Wichita resident Paul Buchanan ’53 was awarded the Sterling College Distinguished Service Award on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, for his continual dedication to the College and his lifetime of service to the community. Presented at the Heritage Convocation and Alumni Awards Presentation, Buchanan was celebrated along with Alumni Award winner Phil ’85 and Laila (Ingalls) Brownlee ’85 and the Young Alumni Award winner Jonathon Federwisch ’05.

Buchanan, a district and chief judge, graduated from Sterling College in 1953 with a degree in history. Following Buchanan's graduation he  joined the US Army and served as a Sergeant in the Counter Intelligence Corp for two years. He attended the University of Kansas Law School from September 1955 through June 1958, graduating with distinction.  He first served as a research attorney for the Kansas Supreme Court, then practiced law in Topeka and Wichita, served as Sedgwick County Assistant Counselor before starting his career as a Judge.

Buchanan is now retired, but volunteers with Kansas State Historical Society, Kansas Historical Foundation and Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Society. He attends Eastminster Evangelical Presbyterian Church where he serves as an elder. He was a Sterling College Alumni Council member in the 70’s.
The Distinguished Service Award is the highest alumni honor presented. It honors and recognizes a lifetime of service that exemplifies the purposes for which Sterling College exists—exceptional contributions to society, distinguished professional accomplishment and outstanding leadership and character. The recipient or recipients are chosen by vote of the Alumni Council and Sterling College’s Board of Trustees.

Sterling College is a Christ-centered, four-year college located in Sterling, Kansas, with a mission to develop creative and thoughtful leaders who understand a maturing Christian faith. For more information, visit www.sterling.edu.