The Illinois Humanities Council (IHC), in conjunction with Illinois mayors, is proud to announce the recipients of the 2009 Studs Terkel Humanities Service Awards.
This award, now in its 10th year, recognizes individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the cultural life of their communities.
These 44 local “humanities heroes” were selected by their mayors for their exemplary efforts to champion the humanities in their communities, from Carbondale to Chicago and from Savanna to Springfield.
Many of these recipients were involved in creating awareness about local or regional history in their communities through the establishment of historical societies or museums.
Others were noted for their outstanding dedication to education, formal and informal; to literacy and library programs; and to creating awareness for cultural heritage, music, literature, and the arts.
“The IHC could not have identified the more than 40 Studs Terkel medallists without the help of Illinois mayors and village presidents,” said IHC Executive Director Kristina A. Valaitis.
“We are so pleased that in the 10th year of this program, we are able to honor these champions of the humanities that make their communities and our whole state more vibrant.”
The awardees of the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award will receive an engraved medal of recognition at ceremonies held in their communities throughout the fall.
The medals are struck in solid bronze by the Medallic Art Company—the company that makes both the Pulitzer Prize and the Peabody Award—and engraved with the names of the recipients and their communities.
Please contact the Mayor or Village President’s office for local ceremony dates and times.
ABOUT THE STUDS TERKEL HUMANITIES SERVICE AWARD
Named after the prize-winning oral historian and author, Studs Terkel, the awards reflect the spirit of this prominent son of Illinois.
Terkel was a modern-day renaissance man: an actor, playwright, jazz columnist, film narrator, and disc jockey. He is perhaps most admired for documenting 20th-century America through the words and voices of ordinary people.
Recipients were selected for their service in the humanities, which include significant and sustained efforts to further public understanding of, and appreciation for, the humanities at the community level.
This program was started in 1999, in honor of the IHC’s 25th anniversary; this year marks the 10th anniversary of this special honor.
For more information about recipients of the Studs Terkel Humanities Service Awards, call 312-422-5580 or visit prairie.org/studsterkelaward.
For more information about the IHC’s programs and events, please visit our Web site at prairie.org.
About the Illinois Humanities Council
The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities.
Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities.
The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.
Studs Turkel Humanities Service Award Recipients
| Name | Community | Mayor or Village President |
| Mr. Wilbert J. “Bucky” McCoy | Ashley | The Honorable Leonard Piasecki |
| Ms. Rita Lopienski | Bartlett | The Honorable Michael E. Kelly |
| Mr. Jay Allen | Belvidere | The Honorable Frederic C. Brereton |
| Mr. Bill Kemp | Bloomington | The Honorable Steve Stockton |
| Mr. Kit P. Ketchmark | Brookfield | The Honorable Michael Garvey |
| Ms. Nellene Jeter | Byron | The Honorable Christopher R. Millard |
| Ms. Michelle Micetich | Carbon Hill | The Honorable Edward M. Pacchetti |
| Ms. Ruth Corene McDaniel | Carbondale | The Honorable Brad Cole |
| Mr. Jim Glasgow and Mr. Bill Culbreth | Centralia | The Honorable Rebecca Ault |
| Ms. Donna Seaman | Chicago | The Honorable Richard M. Daley |
| Ms. Joey Woolridge | Clinton | The Honorable Ed Wollet |
| Mr. Paul Osborne | Decatur | The Honorable Michael T. McElroy |
| Ms. Ellen Bartolozzi | Elmwood Park | The Honorable Peter N. Silvestri |
| Ms. LaDonna Gass | Emden | The Honorable Ivan Rademaker |
| Ms. Chie Curley | Evanston | The Honorable Elizabeth B. Tisdahl |
| Ms. Suzanne Knapp | Fox River Grove | The Honorable Robert J. Nunamaker |
| Mr. Dan Anderson | Glen Ellyn | The Honorable Mark Pfefferman |
| Mr. J. Martin Olsen | Glendale Heights | The Honorable Linda Jackson |
| Mr. John Shimkus | Granville | The Honorable Doug Gimbal |
| Mr. Lawrence Block | Highland Park | The Honorable Michael D. Belsky |
| Ms. Michelle Pilafas | Hoffman Estates | The Honorable William D. McLeod |
| Mr. Jonathan Elfner | Homewood | The Honorable Richard A. Hofeld |
| Ms. Mary Ann Kaylor | Illiopolis | The Honorable Robert Winters |
| Mr. Michael Galati | Lemont | The Honorable Brian K. Reaves |
| Mr. Damian T. Macey | Marshall | The Honorable Kenneth R. Smith |
| Mr. Richard (Dick) Sax | Mascoutah | The Honorable Gerald (Jerry) E. Daugherty |
| Mr. Don Dalton | Midlothian | The Honorable Terrence M. Stephens |
| Ms. Stephanie Downs Hughes | Naperville | The Honorable A. George Pradel |
| Mr. Brian Simpson | Normal | The Honorable Chris Koos |
| Ms. Susie Field | Northbrook | The Honorable Sandra E. Frum |
| Colonel John C. Buford | Orangeville | The Honorable Donald L. Hoyle |
| Ms. Maria DeCaprio-Sunta | Palos Heights | The Honorable Robert S. Straz |
| Dr. Joseph Matheu | Palos Park | The Honorable John F. Mahoney |
| The William Diaz Family (Bill, Jane, Joe, and Ben) | Pontiac | The Honorable Robert T. Russell |
| Mr. Joseph Ballerine and Ms. JoAnn Kosey | Riverside | The Honorable Michael C. Gorman |
| Ms. Jane Wendling and Mr. David Haney | Rushville | The Honorable Scott A. Thompson |
| Mr. Gene Wright | Savanna | The Honorable Larry Stebbins |
| Ms. Beverly Peters | Springfield | The Honorable Timothy J. Davlin |
| Ms. Shirley Beene | Trout Valley | The Honorable Bob Baker |
| Ms. Sharon Goodman | Warrenville | The Honorable David L. Brummel |
| Mr. Harry Louis Wolf | Waterloo | The Honorable Thomas G. Smith |
| Ms. Fredericka Howard | West Chicago | The Honorable Michael Kwasman |
| Ms. Martha Ingram | Winfield | The Honorable Deborah Birutis |
| Mr. Rick Falato | Yorkville | The Honorable Valerie Burd |
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