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Florida State College for Women Alumnae Association Award of Honor Programs, 1936-1937

 

Summary

Creator:
Florida State College for Women Alumnae Association
Extent:
4.00 items
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Florida State University Alumnae Association Award of Honor Programs, Special Collections, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/MSS-2007-035

Background

Scope and content:

The Florida State College for Women Alumnae Association Award of Honor programs document the first and second ceremonies conferring this award on May 23, 1936 and May 27, 1937. The programs contain pictures of the award, a description of its history and purpose, the speech given by each guest speaker, and a list of the award recipients for each year with brief biographical sketches.

Biographical / historical:

The Award of Honor was established by the Florida State College for Women (FSCW) Alumnae Association for conferring upon graduates of the College who attained prominence in their post-graduate careers. The idea of the award was first proposed at the Alumnae Institute in November 1935 and was adopted at the meeting of the Executive Council of the Alumnae Association immediately following the Institute. FSCW President Conradi's charge was to appoint a committee to develop the plan for the award. The members of the committee were Miss Nina McAdam, chairman; Mrs. Clara Johnson Wallis; Mrs. Felicia Williams Traxler; Miss Maud McCall; Mrs. Dorothy Johnson Nilson; Miss Julia Smith; and Miss Lucy Pope. According to the 1937 program, the Award of Honor was conferred upon graduates "for attainment in the field of science, of liberal arts, of professional accomplishment, of civic and social service, and of distinguished service to the College." The first awards were conferred at a special ceremony on Alumnae Day, May 23, 1936, at the Augusta Conradi Theater.

Recommendations for the award were made annually by any alumna or by the members of the College Executive Council to the Award of Honor's Alumnae Committee. The Committee reviewed the complete histories and records of the post-graduate careers of all nominees for the award. Successful candidates received the unanimous vote of the Committee, and the decision of the Committee was final. However, a nomination could be re-submitted with additional data for consideration of an award.

To make the award truly significant, the committee selected sculptors of national reputation to create and model the design and eminently skilled craftsmen in metal work to reproduce the bronze medallions. The obverse of the medallion shows the portals and towers of the College administration building (Westcott), and the reverse side shows the three torches ("Vires, Arts, Mores"), the engraved inscription of the award, and the begonia, a symbolic wreath of tropical plant life representing "beneficent productiveness." The 1936 program notes that the "gradually perfecting blossoms coming from the long stalk indicate grace and represent the Beatitudes."

Recipients in 1936 were Kathryn Reece Haun, Shirley Virginia Long, Rowena Longmire, Caroline La Fontisse McCollum, Clara McDonald Olson, Mary Bailey Sloan, and Irita Bradford Van Doren. In 1937, the award was conferred upon Eugenia Tatum Davis, Inga Olla Helseth, and Carol Perrenot Longone.

Acquisition information:
Cannot be determined.
Processing information:

Processed by Burt Altman in November 2007.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open to all researchers.

Terms of access:

To request permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from the archives, please contact Heritage & University Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. Researchers must obtain separate permission from the copyright holders of material held within University Archives collections for which the institution does not hold copyright.

Preferred citation:

Florida State University Alumnae Association Award of Honor Programs, Special Collections, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/MSS-2007-035

Location of this collection:
116 Honors Way
Tallahassee
FL
32306-2047
USA