The Rev. Guy A. Ritter Jr. '48

The Reverend Guy A. Ritter Jr. was born on September 5, 1919 in Princeton, West Virginia. He attended Princeton Public Schools and graduated from Princeton High School in 1937. He attended Roanoke College from1940-41, and then again from 1946-1948, earning his AB degree. He went on to further his studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and earned his BD in 1951 and his STM in 1961.

The Reverend was enlisted in the United States Army from 1941-1945, and was part of the European Theatre of Operations during World War II. He was a Private to Master Sgt. in the Lt. Infantry of the Army Air Corps in 1945. The Reverend was active in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1945-1984, and served as Chaplain USA at Fort Story, Virginia in 1952. He was Champlain of the Tenth Corps Artillery in Korea, where he earned a Bronze Star Medal, and was Hospital Champlain at Camp Pickett, Fort Lee, Salem, and Fort George G. Meade. The reverend retired from the U.S. Army as Chaplain (Lt. Col) in 1984.

The Reverend was ordained at the Lutheran Church in American, Virginia Synod in 1951. He was the pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in 1951, after serving as the pastor at Glade Creek Lutheran Church the previous 6 years. He was called by the Lutheran Synod of Virginia to teach Religion at Roanoke in 1956, and was an instructor, assistant professor, and associate professor of relation at Roanoke from 1957-1984. He has served as Supply Pastor for St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Springwood, Virginia from 1967 to the present (as of 1994).

The Reverend served as a member of the Roanoke Valley Regional Planning District Commission for seven years, and was also a member of the S.W. Virginia Historical Society. He was a member of the Salem Historical Society and became president of that organization in 1988. He served as a board member for the Historical Society and was a member of the Publication Committee for the Historical Society publication of Norwood Middleton's book, "Salem."

The Reverend was a board member and fist chairman of The Rolls-Royce Owner's Club, Incorporated for over 10 years. The Reverend was an extremely talented artist, and has many paintings and portraits displayed at Roanoke College (including the Kime family portraits, William Yonce portrait, paining in the Administration building of Roanoke College in 1870). His most published art work is the Coat of Arms for Roanoke College on the present Seal of the College. The Reverend and his wife Doris May Chambers Ritter raised two children together.

Guy A. Ritter Jr. received the Roanoke College Medal in 1994.