The Citation of Merit is the school’s highest alumni honor and is given each year to a person whose life work best typifies the school motto: Not to be ministered unto but to minister. The recipient’s life and actions must demonstrate something humanitarian apart from a vocation or service. He or she must have gone above the ordinary demands of life or occupation. Success in a chosen field does not necessarily quality a person for the honor. At the same time, it is possible for a person to be eminently successful and go beyond the call of duty to serve others.
An alumni committee meets each January to review names that have been recommended by fellow alums and to determine the recipient. Alumni are encouraged to put forth the name of an alumnus or alumna to be considered. Eligibility for the Citation of Merit is also extended to those who are or have been connected with the school or who have shown special interest in Taft. Candidates must be living to receive the award. The name of the recipient remains secret until Alumni Day, when the award is bestowed by the Headmaster at the Alumni Luncheon.
All Citations, since the award’s creation in 1960, hang in a place of honor along Main Hall. The Citation of Merit is a reminder of Taft’s commitment to serve others.
Lowell Thomas, Jr
Class of 1942
Arriving at Taft as a middler, you quickly established your presence as an athlete, singer, debater, and school leader respected by all. You advanced your education at Dartmouth College, taking time off to join the Army Air Corps. Upon graduation, you were assigned duty as an instructor pilot teaching cadets how to fly B-25 bombers during World War II. Your passion for flying and adventure set the course of your life. You became a photographer and lecturer reporting on your travels around the globe. Later at your father's invitation, you ventured to Tibet establishing a strong bond with a struggling country. This expedition was the basis for the book, Out of This World, Tibet, which helped shape our country's view of that region of the world. You received the Light of Truth Award in 2005 and the Dalai Lama proclaimed you the genuine grandfather of the Tibetan movement in the United States. Expanding your communication skills to film, you collaborated with your father to produce some of the first cinerama productions. You followed a little-traveled route to Alaska and became a bush pilot, forming your own air taxi company. Later you entered the political world and served as a state senator and became lieutenant governor of Alaska. As an environmental activist you led the efforts to establish a state park and were recognized for your work to preserve the wildlife, ecosystems, and communities for present and future generations. Alaska's inhabitants look to you for visionary leadership in the conservation of their land and will be forever grateful for your role in the state's saga. You and your beloved wife, Tay, have written of travels together and your life in Alaska. You have shared your love for the rugged expanse of Alaska's terrain and the awe of its arctic treasures so that others can learn of the wonders of our 49th state and understand the importance of its role in our country's future. We admire the wonderful ways in which you have conveyed a life of adventure and travel—making the marvels of the world accessible to all. Your constant efforts to preserve the environment, your passionate dedication to wildlife, and your loyal service to the state of Alaska continue to demonstrate a life of commitment to others and to nature. It is with enormous pride and gratitude that we acknowledge your accomplishments and confer upon you Taft School's highest honor, the Citation of Merit.
Listen to Lowell Thomas Jr's remarks at the 2011 Old Guard Dinner
To nominate someone for the Taft Alumni Citation of Merit award
Simply send a message to CitationofMerit@TaftSchool.org.
Please include the person's name, class year, and the reason you think they should be considered.
Thank you.
Citation of Merit Awards
1960 Thomas D. Thacher, Class of 1899
Robert A. Taft 1906
Charles P. Taft 1913
Henry N. Mallon 1913
Robert L. Johnson 1914
Linn F. Cooper 1917
Yale Kneeland, Jr. 1918
1961 Frederick H. Wiggin, Jr. 1899
J. Irwin Miller 1927
1962 M. Heminway Merriman 1897
Mason W. Gross 1929
1963 Mr. & Mrs. Paul Cruikshank
1964 Austin D. Barney 1914
1965 Sherman Baldwin 1914
1966 Francis O. Ayres 1927
1967 Harold Howe, II 1936
1968 John M. Schiff 1921
1969 Henry S.F. Cooper, M.D. 1913
1970 Barclay Robinson 1915
1971 James I. Armstrong 1937
1972 John C. Esty, Jr.
1973 Harmar Brereton 1927
1974 John Lyman 1914
1975 Donald V. Buttenheim 1933
1976 John H. Mallon 1915
1977 Orin Lehman 1938
1978 Kate Peterson Mailliard
1979 Charles C. Finucane 1924
1980 E. Philip Snyder, Jr. 1938
1981 Henry L. Hillman 1937
1982 Deane Keller 1919
1983 Horace D. Taft 1943
1984 Andrew K. Marckwald 1930
1985 Robert W. Sweet 1940
1986 Henry W. Taft 1943
1987 Harold B. Whiteman, Jr. 1937
1988 Louis F. Laun 1938
1989 George H. Weyerhaeuser 1944
1990 Centennial Year-No award given
1991 Henry P. Becton 1933
1992 Maynard Mack 1927
1993 Katherine duPont Gahagan
1994 Peter R. Fink 1951
Charles E. Yonkers 1958
1995 William R. Duryee 1923
1996 William H. Risley 1935
1997 William A. Waldron 1931
1998 Lee Paul Klingenstein 1944
1999 Donald F. McCullough 1942
2000 H. Wick Chambers, Jr. 1927
2001 Lance R. and Patricia K. Odden
2002 Cheves M. Smythe 1942
2003 Alfred Gilman 1958
2004 Wesley S. Williams, Jr. 1959
2005 John L. Vogelstein 1952
2006 Samuel F. Pryor III 1946
2007 John A. Logan, Jr. 1942
2008 John S. Wold 1934
2009 John Merrow II 1959
2010 John Orb 1937
2011 Lowell Thomas, Jr 1942
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