Awards

Chapter award winners

For many years, the chapter handed out three annual awards to honor service to journalism and SPJ. In 2001, the chapter’s board voted to add a fourth award — the Brick Wall Award — as a “dishonor” to call attention to public officials who improperly block access to public records or proceedings.

Past winners of these awards are listed below, although chapter records are incomplete. (If you can help fill in the blanks, let us know.)

First Amendment Award

This award recognizes significant contributions to the First Amendment rights of freedom of expression. Individuals and organizations both inside and outside of journalism are eligible.

2009 – Geoff Dutton and Mike Wagner, Columbus Dispatch
2008 – Jill Riepenhoff and Jennifer Smith Richards, Columbus Dispatch
2007 – Marc Dann, Ohio attorney general
2006 – Fred Gittes, Gittes & Schulte
2005 – State Rep. W. Scott Oelslager, R, Canton
2004 – Dennis Leone, former superintendent of Chillicothe Schools
2003 – Martin Rozenman, Suburban News Publications
2002 – Catherine Candisky and Darrel Rowland, The Columbus Dispatch
2001 – Staff of the Ohio State University Lantern
2000 – Thomas A. Schwartz, OSU journalism professor
1999 – Cliff Wiltshire, Suburban News Publications
1998 – Verne Edwards, Delaware Gazette
1997 – Frank Deaner, Ohio Newspaper Association
1996 – Martin Yant, Ohio Observer magazine
1995 – Staff of the Ohio University Post
1994 – The Columbus Dispatch and Editor Bob Smith
1993 – not presented
1992 – Alan D. Miller, The Columbus Dispatch
1991 – The Fairfield County Leader
1990 – Luke Feck, former Dispatch editor
1989 – Andrew Douglas, Ohio Supreme Court Justice
1986 – Sam Perdue, Columbus Citizen-Journal city editor and columnist
1983 – Judge John W. McCormac of the Franklin County Court of Appeals

Other winners:
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer (year not known)

Distinguished Service Award

This award is for a member of the chapter who demonstrates professional excellence and dedication to SPJ.

2009 – F. Michael Lorz, past chapter president
2008 – Brian R. Ball, past chapter president, and David W. Richter, past chapter board member
2007 – Jennifer Davis and Kirk Richards, past chapter board members
2006 – Martin L. Rozenman, past chapter board member
2005 – Bruce Cadwallader, past chapter president and national Legal Defense Fund chairman
2004 – Gary Kiefer and Chuck Nelson, past chapter presidents
2003 – Rose Hume, OSU chapter adviser and past chapter president
2002 – Katie Foley, past chapter president, and Paul Kostyu, board member
2001 – Joe McKnight and Sarah Mills Bacha, past chapter presidents
2000 – Jeff Botti, past chapter board member
1999 – Phil Rudell, past chapter president
1998 – Marilyn Greenwald, chapter board member and OU chapter adviser
1997 – Jim Toms, publisher of Suburban News Publications and past board member
1996 – Pat Schmucki, past chapter president
1995 – Beth Gianforcaro, past chapter president
1994 – Mary Beth Lane, past chapter president
1993 – Norman Dohn, Ohio University journalism professor and a chapter founder
1992 – Ralph Izard, director of Ohio University’s Scripps School of Journalism
1991 – Dr. Walter Bunge, director of the Ohio State University School of Journalism
1990 – Thomas A. Schwartz, past chapter president and OSU journalism professor
1989 – Carl L. Ebright, former assistant to the executive editor at The Dispatch
1988 – Wayne V. Harsha, a founding member of the chapter, and Pat Schmucki, past chapter president
1986 – Tim Puet, Associated Press and chapter board member
1982 – David Lore, past chapter president and national convention chairman
1980 – Ernest Cady, retired Dispatch book editor and first president of the chapter
1978 – Arthur W. Myers, assistant manager at Battelle Memorial Institute
1977 – Jim Hunkler, director of public relations for Battelle and past chapter president
1974 – Macy M. ”Boots” Carothers, longtime editor of the Ohio American Legion newspaper

Other winners:
Noreen Johnson, the first woman to serve as a director and chapter officer

Appreciation Award

This award is presented to an individual or organization that has made a notable contribution to journalism in central Ohio.

2009 – Kirk Arnott, Columbus Dispatch, and Dom Cappa, Business First
2008 – Danny Russell, former editor of The Other Paper
2007 – Joe McKnight, Associated Press (retired) and past chapter president
2006 – Robert Ruth, The Columbus Dispatch
2005 – Anne Maher, Suburban News Publications
2004 – Lee Leonard, The Columbus Dispatch
2003 – Dave Richter, retired OSU journalism professor and SPJ board member
2002 – Michael F. Curtin, president and associate publisher of The Columbus Dispatch
2001 – Bruce Cadwallader, national convention chairman
2000 – Mike Mahoney and American Electric Power
1999 – Don Lambert, Ohio University journalism professor
1998 – Ralph Izard, retired director of the Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University
1997 – Jerry Revish, WBNS-TV news anchor
1996 – Bob Smith, retired Dispatch editor
1995 – Joe Meyer, Suburban News Publications
1994 – Mary McGarey, longtime chapter and board member
1993 – Jim Underwood, former Plain Dealer bureau chief
1992 – Bill Cohen, Ohio Public Radio/Television
1991 – Martin Yant, The Dispatch
1990 – Thomas M. Forsythe, publisher of Suburban News Publications
1988 – Dick Otte, Dispatch managing editor
1986 – John J. Clarke, Ohio State University journalism professor
1979 – C. William O’Neill, chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court

Other winners:
Benson Wolman of the American Civil Liberties Union

Brick Wall Award

Started in 2001, this dubious distinction is presented to the individual or organization that, according to chapter members, did the most to block citizen access to public records and proceedings or otherwise violated the spirit of the First Amendment during the past year. Anyone is eligible, but special consideration will be given to public officials and tax-funded agencies that fail to follow the law.

2009 – Olentangy Board of Education
2008 – Ohio Department of Education
2007 – Ohio Supreme Court justices Paul Pfeifer, Judith Ann Lanzinger, Terrence O’Donnell, Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and Alice Robie Resnick
2006 – The Ohio Supreme Court for a series of decisions which weakened Ohio’s Open Records law. Particularly onerous was the court’s decision to recognize “executive privilege” for the Ohio governor’s office in Dann v. Taft. This exception is not in the state’s Open Records statutes or the Ohio Constitution. In other record-shielding decisions, the court has blocked newspaper access to photographs of police officers and to the home addresses of state employees — both longstanding public documents.
2005 – Sen. Larry Mumper, R, Marion: Sponsored “Academic Bill of Rights” to limit what professors can say in the classroom; Jacqueline Piar, superintendent of Northridge Local Schools: Dismissed the high school principal and sent public records out of the county to shield them from view and asked the Licking County sheriff to drop a criminal investigation.
2004 – Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Robert S. Tongren: Destroyed a $579,000 consultants’ report to hide it from public scrutiny
2003 – Village of New Rome: Refused to provide documents showing how money was spent or how some officials came to occupy their offices
2002 – The Ohio Historical Society: Refused to follow Ohio laws regarding open meetings or public records, even though it received 75 percent of its annual funding from taxpayers; kept executive salaries secret
2001 – Judge Thomas E. Louden of Delaware County Juvenile Court: Sued by The Columbus Dispatch when he improperly closed a detention hearing and posted deputy sheriffs at the doors of the Delaware County Courthouse to keep the media out of the building)