Dr. Scott J. Meyer of St. Louis Nov. 11 was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by Concordia Historical Institute (CHI).
Meyer, a member of CHI’s Board of Governors since 1986, received the institute’s highest award “for his extraordinary commitment to Lutheran History and the Institute,” according to the citation.
Also presented at CHI’s 30th annual awards banquet in St. Louis were awards of commendation for 19 works, including books, articles and even a feature-length commercially released motion picture.
Dennis Clauss, corporate projects leader with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, was presented an award of commendation for his role as executive producer of “Luther.” The film about Martin Luther’s life up to the presentation of the Augsburg Confession in 1530 was cited in part for “educating Americans (and others) to the historic roots of the church that bears the Great Reformer’s name today.”
Two awards went to one person, Dr. Mark E. Braun, a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran College, Milwaukee. He received awards for A Tale of Two Synods–Events that Led to the Split between Wisconsin and Missouri, in the major-publications category, and for an article on inter-synodical relations 100 years ago that appeared in the Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly.
Others receiving awards in the major-publications category were Dr. Kirby L. Koriath, Muncie, Ind.; Richard Cimino, North Bellmore, N.Y.; Dr. Todd W. Nichol, Northfield, Minn.; and Dr. George Nielsen, Giddings, Texas.
Authors of journal articles who received awards were Dr. Ralph W. Quere, Dubuque, Iowa; Dr. Erik M. Heen, Philadelphia; Dr. Timothy Wengert, Philadelphia; and Rev. Dale B. Huelsman, Wellington, Ohio.
George Boerger of Houston and Timothy Ristow, Bastrup, Texas, shared an award in the non-print media category for an audio history of the Wends, a Slavic Lutheran immigrant group that settled in Texas in the mid-19th century.
Awards for congregational anniversary celebrations or histories went to the Immanuel Lutheran 150th Anniversary Committee, Macomb, Mich.; Vernon A. Schultz, Wisner, Neb.; Mary Buhrkuhl, Bourbon, Mo.; Glennys Bruning, Ellsworth, Kan.; Mount Hulda Lutheran Church, Cole Camp, Mo.; Charles and Sue Hofman, Hollywood, Fla.; and Franklin and Sylvia Krueger, Cedarburg, Wis.
CHI currently is accepting nominations for work done in 2004 for recognition at next year’s awards ceremony. The institute, which is the Synod’s Department of Archives and History, is located on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
Posted Nov. 30, 2004