Eigenbrodt Cup
The Eigenbrodt Cup is an award given during the commencement ceremony to an alumnus or alumna who has attained outstanding national or international distinction or who has done a great service to the College. Each recipient receives a medallion symbolizing the honor; the cup itself, inscribed with his or her name, remains at the College. The cup has been awarded annually since 1935 except in 1939, 1944, 1945, and 1963.
The Eigenbrodt Cup was presented to the College in 1891 by Miss Sarah (Sallie) Eigenbrodt in memory of her brother, Dr. David L. Eigenbrodt, Class of 1831. The Trinity Tablet reported in 1891 that “the cup is made of silver, belonging to the late Dr. Eigenbrodt, and is appropriately engraved with an inscription in his memory. It is gold lined and on the exterior is brazed his gold badge as a member of the Parthenon Literary Society.” The Cup is the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon a Trinity alum—receiving this prestigious award signifies extraordinary and significant work for Trinity, the national, and/or international communities.
The award was first given during the 1891 Commencement to J.H.S. Quick. It was not given again until 1935; there is no established record of what happened to the cup during this time.
Some of the recipients of the Eigenbrodt Cup include:
1935 William G. Mather, Class of 1877
- Mather is the namesake of Mather Hall and gifted the College the funds to build the Trinity College Chapel.
1937 Martin W. Clement, Class of 1901
- Namesake of the Clement Chemistry Building, who, after being implored by Professor Vernon Krieble, helped raise the funds needed to construct the building. It was decided by the donor who contributed the most money to the cause that the building should be named after Clement.
1942 Charles G. Woodward, Class of 1898
1950 G. Keith Funston '32
- President of the College from 1944 to 1951 and the namesake of Funston Hall, as voted by the Board of Trustees in 1982 to honor his presidency.
1954 Karl W. Hallden, Class of 1909
- Namesake of Hallden Hall; Hallden contributed to several projects and scholarships on Trinity's campus, including an engineering scholarship and game room. He financed the construction of Hallden Hall, the two additions, and the purchase of much of the equipment.
1964 George M. Ferris, Class of 1916
- In 1961 George M. Ferris, a member of the Class of 1916 and trustee of Trinity College, led a committee to build a new athletic facility. In 1969, the Ferris Athletic Center opened its doors to the students of Trinity.
1980/81 Theodore D. Lockwood '48
- President of Trinity from 1964 to 1982; Lockwood helped to increase the number of women and people of color within the College’s staff.
2001 Gerald Hansen '51, P'78, '84, '88 and Georgia Hansen
- Namesake of Hansen Hall; Hansen served as both Director of Alumni and College Relations and Secretary of Trinity, working for the school for over 30 years. Even after retirement, he remained very active within the College community. His continued involvement resulted in a dorm, a crew shell, and a squash court being named after him.
2006 Henry M. Zachs '56
- The Zachs Hillel House, a gift from Henry Zachs ’56 and others, including Alan Mendelson ’69, Chair of the Trinity Hillel Advisory Board, has been home to Trinity's Hillel organization since 2002.
2010 Cornelia Parsons Thornburgh ’80
- The first alumna to receive the Cup; member of the Board of Trustees for 17 years, and recipient of an honorary doctorate in 2020.
2021 Tom DiBenedetto ’71, P’08, ’12, ’13, ’15, ’17 (Awarded in 2022)
- Namesake of DiBenedetto Stadium; the construction of Murren Family Field at DiBenedetto Stadium in 2017 gave Trinity College one of the top baseball facilities in all of NCAA Division III.
Sources
Trinity College Commencement Program, 2022.
Trinity College in the Twentieth Century (2000) by Peter and Anne Knapp, p. 45.
Trinity College Alumni News, (Commencement Number) May 1940.
Trinity Tablet, (Commencement Special) 06/21/1891.