Honorary Alumni Award

Some of CMU’s most devoted advocates never sat in a classroom there. John Hunter is one of them — and for years, his commitment to Central Michigan and its students has been as genuine, consistent and personal as any alumnus on campus. 

As co-owner of Hunter Brands — the family business behind some of Mount Pleasant’s most beloved gathering places, including the Wayside, the Cabin, O’Kelly’s, Hunter’s Ale House, Stir, Rubble’s and Hunter’s Homemade Brewery — John’s company has spent more than 50 years building businesses that are woven into the fabric of the CMU community. For generations of students and alumni, his venues have been the backdrop for celebrations, late nights and the kind of connection that defines a college town. 

But what sets John apart is not the history; it’s the intention behind everything he does. When he developed a partnership with CMU Athletics, he skipped the obvious branding play and instead created a platform for local youth teams, university clubs and community groups to perform at halftime of CMU basketball games. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his Pizza 4 Hope program delivered 1,000 pizzas to frontline workers. He hosts the Hunter Brands Charity Bowl-A-Thon and Christmas in July Golf Outing, serves on the Downtown Development Authority board and sits on CMU President Neil MacKinnon’s community relations committee. He offers discounted meals to student-athletes, funds the Isabella County Newspaper Digitizing Project, and holds season tickets to both men’s basketball and football. 

The Hunter family’s financial commitment to CMU is equally deep. Hunter Brands venues have contributed more than $100,000 to the university, and John’s mother, Cheryl, has given more than $75,000 over her lifetime. The Hunter Family Fund at the Mount Pleasant Area Community Foundation continues to support education, literacy and betterment of the community — with contributions extending to CMU programs as varied as the Event Center, student athletics, WMHW, MHTV, the College of Health Professions and Student Performing Arts. 

John watches Homecoming each year as alumni return to campus, and what moves him most is not the events themselves — it’s seeing the people. “Staying connected in person and through social media reminds me how far the CMU Chippewa family reaches — 250,000 strong,” he said. That reach and the responsibility he feels for it shape how he shows up every day. 

Although he graduated from Loyola University in Chicago, John Hunter carries CMU Chippewa character with purpose and conviction. 

The Central Michigan University Alumni Association is proud to announce John Hunter as the recipient of the 2026 Honorary Alumni Award.