individuals and businesses are known for their extraordinary service to Hastings College, significant philanthropic contributions and/or unusual commitment to the College over an extended period of time.
In addition to attending the induction ceremony, individuals can honor inductees with a gift to an area that is special to them.
Dittmer’s focus is the Jack Osborne Track Complex project, with gifts supporting renovations to the outdoor track facility.
The Dinsdale Family’s focus is Jackson Dinsdale Art Center Murals, with gifts to this fund supporting the creation of painted murals by Hastings College faculty and students across campus.
Dugan’s focus is the Harry James Physics Scholarship, with gifts to this fund supporting scholarships awarded to physics majors who have excelled in the classroom, in honor of Harry R. James who taught physics at Hastings College for nearly 30 years.
About the Inductees
A 1962 Hastings College graduate, Harold “Hal” Dittmer has served on the Hastings College Board of Trustees since 1999, including a 12-year term as board chair (2004 to 2016). He is also a member of the executive committee of the Hastings College Foundation Board of Directors. During his tenure as a trustee, Dittmer has given freely of his time and talents to help lift the board to even higher levels of professionalism and service. He has been a strong advocate of using data and analysis to enhance the board’s decision-making capabilities and improve the College’s performance and overall effectiveness. Dittmer and his spouse, Judi, have stepped forward time and time again as philanthropic leaders who inspire and challenge others to give. Dittmer is founder, president, and owner of Wellhead Electric Company based in Sacramento, California. In 2017, Hastings College awarded Dittmer the honorary degree, Doctor of Business, in recognition of his outstanding contributions and loyalty to his alma mater.
The Dinsdale Family, including Kim West Dinsdale and Tom Dinsdale of Grand Island, Nebraska, are passionate supporters of Hastings College and its students. Kim was named to the Hastings College Board of Trustees in 2010 and elected chair of the Foundation Board of Directors in 2016. Their son, Jackson West Dinsdale, a studio art major at Hastings College, advocated for improved art facilities before his death in 2014. To celebrate Jackson and complete a project of importance to him, Kim and Tom made a generous gift from his estate for a new art building. After a nationwide campaign, the College dedicated the Jackson Dinsdale Art Center in 2016. The following year, the Dinsdales made a significant endowment legacy gift from Jackson’s estate. Among the most generous donors in Hastings College history, the Dinsdales have supported every facet of the College, making a profound difference in the quality of students’ educational experiences. Their gifts have included academic and athletic scholarships, capital projects, and annual operating funds, among other areas.
Professor Emeritus Dr. Jim Dugan joined Hastings College in 1995 and had a 22-year career as professor of physics, serving 16 years as department chair. He retired from full-time teaching in 2016. A dynamic and creative classroom teacher, Dugan impacted the lives of hundreds of students. Over the years, he received numerous honors, including the Faculty Achievement Award, Vondrak Outstanding Advisor Award and Distinguished Senior Faculty Award. He also presented two Invited Faculty Lectures. Dugan was active in the Faculty Senate, serving as vice president and member of the curriculum and faculty affairs committees. He was faculty athletics representative (FAR) for 22 years, the longest of any FAR in the College’s history, and helped create the Great Plains Athletic Conference. In recognition of his service, he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. When Dugan retired, Hastings College awarded him the honorary degree, Doctor of Science, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Hastings College and its students.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.
