Distinguished Alumni Award | University Liggett School

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2025 Distinguished Alumnus: George Perrin '64 GPUS

We are delighted to announce that George Perrin ‘64 GPUS will be named the University Liggett School 2025 Distinguished Alumnus during Alumni Weekend on May 16 & 17, 2025.

In the early days of the telecommunications industry, George Perrin ’64 GPUS saw opportunities where others did not. His leadership and success in the industry helped change the way our country communicates, and we are proud to name him as our 2025 Distinguished Alumnus.

“I am surprised and honored to be chosen as the 2025 Distinguished Alumnus. My time at GPUS was a great experience, and it really helped me see new perspectives.”

Perrin arrived at GPUS in 1960 as a freshman. He had previously attended school in Detroit and although he was new, he remembers his fellow students being extremely friendly and welcoming.

While at GPUS, Perrin was an outstanding athlete who led his teammates to victories on the varsity football, basketball and baseball teams. He was the school's starting quarterback for three years and led the team to break nine school records. He set three individual school records in football and one in basketball, and also led the GPUS baseball team his senior year with a .405 batting average. His athletic talents rightfully earned him a spot in the Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013.

“More than anything else, GPUS showed me a culture of success,” Perrin said. “Being around so many intelligent, confident people opened my eyes and made me realize how many opportunities there were in the world."

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After leaving GPUS, Perrin attended the University of Michigan where he received a degree in political science. He then received an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and held various positions in the telecommunications industry. This work helped him realize the potential opportunities of paging and cellular technologies and led him to found PageNet in 1981. Perrin was one of the earliest leaders in the industry, and he helped grow PageNet into the largest wireless messaging company in the world. At its height, PageNet had more than 10 million pagers in service and more than 90 offices across the U.S. In addition, in 1982, Perrin also founded CellNet, a major applicant and recipient of cellular telephone licenses in the top 90 markets in the United States.
	After stepping back from the day-to-day operations of those companies in the mid-90s, Perrin maintained a presence in the industry. He served as a consultant and served on the Boards of several private equity companies. He was also a member of the LSA Visiting Committee and the President’s Advisory Committee at U of M. In recent years, he and his wife Dominique moved to Iowa to be closer to their son and his family. Perrin looks back on his GPUS years fondly. He is still close with many of his classmates, and he credits the school with helping him imagine bigger things.

After leaving GPUS, Perrin attended the University of Michigan where he received a degree in political science. He then received an MBA from the University of Massachusetts and held various positions in the telecommunications industry. This work helped him realize the potential opportunities of paging and cellular technologies and led him to found PageNet in 1981.

Perrin was one of the earliest leaders in the industry, and he helped grow PageNet into the largest wireless messaging company in the world. At its height, PageNet had more than 10 million pagers in service and more than 90 offices across the U.S. In addition, in 1982, Perrin also founded CellNet, a major applicant and recipient of cellular telephone licenses in the top 90 markets in the United States.

After stepping back from the day-to-day operations of those companies in the mid-90s, Perrin maintained a presence in the industry. He served as a consultant and served on the Boards of several private equity companies. He was also a member of the LSA Visiting Committee and the President’s Advisory Committee at U of M.

In recent years, he and his wife Dominique moved to Iowa to be closer to their son and his family.

Perrin looks back on his GPUS years fondly. He is still close with many of his classmates, and he credits the school with helping him imagine bigger things.

About our Distinguished Alumni Award

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

Established in 2009, University Liggett School's Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes a living alumna/us for their leadership, professional achievements, civic contributions, within their local community, the state or nation, service to University Liggett School, and/or other qualities that elicit pride from others who attend University Liggett School. The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest alumni honor given at ULS.

Previous Recipients
2024 Honoree: Nona Yehia '89, Vertical Harvest co-founder 2023 Honoree: Adam Levinson '88, Investment Professional and philanthropist 2022 Honoree: Lisa Black '77, Investment Professional and philanthropist 2020 Honoree: Kristen Feemster '91, Vaccine Researcher 2019 Honoree: John D. Evans ’62 GPUS, C-SPAN co-founder 2018 Honoree: Keith Richburg ‘76, Washington Post foreign correspondent 2017 Honoree: Stanley W. Bryant ’64 GPUS, Retired Rear Adm. 2016 Honoree: Richard Baron '60 GPUS, Businessman 2015 Honoree: Denise Ilitch '73, Businesswoman 2014 Honoree: Bill Shelden ’68 GPUS, Businessman 2013 Honoree: Nita Stormes '72, Federal magistrate judge 2012 Honoree: Miles O'Brien '77, Broadcast news journalist 2011 Honoree: Gretchen Valade '45 CDS, Carhartt heir 2010 Honoree: Ralph Wilson '36 DUS, Founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills 2009 Honoree: Jeffrey Eugenides '78, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Previous Recipients