An Inspiring Quintet of Rutgers Alumni
Five extraordinary Rutgers University graduates were inducted into the university’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni on Thursday night.
Honorees inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni on Thursday night represent a varied range of professions and class years, but they all share a bond in their longstanding devotion to supporting the university and a deep appreciation of the lifechanging opportunities it empowered them to pursue.
Alumni officially inducted during a ceremony held at the Park Chateau Estate & Gardens in East Brunswick are as follows:
- Eric LeGrand SAS’14, who earned his bachelor’s degree after suffering a paralyzing spinal injury during a 2010 Rutgers football game, has gone on to become an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, sports analyst, philanthropist, author, and iconic Rutgers alumnus.
- Gloria A. Bachmann NCAS’70, RWJMS’72, an internationally recognized physician and a trailblazer in advancing obstetrical and gynecological care, has been a Rutgers faculty member since 1978 and is now an associate dean and co-director of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School’s Women’s Health Institute.
- James H. Rhodes CCAS’94, who built a successful career in government and insurance, has devoted countless hours to volunteering for the university, including leading the restructuring of the Rutgers University Alumni Association (RUAA).
- Creighton Drury RC’92, former co-captain of the Rutgers men’s basketball team who is now CEO of Partnership to End Addiction and a member of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center leadership council, has helped young people overcome challenges and pursue their dreams for nearly 30 years.
- James F. Dougherty RC’74, GSNB’75, a retired veterinarian who has generously supported the university through service and philanthropy, served as chair of the Board of Trustees and is vice chair of the Rutgers Board of Governors.
LeGrand, who majored in labor and employment relations at the Rutgers–New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences, has been widely recognized with honors that include the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at ESPN’s ESPY Awards and the retirement of his Scarlet Knights number 52—the only one retired in the 157-year history of Rutgers football. His business initiatives include founding LeGrand Coffee House and cofounding Eric LeGrand Whiskey. His many charitable efforts include establishing Team LeGrand, which has raised more than $2 million for the Christopher Reeve Foundation, and his tireless support of Rutgers Athletics. “It is an honor to be inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni,” LeGrand said. “There have been so many people that have played a special part in my life, getting me to where I am at today that I’m so thankful for. Without my Rutgers family, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
Bachmann, who after earning her bachelor’s in biology and chemistry at Rutgers–Newark and her master’s in medical science at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), was among the first women to complete a four-year obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Pennsylvania. Winner of the RWJMS Meritorious Service Award in 2018, she serves on the University Senate and previously served on the Board of Trustees. A first-generation college student, she shared a memory of her father joining her on her first day on the Rutgers–Newark campus. “On the bus trip back home, he told me he couldn’t be happier and more proud of me, and that Rutgers was an amazing university,” she said. In concluding her remarks, she said, “I’m blessed to be a Rutgers grad. I’m blessed to be on the Rutgers faculty. And I’m blessed to be receiving this recognition. I can see my father’s smile!”
Rhodes, whose path to a degree in political science at Rutgers–Camden took him 19 years, retired as Camden County’s deputy county administrator in 2025 and is now vice president and executive director at PERMA Risk Management. He has served—and continues to serve—on numerous government committees and nonprofit associations. He remained closely connected to Rutgers after earning his degree, participating in various alumni associations, which included serving as inaugural chair of the RUAA, which was created in 2008. “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever picture myself standing here, being inducted into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni,” Rhodes said. “My journey here had many detours. I dropped out, seeking the right path, but was in danger of losing my way. It was the support of my family, friends, and the Rutgers community that got me back on track.”
Drury, who earned his bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Rutgers College before going on to work for U.S. Senator Bill Bradley and earning a law degree from the University of Virginia, has led dynamic organizations and initiatives, including Partnership to End Addiction, New Jersey Community Development Corporation, and Covenant House New York. A member of the 1988-89 and 1990-91 Rutgers men’s basketball teams that reached the NCAA tournament, he enjoys speaking with student-athletes about resilience and mental health. He said he sees a bright future for Rutgers. “We possess extraordinary capabilities and potential. We will win championships on the courts and on the playing fields—and we will continue to graduate leaders who are champions in their lives and in their communities. It’s why I am so deeply honored to be part of this group of fellow inductees and to be a member of this special Rutgers community.”
Dougherty, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at Rutgers College and a master’s in animal science at Rutgers–New Brunswick, cofounded Metropolitan Veterinary Associates in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and was awarded the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served on many Rutgers committees and boards, and he was instrumental in establishing the Scarlet Promise Initiative, which has raised millions for thousands of students. His generous gifts support the Rutgers–New Brunswick Honors College, the Honors College LGBTQ+ Learning Collaborative, and the Perry N. Halkitis Endowed Chair in LGBTQ+ Public Health. “I find it difficult to express the profound significance of this evening’s gathering to me,” Dougherty said. He outlined his motivations for giving to Rutgers programs, which included helping “less fortunate students who grew up in situations like I did—an only child in a single-parent household with not much income.”
Introduced in 1987, the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni’s first class of inductees included Paul Robeson and Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman. Since then, more than 200 alumni have been inducted, including five former New Jersey governors, Emmy Award-winning actor Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Carli Lloyd, a professional soccer star who led the U.S. team to two Olympic gold medals. Inductees are selected by the RUAA Board of Directors, which leads the association made up of more than 615,000 Rutgers alumni worldwide.
Visit the Hall of Distinguished Alumni news page to read profile articles and watch videos about each inductee. To go directly to the video profiles, visit the Hall of Distinguished Alumni YouTube page.
Also, please note that the RUAA welcomes nominations for the Hall of Distinguished Alumni Class of 2027. The deadline is August 15, 2026.
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