<Monroe Courtright Winner>

A. Monroe Courtright

Since 1977 The Rotary Club of Westerville

has honored one person each year from the

Westerville Community by awarding them with the

A. Monroe Courtright

Community Service Award.

Monroe Courtright was the Owner/Editor of

The Westerville Public Opinion. He was

known throughout the community not only

for his successful professional life but also for his

incredible desire to serve the Westerville

Community.

In July of 1977, Monroe was inducted as President

of the Rotary Club of Westerville. He was

only able to serve a short time when he

passed away.

Rev. Jim Meacham was selected to fulfill

Monroe’s unexpired term as President and

he along with the Rotary Club of Westerville

decided tocreate the A.Monroe Courtright

Community Service Award to honor our fallen comrade as well as recognize a deserving member

of the Westerville Community who both emulated Monroe’s desire to serve as well as Rotary's Motto

of “Service Above Self”

We honor these individuals for their commitment to Westerville and beyond.

A. Monroe Courtright Award Winners

2009 - William V. Merriman

Winning an award for Community Service is usually the last thing on one’s mind when performing a benelovent/selfless/volunteer act, but once in a while someone else notices and that is what happened again this year when Tom Wiebell and his wife Almina decided to bring our attention to long time Westerville resident Bill Merriman.

As with most former Courtright Award nominees/winner, Bill Merriman doesn’t quite get what all the commotion is about. Bill does what he does because he believes in, and loves what he does.

Bill Merriman is a man that should be recognized, not just with an award, but for a life well spent.

The Following article was recently published in the Westerville News & Public Opinion.

Bill Merriman honored with community service award

Published: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 11:17 AM EDT

Westerville Historical Society President Bill Merriman recently was presented with the 2009 A. Monroe Courtright Community Service Award by the Rotary Club of Westerville.

A trustee of the Historical Society for the past 12 years and its president for the past three, Merriman recently spear-headed the effort to have Temperance Row district in Westerville added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The area south of Otterbein College was home to many leaders and workers for the Anti-Saloon League, which moved its national headquarters to Westerville in 1909 to help lead the campaign to enact Prohibition.

Temperance Row -- an 11-acre tract located between Park and Walnut Streets and Grove and University Streets -- officially was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Oct. 16.

Merriman is a former reporter, teacher, and communications specialist for Ohio State University and Battelle Memorial Institute. He has been a Westerville resident for 38 years.

In addition to the Historical Society, he's served on the Concord Counseling Center's board of directors, on a city Charter Review Commission, on the Uptown Review Board (when it was known as the Restoration Review Board), and as an elder and a deacon at his church, Central College Presbyterian -- all volunteer community service posts.

He joins a long list of distinguished recipients of the award, including Jim Grissinger, Jo Ann Davidson, Ned Mosher, Jane Bradford, Maurice and Dorothy McVay, and Esther McDermott.

The award is named after a former publisher of The Public Opinion, who was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Westerville and was known for his local philanthropy and community service efforts.

"I did know Monroe Courtright and am really pleased to be mentioned in the same breath with Monroe, and with (his late wife) Jean Courtright as well," Merriman said.

Merriman accepted the 2009 Courtright Award at a Rotary luncheon last month at Villa Milano.

He spoke about the Historical Society's efforts to put Temperance Row on the National register, and the community service efforts of those who have preceded him as the society's president.

"I did know Monroe Courtright and am really pleased to be mentioned in the same breath with Monroe ..."

--Bill Merriman

2008 – Renee' Kropat

2007 – Joanne Van Sant

2006 – Diane Fosselman

2005 – Westerville Caring and Sharing

2004 – Rich Siegel

2003 – C. William Swank

2002 – Garrett Brusco

2001 – Jim Grissinger

2000 – Vinny Herwig

1999 – Kathy Cocuzzi

1998 – Jo Ann Davidson

1997 – Charlotte Walker

1996 – Dick Rano

1995 – Paul Askins

1994 – Marge Day Lewis

1993 – Edna Zech

1992 – Dr. Bill Freeman

1991 – Ned Mosher

1990 – Joe “Grandpaw” Bernowski – Dwight “Smokey” Ballinger

1989 – Don W. Miller

1988 – Jane W. Bradford

1987 – Richard H. Gorsuch

1986 – Sue Ann Norton

1985 – Edwin “Dubbs” Roush – Buzz Cockerill

1984 – Clara McCammon/Blendon Grange – Mary Davis

1983 – Mary Bailey

1982 – R.T. Sarge Beum

1981 – Morris Briggs

1980 – Sanders Frye – James Tressler

1979 – Maurice & Dorothy McVay

1978 – Dr. Walter Stout

1977 – Esther McDermott, Dorothy Benton, and Eddie Birchem