John Loehnert was a three-time letterwinner in both basketball and baseball for the Big Red. While at Denison, John was the president of Sigma Chi fraternity and a member of Omicron Delta Kappa.

During World War II, Loehnert served as a commander in the Philippines for the U.S. Navy. John then returned to Denison to coach the men’s basketball team from 1951-53 and served as a member of the Varsity D Association Executive Board. For his contributions to the university, John was awarded the Denison Distinguished Alumni award in 1980. An active member in the Bexley, Ohio community, Loehnert was the public address announcer for the Bexley High School football team for 20 years and a Bexley City Council member for over three decades.