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 he Ohio Humanities Council is pleased to announce the joint winners of the 2001 Bjornson Award for Distinguished Service in the Humanities.The worthy recipients of this year’s award are Charles C. Cole, Jr. and Phillip R. Shriver.
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 Dr. Charles C. Cole, Jr. is Executive Director Emeritus of the Ohio Humanities Council, having served as Executive Director from 1976-1990. His other professional experiences include serving as the President of Wilson College, the Provost, Dean and Professor of History at Lafayette College, and the Associate Dean,  Assistant Dean and Lecturer in History at Columbia University. Cole was recognized by the Ohio Academy of History when he received their Distinguished Service Award in 1990. He has published a myriad of articles, mostly related to higher education and history. Cole also wrote a number of books; the latest, A Fragile Capital - Identity and the Early Years of Columbus, Ohio, is an engaging and informative account of Columbus’ first four decades, encompassing all economic classes and ethnic and racial groups that worked together to help build the state capital.
Dr. Cole’s volunteer activities are widespread. Some of his most notable commitments involve service in central Ohio. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of The Ohio State University Libraries, a Trustee of Denison University Research Foundation, a Juror of the Columbus International Film Festival, and a member of the World War II Round Table (Cole was a fighter pilot in the 8th Air Force). He is currently the host of “Conversations in the Humanities” on Columbus’ television Channel 3. Cole’s past and present work in facilitating American Indian heritage programs are highly recognized and appreciated, especially in the Delaware Nation Grand Council of North America. Throughout his career, he has worked to promote the humanities to all people of Ohio.
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 Dr. Phillip R. Shriver is a well-known and beloved figure at Miami University and throughout the state. Shriver is President Emeritus and Professor of History at the university, and has devoted more than 50 years to teaching Ohio history. A graduate of Cleveland public schools, he earned degrees from Yale, Harvard, and Columbia universities and honorary degrees from ten other colleges and universities. After his service in World War II, he returned to Ohio to teach American and Ohio History at Kent State University. In addition to his many other achievements, he received honors from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Federal University of Parana, Brazil.
Dr. Shriver served on the Ohio Humanities Council from 1983-1989, and has written seven books and more than 200 articles relating to history and archaeology. He received the 1990 Converse Award for outstanding contributions to Ohio archaeology and the 1991 Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio Academy of History. A former chair of the Ohio Historical Society, he continues to serve as a member of the Society’s Board of Trustees. He was instrumental as Chairman of Ohio’s Bicentennial Commission for the Northwest Ordinance and the United States Constitution, as well as chairing the Federal Reserve Board of the Cincinnati Bank of the Federal Reserve System. Shriver has devoted his professional career to increasing the understanding and appreciation of the humanities, and he continues to make meaningful contributions to the state and its population.
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| The Bjornson Award for Distinguished Service in the Humanities is named for the late Richard Bjornson, a member of the Ohio Humanities Council and Professor of French and Comparative Studies at The Ohio State University. The Award is presented each year to an Ohio native or resident who has made outstanding career contributions to the public knowledge and appreciation of the humanities. The prize consists of an engraved plaque and an award of $1,000. |
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