Awards, Dec 09, 2004

The following awards have been presented for work in advocacy, fund raising, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and other areas.

Arts and humanities. President Bush has awarded the 2004 National Humanities Medal to eight Americans and U.S. institutions for their contributions to the humanities. The recipients included Marva Collins, an educator and founder of the Westside Preparatory School (Chicago), and the United States Capitol Historical Society (Washington). The president also presented eight National Medals of Arts; the honorees included Twyla Tharp, dancer, choreographer, and founder of Twyla Tharp Dance (New York), and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (New York).

Corporate giving. The White House and the Conference Board (New York) have presented the 2004 Ron Brown Awards for Corporate Leadership in employee and community relations. JPMorgan Chase (New York) was honored for a program designed to bridge the digital divide by equipping an inner-city middle school with state-of-the art technology. KeySpan Corporation (New York) was recognized for its grant-making program that has helped renovate thousands of housing units and storefronts throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island, N.Y. Luxottica Retail (Mason, Ohio) was honored for its work to provide free eye care to millions of needy people around the world.

Humanities. The Grawemeyer Foundation at the U. of Louisville (Ky.) has announced the recipients of the 2005 Grawemeyer Awards, which were presented in five categories. Each recipient receives a $200,000 honorarium. The award in religion is given jointly with the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. The winners:

— Education. Elliot W. Eisner, a professor of education and art at Stanford U. (Calif.), for his book The Arts and the Creation of Mind, which argues that arts education plays a critical role in student development.

— Ideas for improving world order. Francis Deng, a research professor at the Johns Hopkins Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (Washington), and Roberta Cohen, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution (Washington), for the guidelines they have developed for the protection and aid of internally disabled people.

— Music composition. George Tsontakis, a faculty member at the Aspen Music School (Colo.), for his Violin Concerto No. 2.

— Psychology. Elizabeth Loftus, a psychologist and professor at the U. of California at Irvine, for her research on memory and how it can be altered.

— Religion. George M. Marsden, a history professor at the U. of Notre Dame (Ind.), for Jonathan Edwards: A Life, his biography of the 18th-century American preacher and theologian.

Social services. The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty (Grand Rapids, Mich.) has presented its 2004 Samaritan Award to the Emmanuel Gospel Center (Boston), in recognition of its work in economic development and community-based lending for poor people. The award, which carries a $10,000 cash prize, is sponsored by the institute’s Center for Effective Compassion.

Violence prevention. The California Wellness Foundation (Woodland Hills) has awarded its 2004 California Peace Prizes to three violence-prevention advocates. The recipients, who each received a $25,000 cash prize:

— Zelenne Cárdenas, director of prevention services at Social Model Recovery Systems (Covina, Calif.), who directs a community-based program dedicated to preventing alcohol- and drug-related problems in the eastern area of downtown Los Angeles known as Skid Row.

— Patricia Giggans, executive director of the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women, who works to end sexual and domestic violence against women, youths, and children, and who has spearheaded advocacy efforts in support of the Sexual Assault Victims’ DNA Bill of Rights.

— The Rev. Anthony Ortiz, founder of California Youth Outreach (San Jose), which provides intensive gang prevention and intervention services in Santa Clara and several other California communities.

Volunteers. The McKnight Foundation (Minneapolis) has announced the recipients of its 2004 Virginia McKnight Binger Awards in Human Service, which honor Minnesota residents who volunteer their time and expertise to enhance the quality of life of others. The winners, each of whom received $7,500, are: Jim Andre (Roseville), Elsie Dugar (St. Paul), Mahmoud El-Kati (St. Paul), Donna Gillen (St. Paul), Mary Gnerer (Rosemount), Daniel Hawkins (Solway), Rayome Clark Koehler (Erskine), Mary Maas (St. Paul), Margaret McBride (Edina), Christine Norton (Cottage Grove), Kay Trainor (Red Wing), and Carol Voss (Hibbing).