Distinguished alumni

Harry Tysen Distinguished Service to Humankind

Chaplain at Salina Regional Health Center since 1980, Tysen calls his 10-hour-a-day, constantly “on call” career joyful and fulfilling. “I’m doing ministry on the front line,” he says. “I always go home feeling fulfilled. There’s always the sense that I’m in the right place doing the right thing.” After graduating from Northwestern in 1970, Tysen earned a master of divinity degree from New Brunswick Seminary in 1974. He was pastor at a church in Woodstock, N.Y., for six years before becoming a hospital chaplain. His ability to listen to patients and their families, and his use of humor—which has included wearing a clown wig and nose—earned him Chaplain of the Year recognition in 1999 from the Kansas Association of Chaplains.

Award year: 2004