Three Kansas University alumni will receive the university’s highest honor for volunteer service during events Friday.

Clay Blair, David Dillon and Michael Shinn will receive the Fred Ellsworth Medallion. The three will be honored with a reception Friday night at the Outlook, the chancellor’s residence, and a dinner at Adams Alumni Center.

The medallion was created in 1975 to honor Ellsworth, a 1922 KU graduate who served as executive secretary of the Alumni Association for 39 years until retiring in 1963.

A committee of representatives from the Chancellor’s Office and the alumni, athletics and endowment associations meets annually to choose winners.

The winners:

• Blair, Olathe, graduated from KU with a business degree in 1965 and a doctorate in education in 1969.

He is a residential and commercial developer in Johnson County who owns First Watch Restaurants. A donation from his family foundation helped establish the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park.

Blair served on the Kansas Board of Regents from 1999 to 2003, including two years as chairman. He has served on the Edwards Campus advisory board and the School of Education advisory board, and is on the Kansas Bioscience Authority.

• Dillon, Cincinnati, graduated from KU in 1973 with a degree in business. He also has a law degree from Southern Methodist University.

He is CEO and chairman of the board of Kroger Co. He has held various positions with Kroger and Dillon companies since 1976.

Dillon has served on the Campaign Kansas national council and steering committee for the KU Endowment Association, and is on the School of Business board of advisers.

He is a former KU student body president.

• Shinn, Shaker Heights, Ohio, earned an engineering degree from KU in 1966. He has an MBA from Case Western Reserve University.

Shinn is a certified financial planner and personal finance columnist for black newspapers. He spent most of his career working for General Electric and Ford Motor Co.

Shinn is a member of the School of Engineering advisory board and is a former member of the national board of directors for the Alumni Association.

At KU, he was co-captain of the football team and was selected to the All-Big Eight team.