The Paul Lange Award was established by the ALSS in 1994 in honor of the many years of distinguished leadership of Dr. Paul Lange in the Lutheran high school movement. Often referred to as “Mr. Lutheran High School,” Dr. Lange was the first Principal and Superintendent of the Lutheran High School Association in St. Louis. He devoted his personal and professional life to Lutheran secondary education. Few individuals have so profoundly influenced the growth and spread of Lutheran high schools and inspired generations of Lutheran high school administrators.

In 1962, Dr. Lange went to Valparaiso University to head its education department. For fifteen years, he promoted secondary education as a viable professional goal for young Lutherans. Dr. Lange was the leader in establishing Valpo’s partnership with ALSS. A respected churchman, Paul Lange’s legacy stands as a model for Lutheran high school leaders and a part of the great legacy of Lutheran high schools which ALSS represents.

This award annually recognizes an administrator of an ALSS school who has an exemplary commitment to the educational ministry of Lutheran high schools. The special honor is intended to be an encouragement to professional church leaders to model the ministry of Jesus Christ for colleagues, students, families, and the church.

QUALIFICATIONS

A nominee must be currently serving as an administrator of an ALSS school. The individual may be a principal or executive head of a Lutheran high school or Lutheran high school association.

1994 . Robert Christian
1995 . Dr. Robert Malzahn
1996 . Dale Wolfgram
1997 . Dr. Tom Buck
1998 . Dr. Gerald Brunworth
1999 . Rev. Dr. John Herzog
2000 . Dave Sommermeyer
2001 . Dr. Kenneth Ellwein
2002 . Alan Oesterreich
2003 . Paul Crisler
2004 . David Widenhofer
2005 . Norman Brauer
2006 . Richard Rath
2007 . Randy Lowe
2008 . Dr. David Hahn
2009 . Kevin Dunning
2010 . John Marks
2011 . Pat Klekamp
2012 . Gregg Pinick
2013 . Dr. Wayne Kramer
2014 . Craig Swanson
2015 . Dr. Ross Stueber
2016 . John Englebrecht
2017 . Dr. Steve Buuck
2018 . Sheila Psencik 2019 . Steve Meseke 2020 . Dr. John Brandt 2021 . Mark Bahr 2022 . Don Gillingham
2023 . Dr. Cole Braun 2024. Dr. Timothy Brackman

Award Recipients

Christine Moritz 2018
Dr. James Juergensen, Jr. 2019
Julie Buuck 2020
Bill Hinz 2021
Pat Ferry 2022
Rachel Klitzing 2023 Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich 2024

I. The Purpose of Honorary Recognition

Honorary Lifetime Memberships are granted by ALSS to recognize retiring or retired administrators of Lutheran High Schools and to encourage continued relationships between ALSS and former Lutheran High School administrators.

II. The Qualifications

1. ALSS Honorary Lifetime Membership may be granted to any retiring or retired Lutheran high school administrator who has faithfully served in an ALSS school and who has attended ALSS conventions.

2. ALSS Honorary Lifetime Membership may also be granted to any individual who has made significant contributions to Lutheran secondary education whether or not he/she is retired.III. The Procedures: Nomination, Approval, and Awarding of ALSS Honorary Lifetime Memberships.

III. The Procedures: Nomination, Approval, and Awarding of ALSS Honorary Lifetime Memberships

1. Individuals may be nominated for Honorary Membership in ALSS by any leader of an ALSS school, association or partner organization.

2. Nominations are to be submitted to the ALSS Executive Board prior to the next ALSS convention.

3. The Board of ALSS will act upon the commendations/nominations received.

4. The Honorary Lifetime Memberships will then be presented in person, or if necessary, in absentia, at the annual convention immediately preceding the administrator’s retirement.

IV. The Benefits of Honorary Lifetime Memberships

1. ALSS Honorary Lifetime Members will be included on the regular ALSS mailing list.

2. Registration fees for convention and annual dues will be waived for ALSS Honorary Lifetime Memberships.

Nominate a Lifetime Membership Recipient

Nominate the individual you feel best meets the qualifications and exemplifies the qualities sought for honorary membership. Thank you for your input!

1973 . St. Paul
Birkman, Mr. Herbert F.
Boettcher, Mr. Henry F.
Choitz, Dr. John F.
Ernst, Mr. Rudolph G.
Freitag, Rev. Dr. Alfred J.
Lange, Dr. Paul
Menking, Mr. Louis

1974 . Denver
Miller, Dr. Arthur L.
Stelmachowicz, Rev. Dr. M.J.

