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Bobby Hawthorne received the Carl Towley Award in 2007. Photo by Bradley Wilson. |
This is JEA’s highest honor and is presented to a JEA member whose work is unusually beneficial and of superior value to the national JEA and to scholastic journalism. National JEA membership is required. Since 1985, only one award is presented each year.
The winner receives a lifetime membership to JEA, is asked to speak at the awards luncheon at the fall convention and has his or her travel and hotel paid for the fall convention. JEA members are encouraged to nominate individuals for this award. Nominations of unsuccessful candidates are retained for a maximum of two additional years and the original nominator is invited to send updated information by the July 1 deadline.
CLICK HERE to nominate someone.
The Carl Towley Award, JEA’s highest tribute to a member, is given in honor of its first executive secretary. The National Association of Journalism Directors, as JEA was originally known, grew under his leadership.
Carl Towley (1907-1959) wrote letters to administrators of high schools and colleges throughout the nation, calling attention to the importance of journalism courses. His action was triggered by the facts that many journalism teachers were not adequately prepared to teach journalism or advise student publications and also that among 556 winners in the 1956 National Merit Scholarship competition, only three students planned to major in journalism.
“Although officers of NAJD came and went, Carl remained the unifying influence that kept the association functioning,” wrote Sister M. Rita Jeanne, FSPA, in JEA’s Golden Anniversary record. “Dedicated, not only to teaching journalism, but also to the betterment of teaching techniques and conditions, Carl was a bulwark of strength in the fight for professional recognition of journalism teachers.”
Towley established commissions, planned programs, strengthened cooperative efforts with other scholastic journalism organizations and created projects to help journalism students and their advisers develop journalistic skills. He chaired a Commission on the Status of Journalism and planned a series of articles in educational journals slanted to interest administrators.
“Blueprint for Tomorrow” was the theme for the Hopkins (Minn.) High School yearbook, The Warrior, in 1959 when the staff made a surprise dedication to their adviser, Carl Towley.
Dedication:
To one who teaches the fundamentals of civic responsibility
To one who practices these fundamentals through service to the community
To one who perfects these fundamentals by living them each day
To one who believes, “The greatest contributions I can make to my
classes is to help them develop a social consciousness — which to me is
a sensitive awareness of others, their needs, hopes, fears and
accomplishments — all of which may lead to mutual understanding and
respect.”
We take pride in dedicating the 1959 Warrior to you — Carl Towley.
JEA’s most honored winners exemplify the same dedication to JEA and to scholastic journalism that Carl Towley exhibited.
1964
Mr and Mrs Fred Kildow
Homer Post*
Sister M Rita Jeanne, FSPA*
1965
Ruth Marie Griggs*
Kenneth Stratton*
Paul Swensson
1966
Lester Benz*
Sister Ann Heintz*
Helen Sinsabaugh
1967
Howard Brier
Laurence R Campbell*
Joseph M Murphy
1968
Edmund C Arnold*
Robert Jones
DeWitt Reddick*
1969
Warren Agee
Clifford Helbert
Elwood Karwand
1970
James P Alexander
Gretchen A Kemp*
Robert Knight*
1971
John “Jack” Field
Dorothy Greer
Robert Tottingham
1972
Gene Gilmore
Max Haddick
Louis Inglehart*
Virginia Woodring*
1973
Dr George Gallup*
Harvey Jacobs*
Alyce Sheetz
1974
Kathleen Jorgenson*
1975
Clarence Hach*
Minnie McGee
Ted Tajima
1976
Dorothy McPhillips*
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1977
Jan Wiseman
1978
Julian Adams
Cam Sims
1979
Tom Engleman
1980
Craig Trygstad
Molly Clemons
Marion Hahn
1981
Dick Lloyd
1982
Richard Johns
1983
Ron Clemons
1984
Gary Daloyan
Barbara Nilson
Tom E Rolnicki
1985
Margaret Johnston
1986
Hilda Walker
1987
John Wheeler
1988
Nancy L Green
1989
Tom Eveslage
1990
Robert L Button
1991
HL Hall
1992
Mark Goodman
1993
Howard Spanogle
1994
John Bowen |
1995
Kenson Siver
1996
Susan Hathaway Tantillo
1997
Candace Perkins Bowen
1998
Linda S. Puntney
1999
Kay D. Phillips
2000
Marilyn Weaver
2001
Julie E Dodd
2002
Rob Melton
2003
Jack Dvorak
2004
Jack Kennedy
2005
Ann Akers
2006
Bradley Wilson
2007
Bobby Hawthorne
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* deceased |
