George Strike Receives President's Award for Excellence

Interim President Santa J. Ono on Oct. 2 presented the President's Award for Excellence to George L. Strike, a business leader who has devoted many years of service to the University of Cincinnati. Strike, a past chairman of the UC Board of Trustees, received the award at a special dinner.

In more recent years, Strike has contributed many years to the university’s health enterprise. The son of Greek immigrants, he served as the first chairman of the newly formed UC Health Board of Directors and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the former Health Alliance as well as former chairman of the University Hospital board. He currently serves on the UC Foundation Board and served as the chairman of the UC Board of Trustees from June 1996 to January 1999.

Strike graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in finance in 1951. As noted by UC Board of Trustees Chairman C. Francis Barrett at the award dinner, Strike has become an honorary Bearcat because of his energetic service to UC. In 1999, UC awarded Strike an honorary doctor of humane letters.

Strike’s professional career has included serving as owner and leader of American Laundry Machinery Inc., Hess & Eisenhardt, Advance Textile Systems, and Martin Franchises Inc., the world-wide franchisor of the "Martinizing" dry cleaning stores.

He also was at one time a limited partner in the Cincinnati Reds.

Strike is known for his commitment to paying what he calls “civic rent” – giving back to the community in return for the privilege and benefit it provides to you.

President Ono noted during his presentation of the award that Strike often quoted from the ideas of John Gardner, the writer and winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. One of Gardner’s most frequently cited quotations is “Who gave them permission to stand aside?”

“George, you have never stood to the side. You have always stood up wherever you saw the need at the University of Cincinnati and so many other organizations. You have, in fact, often guided others to take the same path to service.”

In addition to Chairman Barrett and President Ono, speakers at the award dinner included Margaret Buchanan, former UC trustee and chair-elect of the Board of Directors for UC Health; Stanley Chesley, UC trustee; Jim Kingsbury, President and CEO, UC Health; Peter Stern, chair of the Department of Surgery at the College of Medicine; and Tony Strike, George’s oldest son.