Distinguished Alumna Award

The Distinguished Alumna Award, which was presented for the first time in 1986, recognizes alumnae who have shown a continuing love of Oak Knoll, and, who, through their personal and/or professional lives, have made outstanding contributions which exemplify the Holy Child spirit of excellence and devotion to others.

The Oak Knoll Alumnae/i Association is seeking nominations for the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnae/i Award. Please submit your nomination to Cynthia Prewitt at

2009 Distinguished Alumna: Cordelia Oskins Fuller '59

Cordelia Oskins Fuller '59 was awarded the 2009 Distinguished Alumna Award at Reunion on April 25, 2009.   Following are excerpts of remarks given by Cynthia Prewitt, director of parent and alumnae/i relations during the award presentation:

It gives me great pleasure to recognize Cordelia Oskins Fuller '59 for her continued commitment to Oak Knoll. She has returned in no small measure all that Oak Knoll gave her in her years as a student. She has an outstanding record of service to the school as a volunteer, having served for many years on the alumnae/i board where we all benefited from her wisdom, enthusiasm, and commitment to Oak Knoll.

Cordelia's commitment to her hometown of Chatham has been extraordinary. She was a council member from 1995-2007 for Chatham Borough and served as council president in 2001 and 2004. Throughout the years, she served on many committees in the borough, bringing her common sense approach to each endeavor.

Her other community activities are extensive and include: Morris Tomorrow board member, Fishawack Festival co-chair, chair of the Chatham Centennial Celebration, and Kiwanis board member and past president. Committed to her parish, she has served as co-chair of the St. Patrick's Parish Council and has been a member of their choir for more than 20 years. She has also managed to bring her positive attitude, leadership skills, and innovative approach to the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival Board as trustee and vice president to the Community Music School where she was a founding member.

A proud member of Oak Knoll's class of 1959, Cordelia received her BA from Boston College with post-graduate courses in art history in Florence, Italy.  She is a graduate of the Christine Todd Whitman Excellence in Public Service Series.

On the personal side, Cordelia is supported by her wonderful family, including husband Bill, daughter, Cordelia '88, and sons John and Donald and their families. 

Cordelia is someone who truly exemplifies what Cornelia Connelly taught, "Actions, not words." She is a role model for our alumnae and our future alumnae. The class of 1959 is fortunate to claim her as one of their own, but the entire Oak Knoll community is indeed blessed to name her our 2009 Distinguished Alumna!


Past Recipients

1986 Azella Crysler O’Dwyer ‘50
1987 The Class of 1961
1988 Mary Louise Cullen ‘48
1989 Lucille Haugh Cardone ‘38
1990 Ann-Joyce Peters, SHCJ, ’55 and Elizabeth Barber, SHCJ, ‘49
1991 Kathleen Mary Novak ‘66
1992 Carina Stafford-Smith Metzger ‘52
1993 Dolly Dempsey Donahue ‘52
1994 Anne Moore, M.D., ‘61
1995 Mary Katherine Hayes, M.D., ‘71
1996 Christine Kenny Frisbee ‘69
1997 Kathleen Mahon Doyle ‘62
1998 Margaret Smith Crocco ‘68
1999 Joan Benziger Gaines ‘49
2000 Donna Hagemann Donovan ‘70
2001 Claire Donohoe O’Mara ‘61
2002 Award not presented
2003 Motria Ukrainskyj, M.D., ‘78
2004 Joanne Lucey Ainsworth ‘64
2005 Carolyn Pernice Mulligan ‘70
2006 Alice Bender Gibbons, M.D., ‘76
2007 Award not presented
2008 Joan Smith Myers ‘73
2009 Cordelia Oskins Fuller '59