SIU Board of Trustees approves honorary degree for philanthropic leader
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Pete Rosenbery
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Russell Franklin Bartmes, a distinguished leader in finance and philanthropy whose support helped launch Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s nursing program and other initiatives, will receive an honorary degree following approval by the SIU Board of Trustees on Feb. 5.
Bartmes, who is from Deerfield, Illinois, was recommended by Chancellor Austin Lane to receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. He is among six honorees who will be recognized at SIU Carbondale’s commencement in May 2026 or at a future ceremony.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Bartmes held senior leadership positions at prominent investment firms and foundations in Chicago until his retirement. A nomination letter states that throughout his career, Bartmes “was widely respected for his integrity, professionalism, and commitment to mentorship, guiding institutions and individuals through complex financial markets with ethical leadership and sound judgment.”
Bartmes’ has “played a significant role in advancing the mission and strategic priorities” of SIU Carbondale. In addition to supporting SIU’s nursing program, Bartmes’ work helped launch the Saluki Step Ahead program, which has expanded access to four-year degrees and has already benefitted nearly 200 community college students, along with additional support that “has strengthened student success initiatives, including ‘bridge the gap’ scholarships and other academic and foundation programs that enhance educational opportunity and institutional impact.”
A graduate of Deerfield High School, Bartmes earned an associate of arts degree from SIU in 1970, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois Chicago. His wife, Linda, earned a bachelor’s degree from SIU Carbondale in sociology in 1971.
Bartmes serves on boards for the Chicago Botanic Garden, Adler Planetarium, Ralph Smith Foundation and the Interfaith Chaplaincy Service in Waukegan. He contributes to academic and cultural scholarship as a writer and reviewer for horological publications, providing Antiquarian Horology with summaries or abstracts of the articles appearing in the Watch and Clock Bulletin published by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors.
Other honorees
In December, the board approved honorary degrees for Senior U.S. District Court Judge J. Phil Gilbert, SIU Carbondale Saluki men’s basketball Hall of Famer Mike Glenn, and three-degree alumnus James J. Miller, an internationally recognized leader in aviation, aerospace and navigation policy. The board also granted Distinguished Service Awards to Kathleen Pericak-Spector, retired SIU Carbondale professor of mathematics, and posthumously to alumna Cheryl F. Green, whose more than 30 years in higher education included serving as Governors State University president.
