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The John Hope Award

The John Hope Award, co-sponsored by the Brown Alumni Association and the Swearer Center for Public Service, is named for the 1894 African-American alumnus who dedicated his life to education and community service. With this award, the BAA honors a graduate whose commitment to public service exemplifies leadership, innovation, and a direct impact on the community. The honoree may be a professional whose career is dedicated to public service or a volunteer devoted to public service or social action.

Special note: From 2003 – 2005, due to the extraordinarily high quality of nominations of very young alumni for this award, the John Hope Award selection committee also recognized a number of these nominees with the Young Alumni Service Award. Their names are included in the list below with the designation "YASA".

(Click on a name for more information on the recipient.)

2008 Recipient:
George Lima ’48
one of World War II’s famous Tuskegee Airmen, a lifelong activist and public servant
(more about this recipient coming soon)

Nominate a recipient for 2009

Previous Award Recipients:
John Bonifaz '87
founder and director of National Voting Rights Institute

Sheryl Brissett-Chapman '71
executive director of the National Center for Children and Families

Thomas J. Brown '50
advocate for Boston low-income housing development

Edward E. Cornwell III '78
chief of trauma at the John Hopkins Hospital; president of both
the Society of Black Academic Surgeons and the National Medical Association

Derek Ellerman ’02 and Katherine Chon ’02
founders of the Polaris Project

Earle W. Fisher '42
volunteer nurse caring for AIDS infants

Paul G. Heck '89
founder and director of the Red Hot Organization

Louella T. Hill '04 (YASA)
founder and director of Farm Fresh Rhode Island

Jeffrey R. Keitelman '82
founder of Greater D.C. Cares; continued public service

Peter A. Kovacs '78,
Stephanie L. Grace '87 and
Mary K.  Swerczek '98

New Orleans Times-Picayune editor and staff writers performing multi-faceted coverage of Hurricane Katrina under extreme circumstances.

Marcia Loebenstein McBeath '45
Peace Corps volunteer

Mary Louise Hinckley Record '37
lifelong hospital volunteer

David E. Saltzman '84
founder and executive director of the Robin Hood Foundation

Jeffrey Swartz '82
CEO of Timberland; advocate and financial supporter of City Year

Bryant Toth MD '76
co-founder of the Indo China Surgical Exchange in Vietname

Patricia Walker Walsh '65
founder, Truancy Intervention Project and Kids In Need of Dreams

W. Terence Walsh '65
founder, Best Girls Club at Capitol Area Ministries

Khary Lazarre-White '95 and Jason Warwin '95 (YASA)
co-founders of The Brotherhood/SisterSol

Adriana V. Young '01 (YASA)
founder and executive director of English for Action