WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Nov. 3, 2016 — West Liberty University remembered its long-serving police officer, Capt. Thomas Hostutler at a special ceremony held today in the Board Room at Shaw Hall. Hostutler died suddenly last April at the age of 60.
The 1 p.m. ceremony included a photograph and plaque dedication in memory of Hostutler.
“I wanted to commemorate Captain Hostutler in a permanent way and this photo and plaque will serve as a memory of his many years of service. It will be the first thing that people see when entering the police office entrance in Shaw Hall,” said current WLU Police Chief and Director of Campus Safety Joe Montemurro.
President Stephen Greiner joined Montemurro in presenting a duplicate plaque in a smaller size to Hostutler’s widow, Pam. He also read a comment from President Emeritus Dr. John McCullough who could not attend the ceremony.
“Tom loved this University and thought it was the best place for our daughter Casey to attend college and that’s why she’s here. We are thankful for this memory and know that he would be pleased,” said Mrs. Hostutler. Casey was in class at the time of the ceremony but joined the employees, police officers and community members afterwards.
At the time of his death, Hostutler had served the University for 38 years, from 1978 to 2016. He was known for his kindness and sense of humor but he was serious about safety and WLU enjoyed consistently high rankings for campus safety during the years of his service.
In 2013, Hostutler was a recipient of the Northern Regional Highway Safety Advocate Award for support above and beyond in promoting highway safety.
He also was instrumental in bring A.L.I.C.E. Training to Ohio and Marshall Counties and he conducted numerous in-service trainings for law enforcement officers, safety forces and dispatchers at West Liberty University and the Highlands Center. He trained constantly and remained vigilant as campus security issues dramatically changed over the course of his career.
Hostutler also supervised Criminal Justice student interns and was a member of West Liberty University Behavior Intervention Team and worked with the Title IX coordinator.
He was a member of Marshall County Fraternal Order of Police, West Virginia Chiefs of Police, National Chiefs of Police, the NRA, and the Marshall County Gun Club.
Memorial contributions may be made to the West Liberty University Foundation, which manages the Thomas Hostutler Memorial Scholarship, 304-336-5635.