GCBA Law Day Award Recipients
In 1962, from a concept developed by Thomas C. Yeotis and Richard Ruhala, the Genesee County Bar Association became the first bar in the counrty to develop and bestow the Annual Liberty Bell Award. Before long, the idea spread to other local and state bar associations, eventually reaching the American Bar Association. Through the years, five area Liberty Bell honorees have been given the Liberty Bell Award through the State Bar of Michigan.
Liberty Bell
1962
James S. Pass
Mildred Hodges
Earl Sheridan
Joseph A. Anderson
Dr. Fleming Barbour
1963
Marvin Levey
Karl Schwartzwalder
Howard J. Auer
Mrs. Mabel Eugenis
Thomas Kay
1964
Stuart M. Spice
Mr. and Mrs. Forbes K. Merkley
Guy V. Houston
1965
Roger Cramton
Roger Townsend
Miss Vivien Ingram
Mrs. Donald Cushman
1966
Clarence H. Young
Colonel E. Gillespie
Mrs. Odell Broadway
1967
Floyd J. McCree
William C. Crick
Mrs. Verna H. Barkey
1968
Edward A. “Ted” McLogan
Arthur H. Sarvis
James A. Kintz
1969
Maysoe J. Jarrett
Merliss Brown
Mrs. Robert Hameister
1970
Mrs. Ophelia Bonner
Bolton Pap
Dr. Hera E. Branch
1971
Dr. John W. MacKenzie
Mrs. Lawrence E. Schaefer
Dr. Clarence B. Kimbrough
1972
Melvin Banner
Robert E. Ennis
Margaret Simberg
Norman W. Bully
1973
Dr. Gerald Schneberger
Mrs. James Applegate
Fred Dent
1974
Mrs. Ellen M. Howe
Mrs. Sonya Helmer
1975
Mrs. Judith Banfield
Danny D. Sain
Dr. Vivian Lewis
1976
Paul Parker
Harriet Kenworthy
William L. Keaton
1977
Dan Hunter
Mrs. Roberta Somach
Carol C. Pierson
1978
Naomi Murray
Norman Asseltine
Frank Sczepanski
1979
William Hamilton
Cecil McKinnon
Laura Steibel
1980
Ronald Warner
Chester Hughes, Jr.
Sybyl Atwood
1981
Edith Campbell
Rev. Avery Aldridge
Erwin Davis
1982
Mrs. E. Hill Delony
Mike Bennett
Elmer A. Knopf
1983
Carl Mason
Marion Miller
James Patton
1984
Edward Badrow (Ned)
Dr. Robin Widgery
Charlotte Williams
1985
Olive Beasley
William Minardo
Dr. Tuuri
1986
Wilburn Legree - State Winner 99
Dr. Edelbert Rodgers
Nancy Stockham
1987
Helen Friley
Jack Hamady
Betty Howlett
1988
Harold Coles
Lenore Croudy
Dr. Robert G. Schafer
1989
Leonard Press
Dr. Evelyn Golden
Ruben Burks
1990
Bill Haley
Rev. Bob Davidson
Dolores Ennis
1991
Lucille Bigelow
Jesse Thompson
Michael Yeagley
1992
Rev. Reuben Russell
Ed Backus
Adeline Loikree
1993
Father John Klein
Hugh F. Semple
Dr. Doris A. Suciu- State Winner 93
1994
Danny R. Gaydou
William M. Hoskins
Helen Philpott
1995
James Blakely
Kay Huber
Dr. Edwin Novak
1996
Linda R. Clark - State Winner 96
Craig Coney
Steve Heddy
1997
Norman R. Bryant
Mary L. Campbell
Donald R. Cronin - State Winner 97
1998
James “Cap” Wheeler
Peppy Rosenthal
Honorable Thomas C. Yeotis
1999
Earl Jordan
Barbara Powers
Gary Custer
2000
Pamela Loving
Father Lorenzo
Mark Hawkins - State Winner 01
2001
Jimmy King
Denise Smith Allen
Steve Schmidt
2002
Hon. Bruce A. Newman (posthumously)
2003
J. Michael Zelley
Zoanne Saab
2004
Inez M. Brown
Donald D. Lada
2005
Sister M. Claudia Burke
Dr. Marigowda Nagaraju
2006
Harold Ford, ACLU
2007
Shirley Cochran, Motherly Intercession, Inc.
Law Day Golden Apple Award
Joe Eufinger (date unknown), Central H.S.
Rosie Howell (date unknown), Beecher H.S.
1983 Sharon Chapel, Clio H.S.
1987 Grant Bellinger, Fenton H.S.
1994 Unknown
1995 Dr. Dorothy Sample
1996 Susan Sharp, St. Roberts School
1997 Harold Clayton Ford, Beecher H.S
1998 Unknown
1999 Lisa Hanba, Bentley Schools
2000 Nadine Roberts, Northwestern Edison
2001 Mike Yeagley. Flushing H.S.
2002 Lou Kellum, Northern H.S.
2003 Bob Legutko, Swartz Creek H.S.
2004 Richard Adams, Montrose H.S.
2005 Tendaji Ganges, UM-Flint
2006 Ann Lossing Ruwart, Legal Services of Eastern Michigan
2007 Susan Griffin, Valley Christian Academy
Law Day Crime Victim Advocate Award
1994 Roger Sharpe, Sharpe Funeral Home
1995 Shirley Walker, Community Advocate
1996 Unknown
1997 Unknown
1998 Unknown
1999 Cheryl Wyms
2000
Dr. Melissa Hamp
Dr. Brian Nolen
2001
Police Chief Eric King, Mt. Morris Township Police Department
Dr. Ira Rutherford, Superintendent, Beecher Community Schools
2002
Carolyn Sims
Det. James Santa, Flint
Twp.
2003 Jeff Nye, State Police Crime Lab
2004 Lisa Jaworski, Pros. Office
2005 Polly Sheppard
2006 Pastor Lewis Randolph, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church
2007 Hon. Brenda Clack, State Representative