Papa John's founder John Schnatter was among eight Ball State University alumni and an Indianapolis-based business honored Oct. 1 at the first Miller College of Business Awards Dinner.

The inaugural event, initiated by the Miller College of Business Alumni Board, brought together top business leaders, alumni, faculty, staff and students during a night of festivities at Ball State's Alumni Center.

"The celebration is an outstanding opportunity to showcase the successes and recognize the achievements of the college's graduates and friends," said Dave Heeter, vice president of the Miller College of Business Alumni Board and event chairman.

Schnatter, president and chief executive officer of Papa John's International, based in Louisville, Ky., gave keynote speech following a reception and dinner. The 1984 bachelor's degree graduate in business administration was inducted into the college's hall of fame.

The honor is given to an individual holding a position of distinction in business, government or academe, who has demonstrated outstanding success in his or her field. The nominee also should be recognized as a civic leader as exemplified through volunteer efforts and should be a supporter of Ball State.

"We are very proud to induct an outstanding business leader like John Schnatter into our hall of fame," said Lynne Richardson, dean of the Miller College of Business. "Since the inception of Papa John's in the early 1980s, John has been the driving force in building one of America's business success stories."

Schnatter created the Papa John's concept in 1983 when he began delivering pizza from the back of his father's tavern in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Today, Papa John's encompasses nearly 3,000 restaurants in 49 states and 16 international markets, with an additional 120-plus restaurants operating under the Perfect Pizza name in the United Kingdom.

Alumni receiving Awards of Distinction include Wilbur R. Davis and Ron Fauquher, co-founders of the Muncie-based Ontario Systems, and Carl George, chief CEO of Clifton Gunderson, Peoria, Ill.

Alumni receiving Awards of Achievement include Nora Bammann, Conseco Services, Indianapolis; Scott Cotherman, Corbett Accel Healthcare Group, Chicago; Craig Dunn, Liberty Financial Group, Inc., Kokomo; and Dan Prickel, Process Plus, Cincinnati.

Representatives from Indianapolis-based H. H. Gregg, a leading retailer of home appliances and consumer electronics,   accepted the Distinguished Partner Award.

A $1 million gift from the company in 2003 is increasing opportunities for students of the H. H. Gregg Center for Professional Selling, a nationally recognized program in the Miller College of Business.

Background information on each honoree may be found online at www.bsu.edu/business.

(Note to Editors: For more information, contact Tammy Estep at testep@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8311.)