1975 . Detroit
Steinberg, Mr. Walter F.
Werner, Mr. Edward J.

1976 . Baltimore
Sagehorn, Dr. Erwin

1977 . Cleveland
Brinkman, Dr. Norman H.
Meyer, Mr. Fred G.
Becker, Mr. Walter F.
Meyer, Mr. Kermit C.

1978 . St. Louis
Oelschlaeger, Mr. Roy H.

1979 . New Orleans
Wied, Mr. Alwin

1982 . Los Angeles
Senske, Dr. Al H.

1983 . Chicago
Utech, Mr. Norman C.
Wessler, Dr. Martin F.

1984 . Houston
Krause, Dr. Roy C.

1985 . Orlando
Bredehoeft, Mr. Willis W.

1988 . Detroit
Eggers, Dr. Ben
Siekmann, Mr. Vernon

1989 . St. Louis
Brueggemann, Mr. Wallace W.
Hinz, Rev. Dr. Frederick
Roth, Dr. Alfred R.

1990 . Las Vegas
Eggerding, Mr. Roland
Moldenhauer, Dr. Herbert

1991 . Denver
Boldt, Dr. H. James
Junghans, Mr. Norman
Schultz, Dr. Delbert
Wunderlich, Mr. Kenneth

1992 . Baltimore
Valleskey, Mr. Roman
Zemke, Mr. Herman
Von Behren, Mr. Werner

1993 . Fort Wayne
Herzog, Dr. Guenther

1995 . Dallas
Christian, Mr. Robert
Lunz, Mr. Robert

1996 . Orange
Storm, Mr. Robert
Wallace, Mr. Richard
Kuxhaus, Mrs. Barbara

1997 . Indianapolis
Beckman, Rev. William
Hingst, Mr. Duane

1998 . Cleveland
Schlueter, Mr. Ken
Schroeder, Mr. Erlen
Wallis, Mr. Darrell H.

1999 . Portland
Halm, Dr. Ray
Hotz, Mr. Leroy
Reitz, Mr. Edward
Westrick, Mr. Earl

2000 . San Antonio
Schroeder, Mr. Melvin
Visscher, Rev. Edward
Weiss, Mr. Fred

2001 . Phoenix
Brunworth, Dr. Gerald
Klatt, Mr. Richard
Moser, Dr. Carl
Schulze, Mr. Robert
Speckhard, Dr. Gerald

2003 . Galveston
Palmreuter, Dr. Kenneth
Schmidt, Dr. Allan

2004 . Las Vegas
Walz, Rev. Dr. Orville C.

2005 . San Diego
Crisler, Paul
Oesterreich, Allan

2006 . Miami
Gove, Richard

2007 . New Orleans Buetow, Paul Royuk, Ron Wenger, Paul

2008 . Dallas/Ft. Worth
Nitz, Ralph
Schaller, Bruce
Sommermeyer, David
Wendt, Gerald

2009 . Miami
Buegler, David
Daley, Jeff
Ellwein, Ken
Widenhofer, David

2011 . Charleston
Block, Richard
Buck,Thomas
Eisman, Carl
Fischer, Curt

2012 . Las Vegas
Brauer, Norman P.
Breseman, Perry
Herzog, John
Wolbrecht, Tom

2013 . San Antonio
Cochran, William
Juergensen, Sr., James
Marty, Larry
Marks, John

2014 . Newport Beach
Cooper, Dale
Schlesselman, David
Stueber, Ross

2015 . Nashville
Bartlett, William
Klekamp, Patricia

2017 . Houston
Breininger, Terry
Craven, James
Engelbrecht, John
Kramer, Wayne
Leckband, Paul
Rathje, Mike

2018 . Orlando­­­
Bahr, Paul
Glandorf, Steve
Jobst, Dwayne
Schmidt, Terry
Tonjes, Bernie
Wolfgram, Dale

2019 . New York City Clausen, Juls Meseke, Steve

2020 . No Conference (COVID) Craig Swanson John Brandt Dave Bangert Todd Moritz

2021 . Zoom Conference
Ferry, Pat
Gaschk, Ken
Schwecke, Steve

2022 . Orlando
Einem, Randy
Gillingham, Don
Heidel, Matt
Unverfehrt, Bill

2023 . San Diego
Bode, Joel
Dobler, Lori
Stelmachowicz, Cary
Swanson, Craig

2024. Dallas