Established in 1978, the James E. Armstrong Award is conferred on an alumnus/alumna who is a current employee of Notre Dame and has rendered distinguished service to the University.
Past Recipients
The 2009 Armstrong Award was presented to:
Missy Conboy '82
With this award, Missy Conboy ’82 is honored for her distinguished service to the University. Missy was appointed deputy director of athletics in October 2004. Previously, Missy served as senior associate athletics director, as associate athletics director, and as assistant athletic director. She also acted as interim director of athletics from June-July 2008.
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Missy was a four-year member of the Notre Dame women’s basketball team, and a senior captain during her time under the Dome. After graduating from Notre Dame in 1982, Missy received her Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas Law School in 1985. She then became an enforcement representative for the NCAA, and spent two years in that capacity, investigating infraction reports and processing cases for the NCAA’s committee on infractions.
In August 1987, Missy joined the staff at Notre Dame as assistant athletic director. In her current position as deputy director of athletics, Missy is responsible for overseeing the legal affairs of the athletics department as well as the master plans for facilities, human resources, and legal contracts. In addition to her role as the liaison to the Athletic Affairs Committee and the Board of Trustees, Missy is the sport administrator for volleyball, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s swimming, and the men’s and women’s fencing and rowing programs.
Throughout her career at Notre Dame, Missy has overseen NCAA compliance and event management for the athletics department. She was a member of the NCAA’s Legislative Review Committee, the NCAA Interpretations Committee, and the NCAA Men’s Tennis Committee, where she was instrumental in bringing the 1994 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championships and 1998 NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Championships to Notre Dame. She has served on the BIG EAST Academic Honors Committee, the BIG EAST Finance Committee, the BIG EAST Volleyball Committee, the BIG EAST Executive Committee, and the BIG EAST Championships Committee. Missy formerly chaired the BIG EAST Senior Women’s Administrators’ Committee and was recently appointed to serve on the NCAA Committee on Infractions and the Executive Committee of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.
In addition to her extensive professional responsibilities, Missy is the wife of William Mountford ’91, a graduate of Notre Dame’s MBA program and the U.S. Naval Academy, and the mother of three daughters—Darby, Delaney, and Killian Rose Mountford.
Past Recipients
2008 Kerry Temple ’74
2007 Rex J. Rakow ’82 M.S.A.
2006 Brian Boulac ’63, ’65 M.A.
2005 Rev. Paul F. Doyle, CSC, '65, '75MDiv
2004 Dennis K. Moore '70
2003 Joseph A. Russo '92Hon
2002 Daniel G. Reagan '76
2001 - Fernand “Tex” Dutile ’65 J.D.
2000 Scott C. Malpass '84, '86 M.B.A.
1999 Dr. James M. Moriarity, MD, '72
1998 Dean David T. Link '58 J.D.
1997 Rev. Thomas E. Blantz C.S.C., '57, '63
1996 Barbara M. Turpin '77, '65 Ph.D
1995 Isabel Charles '60, '65 Ph.D
1994 Joseph F. O'Brien '49
1993 Richard W. Conklin '59
1992 Rev. Daniel R. Jenky CSC '70, '73 M.Th
1991 Roger O. Valdiserri '54
1990 Rev. James L. Riehle C.S.C., '49, '78
1989 Charles F. Lennon '61, '62 M.A.
1988 James V. Gibbons '53
1987 Sr. John Miriam Jones SC '61, '70
1986 Michael A. DeCicco '49, '50
1985 James E. Murphy '47
1984 John N. Cackley '37
1983 Rev. Edmund P. Joyce C.S.C., '37
1982 Emil T. Hofman '53, '63 Ph.D
1981 Bro. Kieran Ryan C.S.C., '45
1980 Edward W. Krause '34
1979 Dominick J. Napolitano '32, '33
1978 James W. Frick '51
