Sept. 16, 2005

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville Athletic Department has honored longtime friends and supporters Jim and Dot Patterson with the 2005 Hickman-Camp Award, the highest award the department bestows.

The award will be formally presented to the Pattersons in a pregame ceremony at the U of L football game against Oregon State on Saturday, September 17.

Patterson, a 1955 U of L graduate and former Cardinal baseball player, made the lead gift for Louisville's new baseball stadium which opened in April of 2005.

He is the founder of the Rally's, Chi Chi's and Long John Silver's restaurant chains. He also has launched successful ventures in the oil, telecommunications and medical software industries.

His philanthropic ventures include helping to establish School Choice Scholarships, a privately funded program that helps lower-income families pay tuition for their elementary-age children to attend private schools.

The Louisville native is also a past recipient of the Horatio Alger Award joining an elite group of philanthropists including Gene Autry, Mario Cuomo, Sam Walton, George Halas, Ray Kroc, Maya Angelou, Harland Sanders, Oprah Winfrey and Ronald Reagan.

The Hickman-Camp Award, which bears the names of legendary Cardinal head coaches Bernard "Peck" Hickman and Frank Camp, is given annually by U of L to the person or persons who have provided special service in support of Cardinal Athletics. The recipients also are acknowledged for exemplary leadership, loyalty and dedication in assisting the development and advancement of the athletic department.

As a token of the department's appreciation, the Patterson's will receive the Hickman-Camp Pin made of 14 karat gold and holding a pair of diamonds in the neck of the bird and a ruby in the eye. The diamonds represent the two U of L coaching greats for which the award is named while the ruby represents the honoree's burning desire and dedication to Cardinal Athletics.

Previous Hickman-Camp Award Recipients
1986 	Otto Knop
1987 	Charlie Bryant
1988 	Mary Klemm
1989 	Dr. Ben Reid
1990 	Tom & Blanche Carroll
1991 	Sam & Bonnie Rechter
1992 	no award given
1993 	Malcolm Chancey
1994 	Lewis "Sonny" Bass
1995 	Blanche Kitchen Brewer
1996 	no award given
1997 	Mike Brown
1998 	Harry & Nancy Jones
1999 	Owsley Brown Frazier
2000 	Lance Gremillion
2001 	Eddie Morris
2002 	Sam and Barbara Swope
2003 	Jewish Hospital - Hank Wagner
2004 	Bernard and Jean Trager
2005 	Jim and Dot Patterson