White House Presidential Volunteer Awards—Two community-based projects received a White House Presidential Award for effectively involving volunteers.

• The first award, presented by President Richard Nixon in 1971, honored a program that paired 720 Ohio University Students in weekly friendship connections with every psychiatric patient in the Regional State Hospital, Athens, Ohio.

• The second honor was awarded by President George H. Bush and presented by former President Jimmy Carter in 2002 honoring a project involving 345 adult reading partners (one for every student) in the lowest achieving Duluth elementary school. After meeting weekly for one year, the average reading achievement scores at every grade level moved up from last to second in the School District. This program is now entering its tenth year and remains successful.

Phi Kappa Phi, honorary academic Society, Ohio University, 1971

Hoskins Lecturer, Yale University Divinity School, 1978

George Hill Annual Award as outstanding Ohio University alumnus for significant contributions to the field of education and counseling, 1983

Blandin Foundation Entrepreneurial Success Award, 1993

Highlighted by both Entrepreneur Magazine and Publisher’s Weekly for a socially responsible style of nurturing the publishing business from start-up phase to an international company with 36 employees and a 30% annual growth rate.

The Midwest Independent Publisher Association’s Publisher of the Year Award, 1993

Employer of the Year Award from the Duluth United Developmental Achievement Center, 1994.

Duluth Mayor’s Community Service Award for leadership of the Sister City Program, 1992

The Duluth Education Association’s Key Person of the Year award, 1999.

Paul Harris Fellow (twice honored by the Duluth Rotary Club #25)

Book Awards: 53 titles have won a total of 124 national and regional awards for content, design and marketing