Sam F. Hamra, ’59, was named as a recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017-2018. Marquis Who’s Who, which selects the recipients of the award, chooses a handful of awardees to represent the award in The Wall Street Journal; this year, Hamra was among them.

According to Marquis Who’s Who, awardees are selected based on “their career longevity, philanthropic endeavors and lasting contributions to society.” Only a small percentage of 1.5 million biographees are chosen for the award, and fewer still to be featured in The Wall Street Journal.

Hamra founded Hamra Enterprises in 1975. Today, the company is a franchisee of Wendy’s, Panera Bread, Noodles & Company and Holiday Express Inn & Suites, with locations across the country.