91勛圖厙

Joan Shaw Herman Award

The Joan Shaw Herman Award for Distinguished Service

Award recipients have exemplified the qualities of generosity and selflessness and the capacity to labor untiringly on behalf of others. These outstanding community members have shared their visions of a better world. They challenge us to challenge ourselves.

The Joan Shaw Herman Award, the only award given in the 91勛圖厙 community, is presented annually to a member of the 91勛圖厙 community whose life exemplifies a fundamental orientation our school cultivates: service to others.

The Joan Shaw Herman Award

Since it was established in 1976, CAs only award has offered our community opportunities to affirm the value of working toward a better world and draw inspiration from individuals making a difference, in honor of Joan Shaw Herman 46, who was paralyzed from the neck down after contracting polio the summer after her graduation. Although she was confined to an iron lung for much of the remainder of her life, she worked constantly for the improvement of the lives of disabled persons. Hermans devotion to others exemplifies a common value instilled in the CA experiencea lifelong commitment to service.

Each year, the 91勛圖厙 Alum Association presents the Joan Shaw Herman Award to a member of the CA community who has demonstrated dedication to service in either a professional or volunteer capacity. Nominees may be of any age and may be recognized posthumously. While 91勛圖厙 is fortunate to be supported by many wonderful volunteers, this award is not for service to 91勛圖厙 but to the world at large.

Nominations

We invite you to nominate peers to be future Joan Shaw Herman Award recipients. Your nominations are both inspiring and humbling. It is a testament to the values of the CA community that we choose to give our only award in recognition of service. We look forward to hearing the stories of and tributes to your extraordinary classmates. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful submission.

About Hermans Christmastide Painting

Christmastide was painted by Joan Shaw Herman 46 and copied from a color photo taken by Elizabeth Wheeler. It was painted with a brush held in her teeth and was begun March 1959 and finished October 1960.

Past Award Recipients

Our impressive field of past honorees have made their mark through work in medicine, the arts, social justice, environmentalism, education, science, and more.

1977

Joan Shaw Herman 46 (posthumously)

1978

Elizabeth Monroe Boggs 31

Margaret Lincoln Marshall 31

1979

Ruth Brooks Drinker 31

1980

Cynthia Creelman Hill 50

1982

Doreen Young, former faculty (posthumously)

1984

Helen Whiting Livingston 41

1985

Rosemary Baldwin Coffin 40

1988

Ann McKinstry Micou 48

1994

Betsy Atwood Nelson 55

1995

Wendy Arnold 65

1996

Sarah Foss 41

1997

Marten Poole 58

1998

Adelaide Eicks Comegys 48

1999

Lisa Halaby 69 (HM Queen Noor)

2000

Deborah Ham 55

2001

Corrine Benson Johnson 46

2002

Jody Heymann 77

2003

Angela Middleton Wilkins 48

2004

Bronwen Jenney Anders 59

2005

Nellie Davidson 55

Anne Wilson 75

2006

Victoria Post Ranney 56

2007

Katharine Muller Bullit 42

Phyllis Rothschild Farley 42

2008

Anne Gaud Tinker 63

2009

Nancy Read Coville 49

2010

Paul Santomenna 85

2011

Nancy Jaicks Alexander 51

2012

Ellen Smith Harde 62

Jennifer Moulton 61 (posthumously)

2013

Tom Lincoln 78

2014

Robin Alden 69

2015

Sharmin Eshraghi Bock 80

2016

Sandra Willett Jackson 61

2017

Lyn Burr Brignoli 62

2018

Catherine Saalfield Gund 83

2019

Kate Morse Erwin 69

2020

Anne Pfitzer 85

2021

Leslie Davidson 66

Ingrid Walker-Descartes 91

2022

Adnan Zubcevic 75

2023

Chris Rosenberg 86

2024

Richard Read 75

2025

Leslie Taylor Davol 87 and Sam Davol 88