An SIUC employee of 35 years to be honored at a banquet tonight said he has been at SIUC long enough to remember when there was plenty of parking on campus.

It’s SIUC’s Service Recognition Week and roughly 100 career veterans will be honored tonight for their many years of service at SIUC.

President and Mrs. John C. Guyon are hosting The Service Awards Banquet tonight honoring SIU career veterans, and award recipients. Winners of the Outstanding Civil Service Employee and Outstanding Administrative-Professional Staff Member awards will be announced.

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Recipients of the 1995 Outstanding Teacher, Outstanding Scholar and 1994 Women of Distinction awards will also be recognized.

Dorothy McCombs, associate executive director of Institutional Advancement and University Relations, said the school recognizes employees in increments of five years of service. She said the school has not yet honored someone for 45 years of service, but they are looking forward to it.

McCombs said the banquets have been organized by University Relations since 1983 and were organized by Personnel before that.

I would say it’s (Service Awards Banquet) been going on for some time, McCombs said.

Richard L. Holladay, graphics technician III with Campus Sign Service, is one of the three people being honored for 35 years of service.

Holladay said he enjoys working at SIU and seeing the campus change.

It’s one of those jobs that I look forward to coming to everyday, and I’ve got the sick time to prove it, Holladay said.

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He said he has seen a number of buildings built and torn down, and remembers when there was plenty of parking, about 25 years ago.

Lionell M. Cox, building custodian, has been employed at SIUC for 30 years and is currently in charge of the Southern Hills and Evergreen Terrace buildings.

Cox said his years at SIU have been pleasant for the most part, except for a couple of messy incidents he had to clean up. He said the most unpleasant days he has had at SIU were when a girl jumped off of the twelfth floor in Neely Hall and when a man on Greek Row committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

Cox said he is planning to retire within the next year or two.

I’ve got the years, but not the age, Cox said.

John E. Utgaard, professor of Geology, will be honored at the banquet for 30 years of service. He said he is disapointed becuase he is unable to attend this year’s banquet.

I’ve worked with some really good people and some really fine students, Utgaard said. I’m not ready to quit yet.