The Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award
In honor of its 25th anniversary, The Illinois Humanities Council launched The Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award program in 1999 in which mayors are asked to nominate those individuals, primarily volunteers, who have championed the humanities in their communities. The program is now run on a biennial schedule. Since 1999, nearly 400 recipients have been named. The communities that have participated in the program are as far south as Makanda and as far north as Waukegan. Of these recipients, the majority was involved in creating awareness about local and/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; to creating awareness for cultural heritage, music, literature, and the arts. By recognizing their efforts, we also encourage others, notably local government, to pay a bit more attention to the humanities.
In local ceremonies, award recipients receive a medal designed especially for the awards program. 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. In addition, bios of all recipients are printed by the Illinois Humanities Council in a booklet, and all awardees and their Mayors or Village Presidents are invited to a biennial reception in Springfield or Chicago.
For names and communities of the previous Studs Terkel Humanities Service Award recipients click the "Archive" link in the blue box to the right.
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