O.P. Kretzmann Award

recognizes alumni for long-time and exemplary service as a university employee.

Name: Wesley Maiers '54
Home: Valparaiso, Indiana
Employer: Retired 2007

Wesley Maiers '54 is a Valparaiso University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and business administration. Maiers also holds a master’s degree in mathematics from Indiana University and has undertaken further graduate work at the University of San Francisco, Ball State University and the University of Michigan. Maiers began his career in teaching in 1956 in Wellsburg, Iowa, before joining the staff at Valparaiso Community Schools as a math instructor, a position he held for nearly 33 years. He served on the National Advisory Board for Youth for Understanding, a student exchange program, and has served in various capacities within the Porter County Agricultural Society. Maiers is a 30-year member of the Saturday Evening Club and a 40-year member of the local chapter of Phi Delta Kappa. He is a founding member of the Valparaiso Organization for Learning and Teaching Seniors, a program sponsored by VU’s Office of Continuing Education, and has served eight years as chairman of the Youth Services Committee of the Valparaiso Rotary. In 1966, Maiers was selected to spend a year in Turkey as a Fulbright exchange teacher for the United States government. In 1992, following his retirement from Valparaiso Community Schools, he accepted the offer to become an adjunct member of Valpo’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. The professional life of the department was enriched by Maiers and his wife, Joanne (Krentz ’54), who often attended and hosted gatherings. Because of his many contributions to Valpo, in June 2007, Maiers was appointed a senior associate of the department, a rank that grants university privileges.